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Dan's top hitter streamers and starts as fantasy baseball waiver wire adds for Week 5 of 2025 (April 28 - May 4). He analyzes streamers with favorable matchups, schedules.
I don't know about you, but my IL is getting full of players in just about every league that I am participating in so far this season. We are slowly starting to get some injured players back into the mix, but it seems like even more players are ready to take their spots lately. If you need help with hitters, then you've come to the right place!
Our hitter streamers fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups column will identify hitters with favorable matchups who can be considered waiver wire streamers ahead of the Sunday night waiver wire runs for leagues with weekly transactions. Players who appear in this article will always be rostered in 40 percent or fewer leagues on Yahoo!
In this piece, every week, I'll look to find hitters playing in the most games and who have the most favorable matchups to help you plug those gaps and fill those holes in your roster. You can also check out the rest of our fantasy baseball streamer content here at RotoBaller.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:- Fantasy baseball trade analyzer
- BvP matchups data (Batter vs. Pitcher)
- PvB matchups data (Pitcher vs. Batter)
- Who should I start? Fantasy baseball comparisons
- Daily MLB starting lineups
- Fantasy baseball closer depth charts
- Fantasy Baseball live scoreboard
- Fantasy baseball injury reports
What Teams Offer The Most Streaming Value in Week 5?
Most teams are playing six games this week.
The Mariners and Padres play only five times, however.
The Reds, Guardians, Rockies, Tigers, Twins, Athletics, Cardinals, Rangers, and Nationals all play seven games.
Ballpark Upgrades:
- ATL (Three games at Coors)
- STL (Three games at Cincy)
- WAS (Three games at Cincy)
- KCR (Three games at Tampa)
Week 5 Fantasy Baseball Hitter Streamers
I'll recommend only players who are 40 percent rostered or lower, and all roster percentages are from Yahoo!
Austin Hays, OF - CIN (37 percent rostered)
Hays was featured here last week at only 13 percent rostered and was a popular addition for many teams. He just continues to hit, raising his average to .386 on the season, and he left the yard twice again yesterday with his fourth and fifth home runs in just 11 games with the Reds.
Austin Hays crushes two home runs in a @Reds win. pic.twitter.com/gKk13uuz3q
— MLB (@MLB) April 26, 2025
The Reds play all seven games at home this week, which is incredibly appealing for their hitters, and I don't see why you wouldn't try to ride Hays' hot bat for as long as you can. The power won't last forever, but right now, he can win you a week with how well he's swinging the bat.
Chandler Simpson, OF - TBR (34 percent rostered)
There's no denying the upside here in stolen bases. Simpson has some serious wheels and already has two steals in his first seven games. What's been good to see is that he's finding his way on base, too, with a .346 average and at least one hit in every game. If he continues to hit that well, he should start racking up steals and scoring runs in bunches, especially as he's been leading off at times.
Agustin Ramirez, C/1B - MIA (33 percent rostered)
Prospects can often be dicey pick-ups, but Ramirez has looked good at the plate so far in his first four games, hitting .500 while already getting on board with his first dinger, too. Ramirez hit 25 home runs between Double-A and Triple-A last season and was off to a nice start in the minors this year before being called up.
He's got some nice upside for power and should get a chance to be in the lineup nearly every day. The catcher and first-base eligibility is a nice tandem, too. Snag him where you can, while you still can.
Michael Toglia, 1B/OF - COL (32 percent rostered)
It felt like everyone across the industry was in on this guy to be a value on draft day, and now a cold start to the season has him available in many leagues. I snatched him up in several spots as soon as he was cut because he simply has too much upside to be given up on so quickly.
Toglia is a switch-hitter with power to both fields and a little bit of speed, too. He's starting to show some signs that he's righting the ship as he has hit safely in seven straight games and hit both of his home runs in that stretch. He's 5-9 at the plate in his last two games, and just like that, he has his average up to .220.
He even got bumped back up to the five-hole yesterday with his recent success. I'm really not sure what we're doing here, people. This is a guy with 30 home run potential, and a team that is not going to bench him if he slumps. Add him if you need power, more home runs are coming - I can promise you that!
Gavin Lux, 2B/OF - CIN (27 percent rostered)
Lux may take a seat against some lefties, but he's still been very valuable when in the lineup as he's hitting .325 on the year and amid a 10-game hitting streak. He doesn't have much power, but with seven games at home this week, he could still have a decent shot at going yard. You're adding him here for AVG, R, and maybe some sneaky RBI as he's been hitting in the five-hole and getting some solid RBI opportunities.
Noelvi Marte, 3B - CIN (26 percent rostered)
I am skipping over Jorge Polanco only because it's pretty obvious that he's a solid add based on his numbers and his recent power surge. The issue with Polaco is that he's not playing every day, and he's also not likely to keep hitting at that level for long. You can ride a hot bat there, but you only get five games from Seattle this week, which means you may only get three or four from Polanco.
Marte, however, is a guy I love and am adding everywhere I can. Not only do the Reds have a great schedule this week, but Marte's solid hitting, paired with Christian Encarnacion-Strand being on the IL, has assured him some job security.
Noelvi Marte over his last 6 games:
.444 AVG
3 HR
12 RBI
6 Runs
1 SBpic.twitter.com/IOh4044Dhs— Kirk Snyder (@dynastyinfo411) April 27, 2025
Marte is hitting for average and power while adding a few steals, too. This is the player that so many of us were coveting a few years ago, and the breakout just might be taking place this season. I'd be buying in on him now while you still can.
Hunter Goodman, C/OF - COL (25 percent rostered)
So there's a player with catcher eligibility who plays his home games at Coors Field, who also has four home runs, 11 RBI, and 14 runs scored in his first 83 at-bats, and is still available in 75 percent of leagues?
Yes, that's Hunter Goodman. He's the cleanup hitter on the Rockies, and he deserves to be on more rosters. He has four multi-hit games in his last five and a bunch of raw power. I think he can hit, and that he's a guy who could remain on rosters for the rest of the season.
Week 5 Deeper League Fantasy Baseball Hitter Streamers to Consider
Some widely available hitters (under 10 percent rostered) could be worth a look this week.
- Eric Wagaman, 1B/3B - MIA (nine percent rostered)
- Kyle Stowers, OF - MIA (nine percent rostered)
- Caleb Durbin, 2B/3B/SS - MIL (eight percent rostered)
- Matt Mervis, 1B - MIA (seven percent rostered)
- Tim Tawa, 2B - ARI (five percent rostered)
- Trevor Larnach, OF - MIN (four percent rostered)
- Ty France, 1B - MIN (four percent rostered)
- Edgar Quero, C - CWS (two percent rostered)
Good luck this week, and choose those streaming options wisely!
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