Starting Pitcher Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups - Week 25 (September 14 - September 20)

September 13, 2026

Mike's starting pitcher (SP) fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 25 of 2026 (September 14 - September 20). These are his top free-agent pitchers to add and stream.

Welcome, everyone, to our starting pitcher fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 25 of the 2026 season (September 14 - September 20). 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.

All leagues are certainly in the home stretch now and looking for those last great matchups off the waiver wire to fortify your pitching staffs while not destroying your ratios. It is a constant mining for fantasy gold at this crucial time of year.

The guys mentioned here aren't aces, but that doesn't mean they cannot help your team. Check out 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.

Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues

Recommendations for leagues of any size rostered between 30-40% on Yahoo

Hayden Wesneski, Houston Astros (41% rostered)

Wesneski will not be confused with an ace, but he is solid enough to be able to help your team. He has gone at least five innings in four consecutive starts, earning three wins (huge for our teams down the stretch) and not giving up more than three runs.

Wesneski has five wins in eight starts to go with a tody 3.35 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP; he won't help a ton with strikeouts, as he only has 36 in 45 innings, but that is why he is on the waiver wire. But you will get mostly worry-free innings with the veteran.

Corbin Burnes, Arizona Diamondbacks (36% rostered)

Burnes is a fascinating waiver wire addition this week. He is building up on the fly for a team that is fighting for its playoff lives in Arizona. He went three innings in his first action back against the Kansas City Royals last week, striking out two batters. He gets matchups against the Miami Marlins and the New York Yankees this coming week, a two-step for him. I'm intrigued.

Kade Anderson, Seattle Mariners (36% rostered)

Anderson posted the best start of his young career last week, going six strong innings at Texas to earn his first win while striking out five batters. I know it can be a roll of the dice with young pitchers down teh stretch, but his pedigree, along with a tasty matchup against the Los Angeles Angels this coming week, makes him more enticing to me.

Look at the box below, and you can see the small body of his work so far, but note the fact that he improved against a tough lineup and gets the moribund Angels this coming week makes him a solid addition, especially in shallower leagues.

Andrew Painter, Philadelphia Phillies (33% rostered)

It will be interesting to see how Painter bounces back this weekend against Atlanta after a tough start against Houston last week, in which he gave up five runs in five innings while striking out six. That snapped his quality start streak at three.

Looking below, you can see why we can disregard the season-long numbers of three wins, a 5.71 ERA, and 1,41 WHIP. In eight starts since the All-Star break, he has two wins, a 3.77 ERA, a 1.06 WHIP, and 44 strikeouts in 45 innings. Every fantasy team could use those statistics right now.

Landen Roupp, San Francisco Giants (33% rostered)

I know many fantasy players have sworn off Roupp after a tough August, but he's been worth taking a look at here in September. He has two wins in his last five appearances, with a 3.00 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. His season numbers: nine wins, a 4.00 ERA, a 1.28 WHIP, and 139 strikeouts in 150 innings.

Roupp gets his next start against the Cardinals in St. Louis, and then a tough matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers awaits the following week. The start in St. Louis is enticing in deep leagues. Maybe Roupp can help you down the stretch here.

Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues

Recommendations for leagues of any size rostered in less than 30% on Yahoo

Martin Perez, Atlanta Braves (29% rostered)

The veteran lefty Perez went seven strong innings in his last start against a very good Tampa Bay Rays team, sprinkling four hits to go with four strikeouts. Yes, it's a lackluster 17.9% K%, but he has eight wins and an excellent 3.08 ERA and decent 1.25 WHIP. He gets the Chicago Cubs this week.

Andre Pallante, St. Louis Cardinals (28% rostered)

Pallante proved himself this year as a reliable innings eater who will not get strikeouts but will keep the Cardinals in most games. This has value in many leagues, as do his 12 wins, his 3.45 ERA, and his 1.23 WHIP, keeping hitters off balance with a five-pitch mix.

How does he do it? See below. Pitching is not rocket science; Pallante limits hard contact and has an absurd 55.2% groundball rate this season, which is in line with his career numbers. He has used the fastball, slider, and curve against lefties, and uses the slider and the sinker most against righties.

Pallante gets the San Francisco Giants and the Pittsburgh Pirates in his next two starts, and he is widely available in many leagues. He could be a nice stretch run addition on many rosters.

Yusei Kikuchi, Los Angeles Angels (24% rostered)

Kikuchi is kind of the ultimate crapshoot for fantasy baseball. I want to believe in the Kikuchi we saw last season in Houston, but he has been decent since the All-Star break: a win in four starts, but an enticing 3.27 ERA, a slightly high 1.36 WHIP, and 21 helpful strikeouts in 22 innings.

What I like here are his next two matchups, where he gets the Seattle Mariners in Los Angeles, and then goes on the road to face the Athletics. Yes, the park in Sacramento leaves much to be desired, but so does the Athletics' lineup. Egads.

Jackson Jobe, Detroit Tigers (19% rostered)

Jobe is back and flying under most radars right now, but he could help the right squad. He gets the Colorado Rockies at home on Sunday, coming off the best start of his six this past week: a solid five innings with seven strikeouts against Cleveland.

He will get the Chicago White Sox next weekend, who have been scuffling at the plate lately. Good matchups here. That could appeal to you as the fantasy season winds down for all of us.

Cristian Javier, Houston Astros (10% rostered)

I had stashed Javier in a few leagues, and now is the time that I was anticipating using him. He has two wins in six starts after the All-Star break, and a helpful 3.79 ERA, a tidy 1.14 WHIP, and 43 strikeouts in 41 innings. In September so far, he sits with a 1.64 ERA and 0.73 WHIP. That's helpful.

See the chart below. Javier is getting the swing-and-miss again as he rounds back into shape after an extended layoff. His next two matchups pit him at home against the Kansas City Royals and the Seattle Mariners in Seattle. I like using Javier here.

Other Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Options

Every week, we will give you four or five (in this case, nine) other lower-rostered pitchers you could also consider adding from the waiver wire in your league. League context matters, obviously.

• Chris Bassitt, Baltimore Orioles (14% rostered)
• Kumar Rocker, Texas Rangers (11% rostered)
• Grayson Rodriguez, Los Angeles Angels (11% rostered)
• Jeffrey Springs, Athletics (10% rostered)
• Quinn Mathews, St. Louis Cardinals (10% rostered)
• Connor Prielipp, Minnesota Twins (8% rostered)
• Erick Fedde, Chicago White Sox (5% rostered)
• Gabriel Hughes, Colorado Rockies (3% rostered)
• Mason Adams, Colorado Rockies (2% 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. Keep grinding!

More Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Advice

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