Are These 5 Waiver Wire Pitchers the Key to Your Wednesday Fantasy Baseball Lineup?

I don't have a big preamble for you today; it's just another day early in the season, the type of day we will see many of before reaching October. Teams are making drastic moves (we'll talk more about that below), but there's still a long way to go.

Let's look at five starting pitchers in action on Wednesday who are widely available in fantasy leagues and have good matchups. Most stats are from MLB.com, as are the probable starters. The full streamer rankings are listed at the bottom.

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Cade Cavalli, Washington Nationals @ New York Mets

It's tough to know what to expect from Cavalli, as he has just 77 2/3 innings to his name, mostly over 2025-26. He has been good with walks and just a hair worse than average with strikeouts in his career, but both his BB and K rates are a few percentage points higher than average this season (24 2/3 innings). He has given up more than a hit per inning, but Cavalli hasn't allowed a home run this year after being average in that area last season.

Two teams have fired their manager so far (Red Sox and Phillies), and Carlos Mendoza of the Mets could be next if New York doesn't quickly turn things around. They are tied for the worst record in the National League and are close to the second-worst run differential in all of baseball. On offense, the Mets rank in the bottom five in runs, hits, home runs, walks, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS. There needs to be a major turnaround if New York wants to make any positive noise this year.

Cavalli is a mid-level streamer. His improved strikeout work this year gives him a little boost, and his run prevention has been good even when getting hit a bit.

Yusei Kikuchi, Los Angeles Angels @ Chicago White Sox

The White Sox are a bottom-10 offense so far, but they aren't at the bottom of the league (yet) the way they have been the past few years. That still makes them an attractive target, especially as they rank among the top five in most batter strikeouts. Chicago is hitting for some power, but they are still a team I'm looking to go after with fantasy pitchers.

Kikuchi was listed here before his last start against the Royals, and though he struck out five batters in five innings, he also gave up five hits and five runs, picking up the loss (he's 0-3). That matches his work throughout 2026, as he has been good with Ks while walking too many batters and getting hit hard. I still like the strikeouts, but that's all Kikuchi has going for him.

Kikuchi is a low-to-mid-level streamer. He probably should be a level lower, but I'm holding out a little hope because he had success in the recent past, and the matchup is right. There's a lot of risk here unless you're in a deep league.

Eric Lauer, Toronto Blue Jays vs. Boston Red Sox

I mentioned above that Boston fired their coach, Alex Cora, while in the midst of a horrendous start. Though their record is among the worst in the American League, their run differential is much better than most other teams with similarly lowly records, indicating that the Red Sox might be primed for a quicker turnaround. Their offense ranks in the bottom 10 in many offensive categories, leaving them as a worthy target until we see differently.

Lauer was stellar last season while making close to half of his 28 appearances out of the bullpen, but that good mojo hasn't carried over to 2026. In 22 2/3 innings (four starts, one relief appearance), Lauer has allowed 23 hits, 17 runs, and six home runs with 12 walks and 19 strikeouts. His worse-than-average BB and strikeout rates are out of line with both his career work and last season, so there's hope he can bounce back, but it hasn't been a good start to the season.

Lauer is a low-to-mid-level streamer. There's a little upside given his previous strikeout work but a little downside if Boston begins to straighten out (as many expect), so it's best to think of him somewhere between. Given the struggles so far, it's probably worth skipping Lauer here.

Tomoyuki Sugano, Colorado Rockies @ Cincinnati Reds

Sugano has been very good with walks since arriving in the U.S. last year, but his strikeout rate is below 16% (versus league average around 21-22%). That leaves him with a lower ceiling than many other pitchers we see here, especially as he has been susceptible to allowing hits and home runs. Sugano is a fine hand, particularly on a team expected to struggle like Colorado, but there's not much fantasy upside to his game.

The Reds keep winning (19-10 record) despite a faltering offense and a run differential that is right about even. They are riding a fantastic record in one-run games (which will probably even out) and great bullpen work, but the offense is letting the team down in many areas, though they have hit for power. Cincinnati also strikes out at a top-10 rate, helping our cause here.

Sugano is a low-level streamer. His numbers just haven't been good enough to really trust since arriving stateside, and there are better ways to use your innings in late April.

Brandon Williamson, Cincinnati Reds vs. Colorado Rockies

Williamson has struggled early in the season, allowing 22 hits, 15 runs, and four home runs in 25 innings with 16 walks and 15 strikeouts. He has generally been OK with walks but below average with strikeouts in his short career while giving up a few too many runs. I'm not excited about counting on Williamson right now until we see him put together a few good starts.

Colorado is away from Coors Field here, a major boost for every pitcher facing them. The Rockies are a bottom-10 offense in many areas and rank in the top five in most batter strikeouts, leaving a nice floor and ceiling for opposing pitchers. We will continue to target Colorado on the road while being cautious when they play at home (and sometimes even targeting them at Coors Field on the right days).

Williamson is a low-level streamer. Though the matchup is right, he has struggled mightily in 2026, and there are better ways to use your innings this early in the season.

Wednesday's Streamer Rankings

1. Cade Cavalli, WSH
2. Yusei Kikuchi, LAA
3. Eric Lauer, TOR
4. Brandon Williamson, CIN
5. Tomoyuki Sugano, COL