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Mike's starting pitcher (SP) fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 11 of 2026 (June 8 - June 14). These are his top free-agent pitchers to add and stream.
Welcome, everyone, to our starting pitcher fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 11 of the 2026 season (June 8 - June 14). In this weekly piece, we search for starting pitchers rostered in less than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues. For deeper leagues, we try to find pitchers rostered in less than 30 percent of Yahoo leagues.
The war of attrition continues across our pitching staffs. Injuries to key players hurt our chances to win leagues. Ineffective pitching does the same. We have to be willing to make tough decisions and jettison arms for other guys; some listed here may be able to help your squads.
There is always help on the waiver wire. This week, it is another mix of young guys getting runway and boring veterans who could help you. At the end of the article, you will see players rostered in less than 15% of leagues who could help your squad.
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Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues
Recommendations for leagues of any size rostered between 30-50% on Yahoo
Seth Lugo, Kansas City Royals (47% rostered)
I know Lugo pitched relatively poorly on Thursday night, allowing five runs in four innings. However, the veteran has been solid in his last few outings. Lugo has been dropped in many leagues, but that could be a great opportunity for you. He gets Texas in his next start.
Cade Cavalli, Washington Nationals (46% rostered)
I am hoping this is the last time I need to write about Cavalli. Yes, his WHIP is high at 1.42, but he makes up for it with a nice 3.62 ERA and 74 strikeouts in 64 innings. He's gone at least five innings in five straight starts. This will be the last time he is rostered under 50% for a time.
Jared Jones, Pittsburgh Pirates (44% rostered)
This is going to be the last chance to get Jones cheaply. Given his pedigree and the extreme patience that fantasy players have exercised, expectations will be unfairly high. He threw five innings on Thursday against Houston, getting the win and striking out four hitters.
Keep in mind that the Pirates are likely to manage his pitch count in his coming starts, perhaps topping out at 75-80 pitches as he gears up in his return from Tommy John surgery. Still, he will be a popular addition this weekend on the waiver wire.
J.T. Ginn, Athletics (41% rostered)
Ginn continues to be the rock of the Athletics' rotation. He's got three wins, a 2.74 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP, and a useful 60 strikeouts in 65 innings. Ginn covered six innings against the Chicago Cubs last week and grabbed eight strikeouts while surrendering only one run.
You can see how valuable Ginn has been this season for the Athletics. A tough test awaits this week when the Milwaukee Brewers visit, but Ginn should continue to pitch well.
Tatsuya Imai, Houston Astros (38% rostered)
Imai saw a spike in roster percentage after his combined no-hit effort two weeks ago. Imai followed that up with six innings of five strikeout ball despite taking a loss. He was starting at press time against the Athletics. A minor adjustment to his body weight on the rubber seems to have helped.
The one concern with Imai is the whopping 15.9% walk rate. If he cuts that down, Imai can be a formidable starting pitcher in weekly lineups, not just a streamer.
Walbert Urena, Los Angeles Angels (31% rostered)
Teammates point out the similarities between Urena and the ace of the Los Angeles staff, Jose Soriano. He has completed at least five innings in seven consecutive starts, notching three wins. In his last start, he gave up three runs in seven innings while tallying seven strikeouts.
What I like about Urena on top of his 2.68 ERA and 1.33 WHIP with 48 strikeouts in 50 innings can be seen below: a massive groundball rate, which is at 52.1% for the year. If he cuts that 12.8% walk rate, Urena could be a foundational piece of the Angels' rotation.
Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues
Recommendations for leagues of any size rostered in less than 30% on Yahoo
Dustin May, St. Louis Cardinals (26% rostered)
May gets two starts next week against the New York Mets and the Minnesota Twins, which makes him appealing. Many will dismiss May, but he has actually been good since his first two starts of the year. He has seven, nine, and nine strikeouts in his last three starts.
You can see his splits below for March, April, and May. Since those first two bad starts, May has a 3.19 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 59 innings. May is definitely worth considering if you have an open spot at the back end of your rotation as we get fully into June.
Noah Cameron, Kansas City Royals (22% rostered)
I like what Cameron does with his six-pitch arsenal and low velocity. He makes it work. Cameron has gone at least five innings in four consecutive starts, and even though he has not won any of those, he has pitched well.
Cameron has lifted his strikeout percentage from 20.5% to 22.2% this year and cut his walk rate from 7.7% to 6.7%. Both are encouraging signs, as Cameron is a usable pitcher in deeper formats.
Anthony Kay, Chicago White Sox (19% rostered)
Kay will not wow you with strikeouts (only 42 in 57 innings), but he will provide you mostly worry-free innings at the back of your rotation. He has pitched at least five innings in six consecutive starts and has four wins and a 1.65 ERA and 1.10 WHIP over that time.
What seems to have fueled the success of Kay in his return ton MLB has been a slight change in pitch mix. Kay is throwing his sinker more while cutting his fastball usage among his six-pitch mix. Itis working thus far; can it continue?
Christian Scott, New York Mets (19% rostered)
Scott has quietly pitched well for the Mets since mid-May. He has two wins in his last three starts, covering at least five innings in all of those. Scott has two wins, a 2.50 ERA, a 1.31 WHIP, and a nice 41 strikeouts in 36 innings.
Scott will get his next start against the St. Louis Cardinals, and even with the pending return of Kodai Senga, Scott should stick in the rotation.
Gage Jump, Athletics (13% rostered)
Jump has made two starts for the Athletics thus far, registering five strikeouts in each while covering 12 total innings. The team is in desperate need of pitching, so Gage should get continued opportunities if he is decent. Earmark him this weekend in FAAB bidding.
Hard to make any definitive decisions based on two starts, but below is his Statcast box. Jump was stronger in his second start, earning a win after tossing seven innings. I think he has the merit to stick in the rotation, at least in the short term.
Brandon Young, Baltimore Orioles (9% rostered)
Young should be rostered far more often, and he might be very soon. The righthander has four wins in nine starts, posting a 3.47 ERA, a 1.34 WHIP, and 37 strikeouts in 49 innings. He has pitched into the seventh inning in three straight starts.
Young really took a step forward in May with a 2.86 ERA and 1.27 WHIP. He has secured a place in the Baltimore rotation; can he secure a spot in yours?
Other Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Options
Every week, we will give you four or five other lower-rostered pitchers you could also consider adding from the waiver wire in your league. League context matters, obviously.
- Kumar Rocker, Texas Rangers (12% rostered)
- David Sandlin, Chicago White Sox (11% rostered)
- Lucas Giolito, San Diego Padres (10% rostered)
- Andre Pallante, St. Louis Cardinals
- Coleman Crow, Milwaukee Brewers (6% rostered)
- Jack Perkins, Athletics (5% rostered)
Happy hunting for starting pitchers this weekend! If you have questions, you can always message me on X @mdrc0508. You can even tell me you hate these picks. Remember that fantasy baseball is supposed to be fun above everything. Enjoy it!
More Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Advice
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