X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


LINEUP RESOURCES

Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Points League Pitchers: Waiver Wire Pickups for Fantasy Baseball - Week 24

Nick Lodolo - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Welcome to Week 24 and our fantasy baseball waiver wire pitchers. We'll be doing this roundup of points leagues every week here at RotoBaller, with waiver wire targets and streaming pitchers being evaluated in terms of the different scoring systems of ESPN, Yahoo!, CBS, and Fantrax.

Player values can vary wildly from platform to platform, so we'll make sure to highlight where players are the best and worst fits. We know points league players get neglected and we're here to help with all of the best streams for the week.

These fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups are for the week of September 19 – September 25, looking at players below ~50% rostered for ESPN, Yahoo!, or Fantrax. Rankings are calculated using games through Saturday, September 17.

Editor's Note: Our incredible team of writers received 13 award nominations by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association including Baseball Writer of the Year, Football Writers of the Year, Golf Writer of the Year and many more! Be sure to follow their analysis, rankings and advice all year long, and win big with RotoBaller! Read More!

 

Know Your Scoring System

You know what I'm going to say, right?  You must account for, as precisely as possible, how a player performs under your particular scoring system. Don't be fooled into believing you can just make rough adjustments in your head, bumping up guys with high on-base percentages and low strikeout rates. Every point, in every category, counts.

For example, ESPN and Fantrax are virtually identical in their scoring for hitters and roster size. The only difference is that stolen bases are worth one more point on Fantrax and ESPN subtracts one point per strikeout. That's the difference between Trea Turner being a top-five hitter versus a top-25 hitter.

If your league uses standard settings, then great! Turn to page 94 and you can skip ahead to the leaderboards. If you play with custom settings, it'll still be fine. Go back to page 43 and look below at the scoring systems of the four major platforms. I bet there's a chance that you'll find that your league's scoring is very similar to one of the four (well, not Yahoo!'s), even if it's not the platform you actually play on.

You'll likely find a suitable mirror to your own system if you look above. While every point counts, as long as they aren't seismic changes, you can get away with some "close enough" calls, i.e. If everything is the same except for HBP (or something similar), you're probably fine.

 

Week 24: Waiver Wire Leaderboards

All charts are updated before Sunday's games, on stats and ownerships, and clicking on a chart will open a new page with a magnified version. Players on overall leaderboards are ordered according to their current Roster% on Yahoo.

*APR = Average Platform Ranking - the average platform ranking between ESPN, CBS, Yahoo, and Fantrax (standard point settings)

The 21-Day Leaderboard, Presented by Hansel

Overall Leaderboards

 

Forgive me if I'm a little light on analysis today...It's my daughter's sixth birthday party and obviously, chaos is reigning.

 

Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire - Best Choices

Nick Lodolo, CIN (vs BOS, vs MIL) - Sure, Lodolo has 29 K in his past three starts and is coming off of back-to-back 11 K outings but facing two scary-looking offenses means we need to pump the brakes, right? Hell, no. For one, Milwaukee is a completely different team when facing left-handed pitching, ranking in the bottom-six for wOBA, 28th in K% for the season, and 30th since August 1. For two, the Brewers were one of Lodolo's 11-K victims, just two turns ago. And as I've detailed elsewhere, Boston has good overall numbers vs LHP but strikes out a lot, and on paper, matchups poorly with Lodolo's pitch mix. Wins are always dicey with Cincinnati but fortune favors the bold in September.

Drew Smyly, MIA (@ MIA) - Over eight starts since the start of August, Smyly has run an impressive 2.23, striking out 41 batters over 44.1 IP. Even more impressive, is that a lot of that ERA is wrapped up in a 7 ER/2.1 IP blowup against the Cardinals - over his other seven starts, Smyly has a 0.85 ERA. And Miami is certainly not St. Louis, ranking 30th in wOBA, 28th in xwOBA, and 30th in K% vs LHP. Smile for the camera, you smelly fish.

Wade Miley, CHC (@ MIA, @ PIT) - Oh, baby, it's the Sneaker Von Sneakerson stream of the week (a totally real designation), with Wade Miley (3 ER/9 IP in two starts since returning) taking on two of baseball's worst teams.

Ryne Nelson, ARI (vs SF) - Okay, okay, Ryne; I get it! After starting his career off with back-to-back scoreless outings over the Dodgers and Padres, we must pay attention. Nelson goes for the NL West hat trick this week, facing a Giants offense that has been bottom-10 vs RHP all season.

Marco Gonzales, SEA (@ KC) - Don't expect too many strikeouts and you won't be disappointed. Gonzales is a flyball pitcher pitching in a park that suppresses power like almost no other, and with one of baseball's hottest offenses behind him and an excellent bullpen, giving him a good chance to pick up the Win bonus.

Brayan Bello, BOS (@ CIN, @ NYY) - The return of Brayan Bello has been fairly stupendous, with the rookie running a 2.84 ERA (2.16 FIP) in five starts since returning to the Red Sox rotation. Cincinnati is a bottom-10 offense vs RHP and it'll also be a rematch with a Yankee team that in his last start he allowed three runs over 5 IP to, but with none of the runs being charged to him.

Alex Cobb, SF (@ ARI) - Coming off of another excellent start, shutting out Atlanta for seven innings and striking out seven, Cobb looks set up for another strong one in Arizona. But do be aware that Arizona is far better against right-handers, than left-handers, and has ranked fifth in wOBA and second in K% against them since the start of June.

Mitch Keller, PIT (vs CHC) - Keller has now reeled off four quality starts in a row, running a 1.80 ERA (3.55 FIP) over 25 IP, with 24 K but only picked up one Win bonus. He'll get a decent chance to keep it rolling facing a Cubs offense that is 25th in xwOBA and K% vs RHP since the start of August.

Hayden Wesneski, CHC (@ PIT) - Wesneski is coming off shutting out the Rockies for seven innings and now gets a Pirates offense that is one of the worst in baseball. And with 18 K in 15.2 IP against a Pittsburgh team that is 27th in K% vs RHP, Wesneski and his 2% Roster% might be one of the sneakiest streams on the board.

Davis Martin, CHW (vs DET) - Martin gets a rematch with a Detroit team that he just faced in his last outing, allowing 1 ER over 6 IP in a no-decision.

 

Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire - Next Choices

Roansy Contreras, PIT, (@ NYY, vs CHC) - Since a 4 ER outing in his return to the Pirates rotation on August 17, Contreras has rolled off five impressive, if not overly long, starts in a row, posting a 1.65 ERA (3.03 FIP) over 27.1 IP, striking out 21 and going 2-1. The New York judges are always scary but not as much as they were in the first half, and the Cubs are a bottom-five offense vs RHP. Don't assume Win bonuses but Contreras continues to prove his prospect pedigree and is starting to gain trust, even with the bad team behind him.

Jordan Lyles, BAL (vs DET) - Lyles has gotten blown up in his last two starts but that can happen against Boston and Toronto. Detroit, as previously noted, is a very different "offense".

Dylan Bundy, MIN (@ KC, vs LAA) - Care to dance with the devil? A two-stepper against bad offenses is usually gold during the Championship weeks of September but we're talking about my sweet Dylan, who, if you haven't heard, occasionally has the teeniest, weeniest blowups. Bundy has a 3.82 ERA over eight starts since August 1, allowing 2 ER or fewer in seven starts...and 7 ER in the other. Given his low K-rate and low propensity to get deeper than five innings (and qualify for the Win bonus), Bundy is riding a fine line and with a lot of a downside. I wish you well, brave warriors.

Jon Gray, TEX (vs CLE) -

Adrian Sampson, CHC (@ MIA) - In his last four starts (@ MIL, @ STL, vs CIN, @ NYM), Sampson has a 1.77 ERA over 20.1 IP. The 3.79 FIP and only 10 K are far less impressive but the Marlins are a far less opponent.

Jose Suarez, LAA (vs SEA, @ MIN) - Neither of these matchups is ideal, particularly for getting Win bonuses but Suarez has been excellent in the second half (2.14 ERA/2.85 FIP) and both the Mariners and Twins have been more mediocre vs LHP, than against righties.

Joey Wentz, DET (@ BAL, @ CHW) - In his two starts since returning to Detroit's rotation, Wentz has allowed just 2 ER over 10.2 IP, including a tough matchup with Houston in his last outing, allowing those two runs in 4 IP. But this is a tough two-step as Baltimore has been a lot better against lefties in the second half and Chicago has been a top-two offense vs LHP all season.

James Kaprielian, OAK (vs SEA) - Like a neo-Bundy, Kaprielian is more than capable of giving you 5 IP, 2 ER, and 3 K in a no-decision. Which was just my first instinct for picking a generic Bundy-espqe line. And then I saw the last time Kaprielian faced the Mariners: 5 IP - 2 ER - 3 K, ND. Bah, ha-ha.

Cody Morris, CLE (@ TEX) - Morris only allowed 1 ER over 3.2 IP to the Angels but five walks is not a recipe for success. The Rangers, however, are only 22nd in walks vs RHP, with a strikeout rate in the bottom five.

Glen Otto, TEX (vs CLE) - The ceiling is probably low against a Guardians offense that is first in K% vs RHP, particularly with Otto usually maxing out around 5 IP.

Javier Assad, CHC (@ PIT) - Assad has a 2.53 ERA over five appearances (four starts), which easily clears our bar for being viable against the Pirates.

Austin Voth, BAL (vs DET, vs HOU) - No way I'm trusting Voth against Houston but starts against Detroit are almost always streamable.

Tyler Wells, BAL (vs DET, vs HOU) - See Voth, Austin.

 

Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire - Desperate Choices

Nick Pivetta, BOS (@ NYY) - Pivetta has faced the Yankee four times this season and has allowed two home runs in each. I guess his ceiling is determined by how many men are on base when it inevitably happens again.

Cole Irvin, OAK (vs NYM) - The Mets are surprisingly mediocre vs LHP but Irvin has also allowed a total of 20 ER over his past four starts and 24 IP.

Matt Manning, DET (@ BAL) -

Reid Detmers, LAA (@ MIN) -

Dane Dunning, TEX (vs LAA) - The Angels are a bottom-three offense vs RHP but it's hard to trust Dunning, particularly coming off of a bad start against another bottom-tier offense, allowing 4 ER over 4.2 IP in a no-decision vs Oakland.

Anibal Sanchez, WSH (@ MIA) - I love this time of year because teams have been so bad that you can say things like "Sure, you can stream Anibal Sanchez" with a straight face.

Domingo German, NYY (vs BOS) - The last time he faced Boston on August 12, German only allowed 1 ER over 6 IP but has now only pitched 2.2 IP over his last two appearances (1 start, 1 relief).

Mike Minor, CIN (vs MIL) - For the truly desperate, the Brewers are a bottom-five offense vs LHP. Which, (the coward 😉 Mike Minor, technically, is.

 

Relief Pitchers Waiver Wire

Unless you're in a very deep league and/or have a lot of dedicated RP-only slots, most of the relievers you're going to want are the ones who are closers, have a chance to close, or are elite setup guys. I do mean elite because most scoring structures are weighted in a way that relievers almost necessarily have to get saves to be valuable. Although, long relievers whose usage you can reliably predict, can be useful in leagues with daily moves. But for a majority of leagues, sticking to closers is the way to go.

With that in mind, here are the best relievers on the wire for Week 24, ordered by Yahoo roster%:

Closers (and co-Closers) on the Wire

Cincinnati Reds - Alexis Diaz (3 appearances, 1 Save)/Hunter Strickland (3 appearances)

Miami Marlins - Dylan Floro (2 appearances, 1 Save)

Oakland Athletics - A.J. Puk (2 appearances, 1 Hold)/Domingo Acevedo (2 appearances, 2 Saves)

Tampa Bay Rays - Pete Fairbanks (1 appearance, 1 Save)/Jason Adam (3 appearances, 1 Hold, 1 Loss, 1 Blown Save)

Texas Rangers - Jose Leclerc (3 appearances, 2 Saves, 1 Loss, 1 Blown Save)

Washington Nationals - Kyle Finnegan (3 appearances, 2 Saves)

Committees on the Wire

Arizona Diamondbacks - Ian Kennedy (1 appearance)/Joe Mantiply (2 appearances, 1 Hold)

Boston Red Sox - Garrett Whitlock (2 appearances, 1 Win, 1 Blown Save)/John Schreiber (1 appearance, 1 Hold)/Matt Barnes (1 appearance)/Matt Strahm (1 appearance, 1 Save)

Los Angeles Angels - Jimmy Herget (2 appearances, 1 Blown Save, 1 Hold)/Ryan Tepera (3 appearances, 1 Save, 1 Loss)/Aaron Loup (3 Appearances, 1 Save, 1 Hold, 1 Loss)/Jose Quijada (2 appearances, 1 Hold)



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 Waiver Wire Advice




LINEUP RESOURCES

Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

ROTOBALLER PLAYER NEWS

Anthony Edwards4 mins ago

Misses Friday's Practice
Carlos Rodón5 mins ago

Carlos Rodon Slowly Progressing
Esteury Ruiz10 mins ago

Makes Opening Day Roster
D'Angelo Russell10 mins ago

Tagged As Questionable For Friday
Marquez Callaway29 mins ago

Signs With Broncos
Marquise Goodwin40 mins ago

Signing With Browns
Zane Gonzalez50 mins ago

Panthers Release Zane Gonzalez
David Blough57 mins ago

Re-Signs With Cardinals
Philadelphia Eagles1 hour ago

Eagles Sign Terrell Edmunds
Blake Bell1 hour ago

Remaining With Chiefs
Mitch Haniger1 hour ago

Unlikely To Be Ready For Opening Day
DJ Chark2 hours ago

Joins Panthers
Xander Bogaerts2 hours ago

Wearing Splint, Receives Cortisone Shot
Shohei Ohtani2 hours ago

Gets Opening Day Assignment For Angels
Yusei Kikuchi2 hours ago

Makes Toronto's Rotation
Patrick Corbin2 hours ago

To Start On Opening Day
Aaron Nola2 hours ago

Phillies Name Aaron Nola The Opening Day Starter
Jacob deGrom2 hours ago

To Start Opening Day For Rangers
Miles Mikolas2 hours ago

Cardinals Give Miles Mikolas A Two-Year Extension
Nelson Agholor2 hours ago

Ravens Agree To One-Year Deal With Nelson Agholor
Cory Sandhagen3 hours ago

Can Earn Back-To-Back Victories
Marlon Vera3 hours ago

Finds Himself In Main-Event Spotlight Saturday
Yana Santos3 hours ago

Looking For Biggest UFC Win Of Her Career
Holly Holm3 hours ago

Seeking First Victory Since 2020
Austin Lingo3 hours ago

On Verge Of Three-Fight Winning Streak
Nate Landwehr3 hours ago

Hoping For Third Straight Strong Performance
DeAndre Carter3 hours ago

Visiting With Raiders
Philadelphia Eagles3 hours ago

Eagles Give Lane Johnson One-Year Extension
Leody Taveras3 hours ago

Could Avoid Injured List
Adam Frazier3 hours ago

Starting In Outfield Friday
Bobby Witt Jr.4 hours ago

Returns To Cactus League Lineup
Rhys Hoskins4 hours ago

To Get A Second Opinion
John Tavares4 hours ago

Bags Three Assists In Thursday's Win
Nick Senzel4 hours ago

Plays Third Base Thursday
Auston Matthews4 hours ago

Continues Strong Finish To The Season
Gus Varland4 hours ago

Has Been Sharp Of Late
Alex DeBrincat4 hours ago

Breaks Out Of Slump With Three Points
Jarred Kelenic4 hours ago

Has A Hit In His Return
Mika Zibanejad4 hours ago

Continues Hot Spell With Two Assists
Shane McClanahan4 hours ago

To Start Opening Day
David Pastrnak4 hours ago

Sets His New Record With 49th Goal
Darick Hall4 hours ago

To See Bulk Of Starts At First Base
Alex Ovechkin4 hours ago

Extends Scoring Streak Thursday
Reilly Smith5 hours ago

Sustains A Lower-Body Injury
Max Kepler5 hours ago

Returns To Action
Logan Thompson5 hours ago

Suffers A New Injury
Ramón Urías5 hours ago

Ramon Urias Returning On Friday
Jonas Valanciunas5 hours ago

Has Impressive Performance
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander5 hours ago

Plays Well In Loss
Kawhi Leonard6 hours ago

Drops 32 Points In Win
Dennis Smith6 hours ago

Jr. Pulled Early On Thursday
Khris Middleton6 hours ago

Khris MIddleton Won't Play On Friday
Marc-Andre Fleury16 hours ago

Takes Loss Against Flyers
Matthew Boldy16 hours ago

Scores Twice Against Flyers
Bryce Young16 hours ago

Impresses At Pro Day
Eddy Piñeiro16 hours ago

Panthers Re-Sign Eddy Pineiro To Two-Year Deal
Tony Jones Jr.16 hours ago

Signs One-Year Deal With Broncos
Franz Wagner18 hours ago

Won't Return On Thursday
Bradley Beal18 hours ago

Won't Suit Up On Friday
Tyrese Haliburton18 hours ago

Considered Questionable For Friday
Eric Gordon18 hours ago

Gets Starting Nod On Thursday
Kelly Oubre18 hours ago

Jr. Won't Return On Thursday
Deandre Ayton18 hours ago

To Miss Next Two Games
Terry Rozier18 hours ago

Doubtful To Return On Thursday
Mitchell Robinson20 hours ago

To Play On Thursday
Jalen Brunson20 hours ago

Officially Out For Thursday
LeBron James21 hours ago

Begins On-Court Activity
Jalen Brunson21 hours ago

Uncertain For Thursday
Jalen Duren21 hours ago

Removed From Injury Report
Will Levis22 hours ago

Meeting With Panthers Thursday
Ryan Succop22 hours ago

Buccaneers Release Ryan Succop
Ezekiel Elliott22 hours ago

Narrows His List Down To Three Teams
Jared Spurgeon22 hours ago

Returns From Illness Thursday
Anthony Duclair22 hours ago

Available Again Thursday
Ville Husso22 hours ago

Out With A Lower-Body Injury
Darcy Kuemper23 hours ago

Back In Capitals Crease Thursday
John Carlson23 hours ago

Set To Return Thursday
Josh Anderson23 hours ago

Out On Thursday
Oliver Ekman-Larsson23 hours ago

Not Expected To Return This Season
Lukas Dostal24 hours ago

In Goal Thursday For Anaheim
Logan Thompson24 hours ago

Starting Thursday Against Flames
Joel Hofer1 day ago

Guards Cage Against Detroit
Scottie Barnes1 day ago

Could Be Out Again Friday
Jeremy Swayman1 day ago

Confirmed Starting Goalie Thursday
Precious Achiuwa1 day ago

Regarded As Questionable For Friday
Tommy Sweeney1 day ago

Giants Signing Tommy Sweeney
Zay Flowers1 day ago

To Meet With Saints, Giants
Bryce Young1 day ago

Meets With Raiders
DeAndre Hopkins1 day ago

Bills Headline Trade Market For DeAndre Hopkins
Ty Johnson1 day ago

Jets Bring Back Ty Johnson
Maycee Barber1 day ago

Can Continue Her Flyweight Ascent
Andrea Lee1 day ago

In Need Of Victory To Keep Momentum Going
MMA1 day ago

Manel Kape On The Hunt For Fourth Straight Victory Saturday
Alex Perez1 day ago

Seeking First Victory Since 2020
Albert Duraev1 day ago

Can Rebound With A Victory
Chidi Njokuani1 day ago

Hopes To Get Back In Win Column
Taylor Montgomery3 days ago

A Hard Fade In Austin
Sam Burns3 days ago

Hard To Trust At WGC Dell Match Play
Max Homa3 days ago

A Strong Contender In Austin
Tom Hoge3 days ago

A Bracket-Buster In Match Play
Hideki Matsuyama3 days ago

Doesn't Perform In Match Play
Kamaru Usman3 days ago

Unsuccessful In Bid To Recapture Title
Leon Edwards3 days ago

Defends Crown At UFC 286
Viktor Hovland3 days ago

Has Struggled In Match Play
Rafael Fiziev3 days ago

Has Strong Showing But Takes Loss
Justin Gaethje3 days ago

Puts On Another Highlight-Reel Performance
Tyrrell Hatton3 days ago

The Favorite In His Group
Bryan Barberena3 days ago

Suffers Second Straight Submission Loss
Gunnar Nelson3 days ago

Scores Impressive Finish At UFC 286
Will Zalatoris3 days ago

Needs Birdies At WGC Match Play
Jordan Spieth3 days ago

Can Advance At WGC Match Play
Matt Fitzpatrick3 days ago

May Struggle At WGC Match Play
Chris Kirk3 days ago

Draws A Bit Unlucky At WGC Match Play
Patrick Cantlay3 days ago

Has Good Chance At WGC Match Play
Brian Harman3 days ago

Has Putter's Chance To Contend At WGC
Tommy Fleetwood3 days ago

Has Challenge At WGC Match Play
Casey O'Neill4 days ago

Takes First Defeat Against Former Champion
Jennifer Maia4 days ago

Earns Decision Win Over Undefeated Opponent
Roman Dolidze4 days ago

Suffers Setback With Decision Loss
Kyle Busch4 days ago

Finishes In Top 10 At Atlanta
Ty Gibbs4 days ago

Finishes Strong In Atlanta
Erik Jones4 days ago

Gets His First Top-10 Finish Of The Season
Ryan Blaney4 days ago

Bounces Back From Speeding Penalty
Denny Hamlin4 days ago

Has A Strong Showing
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Hangs in For Fifth Place At Atlanta
Corey Lajoie5 days ago

Corey LaJoie Uses Course To Advantage On Sunday
Christopher Bell5 days ago

Ends Up With Another Top Five Result
Christopher Bell5 days ago

Brad Keselowski Noses Christopher Bell Out For Second
Joey Logano5 days ago

Goes From Pole To Win Sunday
Todd Gilliland6 days ago

Starts 23rd
Ryan Preece6 days ago

Starts 24th At The AmBetter Health 400
AJ Allmendinger6 days ago

Eyes Another Strong Finish
NASCAR6 days ago

Ricky Stenhouse Eyes Back-To-Back Superspeedway Wins
Tyler Reddick6 days ago

May Be Overlooked
Erik Jones6 days ago

Is A Value Play At Atlanta
Denny Hamlin6 days ago

Seeks Better Results
Noah Gragson6 days ago

Might Surprise At Atlanta Motor Speedway
Austin Dillon6 days ago

Looks To Bounce Back At Atlanta
Ty Dillon6 days ago

Hoping To Keep Car Running At Atlanta
NASCAR6 days ago

J.J. Yeley Starts 34th Sunday At Ambetter Health 400
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF