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Aaron Schooler analyzes the deepest sleepers available as waiver wire pickups in deep mixed leagues. These players can have an immediate impact on your team.
This week's Deep League Wavier Wire Pickups is mostly focused on arms that can still be considered starting pitcher sleepers. The pool of available pitchers is enticing for owners looking for an upgrade or injury replacement in deep leagues. All ownership %'s from Yahoo!
Brandon McCarthy - SP, ARI - 10% Owned
The stuff is on the up. His average fastball is sitting around 93 mph, which is way above his career numbers. With pitching in Arizona, he has found a way to induce ground balls with a 2.26 GB/FB. The uptick in velocity has produced 8 K/9. Some of his more traditional numbers don’t look good (1-6, 4.67 ERA), but with some better luck he could turn the corner. Take away a bad start in Chicago and a few home runs, and he looks really solid.
Recommendation: Hang with him and keep him in the back of your mind
Mark Reynolds - 3B, MIL - 21% Owned
Big power, big strikeouts, big ups and big downs… That's always been the story with Reynolds. A good daily option against right-handed pitchers, which is fairly odd because you would think he would eat up lefties. Reynolds sees the ball better on the road, surpassing his home average by a startling .130 points. Reynolds is a back-of-the-pack long shot, but when he connects it is usually a sure jackpot.
Recommendation: A possibility for daily leagues if you work the splits correctly
Chris Young - SP, SEA - 5% Owned
This guy has bounced around the league, leaving a trail of DL visits along the way. However, he has had several effective stints before succumbing to injury. In case you weren't aware, his current home is on the M’s roster, toiling away in obscurity. His home numbers are impressive, with a 3-0 record and a sub-2.00 ERA. Young is a veteran who knows how to pitch to a large ballpark. Check Seattle’s schedule to take advantage of his home starts.
Recommendation: A physical mess, you may get a few more solid starts before the implosion
Jacob deGrom - SP, NYM - 5% Owned
The tall, lean right-hander is another young Mets pitcher to crack the starting rotation. The one thing that can be said thus far in his brief career is that he has been hard to hit. Opponents are hitting only .194 and he currently owns a very nice 1.17 WHIP. The downside is that he plays for the Mets and the wins are going to be hard to come by. He has already pitched well enough to win two of his three starts, but he owns an 0-2 record, nevertheless.
Recommendation: Keep an eye on his progress, he may surprise
Dellin Betances - RP, NYY - 24% Owned
Fantasy owners have to take note of the incredible strikeout rate (49 K/ 28 IP) from the Yankee reliever. If you need any confirmation, just ask the Mets. In a recent outing of 2.1 IP, Betances he punched out six. Standing at 6’8” and blowing high-90s gas, Betances is basically handing the ball to the catcher. The issue here is that he is just a bridge guy to David Robertson. He will help you with strikeouts, WHIP and ERA and may ultimately develop into a bigger role, as he was a highly-touted prospect, but for now he's simply the best non-closing reliever to own in fantasy baseball.
Recommendation: Pick him up if you need strikeouts and help with your ratios for WHIP and ERA
