Fantasy Baseball 2026: Deep League Waiver Pickups for April 27-May 3

Roughly 15% of the regular season schedule has been played as we approach the end of April. If you've been waiting to see how your team is performing before making any serious roster moves, the time for waiting is just about over. You should be evaluating your team's production and preparing to augment that production with waiver wire additions and trades.

These deep league waiver pickups for April 27-May 3 will target players owned in no more than 30% of Yahoo leagues. We'll specifically look for players with the potential to break out or hit a productive streak that you can exploit for your teams. We'll also recommend some prospects and/or players returning from injury that you can potentially stash for future consideration.

Top Deep-League Waiver Adds

Hitters and Pitchers To Add Now

Brooks Lee, 2B/3B/SS (MIN) (8%) - If you missed out on Jeremiah Jackson, Lee isn't a bad consolation prize. Especially if you need his multi-position flexibility. He's not going to hit for a ton of power, although he's already hit four home runs in his first 91 PA. His production over the last dozen games is probably a good snapshot of what he'll give you. In 50 PA he's batted .261/.320/.435 with 7 R, 7 RBI, 2 HR, and a stolen base. His OPS for the season (91 PA) is .724, which sums him up nicely. He's a decent stopgap, but not someone you should be counting on as a regular starter.

Ronny Mauricio, 2B/3B (NYM) (5%) - The injury to Francisco Lindor prompted the Mets to recall Mauricio from Triple-A, where he was optioned just two weeks ago after a one-week stint in New York. Mauricio was tearing up Triple-A pitching, batting .293/.349/.638 with 12 R, 13 RBI, 6 HR, and 5 SB. He hasn't been anywhere near that good during his brief stints with the big club with a .651 OPS and quasi-productive 8 HR and 11 SB in 303 total PA.

Initial reports had Mauricio taking over at shortstop for Lindor, but manager Carlos Mendoza named Bo Bichette as the starting shortstop for the first game of Sunday's doubleheader against the Rockies. After riding the bench for the first game, Mauricio started at short in game two. He singled in three trips to the plate with one strikeout. It's not clear how Mendoza intends to fill Lindor's shoes right now. Regardless of where he plays Mauricio can provide some power and speed, but don't expect much help from him for batting average and OBP. Given the Mets infield depth, Mauricio is likely to be on a short leash.

Moises Ballesteros, C (CHC) (17%) - Ballesteros was not on my radar during draft season and now I'm regretting the oversight. Yes, there is plenty of swing and miss in his game. However, there is nothing wrong with his 88.9% zone contact rate, and when he makes contact he absolutely crushes the ball. His 57.4% hard-hit rate puts him in the 96th percentile, and his 92.9 MPH exit velocity puts him in the 89th percentile. Ballesteros is currently posting an unsustainable .442 BABIP, so the regression monster will come calling at some point. Still, there is no question that he will continue to put up solid power numbers. Manager Craig Counsell has been limiting Ballesteros' exposure to left-handed pitchers, but that shouldn't stop you from adding him to your roster if he's available in your leagues.

JR Ritchie, SP (ATL) (20%) - Ritchie made five solid Triple-A starts and pitched to a 0.99 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, struck out 26.2% of batters, and held them to a .167 batting average. The Braves called him up after Didier Fuentes seemed overmatched in a spot start, and all he did was open eyes and potentially pitch his way to a permanent spot in the starting rotation. Ritchie has a six-pitch repertoire that features a curveball that he throws 28 percent of the time with a whiff rate of 42.9%. The curve combines well with his changeup, and he also mixes in a slider and a cutter along with his sinker and four-seamer. Overall, he has four pitches with armside break that he can mix to keep hitters guessing.

Walks were an issue in the minors, and he did give out a few free passes in his debut along with a hit batsman and a wild pitch. So his command is still a work in progress. Spencer Strider is due back soon and there are other veteran arms coming back at various points in the not too distant future. Whether Ritchie sticks for the rest of the season will depend on how he pitches, whether Strider can stay healthy, and just how healthy the rest of the veterans are upon their return. Of course, none of that means you shouldn't ride Ritchie as long as he's around and pitching well.

Walbert Urena, SP (LAA) (10%) - After striking out eight Padres hitters and allowing just two runs on four hits with two walks in his debut as a starter, Urena was roughed up by the Royals on Saturday. He got the hook after 3.2 innings in which he gave up four runs on six hits with five walks and three punchouts. Urena couldn't find the strike zone, throwing just 44 of his 81 pitches for strikes. It's not clear whether he's going to stay in the rotation, go back to the minors, or just be moved back to the bullpen. Regardless of which option the Angels choose, don't bid more than a buck or two in FAAB if you decide you're desperate enough to pick him up.

Connor Prielipp, SP (MIN) (5%) - Prielipp was called up to replace starting pitcher Mick Abel in the rotation. Manager Derek Shelton announced at a recent news conference that Prielipp will remain with the team and in the rotation at least until Abel returns. Prielipp struck out nearly 35% of the batters he faced over 15.2 innings in four appearances (three starts) at Triple-A. However, he also walked 12.7% of the batters faced, an issue that also dogged him in 2025.

The strikeouts carried over to his MLB debut this season, as he notched six punchouts in four innings. Even better, he allowed just two earned runs on four hits with zero walks. He featured his slider in that outing, throwing it just over half the time. His curveball is a plus offering that works well paired with the slider. The main knock on Prielipp's stuff is his fastball's lack of movement. Although he throws both his sinker and his four-seamer just shy of 96 MPH, neither pitch moves all that much, and he has issues with his command of both offerings. Ultimately, the effectiveness of those fastballs will dictate whether he sticks around more than another outing or two.

Key IL Stashes

Injury Returns to Watch For This Coming Week

Spencer Strider, SP (ATL) (90%) - Strider made his third rehab start on Sunday, his second for Triple-A Gwinnett. He reportedly sat just shy of 96 with his fastball, touching 98 a few times. Strider threw 82 pitches, 50 for strikes with 17 whiffs. All told he struck out seven in five innings and allowed just one run. It seems likely that the Braves will activate Strider sometime this coming week. However, given the strong performances the team is getting from pitchers like Bryce Elder, JR Ritchie, and Grant Holmes, there is no need to rush Strider back.

Zack Wheeler, SP (PHI) (94%) - Wheeler returned to the Phillies on Sunday, throwing five innings in which he struck out six and allowed two runs on three hits and three walks. It wasn't a great outing and it came on the heels of some rough outings while on his rehab assignment. It might be wise to keep him on your bench until he shows that he's back to form. Keep in mind that coming back from thoracic outlet syndrome surgery is far from easy, and it's quite possible that he doesn't come close to being what he once was.

Jackson Chourio, OF (MIL) (99%) - Chourio progressed to hitting on the field this past week but there is still no timetable for his return. The best estimate has him returning in mid-May.

Jackson Holliday, 2B/SS (BAL) (49%) - Holliday experienced some pain in his surgically repaired hand and had scans done to check for damage. The scans came back clean with no damage detected. Holliday was shut down for a week to allow the swelling to subside. He'll be reevaluated, then return to his rehab assignment, assuming there are no problems. The Orioles are in no hurry to get Holliday back and will allow him whatever time he needs to feel 100 percent. This is looking like mid-May as well.

Bench Spots, and Prospect Stash Candidates

Strategic Roster Management Advice

The following prospects are tearing it up in the minors and should be stashed if possible.

Max Clark, OF (DET) (8%) - Clark is batting .305/.382/.453 with a home run and 8 SB. There is plenty of room for improvement in the Tigers outfield. The only holdup here is that the organization wants to see Clark hit for more power before they bring him up.

Jonah Tong, SP (NYM) (6%) - Tong is struggling with his command in Triple-A with a walk rate of 13.4%. However, he is striking batters out at 33.9% after six starts. The Mets rotation is a hot mess. If Kodai Senga can't fix his mechanics again, then Tong will likely get a call-up.

Luis Lara, OF (MIL) (0%) - Lara has 5 HR and 12 SB to go with a .347/.439/.561 line. He's walking as often as he strikes out, too. The Brewers aren't shy about promoting players, so we could see Lara sooner rather than later if the team believes they can contend for the postseason.

Fantasy Baseball 2026 Deep League Waiver Questions, Answered

Who are the top deep-league waiver pickups for April 27-May 3?

High-upside hitters and pitchers still available in 30% of leagues who are trending positively or returning from injury.

Are there strong IL stashes worth adding right now?

Yes. Players with clear return timelines and strong underlying metrics make excellent bench stashes in deep leagues.

Should fantasy managers drop current rostered players to make room for these waiver adds?

Drop players with declining roles or poor underlying metrics once a higher-upside waiver target becomes available.

How many bench spots should be used for waiver stashes in deep leagues?

In deep leagues, 1–2 spots are worth reserving for high-upside adds and IL stashes.

When should fantasy managers act on these waiver recommendations?

Before next week's waiver run while ownership percentages remain low.

Copyright 2026 Athlon Sports. All rights reserved.

This story was originally published April 27, 2026 at 1:14 PM.