Starting Pitcher Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups - Week 24 (September 7 - September 13)

September 6, 2026

Mike's starting pitcher (SP) fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 24 of 2026 (September 7 - September 13). These are his top free-agent pitchers to add and stream.

Welcome, everyone, to our starting pitcher fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 24 of the 2026 season (September 7 - September 13). 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.

Most leagues are starting the playoff rounds soon, so be sure to keep reading this piece to mine the waiver wire looking for starting pitching. We will continue to highlight pitchers flying under the radar for you to use to help you get that championship banner this year!

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

Griffin Jax, Tampa Bay Rays (41% rostered)

His first September outing was a lousy one, giving up seven hits and six runs, three earned, in almost three innings earlier this week.  But I would advise you not to let one bad outing scare you away from Jax's body of work this season. A tough matchup this week with the Atlanta Braves awaits him.

But the body of work has been good: six wins in 19 starts with a 3.82 ERA and 1.27 WHIP, and a helpful 101 strikeouts in 94 innings. We will need to see if Tampa Bay limits his innings down the stretch; if they do not, Jax is worth rostering, especially in deeper leagues.

Jacob Lopez, Athletics (39% rostered)

Lopez continues to shine for the Athletics while toiling in relative obscurity.

The box below really caught my eye. Check out the post-All-Star break numbers, especially the strikeouts: 60 in 49 innings. The increase in strikeouts is coming from increased usage of his slider, which he now throws as often as his fastball, and a cutter he uses more against right-handed hitters.

Lopez is a guy to earmark down the stretch, and he gets the Toronto Blue Jays next week. He has a 2.40 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in his five starts with 33 strikeouts in 30 innings.

Hayden Wesneski, Houston Astros (32% rostered)

I saw Wesneski last week against the White Sox, and he was superb. He went seven complete innings, striking out five and allowing only one hit in a no-decision. Over his last five starts, Wesneski has two wins, a 2.89 ERA, a 0.96 WHIP, and 25 strikeouts in 28 innings. He's back and usable.

Jared Jones, Pittsburgh Pirates (31% rostered)

Jones put on a master class on Friday night. In his best start since his return from Tommy John surgery, Jones went six complete and scoreless innings while striking out nine Los Angeles Angels. In fact, Jones did not give up a hit or a walk either.

He should be rostered more as he strengthens in his recovery and builds more stamina. Jones gets the Chicago White Sox next week, which is a tough matchup, but they strike out a ton; 1.279 times this season, sixth in baseball.

Andrew Painter, Philadelphia Phillies (30% rostered)

Painter continues to be rostered in a few leagues, and he should be rostered in almost every league. I love what Painter is doing in his return to Philadelphia: he has gone at least five innings in his last five starts, notching two wins and grabbing 28 strikeouts in those five games.

He has added a change-up to his mix, which was missing until July. See below. Mixing in the sweeper while eliminating an ineffective slider has also helped Painter find success. He gets the Houston Astros at home this next week, and I love that matchup for him.

Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues

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

Andre Pallante, St. Louis Cardinals (27% rostered)

At this point, we know what we are going to get from Pallante: five or six innings, a couple of runs, a possible win, good ratios, and very few strikeouts. He has gone at least five innings in a whopping 14 consecutive starts.

I know we all love the pitchers with the higher octane, but Pallante can fill in the back end of your rotation well. See his Statcast box below. Pallante has 12 wins, a 3.51 ERA, a 1.24 WHIP, and a low 98 strikeouts in 141 innings.

He limits hard contact and gets a high percentage of ground balls. His next start comes against a moribund San Francisco Giants lineup. I am using Pallante this week on teams where I have him. Pallante should be able to add to his consistent record and maybe get a win.

Corbin Burnes, Arizona Diamondbacks (25% rostered)

This is maybe the ultimate risky pick, recommending a guy coming back off Tommy John surgery who is making his first start in 15 months against the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night. He would have returned sooner but had a teres major muscle strain while on his rehab assignment delay him.

This is more of a pick based on Burnes' excellent track record. Burnes posted three wins in 11 2025 appearances, with a 2.66 ERA, a 1.17 WHIP, and 63 strikeouts in 64 innings. I believe he is worth a speculative add this weekend in anticipation of the few starts he could have left in 2026.

Walker Buehler, San Diego Padres (23% rostered)

Pitchers like Buehler are why this article exists; you see him on the waiver wire, you quickly decide it is a no, and then desperation sinks in for your pitching staff. Buehler has gone at least five innings in five straight starts and earned two wins over that span.

Moreover, Buehler has a 2.53 ERA and 1.00 WHIP over his last six starts, and has not been a zero in the strikeout area either, with 25 in 32 innings over the last month. Impressive work, and we miss it if we only look at his season's bottom line. He gets Washington at home next week, a good matchup.

Max Scherzer, Toronto Blue Jays (26% rostered)

Scherzer being good must mean there is a playoff spot on the line. Mad Max spun seven terrific innings against the Seattle Mariners last week, striking out 10 hitters. On Saturday, he was less effective, but pitched into the sixth inning while allowing three runs. Maybe he is worth the risk down the stretch.

Yusei Kikuchi, Los Angeles Angels (14% rostered)

Kikuchi returned to the active roster with little fanfare at the end of August, but his last two starts have been outstanding. Last week, he went seven strong innings against Philadelphia, striking out six. Last night, he struck out six Pirates over six innings, earning the win, his first of the season.

Kikuchi gets a matchup with the Washington Nationals next weekend, and I am intrigued enough to contemplate adding him this weekend off the waiver wire in my deeper leagues.

Other Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Options

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

• Patrick Sandoval, Boston Red Sox (9% rostered) 
• Cristian Javier, Houston Astros (6% rostered)
• Quinn Mathews, St. Louis Cardinals (6% rostered)
• Rhett Lowder, Cincinnati Reds (6% rostered)
• Erick Fedde, Chicago White Sox (6% rostered)
• Blade Tidwell, San Francisco Giants (5% rostered) 
• Jack Perkins, Athletics (5% rostered)
• Ryan Johnson, Los Angeles Angels (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, and never give up on your teams. Keep grinding!

More Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Advice

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