MLB FAAB Factor: Top Fantasy Baseball Waiver Targets

This FAAB article is in addition to the AL and NL FAAB articles that run Sunday. Bids are based on a $100 FAAB budget. Throughout the season, this column will have two goals:

1. Identify FAAB targets for fantasy managers in leagues with Thursday FAAB.

2. Offer a preview of FAAB targets ahead of Sunday's columns.

A lot of different streaks seem to be coming up in major baseball headlines recently. Off the top of my head, I can recall mentions of Brice Turang's 21-game on-base streak, Nick Kurtz's 13-game walk streak, the Cubs' eight-game winning streak, the Phillies' eight-game losing streak, the Mets' 12-game (!) losing streak, Shohei Ohtani's 53-game (!!) on-base streak, Mason Miller's 32.2-inning (!!!) scoreless streak, and one more unlikely streak that we'll get to later. Trends and patterns like these are exactly the kind of things I look for when writing this article each week, so I'm not complaining, but unfortunately, I don't think there are many leagues that have Ohtani or Turang sitting on the waiver wire (feel free to send me an invite if you're in a league where they are), so that means digging a bit deeper... 

The number in parentheses represents the player's rostership rate in Yahoo leagues.

Starting Pitcher

 Noah Schultz, Chicago White Sox (39%)

Schultz was fighting off some jitters during his MLB debut, but he looked to be much more composed on the mound during his most recent start Sunday against the A's, allowing just one hit – a solo home run – while striking out six batters over five innings and capturing his first MLB win. The 22-year-old southpaw has dealt with some control issues in the past, which is to be expected from a pitcher who is 6-foot-10 and lanky, but his 19:2 K:BB at Triple-A Charlotte this year suggests he may have made some progress in that department. Aside from that, he offers significant strikeout potential and has a chance to emerge as a true ace if he can put all the pieces together in the majors. He's in line to face a high-scoring Washington lineup Saturday, and another strong performance would go a long way in proving that he's ready for the big leagues. FAAB: $6

 Chase Dollander, Colorado Rockies (11%)

It's not often that you'll see a Rockies pitcher make this list, so when it happens, you know he must be dealing. Dollander has certainly been doing just that, posting a 1.71 ERA and 0.86 WHIP alongside a 27:5 K:BB over his last five outings – a massive improvement over the 6.52 ERA and 1.55 WHIP with which he finished last season. The biggest difference between 2025 and '26 has been the Rockies' decision to have him follow an opener every time he pitches, which makes it much easier for him to tally wins...or at least as easy as it'll get for someone on the Rockies. It also doesn't hurt that his already-fast 97.8-mph average fastball velocity from last year is up to 99 mph this season, helping him to strike out batters at a 30.8 percent clip. Kyle Freeland is expected to return from the injured list at the end of the month, but I have a hard time believing Colorado will take Dollander out of the rotation rather than someone like Ryan Feltner, who's put up a 6.00 ERA and 1.50 WHIP to begin the year. FAAB: $4

Relief Pitcher

 Tanner Scott, Los Angeles Dodgers (44%)

Elbow surgery for Edwin Diaz will leave the Dodgers without their All-Star closer at least through the All-Star break. Manager Dave Roberts said that the team will go with a closer-by-committee approach for now but also suggested that Scott likely will be the largest beneficiary of increased save chances. The 31-year-old lefty has certainly made a great case for himself to close games while posting a 0.93 ERA and 0.62 WHIP through 9.2 innings to begin the year. It will be hard for Scott to shake Alex Vesia and Blake Treinen to claim the ninth inning for himself, but Roberts' comments make Scott the most worthy investment in my eyes. FAAB: $4

 Caleb Thielbar, Chicago Cubs (23%)

An oblique strain caused Daniel Palencia to join Hunter Harvey (triceps) and Phil Maton (knee) on the list of high-leverage Cubs relievers currently on the IL, leaving Thielbar as the top remaining option for saves in Wrigleyville. The 39-year-old southpaw has done well in his new role so far, coming away with two saves and a win over his last three appearances while lowering his ERA to 2.08 and his WHIP to 1.04 through 8.2 innings on the year. Palencia isn't expected to rejoin the big-league bullpen for at least another two weeks, so there could be plenty more opportunities ahead for Thielbar to continue closing games for the red-hot Cubs. FAAB: $2

 Joel Kuhnel, Athletics (26%)

Kuhnel has been getting regular save chances since arriving in Sacramento on April 7, which so far has resulted in him converting four saves while posting a 2.35 ERA and 1.04 WHIP through 7.2 innings. He doesn't have the markings of a typical major-league closer, especially if you consider the fact that he's struck out just 11 batters in 30.2 MLB innings since 2023, but as long as the A's are allowing him to handle the ninth, you could get great value out of him. FAAB: $1

Catcher

 Dalton Rushing, Los Angeles Dodgers (24%)

The amount of firepower in the Dodgers' regular starting lineup makes it nearly impossible for anyone lower on the depth chart to break through, but a catcher who has seven homers in nine games will force any team to get creative. Rushing's power displays have propelled him to a 1.659 OPS through 31 plate appearances, and he's begun to cut into Will Smith's playing time a bit by appearing in four of Los Angeles' last five games. Rushing also took over as the DH while Shohei Ohtani pitched on April 15, which could be another avenue for the young backstop to pick up an extra start once every six days if the team decides to continue with that strategy. His playing time/value will be limited as long as Smith is healthy, but Rushing doesn't make for a bad second option. FAAB: $1

First Baseman

 Ildemaro Vargas, Arizona Diamondbacks (13%)

I mentioned in the introduction that there was another streak we were going to cover later. Later has arrived. The 12-game hitting streak Vargas was on this time last week is now up to 17 games (20 if you include his final three games of 2025), which is pretty good considering he's played in 17 games this year. There was even a mini streak between Tuesday and Wednesday that saw the 34-year-old hit a home run in three consecutive plate appearances, giving him five homers, 16 RBI and 14 runs scored on the young season. He could be moved into a super-utility role once Carlos Santana (thigh) returns from the injured list, but then again, Santana (.083/.154/.125) wasn't very inspiring at the plate this year before getting hurt, so there's a chance Arizona may have found itself a new first baseman. FAAB: $2

Second Baseman

 Oswald Peraza, Los Angeles Angels (17%)

Vaughn Grissom's return from a wrist injury and Jorge Soler's return from suspension have worked to make it a bit harder for Peraza to crack the starting lineup on a regular basis, but the 25-year-old infielder has been fighting back by slashing .387/.457/.742 with three homers, six RBI, seven runs scored and two steals over his last 10 games. His defense may be the most important factor in his battle for playing time, however, as he has experience (and fantasy eligibility) at four infield positions and is a much more capable defender at the hot corner than Yoan Moncada. FAAB: $1

Third Baseman

 Miguel Vargas, Chicago White Sox (26%)

Munetaka Murakami has hit a home run in five consecutive games, but he's available in only eight percent of Yahoo leagues, so we're going to have to settle for his teammate, who has homered in three straight contests but is available in 74 percent of leagues. It's easy to get discouraged by Vargas' .193 batting average for the season, but his five homers, 12 RBI, 18 runs and four steals are all great marks at which to be just 23 games into the campaign. A 15.2 percent walk rate has also been good enough to keep his OBP at .333 and ensure he remains near the top of Chicago's batting order alongside Murakami, who we already noted is pretty good at driving in runs. FAAB: $3

 Josh Jung, Texas Rangers (20%)

Jung went 0-for-17 across his first four games before notching his first base hit of the season, but since the start of April, he's slashing .390/.448/.678 with three homers, 11 RBI and nine runs scored across 67 plate appearances. The 28-year-old's production had been in a steady decline over the past two seasons, and injuries certainly haven't helped him out, but he now seems to be showing signs of breaking out as the plus hitter he looked to be as a prospect. If that ends up being the case, he offers real power potential and could begin to bat in the heart of the Rangers' order more consistently. FAAB: $1

Shortstop

Brayan Rocchio, Cleveland Guardians (16%)

Rocchio entered the season with a career .620 OPS in the majors but now seems to be transforming into a productive member of Cleveland's offense. Since the start of April, the 25-year-old is slashing .295/.368/.475 with three homers, 12 RBI and seven runs over 19 games, and he just saw an eight-game hitting streak come to an end Wednesday. Meanwhile, his 11.5 percent strikeout rate is almost half of what it was last year (20.1), and his 11.5 percent walk rate is more than double what it was (5.7). Gabriel Arias' hamstring injury will keep Rocchio in the lineup every day, and although he almost exclusively bats ninth, he's essentially worked as a second leadoff man while posting a .367 OBP ahead of Steven Kwan, Chase DeLauter and Jose Ramirez. FAAB: $2

 Masyn Winn, St. Louis Cardinals (40%)

Winn was slashing just .154/.298/.205 on April 10, but he's since gone 12-for-31 with a homer, eight RBI, six runs scored and a stolen base over the course of his eight-game hitting streak to bring his batting average up to .257 with a .754 OPS. Now that he's seemingly settled into a groove at the plate, the 24-year-old could begin to emerge as a viable run-producing asset while batting sixth in a Cardinals lineup that has outperformed expectations to begin the season. FAAB: $1

Outfielder

 Mickey Moniak, Colorado Rockies (28%)

Moniak has logged a base hit in all seven games in which he's played since April 15, during which he's gone 9-for-26 with a homer, four RBI and five runs scored while swiping his first bag of the season. Of course, Moniak plays for the Rockies, so I'm obligated to point out that five of those seven games were played at Coors Field. However, his OPS on the road has risen from the .680 he posted last year to .806 this season, which is a good sign that his uptick in production could be somewhat sustainable. The 27-year-old slugger sits at six home runs, 13 RBI and 11 runs through 18 games, putting him on pace to shatter his career highs in all three stats. FAAB: $3

 Heliot Ramos, San Francisco Giants (46%)

Ramos was batting just .185 after April 2 but has turned things around significantly during the 16 games that have followed, slashing .316/.350/.474 with a pair of homers, 11 RBI and six runs scored. His two round-trippers in 23 games puts him a bit behind the 20-homer pace he's established for himself over the past two seasons, but his 92.2-mph average exit velocity indicates that he's still hitting the ball as hard and consistently as ever. The bigger cause for concern comes from the fact that he is striking out in 31.4 percent of his plate appearances, making him vulnerable to an ugly cold spell if the hits begin to become scarce. FAAB: $2

 Ezequiel Duran, Texas Rangers (2%)

Duran's fantasy value already benefits from the fact that he has eligibility at every position other than catcher, and he'll get another bump now that he's likely to make regular starts in left field while Wyatt Langford (forearm) is on the injured list. Duran has begun to heat up at the plate recently, going 6-for-14 while driving in four runs and scoring three times over his last four games. He's also been showing off his skills as a runner, swiping three bags across his last seven contests. You're more likely to get production from his speed than anything else, though he does have a 14-homer campaign under his belt from 2023. FAAB: $1

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