Fantasy baseball waiver wire targets: Jordan Walker, Parker Messick are long overdue adds

With an increase in launch angle for the third straight season, Jordan Walker could be in the midst of a post-hype breakout. G Fiume / Getty Images Share full articleWhat better way to wrap up a hectic work week than with your favorite speculator right here at The Athletic! Just a few weeks into the season, and we’ve already felt the venomous bite of the dreaded injury bug. Up and down rosters everywhere, nicks, bruises, tears, strains and sprains continue wreaking havoc on our fantasy rosters. Periodically dodging those raindrops feels great, but sooner or later, we all wind up wet. But fear not, fellow fantasy traveler, you’ve come to the right place! Every week, we’ll go position by position for the best additions in all formats — including both hitter and pitcher stashes, plus ranking all available upcoming two-start SPs. When power is in short supply, catcher is one position where I’m willing to soak up batting average drain to achieve those homers. Despite the presence of stalwart Salvador Perez, Kansas City found an everyday spot in the lineup for Carter Jensen — green flag No. 1. The 22-year-old appears to have worked his way into a split full-time C/DH role with the veteran masher. As I alluded to earlier, Jensen’s .225 BA (.226 xBA) may be far from encouraging at the moment, but he’s a career .249 hitter in the minors with above-average contact rates. Point being, with just 104 MLB plate appearances, the book on Jensen is not out yet. Be patient, and keep in mind how the continuation of these early power metrics could spell a +30-HR season from a free-agent backstop with a 50% hard-hit rate, 15% barrel rate and 30% air-pull rate. Yes, please. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("[id='datawrapper-chart-5fFMR']");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r Chasing after fantasy's shiny new toy isn't always bad — especially when the player's cost is low and he's spending half his at-bats in the best hitting environment in MLB. Enter Colorado's TJ Rumfield, a hulkish first baseman acquired from the Yankees for hard-throwing RHP Angel Chivilli. As a Bombers fan, I always hoped Rumfield would be the one to fill New York's hole at the corner, but it wasn't meant to be. One look at the 25-year-old's 600-PA pace in the upper levels says it all: .279 BA, 85 Runs, 90 RBI, 20 HR, 7 SB. That's potentially five-category production from a power hitter in Coors Field, complete with elite plate discipline. Currently producing as fantasy's No. 11 1B, expect Rumfield's roster rate to climb toward 100% in the coming weeks. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("[id='datawrapper-chart-fwk0Q']");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r Positive drumbeats started this spring regarding the Athletics' Max Muncy, affectionately referred to in fantasy circles as the "other" Max Muncy. However, at this pace, the former first rounder may very well snatch that top spot on the namesake marquee. Just 23 years old, Muncy's played in every single contest this season and sits atop the 3B fantasy player rater leaderboard (depending on format). Strikeouts present an issue, so some in-season adjustments will be necessary to maintain this pace, but any process flaws should get washed out by the optimal hitting environment. It should be just a matter of time before the former first rounder's 44% rostership rate doubles. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("[id='datawrapper-chart-yqFi7']");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r Perhaps it's anecdotal fatigue, poor lineup placement or a slow offensive start for the Blue Jays, but Andrés Giménez is another top-10 positional player on the fantasy rater without a home in nearly two-thirds of fantasy leagues. What's shaping up like a classic "bad first year in a new town after a massive contract" scenario could (and should) end with Giménez universally rostered. He's yet to miss a single tilt in 2026, rarely strikes out, boasts an elite contact profile, and he runs! Only six players in MLB recorded more combined HRs and SBs than Giménez so far. Don't doubt the ceiling here just because he'll never hit 30 bombs — a repeat of his 2023 campaign in Cleveland would make him a quiet league winner off the waiver wire. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("[id='datawrapper-chart-Grar5']");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r The treatment of first-year players by the fantasy community never ceases to amaze me. You'd think Matt Shaw, a former first rounder coming off a 13 HR/17 SB rookie season playing every day for a competitive offense, would garner interest in more than 13% of formats. Similar to Carter Jensen, Shaw is another sophomore relegated to most waiver wires for poor batting average, however uncharacteristic it is of his entire body of work. So far in 2026, the strikeouts are down and the expected batting average is way up, to go with a double-digit barrel rate. Plus, the addition of Alex Bregman bumped Shaw into RF, so outfield eligibility is just around the corner. Buy now. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("[id='datawrapper-chart-QXWD3']");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r Well, the long-awaited Jordan Walker breakout is finally happening, leaving believers rejoicing in the streets and detractors writhing in shambles. Still somehow rostered in slightly over half of all leagues, I'd imagine Walker's MLB-leading fifth home run on Wednesday night will vault that number on the next waiver run — and I'm here with my unequivocal blessing. A breakout entering his age-24 season after years of letdowns would make the perfect case for patience regarding prospect pedigree, with post-hype sleepers experiencing non-linear growth. How many times have we forecasted greatness for players if they could only lift the ball more? That's exactly what's happening with Walker, who's raised his average launch angle for the third straight year — turning those extremely frustrating hard-hit grounders into barrels. He's got to be the early clubhouse leader for the Comeback Player of the Year Award, and I'm even buying high if any leaguemates dangle him on the trade block. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("[id='datawrapper-chart-JeyRA']");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("[id='datawrapper-chart-oSEWS']");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r I love it when a plan comes together. As someone who spent a good chunk of his spring banging the drum for Cleveland's Parker Messick, watching him win a rotation spot felt fantastic. Then to see him basically dominate the Dodgers and Cubs, two of MLB's better offenses, placed the fantasy cherry on top. I honestly can't explain why Messick hasn't achieved universally rostered status after that second excellent outing, bringing his season line to an impressive 11 IP, 0.82 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 20.0% K-BB, 52.0% GB, 0.82 HR/9. Messick's success stems from executing a 93-mph fastball up in the zone to set up a devastating secondary to hitters from either side of the plate — a changeup to righties and a slider to southpaws. Plus, he endured nearly 140 total innings pitched in 2025, putting him in line for a full complement of starts in 2026. Add now; ask questions later. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("[id='datawrapper-chart-AZt7R']");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("[id='datawrapper-chart-jaXEO']");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("[id='datawrapper-chart-sJUA3']");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("[id='datawrapper-chart-UHLCh']");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("[id='datawrapper-chart-NzUUq']");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r Mining the perfect fantasy closer comes down to finding that ideal combination of skills and role. Remember not to get too hung up on the first part, either — we'll still take the bad pitcher getting save opportunities. For those managers who punted saves on draft day, the season begins on high alert, but fear not; you're in luck. MLB's save environment is as chaotic as ever. Without looking, see if you can guess how many players have logged a save so far. Despite the calendar turning to April a little more than a week ago, a remarkable 63 different pitchers have already recorded a save in 2026 through Wednesday. Wow! Crazy stuff. With that, the goal is always to acquire a reliever who either has the job now or direct access to it soon. Given the incredible number of league types out there, our best course is to keep a running list of relievers and grab the best available. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("[id='datawrapper-chart-LhRT2']");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms John is a lifetime fan and longtime analyst who crossed into content creation with his integration of technical analysis in the MLB space. He’s the man behind the @MLBMovingAvg handle on Twitter, launching the MLBMA algorithm in 2018 after having written several successful models, focused on creating the preeminent handicapping tool for fantasy baseball and sports betting. He's also the Director of MLB content at windailysports.com and will not rest until the Quality Start is fixed. Follow John on Twitter @MLBMovingAvg