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Last week, we recommended some starting pitchers to scoop up that were lower rostered than they should be. In this weekly piece, we search for starting pitchers rostered in less than 50% of Yahoo leagues. For those of you in deeper leagues, we will split that into another section, looking at starting pitchers rostered in less than 30% of Yahoo leagues. We will also give you some other starting pitcher fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 3 (April 8 - April 14), SP options to consider that might be good additions to your fantasy roster, especially for streaming.
One consideration for many fantasy players is that the bottom portion of your roster in deeper fantasy leagues should be churned frequently. That means you are playing matchups, and looking for pitchers who can exploit weak-hitting teams. You are looking for bench options that you can play matchups with; for example, you might choose to roster a pitcher who has a matchup against teams like the Oakland Athletics, Chicago White Sox, or Colorado Rockies during a specific week. This is good management, and if you want to win, these are techniques you probably need to be using more, if you are not already.
One thing is for sure moving forward: I would recommend streaming against the White Sox as much as possible. They can't hit to begin with and lost both Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert to injury this past week. Streaming against them seems like a great idea right now.
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Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues
Pitcher pickup recommendations for leagues of any size rostered between 30-50% on Yahoo
Brady Singer - Kansas City Royals (50% rostered)
Singer started shaky against the White Sox on Friday night, but ended up going six-plus innings while striking out four and surrendering one run. Singer gets the Houston Astros and then the Chicago White Sox again later in the week. You may pause about starting him against Houston, which is understandable. But Singer has 14 strikeouts in 13.3 innings, a win, and a .68 ERA and .53 WHIP.
These are statistics you can use. He may have found the next level, and he should not be on the waiver wire. It's early on for Singer, but if he maintains that 50% ground-ball rate from last year and keeps some piece of the improved strikeout rate and lowered walk rate, he could be on to something. See below:
Garrett Whitlock - Boston Red Sox (40% rostered)
Whitlock finally seems to have a role in the rotation in Boston, and he started well against the Seattle Mariners last week: five innings, one run, eight strikeouts, and a win. What I like most about Whitlock is the K potential and the fact that he limits walks; the 23.7% K% in 2o23 was offset by a terrific 4.3% BB%, which gives him added value.
Whitlock may have two against the Los Angeles Angels potentially, but he might go on April 11 against Baltimore, although it looks like Kutter Crawford will get that start. I like Whitlock as an addition anyway, and getting two against the Angels is palatable.
I realize it is only one start, but note the pitch mix changes below from 2023 to now. If this lasts, Whitlock could have a monster arsenal this season.
Ronel Blanco - Houston Astros (36% rostered)
Of course, he will be a hot add this week after the no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays. That gem featured seven strikeouts. The 30-year-old starter features a three-pitch mix focused on a changeup, a slider, and a four-seamer that he uses in equal proportions.
All seven of his punchouts in the no-hitter came via the changeup. Of concern in his past history is a 23% K% and 12.4% BB% in 2023. However, he is a notoriously hard worker who put the time in this offseason to improve his craft. It's hard to say how long he will have a spot in the Houston rotation with veteran star Justin Verlander on his way back, but he's worth an add right now to see if he is for real.
Tanner Houck - Boston Red Sox (32% rostered)
I will admit that Houck is a bit like my kryptonite. I watch him pitch and I get a weak feeling in my knees. Yes, I know the first start was against the Oakland Athletics, but you can only face the team in front of you. Houck got the win with six strong innings and an eye-catching 10 strikeouts.
Similar to his rotation mate Whitlock, mentioned above, Houck finally has a clear path to value in Boston and should not be on the waiver wire. There is upside here. His next two starts are against the Los Angeles Angels and then the Cleveland Guardians. Pick him up.
Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues
Pitcher pickup recommendations for deeper leagues rostered between 30% or less on Yahoo
Seth Lugo - Kansas City Royals (28% rostered)
Lugo feels perpetually underrated in fantasy leagues. All he does is be effective wherever he is pitching. In two starts this year for the Royals, he has a win, a .71 ERA, and 1.03 WHIP. The K% is a little down so far, but he went 6+ innings in both starts. The 34-year-old veteran should be rostered in most formats as a streaming piece with good matchups. Lugo gets a tough matchup with Houston next on April 10, but then gets the moribund Chicago White Sox again on April 15. Pick him up and stash now for these tasty matchups.
Luis Gil - New York Yankees (28% rostered)
Feel that this is a small sample size, but Gil had six strikeouts in 4.2 innings in his first start for the New York Yankees this week. He gets Toronto this weekend, but then starts against the weaker-hitting Cleveland Guardians on April 12 or 13. Gil features a three-pitch mix with a four-seamer, a changeup, and a slider. Keep in mind that two years ago, he showed well in six starts before being injured in 2022 and 2023. A good name to know especially if you need a spot start, and the 25-year-old could end up being more than that. I like what I see right now:
Sean Manaea - New York Mets (26% rostered)
Manaea is another chronically underrated fantasy baseball asset. The 32-year-old lefty went six innings and got eight strikeouts in his first start for the Mets. He gets the Cincinnati Reds next, followed by the Kansas City Royals. A great plug-and-play resource for many fantasy teams.
James Paxton - Los Angeles Dodgers (26% rostered)
This is a great opportunity to roster a pitcher on one of the best teams in baseball. Paxton gets the Minnesota Twins, who are currently besieged with injuries, then the San Diego Padres, followed by the New York Mets. Maybe you bench him against San Diego, but those other two starts feel like they could be useful. When healthy, and that is a big if with the Big Maple, he is still quietly effective: a win, five innings, and five strikeouts in his Dodgers debut.
Zack Littell - Tampa Bay Rays (23% rostered)
When the Tampa Bay Rays and their brain trust believe in a guy enough to put him in the starting five, you should always pay attention. The numbers will not wow you; Littell had a mediocre 19.5% K% in 2o23 and has average velocity. But what he does well is keep runners off base with a paltry 3.2% BB% and keeps them off balance with a 31.6% chase%.
His ERA and WHIP will be about league average, maybe a tick better. He flies under the radar because his numbers do not pop, but he has two appealing matchups with the Los Angeles Angels coming in the next 10 days. I like that. Note the uptick in K% below while maintaining the low BB%.
Other Waiver Wire Options
- Spencer Turnbull - Philadelphia Phillies (2% rostered)
- Adrian Houser - New York Mets (3% rostered)
- Alec Marsh - Kansas City Royals (2% rostered)
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