Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Top Pickups: Week of April 6th

Fantasy baseball is officially back! Week one has come and gone and I am sure you are already regretting some of your draft picks. We have all been there before. Luckily, we will be coming to you every week with waiver wire suggestions to help improve your team each week.

Now, before you drop an early round pick who has struggled, remember to be patient. The first few weeks come with plenty of lies and hot starts that won’t last. At the same time, if you don’t act quickly on the right players you could regret it all season.

Today I’ll walk the thin line of deciding who is worth picking up and who needs more time to prove their starts.

Stats as of first pitch April 5th. Ownership percentages via ESPN.

Colt Keith – 2B/3B – Detroit Tigers (10%)

2026 Stats: .417/.462/.583, 0 HR, 0 SB, 201 wRC+

Colt Keith’s improvements from 2024 to 2025 flew a bit under the radar. The power (13 HR in each season) was let than many had hoped for but we are seeing a better hitter this season. Sure, sitting on zero home runs is a tough sell, but the power will come.

Keith has increased his bat speed by four miles per hour from last season and his contact metrics have followed suit. Detroit has recently moved him to the leadoff spot giving him more at bats and more opportunity. Some positional flexibility helps his value, as well.

Parker Messick – SP – Cleveland Guardians

2026 Stats: 6.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.53 FIP, 7.50 K/9, 0.00 BB/9

Messick caught the eyes of fantasy owners late last season and was a hot name amongst sleeper discussions this winter. His first start this season still featured his ability to avoid hard contact but also came with slightly better stuff than last season.

I like Messick even if his swing and miss stuff isn’t the best on the waiver wire. You are going to get a good amount of ground balls, low walks, and soft contact. That’s a recipe for a useful fantasy arm.

Kyle Harrison – SP Milwaukee Brewers (16%)

2026 Stats: 5.0 IP, 1.80 ERA, 3.19 FIP, 14.40 K/9, 1.80 BB/9

Harrison is now on this third team while still being a relative unknown. We saw the same situation when the Brewers brought in Quinn Priester and look how that turned out. His first outing flashed better movement on his fastball and changeup which helped him increase his whiff numbers and therefore his value.

Who knows if Harrison will blossom into a middle of the rotation arm or not. But, what we do know is that Milwaukee has a way of finding and developing these types of arms. It’s worth rolling the dice and seeing if Harrison is the next one.

Cam Smith – OF – Houston Astros (5%)

2026 Stats: .250/.382/.500, 2 HR, 2 SB, 156 wRC+

Smith’s rookie season had it’s share of ups and down. A hot start before cooling down to end the season left many wondering what his fantasy value would be in 2026. So far, so good. Smith’s two home runs are great but his three stolen bases are a much greater pace than what anyone projected.

I’m willing to bet on the upside and tools with Smith. Elite bat speed and enough physical ability to have a breakout season. I think this is a deeper league pick up for now but keep an eye on him in shallower leagues.

Paul Sewald – RP – Arizona Diamondbacks (18%)

2026 Stats: 4 IP, 4.50 ERA, 6.19 FIP, 15.75 K/9, 3 SV

Look, I won’t sit here and try to convince you that Paul Sewald is back to his prime and ready to lead your team to a championship. However, when it comes to finding saves, it can be slim pickings and Sewald is the obvious closer in Arizona.

Sewald has good enough stuff to give you some strikeout upside while collecting saves along the way. Arizona’s bullpen has been a disaster and I don’t think his competition is currently on the roster which should make picking him up a good value.

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