Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Joey Wiemer is Top Add

Just like that, the first week of the 2026 MLB season is in the books. And while the sample sizes are tiny, we still want to work the fantasy baseball waiver wire for possible breakout bats and arms — and capitalize where we can. We also want to scour the drop lists over the next couple of weeks to see if any notable players become available on the waiver wire due to early struggles.

The fantasy baseball season is a marathon, but it’s vital to constantly be active on the waiver wire to gain as much of an edge as possible. The purpose of this weekly write-up is to help you gain that edge by identifying players on the wire who can improve your fantasy rosters. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some fantasy baseball waiver wire targets for Week 2.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Targets

Joey Wiemer (OF — WAS)

The Nationals have been on fire to start the season, with Joey Wiemer’s bat being the hottest. Wiemer surprisingly won the starting job over Dylan Crews this spring, and the move has paid off early on. He’s on a 10-for-17 tear across five games, including four multi-hit efforts. To date, Wiemer has tallied two long balls, seven runs, and four RBI in that stretch.

Wiemer has struggled with high strikeouts and poor contact throughout his limited time in the majors. But that hasn’t been the case so far, as he’s striking out at a sub-20% clip and walking at a near 23% rate. He’s also showcasing a 15.4% barrel rate out of the gate. If Wiemer can curb the Ks and continue to get on base, he could prove to be a menace on the basepaths moving forward. The Nats are riding Wiemer’s hot bat, and so should you.

Jake Bauers (1B/OF — MIL)

Jake Bauers has been a quietly productive bat for the Brewers. He’s hitting .274 over 23 plate appearances and has contributed across the board with two homers and two steals. Additionally, Bauers has been making strong, quality contact. He’s posted a 12.5% barrel rate and 95.1 mph average exit velocity in the early going, which has paired well with his 76 mph bat speed.

The Brewers have been one of the most productive offenses to start the year, and they lead the league in stolen bases. Bauers — and fantasy managers — should benefit, as he’s hitting between fourth and sixth in the lineup. Consider Bauers a solid all-around addition to most fantasy rosters.

Jake Burger (1B — TEX)

Jake Burger is off to a sizzling 2026 start. He’s 9-for-26 out of the gate with two home runs, five runs scored, and six RBI. He’s also batting cleanup. The power is nice to see, considering oblique and wrist injuries limited the slugger to 103 games last season. While those injuries can affect a player’s power output, Burger’s power metrics remained mostly intact. Over 376 plate appearances in 2025, he posted a 13.9% barrel rate and 74.6 mph bat speed — both consistent with career marks. Burger is a 30-homer bat who doesn’t walk or steal bases. But he’ll contribute a healthy dose of dingers and counting stats while swinging a hot bat.

Ryan O’Hearn (1B/OF — PIT)

Ryan O’Hearn has hit the ground running with his new ball club. He’s reached base safely in all five games played and collected eight hits in the process to go with two homers and six RBI.

O’Hearn has typically been a strong-side platoon bat, but the Buccos have given him an everyday role, and he’s taken advantage early on. While O’Hearn isn’t the most exciting player, he has a solid plate approach and maintained a .277 batting average and 121 wRC+ over the past three seasons. If he continues to get more at-bats this year, a 20-homer season is in the cards to go with a plus batting average and a sprinkling of steals. Boring, but useful.

Randy Vasquez (SP — SDP)

Randy Vasquez flexed increased velocity this spring, and it carried over to his first start of the season. He tossed six shutout innings against the Tigers, limiting them to two hits while striking out eight. Much of Vasquez’s success in the outing stemmed from his four-seamer. He threw the pitch 30% of the time, and it sat at 95 mph, up from 93.5 mph in 2025. Vasquez’s fastball was also responsible for six of his eight strikeouts on the day.

Up next are a couple of soft matchups for Vasquez. He faces a Red Sox team that’s struggled to generate much offense, and then gets the Rockies at home. Increased velocity and a drool-worthy upcoming schedule make Vasquez an easy add in 12-teamers.

Emerson Hancock (SP — SEA)

Emerson Hancock was one of the biggest surprises on the mound last week. Relying primarily on his four-seamer (53%) and sweeper (26%), he tossed six hitless frames against the Guardians to go with nine punchouts to one walk. It’ll be interesting to see if the sweeper becomes a larger part of his arsenal moving forward, as Hancock only threw it 3% last season.

Overall, Hancock hasn’t been very impressive in the majors. Across three partial seasons, he carries a 4.88 xFIP, 1.36 WHIP, and 8% K-BB across 162.2 innings. But while he’s filling in for Bryce Miller, he’s worth considering in 15-teamers given his fantastic start. Hancock is slated to face the Angels on the road this weekend, followed by a home start against the Astros.

Lucas Erceg (RP — KCR)

For those chasing saves, Lucas Erceg is the pickup of the week. Erceg is now in the driver’s seat with Carlos Estevez sidelined with a foot injury. Erceg secured the Royals’ last two saves and has been a more than serviceable reliever since the team acquired him in 2024. Across those 86.1 innings, Erceg combined for 13 saves and registered a 2.71 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and 16.8% K-BB. It’s not out of the question that Erceg retains the closing job once Estevez returns, as Estevez struggled with his velocity this spring. Erceg is worth adding in most league sizes.

Jordan Romano (RP — LAA)

If you miss out on grabbing Erceg, Jordan Romano is a suitable alternative. He became the next arm up after Kirby Yates landed on the IL with knee inflammation to start the season. In the interim, Romano is 2-for-2 on the saves front with a 4:2 K:BB across 2.2 innings. It’s unclear whether Romano will keep the role once Yates returns. But there’s nothing wrong with squirreling away some saves until that’s determined.