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Andy looks at four sneaky fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for starting pitchers in Week 20 (2025) on hot streaks, and sees if they can sustain their success.
Happy Tuesday, RotoBallers! With another week of fantasy baseball in the books, it is time to take another deep dive and determine which sneaky starting pitchers could be worth a spot on our roster.
This week, we will look at four young right-handers who have begun to take the next steps at the major league level following a rough debut.
Who should fantasy managers be targeting this week? Let's dive in!
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Note - All statistics are updated as of Monday, August 11
Zebby Matthews, Minnesota Twins
20% Rostered
Minnesota Twins right-handed pitcher Zebby Matthews made his MLB debut last summer but did not show much promise as he posted a hefty 6.69 ERA with a 1.65 WHIP through his first 37 2/3 innings. However, despite his rough start, Matthews flashed solid strikeout upside as he tallied 43 punchouts during this stretch.
Matthews was in contention to make the major league roster out of spring training but was instead sent to Triple-A St. Paul to finish his development. At Triple-A, Matthews looked dominant and was eventually promoted to Minnesota prior to May 18. In his first four outings back in the majors this season, his struggles continued to show as he held a high 5.21 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP through 19 innings of work.
He was then placed on the 15-day IL with shoulder strain, which kept him sidelined until late July.
He returned on July 19 and was once again hit quite hard, allowing five runs to the Rockies. He was then able to bounce back in his next outing, tossing six shutout innings against the Nationals. However, he took another step back on July 30, surrendering five runs to the Red Sox, but was once again able to return to form in his next outing, allowing only one run across five innings against the high-powered Detroit Tigers.
Which version of Matthews should fantasy managers expect going forward?
When he is pitching well, Matthews appears to be one of the league's next rising stars as he posted an impressive 1.72 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP through 36 2/3 innings at Triple-A this season. However, when he is having a rough outing, he looks extremely overmatched.
In July, his primary pitch, his four-seamer, generated a high .385 xwOBA under the hood, but carried a hefty .442 wOBA on the surface. While neither mark is promising, seeing that he is due for some positive regression is a good sign. This pitch also posted a solid 31.5% whiff rate. His No. 2 pitch, his slider, was very effective, boasting a .236 xwOBA with a strong 38.1% whiff rate.
During his first start in August, both pitches continued to improve, as they carried a .261 xwOBA and a .126 xwOBA, respectively.
Given that he has relied on his four-seamer 45.5% of the time this season, seeing it gradually improve is a telling sign that he could be in store for a productive second half.
In addition, seeing him carry a 3.85 xERA in comparison to his inflated 5.17 ERA also suggests he should be in line to enjoy a productive second half. Given his elite strikeout upside (29% K rate) and his strong command (83rd percentile walk rate), Matthews should be viewed as a top pitcher to target on the waiver wire in all formats.
He began to see some positive regression on Monday as he struck out nine Yankees in the Bronx. While he did allow three solo shots, he continued to show elite command, allowing just one walk.
Hurston Waldrep, Atlanta Braves
13% Rostered
The former 24th overall pick from the 2023 MLB Draft made his MLB debut last season but got hit quite hard. In his first seven innings of action in Atlanta, Waldrep allowed nine hits and 13 runs.
As a result, the Braves opted for the young right-hander to spend the entire first half of the 2025 season with Triple-A Gwinnett. He saw these struggles continue over his first 68 2/3 innings as he held a high 5.64 ERA and a 1.60 WHIP. However, he began to turn the corner in July, which prompted his promotion.
During July (four starts), Waldrep was one of the most dominant pitchers at Triple-A as he posted a stellar 0.78 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP. During this stretch, Waldrep struck out 23 hitters and served up only 10 walks.
With the Braves out of the playoff race, they opted to promote Waldrep for his second stint in the big leagues in early August, and he has not disappointed. Through two starts, Waldrep has logged 11 2/3 innings to the tune of a 1.54 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, and a 10:3 K:BB.
After relying on a four-seamer during his first stint in the big leagues in 202,4, Waldrep has tweaked his arsenal, which has resulted in his success. This season, Waldrep has relied on three pitches at least 20% of the time (split-finger, sinker, and curveball) and has mixed in a cutter, four-seamer, and slider.
His split-finger has been very impressive, carrying a .133 xwOBA with an eye-catching 50.0% whiff rate. His primary fastball, his sinker, has been rather remarkable as well, posting a .126 wOBA on the surface, but is due for a slight step back, given the .308 xwOBA under the hood.
With his emerging split-finger that is flashing immense swing-and-miss upside, Waldrep is worth a look in all 12-team leagues going forward.
Cade Cavalli, Washington Nationals
5% Rostered
The 26-year-old made his long-awaited return to he major leagues this past week. The former 22nd overall pick last made an appearance in the major leagues during the 2022 regular season. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023 and only threw 8 1/3 innings in the minor leagues in 2024.
He opened the 2025 season at Low-A but quickly bumped up to Triple-A, where he spent the first half of the season. Through 65 innings at Triple-A, Cavalli struggled, holding an overall 6.09 ERA and a 1.55 WHIP. Despite this, he showed decent strikeout potential, racking up 72 over this stretch and walking only 27 batters.
In 2022, Cavalli made his MLB debut and made only one start, allowing seven runs in just 4 1/3 innings. His return to the MLB bump on August 6 was not only his first time pitching in a major league game in nearly three years, but also only his second MLB start in his career.
Unlike in his debut, Cavalli looked quite impressive in this outing as he tossed 4 1/3 shutout innings against the Athletics. He served only one walk and allowed their hits. He struck out six.
While it was a relatively favorable match, Cavalli's four-seamer (30.7% used) was very effective, posting a .182 xWOBA with a 29.4% whiff rate. In addition, in relation to 2022, his four-seamer has now added nearly two mph of velocity to it, as it now sits at 97.3 mph. His No. 2 pitch, his knuckle curve, was very effective as well, boasting a 50.0% whiff rate with near-perfect .056 xwOBA.
Cade Cavalli had his first start since 2022 today:
4.1 IP 3 H 0 R 1 BB 6 K
19 whiffs🔥
30 CSW%This was overall impressive!
pic.twitter.com/Q6j0u9DcjE— Andrew DeCeglie (@Andrew_FBB) August 7, 2025
While his workload may be managed during the final weeks of the season, given his minimal MLB experience, seeing his four-seamer have an uptick in velocity and his knuckly curve rack up whiffs is a very positive sign. He is worth a look in deep leagues for the time being. While he is not a "must-roster" option yet, he could enter that territory if he can prove his debut was not a fluke.
Cavalli took a bit of a step back on Monday evening, allowing seven hits, three walks, and four runs to the Kansas City Royals. He is best to leave on the waiver wire in standard leagues for the time being.
Ben Brown, Chicago Cubs
5% Rostered
The final pitcher that we will take a look at this week is Ben Brown of the Chicago Cubs. Brown has been difficult to trust for fantasy as he has shown high upside at times, but has rarely enjoyed success over an extended period. This season, the right-hander sits with a high 6.04 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP through 92 1/3 innings of work. Despite his strong 25.4% K rate, his 11.3% barrel rate has prevented him from enjoying much success.
However, Brown has turned in two strong outings and could be taking the necessary steps.
In his last two outings, the right-hander has logged nine innings of two-run ball with a strong 9:0 K:BB. Before this two-game stretch, Brown posted an 8.10 ERA and a 1.69 WHIP through his last 26 2/3 innings in the big leagues.
Can fantasy managers trust his recent production going forward?
The prominent change that Brown enacted in his start on August 4 was the increased usage of his knuckle curve. Before this outing, his curveball took the backseat to his four-seamer, but in this start, his curveball was thrown 51.8% of the time. His four-seamer was deployed only 42.9% of the time, a nearly 9.0% drop in relation to July.
This change is worth closely monitoring as his four-seamer played much better as a secondary pitch in this outing, posting a .209 xwOBA compared to the hefty .501 xwOBA it held in July. In addition, his cruvball remained elite, carrying a .095 xwOBA and a 50.0% whiff rate.
For now, Brown is best reserved for deeper leagues, but if he can find success with this modified arsenal in his next outing, he would be worth a look on the waiver wire. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues should continue to view him as a viable streaming option. If he can enjoy several strong showings in August, he would enter must-roster territory for standard formats.
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