Points League Pitchers: Waiver Wire Pickups - Week 21

Nicklaus Gaut's H2H points league waiver wire pickups for Week 21 of the 2021 fantasy baseball season, identifying free agents to add and pitchers to stream.

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.

These waiver-wire adds are for the week of August 16th - August 22nd, looking at players below 50% rostered for ESPN and Yahoo! Stats and rankings are calculated using games through Saturday, August 14th.

• Fantasy baseball trade analyzer
• BvP matchups data (Batter vs. Pitcher)
• PvB matchups data (Pitcher vs. Batter)
• Who should I start? Fantasy baseball comparisons
• Daily MLB starting lineups
• Fantasy baseball closer depth charts
• Fantasy Baseball live scoreboard
• Fantasy baseball injury reports

Know Your System

If you've read me even a little, you likely know what I'm going to say...You must account for, as precisely as possible, how a player performs under your particular scoring system. Every point, in every category, counts.

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.

For example, my home league started on a now-defunct platform before moving first to ESPN and is now at Fantrax. But our scoring is basically ESPN standard only with two points for stolen bases and a handful of other minor adjustments.

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

Waiver Wire Leaderboards

The charts are updated prior to Saturday's games, on stats and ownerships. All leaderboards are sorted according to the player's APR*, and clicking on a chart will open a new page with a magnified version.

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

Starting Pitchers

Two Start Weeks

Must Adds

• Chris Flexen, SEA (@ TEX) - Get used to hearing about the battle of the bads, with Seattle vs. Texas providing us with plenty of quality streams. The Rangers have a .290 wOBA and .664 OPS vs RHP, with a 24.3% K%. Flexen has faced them twice this season, going 2-0 and striking out 11 over 13 IP, allowing just one earned run.
• Patrick Sandoval, LAA (@ DET) - Sandoval got a little roughed up in his last start against Houston but has a great start facing the Tigers on the road. Detroit has a 26.1% K% vs LHP this season, including when Sandoval struck out nine batters in 5.2 IP in a matchup on June 19.
• Ranger Suarez, PHI (@ ARI) - Suarez is still getting stretched out after leaving the bullpen but lasted 4.2 IP in his last time out, working up to 82 pitches. Over 10 IP in his first three starts, Suarez has a 0.90 ERA and faces a bad Arizona offense this week.
• Vladimir Gutierrez, CIN (vs CHC, vs MIA) - Since allowing six earned runs in four innings to the Mets on July 19, Gutierrez has been dominant in four starts, posting a 1.78 ERA over 25.1 IP, striking out 21. He has matchups against two of baseball's bottom-feeders; the Cubs have a .297 wOBA and 27.0% K% vs RHP, while Miami has a .301 wOBA and a 25.2% K% vs RHP.
• Huascar Ynoa, ATL (@ MIA) - Ynoa was pretty good before a five-run outing in May that ended with him breaking his hand on a wall, posting a 2.23 ERA over the seven starts prior. Miami is pretty bad vs RHP (and everyone else) but this is a play for the rest of the year.
• J. A. Happ, STL (vs. PIT) - With a 6.34 ERA in 21 starts, Happ is just not very good...Unless he's facing the Pirates, who Happ has gone 2-0 against this year, allowing just one run over 13.1 IP.
• Touki Toussaint, ATL (@ MIA, @ BAL) - I'm still not convinced that Touissaint is actually good but he has pretty decent matchups on the road this week, albeit one that is played in a little league stadium. But the Orioles have also only posted a .295 wOBA and .675 OPS vs RHP, with a 24.3% K%.
• Josiah Gray, WSH (@ KC, vs SEA) - Gray's 4.13 ERA over his first five starts in the majors has been ho-hum but he has a 3.15 ERA since allowing 4 ER in 4 IP in his major league debut. He has a 30.7% K% and faces a Kansas City team with a .293 wOBA vs RHP, and a Seattle team whic has a .299 wOBA and 25.6% K% vs RHP.

Can Adds

• Austin Gomber, COL (vs SD) - Gomber may have "beaten Coors" this year, posting a 1.70 ERA and 0.85 WHIP at home this season but faces a Padres team that lit him up for four runs in one inning the last time they met.
• Jon Gray, COL (vs ARI) - It's at Coors but Gray has been pretty decent at home, running a 3.27 ERA and allowing just a .265 wOBA. He'll face an Arizona team team that only has a .294 wOBA vs RHP, with a 24.7% K%.
• Tylor Megill, NYM (@ SFG) - This isn't a great start but a pickup is more of future's bet.
• Carlos Hernandez, KC (vs HOU, @ CHC) - You don't want any piece of Houston but the Cubs only have a .297 wOBA vs RHP, with a 27.0% K%.
• Jake Odorizzi, HOU (@ KC, vs SEA) - Odorizzi is tough to trust but is backed by a stellar offense and has two tremendous matchups, as the Royals have a .293 wOBA vs RHP, and Seattle has a .299 wOBA and 25.6% K%.
• Tyler Anderson, SEA (@ TEX, @ HOU) - Once again, you don't want a piece of Houston but a matchup with Texas is hard to beat. The Rangers have the worst offense in baseball vs LHP, posting just a .281 wOBA and .642 OPS against them in 2021.
• David Price, LAD (vs PIT, vs NYM) - Pretty much the same as Odorizzi before. Price is hard to trust but is backed by the powerful Dodger offense and takes on one baseball's worst teams, as well as one of it's coldest. Sorry Mets fans.
• Jaime Barria, LAA (@ CLE) - Barria has actually been serviceable and faces a Cleveland team with only a .300 wOBA vs RHP, with a 23.7% K%.
• Elieser Hernandez, MIA (@ CIN) - I'm not starting him against Cincinnati (.339 wOBA vs RHP) but Hernandez is a great stash.
• Bailey Ober, MIN (vs CLE, @ NYY) - Ober has a 3.28 ERA over his last five starts and has a great start against Cleveland (.300 wOBA, .696 OPS) and a manageable one at New York (.308 wOBA, .701 OPS).
• Kris Bubic, KC (@ CHC) - The Cubs have a 25.5% K% vs LHAP and are also just pretty bad, as you may have heard.
• Dane Dunning, TEX (vs SEA) - Seattle is still bad vs RHP and Dunning has a 1.73 ERA over his six starts since the start of July.
• Steven Matz, NYM (vs DET) - Tigers love striking out versus lefties, running a 26.1% K% against them this season. Matz has turned things around in the recent past, running a 1.69 ERA in his last two starts.
• Tarik Skubal, DET (vs LAA) - The Angels are tough on lefties, with a .322 wOBA and 21.8% K% against them this season but Skubal has been on fire in his last two starts, going 2-0 without allowing a run over 11 IP, while striking out 10.
• Casey Mize, DET (vs LAA) - This is an okay matchup for Mize but be forewarned of him (as well as Skubal) getting pulled at the first sign of trouble, in order to continue managing their innings.
• Griffin Jax, MIN (vs CLE, @ NYY) - Since allowing six runs to the Royals on July 3, Jax has posted a 2.66 ERA over four starts, striking out 18 over 21.1 IP and going 2-0.
• Tanner Houck (@ NYY)

Desperate Adds

• Mike Foltynewicz, TEX (vs SEA)
• Triston McKenzie, CLE (vs LAA)
• Mitch White, LAD (vs PIT, vs NYM)
• Bryce Wilson, PIT (@ STL)
• Dylan Bundy, LAA (@ DET)
• Zach Davies, CHC (vs KC)
• Alec Mills, CHC (vs KC)

Notable IL

• Merril Kelly, ARI
• Jordan Montgomery, NYY
• Michael Pineda, MIN
• Kwang-Hyun Kim, STL
• Tony Gonsolin, LAD
• Domingo German, NYY
• Johnny Cueto, SF
• Alex Cobb, LAA
• Adbert Alzolay, CHC
• Adrian Houser, MIL
• Eric Lauer, MIL
• Ross Stripling, TOR
• Justus Sheffield, SEA
• Chad Kuhl, PIT
• Matthew Boyd, DET
• Carlos Martinez, STL
• Spencer Turnbull, DET
• Miles Mikolas, STL

Relief Pitchers

Keep in mind that with relievers, points scored can be deceiving. Most scoring systems make it pretty difficult for even the best non-closers to score elite points, making them very reliant on unpredictable wins. You simply need the save points to really do damage. AKA, when you see totally random names hit the leaderboard (particularly the 14-Day one), it's probably because they happened to get a few wins and/or a lot of usage. If a reliever doesn't have an established role, tread carefully.

One note about ownership; because ESPN uses nine open pitching slots, as opposed to dedicated slots for RP/SP, relievers tend to be lighter owned than on other sites.

Notable IL

• Paul Sewald, SEA (paternity leave)
• Taylor Rogers, MIN
• Tejay Antone, CIN
• Drew Pomeranz, SD
• Rafael Montero, HOU
• Joakim Soria, TOR
• Pete Fairbanks, TB
• Victor Gonzalez, LAD
• J.P. Feyereisen, TB
• Jose Alvarado, PHI
• Jordan Hicks, STL
• Julian Merryweather, TOR

With the trade deadline shaking bullpens up all over the league, we're going to do things a little differently, going through each team that currently has a relevant (according to our roster% threshold) bullpen situation.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Tyler Clippard got a Win on Saturday. That was the only decision earned by the Arizona bullpen last week.

Baltimore Orioles

Baltimore collected zero saves in zero chances this past week, for the second week in a row.

In the Mix: Cole Sulser, Paul Fry, Dillon Tate, Tanner Scott.

Chicago Cubs

In the Mix: Manuel Rodriguez, Codi Heuer (loss and blown save on Saturday), Rowan Wick (has appeared twice since returning from the IL on Tuesday, allowing no baserunners and striking out one).

Cincinnati Reds

In the Mix: Mychal Givens, Michael Lorenzen, Lucas Sims (loss and blown save on Wednesday).

Kansas City Royals

Scott Barlow appears to have the job, for the time being.

Miami Marlins

In the Mix: Dylan Floro (Win, blown save on Saturday), Anthony Bender (save on Saturday), Anthony Bass (hold on Saturday).

New York Yankees

In the Mix: Jonathan Loaisiga (Blown Save on Monday, Hold on Wednesday), Chad Green (Blown Save on Monday, Win on Wednesday, Win and Blown Save on Saturday), Zack Britton (Blown Save on Monday, Save on Wednesday, Loss and Blown Save on Thursday, Hold on Saturday).

Pittsburgh Pirates

In the Mix: David Bednar, Chris Stratton, Chasen Struve (Win on Saturday).

Seattle Mariners

In the Mix: Diego Castillo, Drew Steckenrider (Win on Wednesday, Win on Friday).

Texas Rangers

In the Mix: Joe Barlow (Save on Friday), Spencer Patton (Blown Save on Tuesday, Hold on Friday).

Washington Nationals

The Nationals haven't afforded him any opportunities lately but there aren't any good reasons for Kyle Finnegan's ownership to be below 50%.

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