2026 Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Targets (Week 3): Braxton Ashcraft, Max Muncy, Adolis García Lead Top Pickups
Finding the right fantasy baseball waiver wire targets is one of the fastest ways to gain an early-season edge, and Week 3 offers plenty of opportunities to do just that. Identifying players under 50% Yahoo ownership can provide immediate value as injuries pile up and roles continue to take shape, while also uncovering potential long-term contributors.
This week’s fantasy baseball waiver wire targets include a mix of hitters in favorable matchups and widely available pitchers lined up for strong streaming spots, along with a few names who could stick on rosters well beyond this week’s matchup. By focusing on schedule, splits, opponent quality, and evolving roles, you can turn short-term adds into meaningful production while staying one step ahead of your league.
Waiver Wonderland: Top 2026 Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Targets (Week 3)
Welcome to the Waiver Wonderland, where matchups matter—but opportunity can turn into something more. If you’re looking for fantasy baseball waiver wire targets to plug into your lineup this week, this is the place to start.
From hitters set up to exploit vulnerable pitching staffs to streamable arms with favorable outings on deck, these under-rostered options can help you maximize Week 3 while also highlighting a few players who could carry value beyond just this week. Target the matchups, stay alert to changing roles, and you may find yourself holding onto more than just a short-term fix.
Note: All players are under 50% rostered on Yahoo!
HITTERS
Carlos Correa, 3B/SS, Houston Astros (49% Owned)
Let’s take a trip to Coors Field (the friendliest hitter environment over the last 3 years) shall we!
Carlos Correa‘s return to Houston has been uninspiring to date, but a 3-game trip to Coors could be exactly what he needs to get it going. Mostly batting cleanup this year, Correa should be heavily involved for the Astros’ run production and could provide you with an early advantage and significant counting stats in just 3 Coors’ games.
Adolis García, OF, Philadelphia Phillies (46% Owned)
One of my favorite contract year players and biggest sleepers of 2026, Adolis García has one homer and is batting .267 through his first 8 games with his new Phillies’ club. García has been batting 6th in one of the best lineups in the game, and should continue to have plenty of opportunities to clean up and produce runs as the season continues.
Max Muncy, 3B, Los Angeles Dodgers (38% Owned)
My favorite preseason 3B waiver wire must-add and one of my favorite sleepers for the 2026 season, Max Muncy, continues to be criminally underrated. Much like García, Muncy bats sixth in the best lineup in baseball and will have plenty of opportunities to provide potentially league-winning counting stats year-round. And he has been hammering baseballs, ranking 8th so far in average exit velocity – it is only a matter of time before the balls start dropping and the production starts piling up.
Samuel Basallo, C, Baltimore Orioles (35% Owned)
My highlighted preseason waiver wire catcher add, Samuel Basallo, has started in 6 of 8 of the Orioles’ games, and has batted in the heart of the order each time (4th once and 5th 5 times). While off to a slow start, Basallo’s first home run of the season showed his raw power and run-generating abilities, which is backed by his 10th-ranked average exit velocity (shown).
Given his lineup position and prospect status, snag Basallo and hold the course – the breakout is coming.
Jake Burger, 1B, Texas Rangers (33% Owned)
One of my favorite sleepers of the 2026 season, Jake Burger, is off to a smashing (smash burger pun intended) start to the year, swatting 2 homers and slashing .333/.947 in the young season. For those of you who did not listen to me in the preseason, now may be your last chance to grab him.
Francisco Alvarez, C, New York Mets (32% Owned)
Francisco Alvarez is flaunting his power to start the year, smashing 3 home runs in just 8 games while slashing .286/1.137.
While catcher is deeper this year, not many have the elite power upside that his bat wields, which is why I targeted him preseason.
Xander Bogaerts, SS, San Diego Padres (32%)
While Xander Bogaerts has gotten off to a slow start to his 2026 season, Week 3 provides him ample opportunities to begin righting the ship. Other than the dreaded Paul Skenes on Tuesday, Bogaerts just has to navigate 2 road Pittsburgh starts before going back home to face the Rockies below average staff for a 4-game homestand. Bogaerts has been flipping between 2nd and 5th in the Padres lineup to start the season, and should have ample opportunities for run production in Week 3.
Owen Caissie, OF, Miami Marlins (30% Owned)
The 39th-ranked prospect, Owen Caissie, is showing us why he was drafted him in the second round of the 2020 MLB draft.
Caissie is off to a furious start to the 2026 season, slashing .320/.997, with 2 homers, 9 RBI, 4 runs, and 1 SB. And he is tearing the cover off the ball, ranking 6th in barrel percentage so far in the early season.
Despite the strikeout potential, Caissie’s bat offers tremendous power upside that should guarantee him an everyday spot in the Marlins’ lineup.
TJ Friedl, OF, Cincinnati Reds (21% Owned)
TJ Friedl has got off to an uncharacteristically slow start to the season, but the Reds’ lefty leadoff man is slated to play 7 games this week against 7 right-handers, and could provide solid counting stats for those in need this week with limited claims.
Max Muncy, 2B/3B/SS, Athletics (16% Owned)
My favorite preseason SS waiver wire target, Max Muncy, has come out of the gates roaring, hitting 2 homers, knocking in 6 runs, swiping 1 base, and scoring 5 runs.
Also, to date, Muncy ranks 3rd across the league in hard hit percentage and 5th in average exit velocity (shown above).
Muncy has extremely valuable positional eligibility, including the very scarce 2B and 3B positions, and should continue to produce in what was the second-friendliest hitter environment in 2025.
Cam Smith, OF, Houston Astros (6% Owned)
Let’s take a trip BACK to Coors! Cam Smith has produced solid counting stats so far for the Astros (2 homers, 2 RBI, 7 runs, and 2 SBs) while slashing .250/.882. While he doesn’t bat in the top half of Houston’s lineup like Correa, Smith still has the ability to produce matchup-altering statistics during his 3-game stay in Colorado.
STARTING PITCHERS
Braxton Ashcraft, SP/RP, Pittsburgh Pirates (47% Owned)
One of my favorite preseason starting pitcher adds, Braxton Ashcraft, pitched well in his season debut in Cincinnati, going 6 innings and recording a quality start. Ashcraft has a talented, live arm, and going deep start 1 (87 pitches) shows he has the ability to effectively navigate a lineup and manage a full workload.
Michael Soroka, SP/RP, Arizona Diamondbacks (42% Owned)
Michael Soroka brought his strikeout game to the 2026 season!
The talented former first-round pick is still only 28 years old and has immense upside if he can turn back the clock to his Sophomore season.
Lance McCullers Jr., SP, Houston Astros (37% Owned)
With Lance McCullers, it has never been a question of talent but health.
McCullers has never posted a K9 below 9.16, and in only one season (last year) has he posted an xERA, FIP, or xFIP in the 4s. He completed 7 innings and struck out 9 in his first start, so I am hopping back aboard.
Noah Cameron, SP, Kansas City Royals (36% Owned)
Noah Cameron impressed in his first start of 2026, striking out 5 and allowing 1ER over 5IP. In Week 3, Cameron has the ever-valuable double-start on tap in Cleveland and at home White Sox, so Cameron has the ability to provide double the typical pitching streaming value with just one add.
Mike Burrows, SP/RP, Houston Astros (35% Owned)
Do not give up on Mike Burrows yet! After a bumpy first start, Burrows bounced back against the Red Sox, allowing 2 runs over 5 innings with 6 strikeouts.
Parker Messick, SP, Cleveland Guardians (35% Owned)
If you shut out the Dodgers over 6 innings in LA, you have to be mentioned in this weekly article – that is the rule!
Parker Messick blanked the Dodgers over 6 innings, striking out 5 and walking none, allowing just one extra base hit.
Casey Mize, SP, Detroit Tigers (32% Owned)
One of my favorite contract year players, Casey Mize dominated in his first start in Arizona, allowing just one run and striking out 9.
And while a great long-term add, he also has the ability to turn incredible immediate value with a double-start in Minnesota and at home against Miami in Week 3.
Reid Detmers, RP, Los Angeles Angels (30% Owned)
The K9 always keeps me coming back.
And in his first start, Reid Detmers was on full display with 9 Ks over just 4.2IP. And in start 2, he was able to provide depth, going 6.2IP. If Detmers could ever pair the strikeout upside with depth, he would be an elite starter – one can dream!
Taj Bradley, SP, Minnesota Twins (24% Owned)
Are we all BACK in and buying the 2026 Taj Bradley breakout?!?!
The 25 year old Bradley currently leads the Majors in Stuff+ (through just 2 starts, I know!), and has struck out 12 over 10.1IP, allowing just 1 run.
Joey Cantillo, SP/RP, Cleveland Indians (22% Owned)
Joey Cantillo has flashed his strikeout upside over his 2 starts, striking out 11 over 9 innings (including 6 against a solid Cubs lineup in his last start where he allowed just 1 run over 5.1IP).
For the long term, Cantillo is nasty, with tremendous strikeout upside. And in the short term, you can stream him Week 3 at home against the Royals.
Chad Patrick, SP, Milwaukee Brewers (21% Owned)
One of my favorite sleepers of the 2026 season, Chad Patrick has allowed just 1 run over two starts so far this season. Sure, depth has been an issue (just 9.1IP total), but he went 5IP in his second start and threw 86 pitches, proving he has the ability to go deeper into games.
Grant Holmes, SP, Atlanta Braves (17% Owned)
Another player I was quite high on preseason, Grant Holmes, shuck the cobwebs off after his first outing, going 6 scoreless start 2 and allowing just one hit in Arizona.
Holmes posted a strikeout per nine innings over 9 each of the last two season, so the 30 year old has upside in his arm.
Jameson Taillon, SP, Chicago Cubs (16% Owned)
You can do much worse than Jameson Taillon in Week 3, who has a double-start in Tampa and at home against Pittsburgh.
RELIEF PITCHERS
Paul Sewald, RP, Arizona Diamondbacks (46% Owned)
The NL league leader in saves is still available?!?!
While Paul Sewald may not inspire the most confidence in you, he has 3 saves and is throwing extremely well (7 Ks in 4IP).
Griffin Jax, RP, Tampa Bay Rays (44% Owned)
Yes, it has been a disaster to start his tenure with Tampa Bay (blew the save in each of his first two appearances), but Griffin Jax still has the high-end strikeout talent to rein it in and be an effective ninth inning stopper for the rest of the season.
Jordan Romano, RP, Los Angeles Angels (44% Owned)
Has Jordan Romano turned back the clock?!?
With Kirby Yates being placed on IL before the season started, Romano appeared to be part of a potential Angels’ committee, but has clearly separated himself – Romano has all 3 of the Angels’ saves, and has not allowed a hit over 4.2 scoreless innings, to go along with 7 Ks.
Riley O’Brien, RP, St. Louis Cardinals (31% Owned)
Riley O’Brien has yet to allow a run across 4.1 innings this year, and closer committee member JoJo Romero backed him up in the eighth inning of his only save, so O’Brien looks like the early favorite in the Cardinals’ pen.
Gregory Soto, RP, Pittsburgh Pirates (19% Owned)
Pirates Manager Don Kelly indicated early that Dennis Santana would potentially not be the full-time closer, and that looks to be the case so far in 2026. Gregory Soto has come out guns blazing, recording a whopping 11 strikeouts over 5.1 innings pitched, posting the third-best reliever K9 so far (yes, it is quite early, but still impressive!).
Clayton Beeter, RP, Washington Nationals (13% Owned)
Clayton Beeter has the only save this year for the Nationals. While the Nationals may struggle to win games, when they do, expect the games to be tight, so Beeter could be an extremely valuable add for closer-needy fantasy baseball managers.
Final Thoughts on Top 2026 Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Must-Add Players (Week 3)
As you evaluate your roster heading into Week 3, staying proactive with these fantasy baseball waiver wire targets can provide a crucial edge. The key is to remain flexible—capitalize on favorable matchups, ride hot streaks, and don’t hesitate to churn the bottom of your roster when better opportunities arise.
While some of these adds are geared toward immediate production, others have the potential to deliver season-long value if their roles continue to grow. Consistently targeting the right players in the right situations can add up quickly over the course of the season, putting you in a strong position to stay competitive week after week.
