X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Later-Round Pitcher Values for WHIP - Fantasy Baseball Category Specialists (2025)

Mitch Keller - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Draft Sleepers, MLB Injury News

Tommy Bell identifies late-round starting pitcher values and sleepers for WHIP in 2025 drafts. Target these pitchers to boost your fantasy baseball team's WHIP.

Fantasy baseball draft season is officially upon us. Everyone's draft or auction strategy is different, which is what makes this hobby of ours so great. But if you're someone who likes to piece their pitching together later in the draft, things can get sketchy quickly. But finding a gem or two late can REALLY give you a leg up on your competition.

When it comes to late-round pitchers, you're often going to have to sacrifice something. Whether it's a flamethrower with minimal control, a veteran with an injury history, or a solid command pitcher who struggles to miss bats, there will surely be question marks as you move into pick 300 and beyond. So, what's the best approach?

In "roto" leagues, securing that WHIP category with late selections can be a gold mine. These pitchers are typically on the safer side, meaning they are less likely to kill your ratios, but there might be some untapped upside within them as well. Let's look at four pitchers who fit the mold of a value draft pick and should provide a decent WHIP with the upside to be a stud if they can take the next step in the bat-missing category.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Mitch Keller, Pittsburgh Pirates

ADP: 281
Last Season Stats: 11 wins, 4.25 ERA, 166 SO, 1.30 WHIP

The newly-inked Pirates "veteran" arm is the most questionable when it comes to WHIP safety, but he's also shown us the most when it comes to consistent strikeout upside as well.

Keller's overall stat line is marred by a very rough start to the 2024 season. However, he bounced back in a big way in May, collecting eight wins over 14 starts in May, June, and July while putting together a sparkly 2.45 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP. The key was dropping his walk rate down to 5.2 percent while allowing hard contact just 29.5 percent of the time.

It would be unfair to simply take away the months of April, August, and September and claim only the best months of Keller's season, but when we're talking the 23rd round of your 12-team draft, it's nice to know that this guy has put it together for long periods (see his fantastic 2023 season as well).

Keller will turn 29 in April, and as the veteran presence among a three-stud pitching staff in Pittsburgh, he'll surely feel the responsibilities of both pitching deep into games and being consistent for the Bucs.

While I'd like to see him bring the walk rate down as we finish out spring training, I'll gladly take a shot on the right-hander's upside while believing that 1.35 is the worst-case WHIP scenario, which is just fine for a fourth or fifth arm on your fantasy roster.

 

Erick Fedde, St. Louis Cardinals

ADP: 301
Last Season Stats: 9 wins, 3.30 ERA, 154 SO, 1.16 WHIP

There's never going to be much excitement surrounding Erick Fedde, but he quietly raised some eyebrows with the White Sox in 2024, collecting seven wins in his 21 starts for the bottom-dwelling club. Thanks to some arsenal tweaks, the 31-year-old put together a 3.11 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP through the first four months in Chicago.

Things trailed off a bit in his final 10 starts for the Cardinals, but the 1.20 WHIP and 3.72 ERA were still plenty valuable enough for deeper fantasy leagues, despite Fedde's typically low 7.44 K/9.

There's nothing in the now-32-year-old's game that can't translate for another year. The wins should improve from his nine a year ago, assuming health that is, and the batted ball profile paired with a lower-than-average LOB% suggests Fedde pitched better in St. Louis to end the year than his numbers showed.

Again, this is nothing you're going to end up bragging about to your league mates come September, but if you're loaded with some volatile strikeout pitchers in the first half of the draft, Fedde is a nice complement who should provide stability most times he toes the rubber in 2025.

 

Kris Bubic, Kansas City Royals

ADP: 319
Last Season Stats: 1 win, 2.67 ERA, 39 SO, 1.02 WHIP

Injury ruined Bubic's potential breakout campaign in 2023 before it ever really began, but some sharp analysts were drooling over the prospects of his renowned arsenal, including a nasty fastball/changeup/slider combo.

He returned in 2024 to a bullpen role with the Royals, and he was as effective as ever, sporting a 1.95 FIP and an 11.57 K/9 in his 30.1 innings. Can he put it all together to become a stud starting pitcher in 2025?

The addition of a cutter to his already strong collection of pitches helps boost his prospects as a late-round WHIP value, but what's nice about this southpaw is there is some HIGH upside for strikeouts as well.

The lone concern is the fact that he's coming off Tommy John surgery, thus the Royals will likely limit his pitching load early and potentially shut him down later in the season. However, for the time being, it's tough to ignore his upside when it comes to ERA, WHIP, and maybe even strikeouts.

As the 27-year-old Bubic continues to impress in spring training as a starting pitcher, his draft stock will rise. I would expect him to end up more in the Mitch Keller ADP range by the time games officially begin on March 27, and I'm still fine with that spot in the draft for a very promising pitcher with loads of upside on a decent team in a pitcher's park. Go get Bubic!

 

Dustin May, Los Angeles Dodgers

ADP: 401
Last Season Stats: 4 wins, 2.63 ERA, 34 SO, 0.94 WHIP

The final name on our late-round WHIP list is just as exciting as Bubic in many ways. Dustin May is coming off another shortened season, having thrown less than 60 innings for a fifth straight year, but the 27-year-old was officially named the fifth starter to begin the season, signifying full health despite his flexor tendon issue and rare esophageal scare in 2024.

May has shown dominating WHIP potential every time he's taken the mound, as he's not afraid to attack hitters early and often, creating weak contact time and time again. His strikeout rate was way down in 2024, but I'm not ready to buy that as a definite fault in such a young pitcher with such a small sample size. After all, he did find himself with a 13.7 K/9 following his 23 innings in 2021.

It would be very scary to invest high draft capital in a pitcher like May, considering his injury history and the fact that the Dodgers could phase him out of the rotation at any time.

Especially in a roto league where you don't necessarily NEED his win potential late in the draft, May is a steal. It helps that L.A. won't need him in the playoffs, so it can let him max out during the regular season.

There's far too much potential along with WHIP safety in this 27-year-old fireball pitcher. I'll take him as early as pick 300 or for a few extra dollars in auctions leading up to the 2025 season.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Michael Lorenzen

Royals Put Michael Lorenzen on Injured List With Oblique Strain
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Stefon Diggs

Likely to Begin Camp Working on the Side
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Xavier Legette

Should be More Productive
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Cole Bishop

has Good Shot to Win a Starting Job
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Nate Wiggins

Ravens Think Nate Wiggins has Star Potential
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Kel'el Ware

Collects 21 Points in Summer League Loss on Sunday
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Cam Spencer

Contract Being Restructured
Drew Timme

Scores 30 Points in Summer League Loss to Wizards
Quinshon Judkins

More Details Emerge on Quinshon Judkins' Arrest
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Alexandre Sarr

Logs Impressive Outing in Summer League Action on Sunday
Junior Tafa

Unsuccessful in his Light-Heavyweight Debut
Kaden Elliss

Could be Atlanta's Most Impactful Pass-Rusher
Kyle Filipowski

Scores 21 Points in Summer League Loss to Warriors
Darius Robinson

Ready to Make his Mark in 2025?
Jauan Jennings

Expected to Report for Training Camp
Trey Smith

the Only Player Still on the Franchise Tag
Cody Williams

Collects 22 Points in Summer League Loss on Sunday
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Jauan Jennings

Seeking New Deal or Trade From 49ers
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Tosses Gem Against Giants
Shota Imanaga

Shuts Down Yankees on Sunday
Nathan Eovaldi

Dominant Again in Seventh Win
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
A.J. Dillon

Not a Lock for a Roster Spot?
Chicago White Sox

Billy Carlson Goes 10th Overall to White Sox
Cincinnati Reds

Steele Hall Selected Ninth by Cincinnati
Toronto Blue Jays

Blue Jays Select JoJo Parker with Eighth Overall Pick
Boston Celtics

Damian Lillard Drawing Interest from the Celtics
Miami Marlins

Marlins Select Aiva Arquette With Seventh Overall Pick
Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates Select Seth Hernandez with Sixth Overall Pick
Kyle Stowers

Punishes Former Team with Three-Homer Game
St. Louis Cardinals

Cardinals Select Liam Doyle with Fifth Overall Pick
Daniel Gafford

Agrees to Contract Extension with Dallas
Colorado Rockies

Rockies Select Ethan Holliday Fourth Overall
Seattle Mariners

Kade Anderson Selected Third Overall by Seattle
Ha-Seong Kim

X-rays on Ha-Seong Kim's Foot Come Back Negative
Los Angeles Angels

Tyler Bremner Selected Second Overall by Angels in 2025 MLB Draft
Washington Nationals

Nationals Select Eli Willits First Overall
Jake Meyers

to Miss More Than Three Weeks With Calf Injury
Cooper Flagg

Shut Down for Rest of Summer League
LeBron James

Hasn't Requested a Trade
Quinshon Judkins

Following Quinshon Judkins Arrest, NFL Declines Comment
Travis Hunter

Earning Praise in Jaguars Camp for Work Ethic
Memphis Grizzlies

Cole Anthony, Grizzlies Agree to Contract Buyout
Edward Cabrera

Hopeful to Avoid Injured List
Oneil Cruz

Absent on Sunday
Lars Nootbaar

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Jake Burger

Scratched on Sunday
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Julius Chestnut

Kalel Mullings Competing for RB3 Role
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
Kimani Vidal

Fighting for No. 3 Job
Cam Hart

Recovering From Shoulder Surgery
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
Quentin Johnston

Might Not Get Many Chances to Prove Himself
Tre Harris

Officially a Holdout
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
Travis Etienne Jr.

Needs to Bounce Back in 2025
Wan'Dale Robinson

Wants More Downfield Opportunities this Season
Quinshon Judkins

Arrested on Saturday for Battery and Domestic Violence
Alexandre Sarr

Plays Well in Summer League Loss to Phoenix
Yang Hansen

Looks Good on Friday Night
Erik Karlsson

Open to Move Away From Pittsburgh
Zach Hyman

Hopes to be Ready for Start of Next Season
SJ

Jeff Skinner Joins Sharks on One-Year Contract
Kon Knueppel

Struggles in Summer League Win
Walter Clayton Jr.

Plays Well on Friday Night
Cody Williams

Scores 21 Points in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Leads the Way on Friday Night
Isaiah Jackson

Signs Three-Year Extension
Marvin Bagley III

Joining the Wizards
Herbert Jones

Signing Extension with Pelicans
Jacob Toppin

Returning to Hawks
Ryan Reaves

Traded to Sharks
Vladislav Kolyachonok

Moves to Dallas
Matt Dumba

Lands in Pittsburgh
Mackie Samoskevich

Re-Signs with Panthers on One-Year Deal
Josh Manson

Inks Two-Year Extension with Avalanche
EDM

Isaac Howard Signs Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract With Oilers
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
Jacob Bridgeman

Needs Putter to Work at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF