Starting Pitcher Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups - Week 22 (August 24 - August 30)

August 23, 2026

Mike's starting pitcher (SP) fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 22 of 2026 (August 24 - August 30). These are his top free-agent pitchers to add and stream.

Welcome, everyone, to our starting pitcher fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 22 of the 2026 season (August 17 - August 23). In this piece, we search for starting pitchers rostered in less than 40 percent of Yahoo leagues. For deeper leagues, we find pitchers rostered in less than 30 percent of Yahoo leagues.

We are officially in the so-called dog days of August. League titles are hanging in the balance, and even if you like your team to contend for that championship, there is still work to do on your roster to get it there. That work almost always involves pitching.

The guys mentioned here aren't aces, but that doesn't mean they cannot help your team. Check out these pitchers if you need help. At the end of the article, you will see players rostered in less than 15% of leagues who could help your squad.

Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues

Recommendations for leagues of any size rostered between 30-40% on Yahoo

Tyler Mahle, Atlanta Braves (40% rostered)

Mahle has been a godsend since arriving in Atlanta at the trade deadline. In three starts with the Braves, Mahle has gone at least six innings while giving up two runs or less in each outing. He has lowered his ERA by half a run and has 19 strikeouts in 18 innings over that span.

I had drafted Mahle in the reserve rounds this spring and then jettisoned him when he did not have good early results. Just goes to show how much I know.

Kade Anderson, Seattle Mariners (39% rostered)

There was tons of hyperbole and hype for Anderson's debut on Saturday, and you could see why in his first start. Anderson pitched into the sixth inning. Surrendering three runs on two homers, striking out five and walking two batters.

The number three pick in the 2025 MLB draft, Anderson showed the poise that could help the Mariners down the stretch. Important to keep in mind he almost gave up two homers, save for the yellow padding and the glove of Randy Arozarena, but Anderson will be swiped up in all leagues this weekend.

Sean Manaea, New York Mets (36% rostered) check Friday line

Manaea has pitched well since moving back to the starting rotation in June. On Friday night against the Chicago White Sox, Manaea looked good before giving up three consecutive home runs in the sixth inning. He notched four strikeouts as well.

See the box below, and pay attention to the July and August lines; post-All-Star break, Manaea is usable in most formats, especially deeper leagues, at the back end of your fantasy rotation.

J.T. Ginn, Athletics (35% rostered)

Ginn deserved better on Friday night, throwing five innings while giving up three runs and striking out four hitters. Ginn continues to be consistent for the Athletics, winning eight games this season with a 3.60 ERA, a decent 1.23 WHIP, and 118 strikeouts in 11 innings.

Ginn is a serviceable option at the back end of deep rotations, and at the very least, is a streamable option if he has a favorable matchup, as he gets with Minnesota next week.

Christian Scott, New York Mets (31% rostered)

Scott has overall pitched well for the New York Mets this season, and seems to have locked in his spot for the future as well. He is starting to use his sweeper and cutter more this month, in tandem with his fastball. The development of these pitches will be key to long-standing success.

I am reading into it a bit below; Scott has a 28.6% K% this season, which is top quartile for MLB starters. But what I like is that recently, you can see that he is getting more strikeouts on his secondary offerings while maintaining a high strikeout percentage with his fastball.

Scott has four wins in 18 starts, with a tidy 3.51 ERA, a 1.29 WHIP, and a helpful 105 strikeouts in 84 innings. I feel he should be rostered in far more leagues and will climb draft boards in winter and spring drafts.

Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues

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

Grant Holmes, Atlanta Braves (26% rostered)

Holmes is the type of pitcher who is often on the waiver wire and you avoid picking up, yet he frequently posts results that do no harm to your precious ratios. Holmes has eight wins and a nice 3.64 ERA, with an average 1.32 WHIP and mediocre strikeout numbers with 100 in 123 innings.

Holmes was great against the Chicago White Sox last week, spinning six shutout innings of one-hit ball against them. Holmes gets a tougher test next week against the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have won four in a row after scuffling the last couple of weeks.

Joe Musgrove, San Diego Padres (23% rostered)

I feel like I am speaking this into existence so that fantasy players who have Musgrove rostered, like me, can get some usage out of him this season. It looks like Musgrove could make his season debut in the next week or two. Musgrove is worth a speculative add if he is on your waiver wire.

He announced pregame on Friday that he needs to be able to throw 80+ pitches and then be able to do it again in five or six days, so it is clear that San Diego is bringing him back with the intent to start as they push for a playoff spot in the rugged NL West.

Jacob Lopez, Athletics (21% rostered)

I like Lopez and had several folks DM about him last week when he appeared in this article. Fantasy players will look at his bottom line (5.22 ERA, 1,53 WHIP) and skip right to the next player. And that is a mistake. See his box below; I like lefties who limit hard contact, and Lopez does that.

In six starts after the All-Star break, Lopez has pitched 32 innings, striking out 38 batters, with a sparkling 2.48 ERA and 1.10 WHIP. At the very least, he is worth a look in deeper leagues, where the war of attrition takes a toll on most rotations.

AJ Smith-Shawver, Atlanta Braves (14% rostered)

I am truly surprised he is on the waiver wire in as many leagues as we see him available. It feels like he will build stamina and soon give the Braves more innings, and I would rather take a chance on Smith-Shawver than a risky veteran who might be lousy.

The good news is that his velocity is there and, despite shaky results, his hard-hit percentage has been low so far as well. Expect better results from Smith-Shawver soon.

George Klassen, Los Angeles Angels (6% rostered)

Klassen is a pitcher who is being discussed more often in fantasy circles, and despite being rostered in so few leagues, is worth taking a dive into and giving a look. In five starts, he has two wins, a 3.74 ERA, a bloated 1.62 WHIP, and 21 strikeouts in 21 innings.

He has gone six and seven innings in his last two starts, surrendering only two runs and, most importantly, only four walks. His 52.5% groundball rate is enticing, and he is also getting a 33.3% whiff rate, a stunning 47.2% on his slider. Klassen is one to watch here down the stretch.

Other Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Options

Every week, we will give you four or five (in this case, six) other lower-rostered pitchers you could also consider adding from the waiver wire in your league. League context matters, obviously.

• Hayden Wesneski, Houston Astros (15% rostered)
• Dean Kremer, Minnesota Twins (10% rostered)
• Patrick Sandoval, Boston Red Sox (9% rostered)
• Cal Quantrill, Texas Rangers (9% rostered)
• Cody Bradford, Texas Rangers (8% rostered)
• Hunter Dobbins, St. Louis Cardinals (8% 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, and never give up on your teams. Keep grinding!

More Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Advice

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