RADIO
Mike's starting pitcher (SP) fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 23 of 2026 (August 31 - September 6). These are his top free-agent pitchers to add and stream.
Welcome, everyone, to our starting pitcher fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 23 of the 2026 season (August 31 - September 6). 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.
August officially comes to an end this week, and with it, the sprint to the finish line is fully on for those fantasy players chasing championships. Even if you are not chasing that big win, I advise you to stay active in your leagues until the very end of the season. Football can wait.
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.
Featured Promo: Save 50% off the regular price with discount code SUMMER, for a limited time. Exclusive access to our Team Sync platform, DFS cheat sheets, Lineup Optimizers, betting/prop picks, and exclusive content from Nick Mariano and Eric Cross! GAIN ACCESS NOW
Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues
Recommendations for leagues of any size rostered between 30-40% on Yahoo
Jake Bennett, Boston Red Sox (40% rostered)
Bennett has had a few blips on the radar screen, but seems to be adapting to major league life as a starting pitcher. Last night, he threw six scoreless innings against the New York Yankees, striking out seven and earning a win. Two wins in his last two starts show his promise.
Cal Quantrill, Texas Rangers (38% rostered)
Quantrill did not have his best start on Saturday night, taking a loss against Milwaukee. He gave up three runs in six innings, but struck out eight hitters. Two home runs were the culprit in this one, where Quantrill settled in and pitched well after the homers.
And overall, he has been excellent in 11 starts this year: six wins, a 3.01 ERA, a 1.10 WHIP, and he's not a zero in strikeouts either, with 68 in 89 innings. See the box below; he has been really good in August and could help the back end of your rotation.
Jacob Lopez, Athletics (37% rostered)
His overall statistics are not good: five wins,m a 4.82 ERA, a 1.46 WHIP, even with a helpful 96 strikeouts in 99 innings. But if you stop there, you are missing the point of this article. Dig a little deeper and see a hidden gem.
Lopez doesn't have any wins over the last month, but he had a tidy 2.48 ERA with a 0.97 WHIP and 35 strikeouts in 29 innings. He got a no-decision on Friday against Baltimore, striking out six over five innings and continuing his recent good run for the Athletics.
The chart below shows Lopez's growing strikeout percentages each month; he has not had fewer than five strikeouts in an appearance since late July. Lopez will get his next start next week on the road against the Texas Rangers.
Keider Montero, Detroit Tigers (33% rostered)
Montero looks like he is back in the rotation for a Tigers team that has really struggled over the past few weeks. Montero pitched into the sixth inning on Saturday against the difficult Los Angeles Dodgers lineup, allowing one run and striking out three hitters in a no-decision.
Montero is on the waiver wire because of role uncertainty and lack of strikeouts. But he has nine wins and a very usable 3.24 ERA and 0.99 WHIP. Expect him to be rostered in more formats this weekend now that he is back in the rotation. He gets Cleveland next weekend.
Shane Drohan, Milwaukee Brewers (30% rostered)
Drohan continues to pitch well for Milwaukee, going five innings against Texas on Saturday night and holding them to one run on six hits while striking out six and earning a win. One bad August start altered his season numbers, but he has posted a 2.25 ERA in his last three outings.
The one issue you have to consider with Drohan is his actual role. Right now, it looks like manager Pat Murphy has decided to go with a six-man rotation, which means no two-start weeks for Drohan. He pitches in Cincinnati next Friday.
Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues
Recommendations for leagues of any size rostered in less than 30% on Yahoo
Andrew Painter, Philadelphia Phillies (30% rostered)
I think Painter is figuring it out. He has gone at least five innings in four straight starts and has 14 combined strikeouts in his last two starts. Over the last month, Painter has two wins, a 3.78 ERA, a 1.02 WHIP, and 32 strikeouts in 33 innings.
How is he getting better results after a brutal June? See below. It's his pitch mix, especially the changeup, which is his second most-used pitch now. He has mixed it in with his four-seamer and the sweeper, while cutting the slider and sinker usage. It's working; a .111 batting average against in August.
I am holding on to Painter in all leagues, and he is readily available in 70% of Yahoo leagues right now. Change that if you can this weekend.
Brandon Young, Baltimore Orioles (28% rostered)
Look, I know we all like sexier picks, but it's time to recognize that Young is a reasonable addition to a deep roster. He has nine wins, a 3.38 ERA, a 1.34 WHIP, and a paltry 103 strikeouts in 130 innings. This includes seven innings on Friday night, giving up only one run in seven innings, striking out four.
The fact that his next start is in Colorado is a bit scary, but an argument can be made to start him against the Rockies next week. At the very least, Young is an interesting streaming option.
Joe Musgrove, San Diego Padres (25% rostered)
This is a bit of a crapshoot, and I get it, but I am taking the plunge with Musgrove this week in my Tout Wars league out of desperation for pitching. He could end up showing rust, but San Diego needs his veteran presence back in their rotation as he returns from injury this week.
George Klassen, Los Angeles Angels (18% rostered)
Klassen has plenty of runway in Los Angeles. The control is iffy for the youngster, but he has posted good results: in six starts, he has two wins, a 3.67 ERA, an elevated 1.63 WHIP, and 24 strikeouts in 27 innings. He had 10 walks in his first two starts; he has seven in his last three. Progress?
I am willing to take a chance on a young guy with upside rather than hoping a boring veteran can give me five average innings down the stretch. Consider Klassen this weekend.
Hayden Wesneski, Houston Astros (18% rostered)
Wesneski is rounding into shape now, throwing five good innings against the New York Yankees on Thursday, striking out six hitters and earning a win. He has gone at least five innings in five of his six starts since returning to the major leagues following Tommy John surgery.
Wesneski gets the Chicago White Sox next week at home, and while that could be a challenge, he has three wins in his last five starts for a Houston team fighting for its playoff life. He is worth looking into rostering this weekend.
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.
- Dean Kremer, Minnesota Twins (13% rostered)
- Grayson Rodriguez, Los Angeles Angels (11% rostered)
- Cody Bradford, Texas Rangers (9% rostered)
- Blade Tidwell, San Francisco Giants (8% rostered)
- Quinn Mathews, St. Louis Cardinals (6% rostered)
- Rhett Lowder, Cincinnati Reds (6% 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
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!
