Fantasy Baseball League Winners: Unlikely Aces Worth A Roster Spot? (Week 18)

July 31, 2025

Joey Pollizze deep dives into four fantasy baseball starting pitchers to decide if their surprisingly good form merits a roster spot or staying on the waiver wire for Week 18 (2025).

Welcome, RotoBallers, to our weekly unlikely aces piece looking at several underrated pitchers for fantasy baseball. Each week of the fantasy season, we identify whether emerging pitchers are for real or not. We will review a handful of pitchers each week and break down their recent starts. 

In this article, we will look at whether Eric Lauer, Adrian Houser, Edward Cabrera, and Sean Manaea are worth grabbing in Week 18 of the fantasy baseball season. All four pitchers have been throwing the ball well in recent weeks and have seen their roster percentage climb. 

So, should fantasy managers pick up Lauer, Houser, Cabrera, and Manaea in fantasy baseball leagues? Are these unlikely aces worth a roster spot in Week 18? Let's find out.

Eric Lauer, Toronto Blue Jays 

Lauer has been a major success story for the Toronto Blue Jays this season. After starting the season in a multi-inning relief role, the left-hander soon found himself a part of Toronto's rotation in the middle of June. Since then, he has been one of the team's most dependable arms.

The southpaw has a 3.00 ERA and 51 strikeouts across his last nine starts and has allowed two runs or fewer in eight of those nine outings. His best start during this span came back on July 24 when he tossed eight innings of one-run ball with six strikeouts against the Detroit Tigers. Lauer has also thrown a quality start in three of his last five starts.

Eric Lauer since June 1st: 49.1 IP, 5 W, 2.55 ERA, 9.30 K/9, 2.95 FIP…didn’t see this coming. pic.twitter.com/2cNDfc0W4X

— Sam Fosberg (@discussbaseball) July 28, 2025

The biggest difference for Lauer on the mound this season has been his lower cutter usage. The southpaw threw his cutter a high 35.4% of the time in 2023 but has lowered it to just 22.8% this season.

Opposing hitters are batting just .167 against his cutter to go with 17 strikeouts and a .317 slugging percentage. Lauer has done a good job mixing in that pitch while also consistently generating whiffs on his off-speed stuff. Both his curveball and slider have a whiff rate above 28% and a put-away rate over 25%. 

Verdict: Lauer has emerged as a solid fantasy option over the past two months. He has maintained a low ERA while completing at least six innings in three of his past four starts. As a result, the left-hander is worth adding in most 12-plus team leagues. However, on Thursday morning, the Blue Jays acquired starting pitcher Shane Bieber from the Cleveland Guardians, which complicates his opportunities.

While Bieber will still need a few more rehab starts to increase his workload, he will likely slide in the final spot in the rotation in favor of Lauer. As a result, Lauer could shift to a long relief role or to the No. 6 spot if the Blue Jays operate in a six-man rotation.

With a 3.02 expected ERA, a .223 batting average against, and a 25.9% strikeout rate, the 30-year-old should continue to be a consistent fantasy option for managers. All three of those numbers currently rank in the top 21% of the league.

Adrian Houser, Chicago White Sox

Since joining the Chicago White Sox in mid-May, Houser has really only had one bad start. That came a few weeks ago when the right-hander allowed four runs (three earned runs) on 10 hits across 4 1/3 innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 19. Outside of that, the veteran has been a reliable pitcher in Chicago's rotation. 

Houser currently owns a 2.10 ERA and 47 strikeouts across 68 2/3 innings pitched. He has delivered a quality start in nine of his 11 outings and is coming off a solid start against the Chicago Cubs last week. The 32-year-old allowed three runs on five hits with three strikeouts across 6 2/3 innings in that contest. 

Adrian Houser was signed by the White Sox today at 3:25 ET

Less than 8 hours later, he threw SIX scoreless and only allowed two hits vs. the Mariners pic.twitter.com/ZBGqxJgRMu

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) May 21, 2025

While there isn't a noticeable difference in Houser's pitch mix this season, he is relying on his curveball a bit more. After throwing it just 8.7% of the time last year, he is throwing his curveball around 15.9% in 2025. That pitch has certainly played a major role in his success this season. Opposing hitters are batting just .194 against his curveball while having a mere .290 slugging percentage. 

The right-hander is relying on that curveball more and more in recent starts, and it's been encouraging to see Houser's success with that pitch, considering batters were hitting that pitch hard in 2024. This year, the White Sox starter has a 30.8% whiff rate on that curveball through his first 11 starts. 

Verdict: With Houser on a one-year deal, there is a strong chance that he will be moved ahead of Thursday's trade deadline. That means his fantasy value could increase depending on his landing spot. However, fantasy managers should be hesitant to add him in some 12-team leagues because some regression is coming his way. 

Houser ranks in the 20th percentile or worse in expected batting average against (.278), whiff rate (17.7%), strikeout rate (17.1%), and hard-hit rate (45.4%). Therefore, he really should only be an add in 15-plus team leagues right now. His strikeout numbers are concerning moving forward, and he is pitching way better than his metrics suggest. 

Edward Cabrera, Miami Marlins 

There's no doubt Cabrera is in the midst of a breakout season. He has a 3.35 ERA and 96 strikeouts across 94 innings pitched and currently has a 2.1 WAR (Wins Above Replacement). Most importantly, the right-hander has managed to stay relatively healthy this season after missing a handful of starts last year due to multiple injuries. 

It's definitely nice to see Cabrera finally showing his potential on the mound. He has arguably been the best pitcher in Miami's rotation, and he hasn't had many rough outings over the past two months. Since May 20, the 27-year-old has had an impressive 2.11 ERA and 63 strikeouts. In his most recent outing, Cabrera allowed two runs (one earned run) on four hits with three walks and four strikeouts across six strong innings. 

Edward Cabrera did not make it through 6 innings in any of his first 11 starts of the season.

He has done it in 4 of his 7 starts since then. pic.twitter.com/0yJ3kcJkFs

— Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) July 29, 2025

We all knew that Cabrera had the potential to be a top-of-the-line rotation arm for this Miami team. He was once a top-50 prospect in all of baseball, and fantasy managers are finally seeing why he was a highly touted prospect just a few years ago. The young pitcher has allowed two earned runs or fewer in 10 of his past 11 starts. 

A big reason for Cabrera's breakout campaign could be due to his revamped pitch mix. He is relying less on his changeup and four-seam fastball and more on his sinker and slider. The right-hander is now throwing five different pitches (changeup, four-seam, sinker, slider, and curveball) between 14% and 24%. 

Verdict: Cabrera has been a popular name on the trade market over the last few weeks. Although he has a couple more years left on his current deal, it appears the Marlins have entertained the idea of potentially moving the pitcher before the trade deadline. Whether he gets moved or not shouldn't matter too much for his fantasy value the rest of the year. 

That's because Cabrera should be added in every 12-plus team league right now. He is having an incredible season, and his solid strikeout rate (24.3%) should continue to make him a strong pitcher option in most fantasy leagues. 

Sean Manaea, New York Mets

Those who selected Manaea in fantasy baseball drafts were likely frustrated with his slow buildup to start the season. The southpaw began the season on the 15-day injured list due to an oblique strain. However, the veteran suffered a few setbacks in his recovery, including a loose body in his left elbow toward the end of June. 

After months of waiting for Manaea to make his season debut, he has looked strong in his return. His first appearance came out of the bullpen right before the All-Star break, where he tossed 3 1/3 innings of one-run ball with seven strikeouts. He has then given up just one run in each of his first three starts, including one earned run allowed across five innings against the Padres on Tuesday. 

It's hard to really evaluate Manaea after only four outings because there just isn't a lot of data. But, interestingly, the left-hander has primarily leaned on his four-seam fastball (66%) and sweeper (29.2%) in the early going. Those pitches have accounted for over 96% of his pitches thrown so far this season. 

While that might change as we get into August/September, Manaea has had a lot of success with those two pitches up to this point. Opposing hitters are batting under .190 on both his four-seam fastball and sweeper across his four appearances. The veteran has also not allowed much hard contact on those two pitches in 2025. 

Verdict: Given how Manaea has looked in his first few appearances off the IL, he should be added in most 12-plus team leagues. He continues to get batters out, and his 32.4% strikeout rate is certainly a nice sign for his fantasy value moving forward. Don't forget, the Mets pitcher just finished with a 3.47 ERA and 184 strikeouts a season ago. 

So, the potential is there for him to be a consistent fantasy pitcher for managers in the final two months. That makes him an add in most standard leagues.

More Fantasy Baseball Advice

Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!