Zack Wheeler 2026 Fantasy Baseball Outlook: Phillies' Ace on the Road to Recovery
Three-time All-Star pitcher Zack Wheeler was having another great season until he was sidelined by a blood clot in his shoulder in late August. Before his injury, Wheeler had a 10-5 record, a 2.71 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and was leading MLB with 195 strikeouts in 149.2 innings pitched. He posted a career-high K-BB% of 27.7 in 2025. Wheeler was first placed on the IL on August 16th with a blood clot injury before the diagnosis of venous thoracic outlet syndrome. Phillies' manager Rob Thomson gave an update in mid-February that while Wheeler's recovery is going as planned, as he started throwing from 120 feet in camp. But he still has an unclear return date range. ATC Projections on RotoBaller point to Wheeler pitching for 126 innings and fashioning a 9-5 record with 145 strikeouts, 3.30 ERA, and 1.08 WHIP. While Wheeler is taken in NFBC drafts with an ADP of 147, RotoBaller.com views him as at No. 70 among pitchers (No. 164 overall). Fantasy managers who draft Wheeler will be taking an apparent risk, as it is uncertain how effective he might be upon returning.
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