Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: 3 relievers to target with saves at a premium — plus more early-season pickups

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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: 3 relievers to target with saves at a premium — plus more early-season pickups

For the most part, fantasy baseball managers should add players with significant long-term upside at this point in the season. After all, the benefits of a potential six-month asset far outweigh those of a player who will only be on your roster for a few days. That being said, victories in head-to-head leagues in April count just as much as those in August. For that reason, this article will always feature some long-term and short-term options.

The majority of enticing early-season options tend to come from the mound, as a few starters will show exciting skill developments and a handful of relievers will slide into ninth-inning roles. On the hitting side, we should usually exercise patience with the players who we deemed fit to draft.

Pitchers to add

Parker Messick, SP, Guardians, 29%: When Messick made the rotation, I labelled him as my FOMO player for 2026. But the left-hander even exceeded my expectations when he posted a 5:0 K:BB ratio over six scoreless innings during a road start against the mighty Dodgers on Monday. I’m all-in on Messick and would find a way to add him in every 12-team league and plenty of 10-team formats ahead of his upcoming Sunday start against the Cubs.

Eric Lauer, SP, Blue Jays, 30%: Lauer, who was eighth on Toronto’s rotation depth chart at one point in spring training, is now the team’s No. 4 starter. Sure, injuries to others have aided his climb, but he also fared well in the rotation last year (3.77 ERA, 9.0 K/9 rate) and looked great when he struck out nine over 5.1 innings of one-run ball in his initial 2026 start. The schedule makes me even more bullish on Lauer, as his next two starts come against the White Sox and Twins.

Paul Sewald, RP, Diamondbacks, 45%: With so many unsettled closer situations during March, it’s not surprising that new save options are continuously emerging during the initial days of the season. Sewald may be the top option to add, as he has looked great thus far (0.00 ERA, 4:0 K:BB ratio) en route to earning two saves. The 35-year-old has plenty of closer experience (88 career saves), and although the D-backs aren’t World Series contenders, they are better than most of the teams who have an unsettled closer picture.

Jordan Romano, RP, Angels, 42%: Everything that was said about Sewald also applies to Romano, who has been excellent (0.00 ERA, 4:2 K:BB ratio) while earning two saves. Like Sewald, Romano struggled last year but has plenty of ninth-inning experience (115 career saves) and a firm grip on his team’s closer role.

Lucas Erceg, RP, Royals, 48%: In comparison to Sewald and Romano, Erceg is less of a sure thing but has more upside, making him a more desirable option overall. The right-hander is the heavy favorite to assume closer responsibilities from Carlos Estévez, who has lost too much velocity to be used in high-leverage situations. Erceg is a quality reliever (2.64 ERA, 1.17 WHIP in 2025), who could be regarded as a top-15 closer by the end of April. Of course, there is also a chance that Royals manager Matt Quatraro opts to split up ninth-inning duties.

Hitters to add

Ryan O’Hearn, 1B/OF, Pirates, 28%: So far, the addition of O’Hearn his paying dividends for a Pirates offense that needed a spark. The slugger is consistently batting out of premium lineup spots, has more walks (4) than whiffs (3) and has shown some power (.737 SLG). Although O’Hearn won’t dominate in any category, he should be helpful in every area except for steals.

Nolan Schanuel, 1B, Angels, 24%: Slowly but surely, Schanuel is becoming a quality major leaguer. The Angels promoted him prematurely way back in 2023, but he has made strides with his average exit velocity and has always had an excellent ability to control the strike zone. As the Angels’ regular No. 3 hitter, the 24-year-old should be involved in plenty of run scoring.

Andrés Giménez, 2B/SS, Blue Jays, 32%: Managers who need a speed boost in category leagues can consider Giménez, who is showing signs of bouncing back from a down year that was impacted by injuries. The slick fielder’s glove will keep him in the lineup, and he has a pair of 30-steal seasons on his resume (2023-24). He just needs to limit strikeouts, which he has done so far (12.5%).

Carson Benge, OF, Mets, 33%: Benge has been a mixed bag thus far. He’s drawing plenty of walks (9.5%) but striking out too often (33.3%). He’s making excellent contact (50% hard-hit rate) but hitting too many grounders (58.3%). The kid has been in the majors for a week – let’s add him and give him a time to smooth out the rough spots.

Hitters with favorable weekend matchups

Max Muncy, 3B, Dodgers, 38%

The Dodgers will face three below-average starters on a Nationals team that may not have any reliable relievers. With seven Los Angeles hitters rostered in 90% of leagues, Muncy stands out as the one regular who is both available and has significant upside.

Justin Crawford, OF, Phillies, 22%

A trip to Coors Field makes the Phillies the top offense to target this weekend. There are six Philadelphia regulars who are rostered in the majority of leagues, although Bryson Stott and Adolis García will be available in some shallow formats. Crawford, who is batting .412, is more widely available and has the speed and contact skills to thrive at Coors Field.

Pitchers to stream this weekend (ranked in order of preference)

Parker Messick vs. CHC (Sunday, 29%)
Ryan Weathers vs. MIA (Saturday, 30%)
Eric Lauer @ CWS (Sunday, 30%)
Jack Leiter vs. CIN (Sunday, 48%)
Brandon Ashcraft vs. BAL (Sunday, 48%)
Kyle Harrison @ KC (Sunday, 30%)
Chris Bassitt @ PIT (Sunday, 29%)
Tyler Mahle vs. NYM (Friday, 9%)
Clay Holmes @ SF (Saturday, 45%)
Chad Patrick @ KC (Friday, 18%)
Michael Wacha vs. MIL (Friday, 32%)
Carmen Mlodzinski vs. BAL (Saturday, 3%)
Grant Holmes @ ARI (Friday, 17%)