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Shaun looks at four sneaky fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for starting pitchers in Week 24 (2025) on hot streaks, and sees if they can sustain their success.
Finding reliable pitching help on the waiver wire in September can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. Injuries, innings limits, and playoff rotations are in full swing, and fantasy managers need every possible edge to lock up wins in the stretch run. While most of the obvious names are long gone, there are still a few under-the-radar arms who could provide sneaky value this week.
Matchups are the key at this stage of the season, and several widely available starters line up against struggling offenses in Week 24. Whether it’s a rookie looking to make a late splash, a veteran rediscovering his rhythm, or a mid-rotation arm riding recent momentum, these pitchers offer more upside than their roster percentages suggest. In leagues where ratios and strikeouts can swing a playoff matchup, they’re worth a serious look.
This week’s list highlights four arms — Cade Cavalli, Bryce Elder, Ryne Nelson, and Parker Messick — who check the boxes for both opportunity and production. Each brings a different skill set to the table, but all are positioned to take advantage of favorable matchups. If you’re searching for streaming options or a potential late-season difference-maker, these pitchers could provide the boost you need in Week 24.
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Cade Cavalli, Washington Nationals
6% Rostered
Cavalli draws an enticing matchup this Friday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, and fantasy managers looking for streaming help should circle his name.
The Pirates’ offense has been a bottom-tier unit all season, averaging just 3.62 runs per game — the lowest mark in the majors. They also rank dead last in home runs (102), slugging percentage (.351), and near the basement in batting average (.233) and on-base percentage (.306).
While Pittsburgh briefly surprised with a sweep of the Dodgers and a series win over Boston in late August, the offense quickly reverted to form. They managed just five total runs while being swept by the Brewers, underscoring how exploitable this lineup remains.
Good outing from Cade Cavalli tonight! Hopefully, the bullpen can stay hot! pic.twitter.com/hxKxaaPVqu
— Nationals Advisory (@nats_advisory) September 3, 2025
That sets the stage nicely for Cavalli, who has shown flashes of promise in his six starts this season. While the Yankees and Royals knocked around the 27-year-old, he’s delivered quality outings in four appearances. His underlying profile suggests the success is sustainable: Cavalli owns a 20.7% strikeout rate paired with a strong 5.9% walk rate. Even more encouraging, he’s limited barrels to just 5.3%, showing an ability to keep hitters off balance with a deep arsenal.
Cavalli mixes five pitches, leaning heavily on his curveball (31%) and four-seam fastball (30%), while complementing them with a sinker (18%), changeup (15%), and occasional cutter. His curve has been particularly effective, helping him generate a 35.5% chase rate that hints at strikeout upside. Against a Pirates team that struggles to make hard contact or drive the ball, Cavalli has the tools to turn in a strong streaming performance.
Fantasy Take: In deeper formats or for managers chasing strikeouts and ratios, Cavalli is a worthwhile waiver add this week. The matchup is about as favorable as it gets, making him a sneaky play for short-term value with a chance to stick if the command holds.
Bryce Elder, Atlanta Braves
6% Rostered
While Elder’s 2025 season has featured its share of bumps, the right-hander is quietly trending upward with four quality starts across his last five outings. He’ll get the ball Sunday against Houston, a matchup that looks far less intimidating than in recent seasons. The Astros have been a middle-of-the-pack offense versus right-handers this year, slashing just .253/.316/.395 — production that offers Elder a path to success if he can continue executing his game plan.
Elder’s strength lies in generating weak contact. His 50.4% ground-ball rate ranks in the 85th percentile, and he’s kept barrels to just 7.6% of batted balls, an above-average mark that bodes well for run prevention. Operating in the low 90s, Elder leans heavily on his sinker and slider, throwing one of the two nearly 80% of the time.
That combination has long been his bread and butter, but recent adjustments to his slider may be the key to his resurgence.
Bryce Elder's 2Ks in the 6th.
6Ks thru 6 pic.twitter.com/mjgZJB7Vqd
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 4, 2025
The righty himself acknowledged the difference, saying his slider is “finally starting to come around,” adding that he’s been able to “get out in front of the ball again” and really “rip on it.” The results have been evident, with strikeouts ticking up alongside more consistent command. Elder doesn’t need to miss bats at an elite clip to be fantasy-relevant — his ability to generate groundballs and improve secondary pitches gives him a solid floor when he’s locating.
Fantasy Take: Elder isn’t a must-add in every league, but in 12- and 16-team formats, he’s a sneaky waiver-wire option with streamer appeal against Houston. If the slider continues to sharpen, he has the tools to stick as more than a matchup play down the stretch.
Ryne Nelson, Arizona Diamondbacks
25% Rostered
Ryne Nelson has been one of the more reliable arms in the Diamondbacks’ rotation, and he lines up for a favorable matchup against Minnesota on Saturday. The Twins have dropped seven of their last 10 games, a skid that included an ugly four-game sweep at the hands of the White Sox. Offensively, Minnesota has struggled all season to sustain rallies, ranking 25th in runs per game (4.2) and batting average (.239).
Their inability to consistently reach base makes this a matchup worth exploiting for fantasy managers in need of pitching help.
Nelson’s recent form has been excellent, with four consecutive quality starts entering this weekend. His command and pitch efficiency have kept him deep into games, giving Arizona steady innings while providing fantasy managers with stability. On the season, Nelson owns a 21.5% strikeout rate paired with a 6.6% walk rate that sits in the 75th percentile, offering a balanced profile that minimizes damage.
His ability to keep runners off base has been a key factor in his run of success.
The right-hander leans heavily on his four-seam fastball, throwing it 62% of the time. It’s been an elite weapon by metrics, as Baseball Savant ranks its run value in the 98th percentile, while Nelson’s overall pitching run value sits in the 95th percentile. That combination of a dominant primary pitch and consistent command has allowed him to keep the Diamondbacks in games all season long.
Fantasy Take: With Minnesota’s offense struggling and Nelson pitching some of his best baseball of the year, he’s a strong streaming option this week. Available in the majority of leagues, Nelson offers both short-term upside in this matchup and enough consistency to warrant holding as a back-end rotation piece moving forward.
Parker Messick, Cleveland Guardians
12% Rostered
Few young pitchers have made a bigger splash in September than Parker Messick. The 24-year-old southpaw began the year at Single-A Lynchburg and rocketed through the Guardians’ system, making his MLB debut on August 20. Since then, he has been nothing short of outstanding, posting a 1.93 ERA across his first four big-league starts. Three of those outings have gone down as quality starts, as Messick has shown poise and polish well beyond his years.
What makes Messick intriguing for fantasy purposes is his elite command and ability to limit damage. He has walked just 3.1% of the batters he has faced while also keeping hard contact to a minimum with a 4.0% barrel rate. That combination has allowed him to stay out of trouble and work deep into games despite not overwhelming hitters with velocity.
Across 23 1/3 innings, he’s tallied 18 strikeouts, relying on pitch mix and sequencing rather than pure power.
Cleveland #Guardians 24yr old LHP Parker Messick allowed one run over six innings of work striking out four Tampa batters today picking up his 2nd win.
Line - 6.0(IP) 8H 1ER 1ER 0BB 4SO
(86 Pitches 60 Strikes)
First four MLB starts:
- 23.1(IP) 28H 5ER 3BB 18SO 1.93 ERA… pic.twitter.com/oq5XH0VgTv
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) September 7, 2025
Messick deploys a deep five-pitch arsenal, mixing a four-seam fastball, changeup, slider, sinker, and curveball. While none of his offerings light up the radar gun, his changeup has been particularly effective at generating weak contact and keeping hitters off balance. Against a White Sox lineup that has struggled to sustain offense all season, he has another favorable opportunity to extend his run of success this weekend.
Fantasy Take: With elite control, the ability to suppress barrels, and a deep pitch mix, Messick is worth adding in deeper mixed formats and AL-only leagues. His low roster percentage (12%) makes him widely available, and his immediate production suggests he could be more than just a streaming option. For managers chasing ratios down the stretch, Messick offers one of the most appealing upside plays on the wire.
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