Starting Pitcher Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 18 (2024)

July 21, 2024

Mike's fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for starting pitchers for Week 18 of the 2024 MLB season. Consider adding and streaming these free-agent pitchers.

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to our starting pitcher fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 18 (July 22 - July 28). In this weekly piece, we search for starting pitchers rostered in less than 50% of Yahoo! leagues. These are SP options to consider that might be good additions to your fantasy roster, especially for streaming.

One thing I would like for all readers to consider: the bottom part of your roster, especially in deeper leagues, should see some churn. In this edition, we focus on several well-known pitchers who are coming back soon from injury (like Robbie Ray and Jeffrey Springs), as well as a young phenom, Max Meyer, who may be recalled to Miami in the next week. Acquiring players like these for the second half could very well help you win your league.

Every player on my list has a flaw. It could be low strikeout rates; it could be a walk rate that is too high. Every player listed here can provide some level of benefit to your fantasy team. I look for guys who can contribute to my bottom lines; a win perhaps (although chasing them is foolish and tricky), while not destroying my carefully manicured ratios.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues

Recommendations for leagues of any size rostered between 30-50% on Yahoo!

Michael Wacha, Kansas City Royals (rostered in 49% of leagues) 

I am going to write about Wacha every week until he is rostered in more leagues. Over the last month, look at how he has changed his pitch mix; see the chart below. There has been much less emphasis on his fastball and more focus on the mix of pitches, especially the change-up. Wacha has seven wins, a 3.55 ERA, and a 1.20 WHIP this season, and has won three starts in a row with a helpful 18 strikeouts in 19 innings. Wacha can help most teams at the back of their rotations, and more than half of fantasy players don't see it. Don't be one of them.

Kyle Harrison, San Francisco Giants (rostered in 42% of leagues)

Harrison feels like an afterthought in San Francisco, but astute players know the young lefty can help their rosters. Harrison is 5-4 with a 3.86 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, and 79 strikeouts in 91 innings. Walks are still a bugaboo; he walked four on Friday night, but he also struck out six and only surrendered one hit in five innings. Granted, a small sample size, but over his last three starts he has a win and 3.29 ERA. He's worth adding in deeper leagues, and many players are starting to add him. Take a look at Harrison this weekend.

Robbie Ray, San Francisco Giants (rostered in 41% of leagues)

Ray is nearing a comeback from his Tommy John surgery and could be a big help to the Giants and fantasy teams for the second half. On Friday night, Ray struck out seven hitters while pitching into the seventh inning for Triple-A Sacramento. He threw 78 pitches and averaged over 93 MPH on his fastball. This is leading to speculation that his next start could be for the major league club. The former Cy Young winner is worth an addition in deeper leagues for sure.

Jeffrey Springs, Tampa Bay Rays (rostered in 33% of leagues)

Springs is in the same boat as Ray listed above. Springs has a start on Saturday night, and depending on how that went (unavailable as we went to press), it would not be surprising to see Springs make his next start in a Tampa Bay uniform. Springs only made three starts last season before succumbing to Tommy John surgery. This is a skillset worth adding if he is on your waiver wire, especially in deeper leagues.

Max Meyer, Miami Marlins (rostered in 31% of leagues)

I had stashed Meyer in leagues but injuries and the ineffectiveness of other pitchers forced me to give him up back to the waiver wire where smart players picked him up and stashed him. The young righty could be recalled as soon as this week for the Marlins, as they look to be heavy traders in the coming ten days. Also of note: by recalling him after Sunday, they gain another year of roster control. In anticipation of that, roster Meyer now if he is floating free in your leagues.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues

Recommendations for leagues of any size rostered less than 30% on Yahoo!

Spencer Schwellenbach, Atlanta Braves (rostered in 29% of leagues)

Schellenbach continues to be impressive; he's 3-4 with a 4.43 ERA, a 1.16 WIP, and 41 strikeouts in 44 innings. Those numbers don't tell an accurate story. Schwellenbach is 2-0 in his last two starts, surrendering only 10 hits and two runs with nine strikeouts in 13 innings. Now is the time to add the rookie before players get wise to him.

Luis L. Ortiz, Pittsburgh Pirates (rostered in 24% of leagues)

Ortiz is raising eyebrows with a recent string of good performances for Pittsburgh, who are hanging in the NL Wild Card race. Ortiz was biding his time in the bullpen but got a chance to start again after a successful run there. Check out the data below; not big strikeout numbers, but not zeroes, either. He's pitched into the sixth inning in his last three starts and given the Pirates a chance to win each time. He's flying under the radar still which represents an opportunity for you.

Kyle Freeland, Colorado Rockies (rostered in 9% of leagues)

I know...never a Rockies pitcher, but let's look at the evidence and then decide. He has looked like a different guy since his return from an elbow strain. In four starts since that return, he has only one win, but he has pitched at least six innings in those starts, striking out 21 over 26 innings. This is an example where looking at the season-long stats will mislead you. The veteran lefty has a 1.70 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP in those four starts. Freeland is worthy of an addition in deeper leagues.

Ryne Nelson, Arizona Diamondbacks (rostered in 8% of leagues)

Nelson is floating on most waiver wires in most leagues, but the question is, should he be?  It's easy to dismiss by surface stats, a deeper dive shows us a maturing pitcher. Nelson has pitched at least five innings in four starts in a row, giving up only one run in three of those four starts. Add in those two wins, and you have a serviceable pitcher in many formats who is essentially free right now.

Other Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Options

• Edward Cabrera, Miami Marlins (rostered in 14% of leagues)
• JP Sears, Oakland Athletics (rostered in 12% of leagues)
• Joey Estes, Oakland Athletics (rostered in 5% of leagues)

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!

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