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Mike's starting pitcher (SP) fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 18 of 2026 (July 27 - August 2). These are his top free-agent pitchers to add and stream.
Welcome, everyone, to our starting pitcher fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 18 of the 2026 season (July 27- August 2). In this piece, we search for starting pitchers rostered in less than 40 percent of Yahoo leagues. For deeper leagues, we find pitchers rostered in less than 30 percent of Yahoo leagues.
We've reached and passed the All-Star break, and now it is an all-out sprint to the finish line. It's a great time to really take stock of your teams and see where you can find help either via trade or the waiver wire. It is weekly work to find good starting pitching.
The guys mentioned here are not aces, but that does not mean that they cannot help your team. Take a look at these pitchers if you need help. 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
Roki Sasaki, Los Angeles Dodgers (41% rostered)
Look, I get the downright fear and trepidation of adding Sasaki to your roster. But he has been good in his last three starts, culminating in a seven-inning performance against the New York Mets this week in which he surrendered only one run while striking out nine hitters.
Sasaki is showing that he can get deeper in games, getting into the sixth inning in three consecutive starts after only pitching three or four innings up to the All-Star break. He is pitching for his playoff spot; perhaps that motivation makes him more efficient and focused? The stuff is undeniable.
Michael McGreevy, St Louis Cardinals (39% rostered)
McGreevy pitched into the seventh inning on Thursday night, surrendering four runs while notching three strikeouts. Not his best effort, but decent. He only has four wins, but has a tidy 3.07 ERA, a 1.13 WHIP, while the low level of strikeouts is his Achilles heel (74 in 114 innings).
Many fantasy players are down on McGreevy now, but that could provide stable rations for you and your team in the second half.
Shane Drohan, Milwaukee Brewers (38% rostered)
Drohan has more than held his own in the Milwaukee rotation, and looks to be a mainstay there now. The lefty has five wins, a 3,20 ERA, a 1.18 WHIP, and 76 strikeouts in 76 innings. What I like is that he has added length to his starts.
Check out his Statcast below. He gets lots of chases even as his strikeout rate is slightly above average. He limits baserunners because he does not walk many. Limiting traffic on the bases is key, and Drohan is good at that. Also, he's pitching for arguably the best team in baseball.
Walbert Urena, Los Angeles Angels (34% rostered)
Urena hit a bit of a bump earlier in the summer, but looks to be back in form based on his recent results. In three July starts, he has a win, a terrific 1.15 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP, and 14 strikeouts in 15 innings. He looks primed for a solid second half.
Look at his Statcast below. Urena has been outstanding overall this season. Coupling high velocity and limiting hard contact have worked well for Urena, as they would for many pitchers. I think Urena's rostered percentage will increase in this second half.
Christian Scott, New York Mets (33% rostered)
Scott looks like he should hold on to his rotation spot through the current Mets' turmoil. I like the idea that Scott has a higher strikeout potential than most of the other starters on the waiver wire. He should have ample opportunity to pitch innings in the second half, despite it being a lost season for the Mets.
I highlighted his strikeout percentages below over the course of the 2026 season. The strikeout percentage on the four-seamer is way up, and is now a robust 28.8% on the season. And he has 78 strikeouts in 63 innings, which catches the eye. I am rostering Scott in as many leagues as possible.
Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues
Recommendations for leagues of any size rostered in less than 30% on Yahoo
Kyle Leahy, St. Louis Cardinals (28% rostered)
Leahy has been on the waiver wire much of the season as fantasy players hunt for better and sexier options. He has been a surprise, starting 19 games, winning seven games, covering 95 innings with a 3.59 ERA and a slightly high 1.35 WHIP. He has 79 strikeouts in those 95 innings.
Brady Singer, Cincinnati Reds (26% rostered)
Singer may be making his last starts in a Cincinnati uniform as he appears a candidate to be traded in the coming days. If you look at the overall numbers, you will miss the point of this article. He's got three wins, a 4.72 ERA, a 1.47 WHIP, and 76 strikeouts in 89 innings. Not great.
But you can see his splits below and see for yourself how good he has been in June and July. Singer could make his next start in a different uniform on a playoff contender, and he could see a solid second half. Take a look at Singer this weekend if you need a backend starter.
Zac Thornton, New York Mets (26% rostered)
Thornton is the kind of young pitcher to take a shot on due to his upside. Given that he should have a long runway in New York in the second half, I am interested in Thornton now. He has made four starts, earning a win and posting a 1.93 ERA and 0.86 WHIP.
His excellent command gives him a pathway to major league success. I think there is strikeout upside here as well; his 19.5% K% in the majors is about five points lower than he had in the minor leagues this season. Take a shot at Thornton this weekend if you want to try something new.
Keider Montero, Detroit Tigers (25% rostered)
Montero has been stuck between roles in Detroit, but an injury to Jack Flaherty has opened a rotation spot for him now. Montero had done nothing to lose his spot, but had found himself in the bullpen. He has started 16 games for the Tigers and is now back in the rotation.
Montero has seven wins, a nice 3.14 ERA, a 0.96 WHIP, and 78 strikeouts in 106 innings. The strikeouts are his weakness, but everything else looks good for the veteran. While I worry about him staying in the rotation, a potential trade of Tarik Skubal could leave him in this spot.
Brandon Pfaadt, Arizona Diamondbacks (19% rostered)
Pfaadt has been a bit of a revelation since his return to the Arizona rotation, and more fantasy players will be snatching him up. Pfaadt is 4-0 in July, with a 2.49 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP, and a meager 12 strikeouts in 21 innings.
How is he doing it? Well, he has one of the highest groundball rates in baseball at 51.7%, and figuring out how to pitch to left-handed batters with his improved change-up and sweeper. I am buying into these changes and believe he can maintain them for the second half.
Other Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Options
Every week, we will give you four or five (in this case seven) other lower-rostered pitchers you could also consider adding from the waiver wire in your league. League context matters, obviously.
- Robert Gasser, Milwaukee Brewers (11% rostered)
- Anthony Kay, Chicago White Sox (10% rostered)
- Ronel Blanco, Houston Astros (10% rostered)
- Grayson Rodriguez, Los Angeles Angels (6% rostered)
- Patrick Sandoval, Boston Red Sox (5% rostered)
- Ryan Johnson, Los Angeles Angels (3% rostered)
- Gabriel Hughes, Colorado Rockies (1% 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, and never give up on your teams.
More Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Advice
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