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Mike's starting pitcher (SP) fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 14 of 2026 (June 29 - July 5). These are his top free-agent pitchers to add and stream.
Welcome, everyone, to our starting pitcher fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 14 of the 2026 season (June 29- July 5). In this weekly piece, we search for starting pitchers rostered in less than 40 percent (new parameter for us) of Yahoo leagues. For deeper leagues, we try to find pitchers rostered in less than 30 percent of Yahoo leagues.
If your teams look anything like mine do, you likely need pitching. Many fantasy players lament not being able to find good starting pitching, but that is why this article exists: there are bargains to be had on the waiver wire if you look deeply enough.
There is always help on the waiver wire. Are the guys mentioned here aces? Hardly, but that does not mean that they cannot help your team. At the end of the article, you will see players rostered in less than 15% of leagues who could help your squad.
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Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues
Recommendations for leagues of any size rostered between 30-40% on Yahoo
Griffin Jax, Tampa Bay Rays (41% rostered)
Jax looks like the real deal since he moved into the rotation in Tampa Bay. I have always liked Jax, even though I never know what his role is on a team. He is in the rotation now and adding length to his outings, which makes him attractive.
Over his last five outings, Jax has covered 24 innings, striking out 26 hitters with a 3.00 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. That's terrific stuff, and he has gone at least five innings in four consecutive starts. That bodes well for his ability to stay in games longer.
Check out this Stactcast chart below. He is using the four-seamer less and focusing on mixing his pitches more in the rotation. Jax has a devastating changeup and is using it more with his sinker and curveball, keeping hitters off balance. Get Jax now; we could have a league winner on our hands here.
Joey Cantillo, Cleveland Guardians (40% rostered)
Cantillo is a bit of a conundrum. His last three starts have been excellent for Cleveland. On Friday night, Cantillo went six innings and struck out nine Mariners. He has now started 17 games, and has six wins, a 3.87 ERA, a 1.35 WHIP, and 85 strikeouts in 86 innings.
I am intrigued because I think Cantillo has a high potential for strikeouts moving forward this year. Three times this season, he has struck out at least nine hitters, with two of those being in his last two starts. I am adding him where I can this weekend.
Peter Lambert, Houston Astros (36% rostered)
Lambert has been quite good for the Astros, to the surprise of many. He has started 12 games and won six of them, with a fine 3.28 ERA, a 1.17 WHIP, and a helpful 64 strikeouts in 68 innings. Lambert has been a gift to Houston, a team trying to weather the storm of injuries.
Lambert has a two-step this week, facing the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday and lining up to get the Tampa Bay Rays next Sunday. The two starts should make him a big pickup this weekend.
Sean Burke, Chicago White Sox (36% rostered)
Burke has pitched well recently as a piggyback option for the White Sox. Burke has been good for the Sox, nabbing five wins and a 3,71 ERA, a 1.21 WHIP, and 87 strikeouts in 87 innings. He has pitched at least six innings in his last two outings, so he is giving some length in games.
What intrigues me about Burke is the increase in his strikeout rate; he has at least six punchouts in his last seven outings. Burke has a 3.29 ERA and a somewhat high 1.35 WHIP, but if he is getting wins and strikeouts, I can live with a slightly higher ratio there.
Brandon Young, Baltimore Orioles (32% rostered)
Young struck out eight Washington Nationals on Saturday night, going five innings despite not getting a win. Yet, Young has six wins, a 3.11 ERA, a 1.30 WHIP, and 57 strikeouts in 72 innings. Many fantasy players find him risky because of the low strikeout rate, and I understand that.
However, Young has pitched at least five innings in seven consecutive starts, and he has won three of those with at least four strikeouts in each outing. He could be a good streamer for teams this week when he faces the Cincinnati Reds.
Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues
Recommendations for leagues of any size rostered in less than 30% on Yahoo
Walker Buehler, San Diego Padres (25% rostered)
Buehler has been pretty good this year, unbeknownst to many fantasy players. He has thrown at least five innings in eight of nine starts since the first week of May. His season stats are five wins, a 3.81 ERA, a 1.33 WHIP, and 70 strikeouts over 78 innings.
He is relevant again thanks to a month that has seen him nab two wins, post a 1.71 ERA, and a 1.29 WHIP while also earning 27 strikeouts in 26 innings. Buehler, at least, is a spot starter at the back end of a fantasy rotation. See below. He is usable right now.
Javier Assad, Chicago Cubs (18% rostered)
Assad always seems to find his way into several starts for the Chicago Cubs, and this year is no exception. He picked up a win last Wednesday, giving up three runs and striking out five hitters in five innings. He is a decent option right now.
Given their wide array of pitcher injuries now, he should be a mainstay in the rotation. Assad gets the San Diego Padres this week and should be on more rosters coming up. The Cubs are counting on Assad to eat some innings for them this summer.
Keider Montero, Detroit Tigers (16% rostered)
Montero has pitched seven complete innings in each of his last two starts, only striking out three in each of these. Montero allowed no runs in his last outing on Friday and sports a 3.39 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP despite registering only 56 strikeouts in 87 innings.
Keep in mind that the Detroit Tigers will be getting Jack Flaherty back in the coming day or two, and Justin Verlander might not be far behind him. Montero is currently scheduled to get the Texas Rangers next weekend. But he is pitching well as June ends this week.
Shane Drohan, Milwaukee Brewers (15% rostered)
Drohan has a spot in Milwaukee's rotation, and he could keep it a while. With two starts coming this week, one against the Cincinnati Reds and the second against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Drohan figures to be a popular addition in FAAB this week.
Drohan has three wins, a tidy 3.12 ERA, a 1.23 WHIP, and 52 strikeouts in 52 innings. I like that he has a 33.9% chase percentage and that he limits hard contact. Add in that he is pitching for one of the best teams in baseball, and there is much to like in this profile.
Brandon Sproat, Milwaukee Brewers (9% rostered)
Similar to his peer above, Sproat looks like he could stick in a Milwaukee rotation that is showing signs of promise. His stuff intrigues me, as does his ability to miss bats. Manager Pat Murphy is going with a six-man rotation for now, and Sproat has one of those jobs.
Efficiency is a key for every pitcher, and Sproat is no exception. He went six scoreless innings against Cincinnati last week, striking out 10 over that span. See below, and you see that June has been the best stretch of his young career. Take a chance that it is real.
Jake Bennett, Boston Red Sox (10% rostered)
Bennett beat the New York Yankees on Saturday night, striking out three and allowing one run. Could Bennett be an answer in the Boston rotation? He has started five games for the Red Sox, and he has gone at least five innings in each one.
See his Statcast below, and you may like what you see from this small sample size. I like that he gets to face the Los Angeles Angels next week, which should make him an attractive addition in many leagues this weekend.
Other Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Options
Every week, we will give you four or five other lower-rostered pitchers you could also consider adding from the waiver wire in your league. League context matters, obviously.
- Reynaldo Lopez, Atlanta Braves (14% rostered)
- Ian Seymour, Tampa Bay Rays (8% rostered)
- Andrew Alvarez, Washington Nationals (6% rostered)
- Jose Cabrera, Arizona Diamondbacks (3% rostered)
- Alan Rangel, Philadelphia Phillies (3% rostered)
Happy hunting for starting pitchers this weekend! If you have questions, you can always message me on X @mdrc0508. You can even tell me you hate these picks. Remember that fantasy baseball is supposed to be fun above everything. Enjoy it!
More Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Advice
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