RADIO
We'll be doing this roundup of points leagues every week here at RotoBaller, with waiver wire targets and streaming pitchers being evaluated in terms of the different scoring systems of ESPN, Yahoo!, CBS, and Fantrax.
Player values can vary wildly from platform to platform, so we'll make sure to highlight where players are the best and worst fits. We know points league players get neglected and we're here to help.
These waiver-wire adds are for the week of September 20th - September 26th, looking at players below 50% rostered for ESPN and Yahoo! Stats and rankings are calculated using games through Saturday, September 18th.
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Know Your System
If you've read me even a little, you likely know what I'm going to say...You must account for, as precisely as possible, how a player performs under your particular scoring system. Every point, in every category, counts.
If your league uses standard settings, then great! Turn to page 94 and you can skip ahead to the leaderboards. If you play with custom settings, it'll still be fine. Go back to page 43 and look below at the scoring systems of the four major platforms. I bet there's a chance that you'll find that your league's scoring is very similar to one of the four (well, not Yahoo!'s), even if it's not the platform you actually play on.
For example, my home league started on a now-defunct platform before moving first to ESPN and is now at Fantrax. But our scoring is basically ESPN standard only with two points for stolen bases and a handful of other minor adjustments.
If you look above, you'll likely find a suitable mirror to your own system. While every point counts, as long as they aren't seismic changes you can get away with some "close enough" calls. IE. If everything is the same except for HBP (or something similar), you're probably fine.
Waiver Wire Leaderboards
The charts are updated prior to Saturday's games, on stats and ownerships. All leaderboards are sorted according to the player's APR*, and clicking on a chart will open a new page with a magnified version.
*APR = Average Platform Ranking - the average platform ranking between ESPN, CBS, Yahoo, and Fantrax (standard point settings)
Starting Pitchers
Two Start Weeks
Must Adds
- Nestor Cortes Jr., NYY (vs TEX, @BOS) - Boston isn't a great matchup but a .328 wOBA vs LHP in the second half also isn't a terror dome. And the real prize is a start on the road against the Rangers, who have been one of baseball's worst offenses, particularly since the All-Star break. Texas has just a .255 wOBA vs LHP in the second half; the worst mark by 25 points.
- Carlos Hernandez, KC (@ CLE, @ DET) - Hernandez got torched in his last start, allowing 7 ER in 4 IP against Oakland but had been excellent in his four starts prior, going 3-0 and posting a 1.09 ERA over 24.2 IP. He's got a great two-step this week, going on the road to face Cleveland (.299 wOBA, 24.5% K% vs RHP in the second half) and Detroit (.301 wOBA, 24.7% K% vs RHP in the second half).
- Logan Gilbert, SEA (@ LAA) - Even facing tough opponents (Houston twice, Boston once), Gilbert has looked sharp in his last start after allowing a total of 19 ER in his previous three starts. In his past three games, he's posted a 2.35 ERA over 15.1 IP, striking out 19. He'll face an Angels team this week that has just a .285 woBA and 25.2% K% vs RHP in the second half.
Can Adds
- Matt Manning, DET (vs CHW, vs KC) - In his past five starts, Manning has been pretty good in four of them, allowing a total of 5 ER in 19.2 IP. In the other, however, he got shelled by Oakland, allowing 8 ER in 3.2 IP. But he's allowed one run in back-to-back starts and gets the Royals (.295 wOBA vs RHP in the second half) for one of his two starts this week.
- Erick Fedde, WSH (@ MIA, @ CIN) - For his first start, Fedde gets a rematch with his last opponent, as he allowed just one run to the Marlins on September 14, striking out eight in five innings. But his second start is quite a bit dicier. The Reds have a .336 wOBA vs RHP in the second half, with a 23.7% K%.
- Dillon Peters, PIT (@ CIN, @ PHI) - While he has yet to pitch more than five innings in a start, Peters has been quietly pretty good in his first five starts, posting a 2.66 ERA over 23.2 IP. A start in Philly should be avoided but a start in Cincinnati isn't as bad as you might assume, as the Reds have just a .294 wOBA vs LHP in the second half.
- Wily Peralta, DET (vs KC) - Let the Wily Peralta renaissance continue! Since allowing a total of 11 ER over 3.1 IP to the Twins on July 28, Peralta has now only allowed a total of 11 ER in his past seven starts, posting a 2.91 ERA over 34 IP. Unfortunately, he doesn't go deep into games, only thrice pitching enough to qualify for the win. Which he didn't anyway, going 0-1 over that seven-start stretch. He faces a Royals team that has only posted a .295 wOBA vs RHP in the second half.
- Reynaldo Lopez, CHW (@ DET) - I'm still not on speaking terms with Lopez after he coughed up 7 ER to a bad Angels offense in his last time out. But I'm willing to give him another chance for his start against the Tigers, who have a .301 wOBA vs RHP in the second half.
- Adrian Houser, MIL (vs STL) - Houser allowed five runs (four earned) in four innings against the Cubs in his last start but prior to that had pitcher 15 straight shutout innings, including a complete-game shutout versus these same Cardinals.
- Tony Gonsolin, LAD (@ ARI) - How much I like this start kind of depends on his Sunday performance, as he's expected to follow a returning Clayton Kershaw before moving back into the regular rotation against Arizona. If it looks like he can handle a regular innings load, then facing Arizona (.300 wOBA, 25.4% K% in the second half) is a good spot. If three to four innings feels more likely, Gonsolin becomes a glorified long reliever with upside.
- Tyler Anderson, SEA (@ OAK, @ LAA) - A start against the Angels (.295 wOBA vs LHP in the second half) looks juicy but Oakland has a .329 wOBA vs LHP in the second half with just a 19.2% K%.
- Cole Irvin, OAK (vs SEA) - Irvin has put together back-to-back good starts, albeit to the Rangers and Angels, allowing a total of three earned runs in 13 IP, striking out 11. He'll face a Mariners team that struggles vs LHP, posting a .302 wOBA against them in the second half.
- James Kaprielian, OAK (vs SEA) - Seattle also struggles vs RHP, posting a .307 wOBA and 24.4% K% against them in the second half. After a rough stretch, Kaprielian had nice outing versus the Angels in his last time out, striking out five over six shutout innings.
Desperate Adds
- Dallas Keuchel, CHW (@ DET, @ CLE) - Let's start with this week's Bear Trap of the Week (sponsorship TBD). After allowing a total of 21 ER in his previous four starts, Keuchel bounced back to allow 2 ER in 6 IP in a no-decision against the Angels. But the Angels only have a .295 wOBA vs LHP in the second half and Keuchel also walked five batters, so let's not get carried away with the praise. And starts against Detroit and Cleveland aren't as juicy as your instincts might be telling you. Cleveland has a .343 wOBA vs LHP (6th) in the second half, while Detroit has a .334 wOBA (10th). Relying on this illusionary two-start week is going to cost people championships.
- Patrick Corbin, WSH (@ CIN) - I trust we all know how I feel about Corbin by now but for the truly desperate, he does have a good matchup facing a Reds team that has only posted a .294 wOBA vs LHP in the second half. That is, it would be a good matchup if he also wasn't Patrick Corbin. But alas, he is. Don't do it.
- J.A. Happ, STL (@ CHC) - The Cubs are pretty bad but as we've been over before, Happ is really only good when facing the Pirates. As the Cubs are not the Pirates, I conclude that Happ will not be good.
- Ryan Yarbrough, TB (vs MIA) - Miami is very bad vs LHP, posting a .289 wOBA against them in the second half. However, Yarbrough can also be very bad, posting a 15.68 ERA over his past three starts.
Notable IL
- Zach Eflin, PHI
- Dylan Bundy, LAA
- Brady Singer, KC
- Jake Odorizzi, HOU
- Domingo German, NYY
- Matthew Boyd, DET
- Mike Minor, KC
- Johnny Cueto, SF
- Tyler Gilbert, ARI
- J.T. Brubaker, PIT
- Brad Keller, KC
- Mike Foltynewicz, TEX
- John Gant, MIN
- Brett Anderson, MIL
- Reid Detmers, LAA
Relief Pitchers
Keep in mind that with relievers, points scored can be deceiving. Most scoring systems make it pretty difficult for even the best non-closers to score elite points, making them very reliant on unpredictable wins. You simply need the save points to really do damage. AKA, when you see totally random names hit the leaderboard, it's probably because they happened to get a few wins and/or a lot of usage. If a reliever doesn't have an established role, tread carefully.
One note about ownership; because ESPN uses nine open pitching slots, as opposed to dedicated slots for RP/SP, relievers tend to be lighter owned than on other sites.
Notable IL
- Jonathan Loaisiga, NYY
- Rafael Montero, HOU
- David Bednar, PIT
With the trade deadline (and injuries) shaking bullpens up all over the league, we're going to do things a little differently in the second half, going through each team that currently has a relevant (according to our roster% threshold) bullpen situation.
Arizona Diamondbacks
In the Mix: Tyler Clippard (Loss/Blown Save on Friday, Save on Saturday)
Baltimore Orioles
In the Mix: Cole Sulser (Win on Thursday), Tyler Wells (Loss/Blown Save on Wednesday).
Boston Red Sox
In the Mix: Adam Ottovino (Win on Tuesday, Win on Wednesday), Garrett Whitlock (Hold on Friday), Hansel Robles (Appearance on Saturday), Matt Barnes (came off of IL on Friday for appearance).
Chicago Cubs
In the Mix: Rowan Wick (Save on Tuesday, Loss/Blown Save on Friday), Codi Heuer (two appearances).
Cincinnati Reds
In the Mix: Mychal Givens (Loss on Wednesday, Save on Thursday), Michael Lorenzon (Hold on Thursday, Save on Friday).
Colorado Rockies
In the Mix: Carlos Estevez (Save on Tuesday, Win on Wednesday, Save on Friday).
Detroit Tigers
In the Mix: Gregory Soto (two appearances), Michael Fulmer (Save on Wednesday, Blown Save on Friday, Save on Saturday).
Kansas City Royals
In the Mix: Scott Barlow (Save on Tuesday).
Miami Marlins
In the Mix: Dylan Floro (Save on Monday, Save on Wednesday).
Oakland Athletics
In the Mix: Andrew Chafin (Save on Wednesday, Hold on Thursday, Save on Saturday), Sergio Romo (Save on Friday).
Pittsburgh Pirates
In the Mix: Chris Stratton (Save on Tuesday, Win on Wednesday, Save on Friday)
Seattle Mariners
In the Mix: Drew Steckenrider (Save on Monday, two other appearances), Paul Sewald (Hold on Monday, appearance on Wednesday, Hold on Friday), Diego Castillo (Win on Monday, two other appearances).
Texas Rangers
In the Mix: Joe Barlow (Save on Saturday, one other appearance).
Washington Nationals
In the Mix: Kyle Finnegan (Loss/Blown Save on Wednesday, Loss/Blown Save on Friday).
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