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.

Now might be a good time to check in on any friends or family members you might have who invested in any Astros players this year or are simply Astros fans. Hunter Brown, Tatsuya Imai, Cristian Javier, Ronel Blanco, Hayden Wesneski, Brandon Walter, Josh Hader, Nate Pearson, *catches breath* Yainer Diaz, Carlos Correa, Jeremy Pena, Joey Loperfido, Jake Meyers and Taylor Trammell. That's the full list of players whom Houston currently has on the injured list, and you might notice there are quite a few big names in there. Is it any wonder why they're tied for last place in a division that doesn't have a single team above .500? Perhaps it's an incredible streak of bad luck, or perhaps it's a bit of karma coming for the franchise after a nine-year delay. Either way, if you're looking to replace one of those 14 players or any other player on your roster who might be hurt/struggling, I would advise you to continue reading.

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

Starting Pitcher

Robby Snelling, Miami Marlins (21%)

Snelling won't make his MLB debut until Friday, but one quick look at his performance at Triple-A Jacksonville will make it easy to see why he's viewed as one of the top pitching prospects in the game. The 22-year-old lefty has dominated at the Triple-A level since he made his first appearance with the Jumbo Shrimp in 2024, posting a 1.46 ERA and 0.97 WHIP as well as a 132:33 K:BB over 98.2 innings (18 starts). He'll also benefit from a relatively favorable matchup during his debut against a Nationals lineup that's posted just a .656 OPS over its last 10 games. Miami doesn't have any starters set to return from the injured list anytime soon, so as long as Snelling shows he can hold his own in the majors, he should be able to stick around in the Marlins' rotation for the long haul. FAAB: $8

 Sean Burke, Chicago White Sox (26%)

I've had Burke on my shortlist of names for a few weeks now, and given the run he's been on, now feels like as good a time as any to give him a proper spot in the article. During his last start in San Diego on Saturday, he struck out a season-best eight batters and allowed just five to reach base over six shutout innings, extending his scoreless-inning streak to 14.1 and his quality-start streak to three. Now sporting a 2.72 ERA and 1.01 WHIP on the year, the 26-year-old has looked the part on the mound while getting opposing hitters to chase outside the zone and demonstrating excellent command over his pitches, as indicated by his 5.1 percent walk rate. FAAB: $4

 Logan Henderson, Milwaukee Brewers (25%)

Henderson couldn't make it past the second inning during his first start with the Brew Crew this year, but he got a bit of redemption Sunday while giving up just two runs and punching out eight hitters over six innings. He still carries a 4.50 ERA in the bigs despite his bounce-back effort, though a 0.76 FIP gives you a better idea of how well he's actually performed. With a 1.02 ERA and 26:9 K:BB through 17.2 frames in the minors, the 24-year-old righty is more than talented enough to be deserving of a major-league rotation spot, but Milwaukee's strong rotation depth has forced him to serve primarily as an injury replacement up to this point. This time around isn't any different, as he's likely to make only a few more starts before Brandon Woodruff (shoulder) returns from the injured list. That doesn't mean Henderson can't be useful while he's still with the Brewers, though. FAAB: $1

 Peter Lambert, Houston Astros (10%)

With six starters currently on the injured list, the Astros have been giving a lot of opportunities to pitchers who may have otherwise been buried on the organizational depth chart. Lambert is someone who has been making the most of those chances, turning in a 2.42 ERA and 1.16 WHIP over 22.1 innings, and logging two quality starts in his first four outings. He impressively kept the Dodgers off the scoreboard for seven innings during his most recent start Tuesday and has begun to make a case to stick around in the Astros' rotation even after the team begins to return its injured arms from the IL. The 29-year-old's career 5.95 ERA and 1.57 WHIP provide reason for skepticism, though it's worth pointing out that he earned those poor marks while pitching for the Rockies for four seasons. FAAB: $1

Relief Pitcher

 Tony Santillan, Cincinnati Reds (24%)

Emilio Pagan is expected to miss roughly four to eight weeks with a Grade 2 strain in his left hamstring, so it's down to Santillan and Graham Ashcraft to work the ninth inning for the Reds. Ashcraft holds the edge over Santillan when it comes to ERA (1.02 vs. 2.87), but I'd expect the latter to receive the majority of save opportunities while Pagan is on the shelf. With 12 saves in his MLB career, Santillan has the most experience of any active member of Cincinnati's bullpen in high-leverage opportunities, and he leads the team with nine holds on the season compared to Ashcraft's seven. FAAB: $3

 Rico Garcia, Baltimore Orioles (24%)

The Orioles also will be without their top closer for the next week or two, as Ryan Helsley landed on the IL last Friday with elbow inflammation. His injury gave Garcia the opportunity to lock down his second save of the season during Wednesday's win over Miami. Considering the 32-year-old owns a microscopic 0.53 ERA and 0.41 WHIP to go with a 19:6 K:BB through 17 innings, he figures to be the obvious choice to work the ninth inning until Helsley returns and could even continue to receive save chances afterward during games for which Helsley isn't available. FAAB: $1

Catcher

 Ryan Jeffers, Minnesota Twins (40%)

Jeffers was mentioned in last week's article, but his rostership rate in Yahoo leagues has doubled since then, so I'll give him a back-to-back just in case this is the last chance I get to talk about him for a while. The 28-year-old has added a homer, three RBI and three runs scored in five games since we last checked in on him and is now slashing .283/.391/.467 on the season through 110 plate appearances. More importantly, the Twins have used Jeffers as their three-hole hitter in three of his last four starts, which, combined with his elite on-base percentage, makes him a bit more likely to score runs for MLB's ninth-highest scoring offense while keeping his RBI potential intact. FAAB: $4

 Samuel Basallo, Baltimore Orioles (28%)

An early-season slump kept Basallo's OPS below .600 for much of April, but the young backstop seems to be turning a corner after slashing .390/.405/.683 with two homers, eight RBI and five runs scored over his last 11 games. His 26.9 percent strikeout rate isn't where you'd like it to be, and the O's typically sit him against left-handers (although he's batting .286 against LHP), but consistently batting in the heart of the order will help to keep him productive while he's starting. It might also be worth noting that most of Basallo's success this year has come while playing at Camden Yards (.932 OPS), which is exactly where the Orioles will play 16 of the 23 games they have remaining in May. FAAB: $2

First Baseman

 Casey Schmitt, San Francisco Giants (39%)

Schmitt's seven-game hitting streak came to an end Wednesday, but the 27-year-old still has been extremely efficient at the plate recently, slashing .318/.375/.659 with four homers, 10 RBI and seven runs scored over his last dozen contests. His hot hitting has prompted the Giants to elevate him to the second/third spot in the batting order, which is obviously great news for his counting stats, and the fact that he has eligibility at all three bases gives another boost to his value. However, his 4.1 percent walk rate suggests that it will be difficult for him to continue reaching base at his current clip (.344 OBP), and a .341 BABIP indicates that he's been the beneficiary of some good luck. FAAB: $3

 Andrew Vaughn, Milwaukee Brewers (32%)

Vaughn returned to the Brewers' lineup Tuesday after missing more than a month of action due to a hamate fracture he suffered Opening Day. He wasted little time picking up where he left off following a very successful spring training, going 2-for-4 with a three-run homer against the Cardinals in his second game back from the IL. The 28-year-old has experienced a career revival since being traded to Milwaukee last season and is slashing .305/.372/.494 in a Brewers uniform. However, there are still some doubts that he'll continue to find success at the plate in 2026 after being fairly underwhelming offensively for the majority of his career. But until the doubters are proven right, I see little reason to let him sit on the waiver wire. FAAB: $3

Second Baseman

 Chase Meidroth, Chicago White Sox (9%)

Meidroth is currently working on a seven-game hitting streak that includes three multi-hit efforts and has seen him drive in a pair of RBI while scoring seven runs himself. His run of success at the plate hasn't just been limited to the past week, however, as he's slashed .338/.402/.429 and scored 18 times over his last 20 contests. The White Sox have begun batting him fifth against right-handed starters, which should help with what has been uninspiring RBI production up to this point, and he should still be good for a healthy amount of runs while batting leadoff against lefties. Just be prepared to lose some power if you choose to pick up Meidroth, since he's hit just seven balls over the fence through 157 career games in the majors. FAAB: $2

Third Baseman

 Miguel Andujar, San Diego Padres (4%)

Andujar broke out last season by posting an .822 OPS across 341 plate appearances between the Athletics and Reds, and he doesn't seem to have lost a step in the early stages of his age-31 season. He's slashed .328/.339/.552 with two homers, eight RBI and six runs over his last 15 games – a stretch in which he compiled an eight-game hitting streak and nearly completed the cycle – and he appears to have taken on an everyday role with the Friars after starting seven consecutive games. The vast majority of his starts this year have come as San Diego's designated hitter, but fantasy managers will be able to use him at third base or in the outfield since he registered enough appearances at both positions last season. FAAB: $1

Shortstop

 Brooks Lee, Minnesota Twins (28%)

It's been three weeks since we last took a look at Lee. It felt like I had jinxed him for the first few days after that earlier profile, but he's bounced back by going 17-for-51 (.333) with two homers, nine RBI and 10 runs scored over his last 13 contests. He previously was locked into batting in the bottom third of Minnesota's batting order, but the Twins have begun experimenting with the idea of using Lee in the top two spots after seeing his jump in production. That could become a more permanent home for him if he continues to be one of the hottest hitters in Minnesota's lineup, though working as a secondary leadoff man in front of Byron Buxton isn't a terrible spot to be in either. FAAB: $2

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Outfielder

 JJ Bleday, Cincinnati Reds (8%)

You might want to move fast for this one, because I doubt that Bleday's 92 percent availability is going to last much longer. The 28-year-old began the season at Triple-A Louisville and posted a modest 1.121 OPS over 104 plate appearances before getting called up to Cincinnati in late April. He hasn't slowed down since arriving in the majors and now owns a .310/.412/.759 batting line with four homers, six RBI and six runs scored through his first nine games in a Reds uniform. He's started eight consecutive games in left field and batted in the second spot in the lineup in each of the last five. It doesn't seem like the Reds are going to be taking Bleday out of the starting nine on a regular basis anytime soon, so he could be an excellent source of power for any roster that could use some extra slug. FAAB: $5

 Brandon Marsh, Philadelphia Phillies (24%)

To say Marsh has been dialed in at the plate recently would be an understatement. He's amassed a .431/.455/.647 slash line with two homers, eight RBI and 10 runs over his last 14 games while hitting safely in each of his last eight contests. The biggest weakness here is his performance against same-handed pitching, though even his .693 OPS against southpaws this year is a 116-point improvement over the mark he put up last season. There's almost no chance that the 28-year-old continues to produce at the rate he has been for the past couple of weeks, but his .362 OBP and .875 OPS don't feel like extremely unrealistic targets. FAAB: $3