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TAMPA, FLORIDA - APRIL 30: Noah Cameron #65 of the Kansas City Royals delivers a pitch during the first inning of his MLB debut in a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at George M. Steinbrenner Field on April 30, 2025 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
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We are already getting our first big-time prospect callup of the season with the Pirates turning over their shortstop position to Konnor Griffin. Since it’s not a huge surprise that he is already joining the team, he’s not a waiver wire option in most leagues, especially on Yahoo where he is already 82% rostered. Let’s look at some other players that we can add heading into Week 3 who are still available in the majority of Yahoo leagues.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Targets For Week 3
Noah Cameron, SP, Kansas City Royals (37% rostered)
Cameron recorded a 2.99 ERA over 24 starts for the Royals last year. His 4.08 xERA wasn’t as impressive, but he did a good job keeping runners off base. That included his 7.7% walk rate that helped him produce a 1.10 WHIP. Cameron is projected to make two starts in Week 3. First, he will face the Guardians, who have a .595 OPS through seven games after posting the second-worst OPS in baseball last year. His second start will be against the White Sox, who had the third-lowest OPS last year and have struck out 73 times over their first six games. This is an excellent week to stream Cameron.
Riley O’Brien, RP, St. Louis Cardinals (29% rostered)
Saves can be difficult to find in fantasy baseball. If you can nab a closer off the waiver wire early in the season, it can provide significant dividends. The Cardinals have not officially named a closer, but after Ryne Stanek struggled out of the gate, O’Brien has an opportunity to grab a hold of the job. He hasn’t allowed a run in any of his first four appearances, and he logged a save in Tuesday’s win over the Mets.
Justin Crawford, OF, Philadelphia Phillies (22% rostered)
Crawford was included in this column last week. He hasn’t done anything to warrant not mentioning him again, hitting 7-for-17 with three runs scored over his first five games. Power is not his game, but he hit for a high average throughout his time in the minors and stole 46 bases at Triple-A last year. A left-handed hitter, only one of the six starters that he is projected to face in Week 3 is a southpaw. Stolen bases should be coming from Crawford sooner rather than later.
Miguel Vargas, 3B, Chicago White Sox (19% rostered)
Last season, the rebuilding White Sox played Vargas a career high 138 games. Although he wasn’t a must-roster fantasy option, he did slug 16 home runs while striking out only 17.6% of the time. He has already gone deep one time and has a .358 wOBA across his first six games this year. The White Sox have seven games next week and are projected to face four left-handed starters. Vargas only has a career 18.0% strikeout rate versus southpaws, compared to a 21.1% mark against righties. Don’t add him with the idea of keeping him throughout the season, but he can help for at least one week for those who need a boost at third base.
Jose Fernandez, SS, Arizona Diamondbacks (12% rostered)
Fernandez played 122 games at Double-A last year, posting a .353 wOBA to go along with 17 home runs and 12 steals. He showed a good eye at the plate, recording a strikeout rate of only 20.4%. After starting this season at Triple-A, he was called up with Pavin Smith (elbow) landing on the 10-day injured list. In his first game, he went 3-for-4 with two home runs. He has already showed his versatility, playing first base, third base, and shortstop. That could help him stay in the majors if he continues to hit well.
Takeaway
O’Brien is a reliever to target on the waiver wire for saves. Cameron could take advantage of his two-start week, while Crawford, Vargas, and Fernandez can help fantasy managers on the hitting side of things. For more ways to improve your team, check out our Week 3 Schedule Breakdown to help gain an edge in your fantasy baseball league.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com
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