X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Week 25 Waiver Wire - Starting Pitchers

Nick Mariano's starting pitcher (SP) fantasy baseball waiver wire adds. Free agent pickups and starting pitcher sleepers for Week 25 of the 2017 MLB season.

At this point in the season this might as well be a streamers column, but we’ll do our best to target arms that are more sustainable than just the matchup that they’re drawing next. While it’d be nice to advise caution when it comes to late-season risks, most times the leap is borne out of necessity. It’s been one hell of a season, that’s for sure. Let’s go out with a bang.

Whether you need wins, ratios or strikeouts (ideally all three), we’ll try to help you out. Here are my starting pitcher waiver wire targets for Week 25.

For our purposes, we’re going to use Yahoo ownership levels and try to cut things off around 30%.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Targets

Tyler Chatwood (COL - SP): 21% owned

This isn’t about Chatwood as a long-term investment, as we’re staring down his next start against the Giants in spacious San Francisco. Chatty is notorious for becoming a fringe ace on the road versus rivaling a dumpster fire at home (this is a bit hyperbolic) but has looked solid since rejoining the rotation with just one run surrendered in 13 2/3 innings. He’s notched victories in one easy matchup (Padres) and one tough one (Dodgers) and will hope to make it three in a row on Wednesday.

Tyler Anderson (COL - SP): 16% owned

After being affected by injury in one way or another for over half of the season, Anderson is finally back to form here. The southpaw has yielded just three hits and two walks over 10 shutout frames and could be tapping into his pre-injury form at just the right time. Much of the preseason hype was derailed by a terrible April, but then he rung up 32 batters over 24 2/3 innings with a 2.55 ERA, making him a nice buy for his Thursday start against the Padres away from Coors Field.

Robert Stephenson (CIN - SP/RP): 14% owned

Stephenson is pretty much Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde out there, with very little room in between. Luckily for anyone who streamed his most recent start, you got the SP3 upside across six scoreless frames with eight strikeouts while only four Pirates reached base. That magnificent showing came at home, where his 3.61 ERA paints him as a very serviceable arm, compared to a 6.89 ERA away from Great American Ballpark. He was pitching in St. Louis when he got flamed by the Cardinals on Sept. 12. He’ll toe his home rubber next on Sept. 23 against the Red Sox, so I’m okay with rolling those dice.

Ben Lively (PHI - SP): 11% owned

Lively allowed two baserunners (both of would score) in a rain-shortened start his last time out. Despite the rude weather, he was putting up a valiant fight against the A’s and had the potential to post his fifth quality start in his last six tries. I realize Philadelphia isn’t a boat many people want to board, but the 25-year-old has taken care of San Francisco, Miami, the Mets, Washington and to a degree, Oakland, over the last month, so we’re taking him seriously. Luckily, he’ll skip over the Dodgers series and gets to face the Braves next on the road on Friday.

Carson Fulmer (CWS - SP/RP): 7% owned

After getting hit hard by the Twins in his debut, Fulmer has buckled down to give up three runs over 16 2/3 innings while fanning 17 batters. The .175 BABIP and 98.5 percent strand rate won’t be able to hold up, but his track record indicates that the whiffs should hold up even as his ERA regresses back toward the mid-to-high threes. Of course, with so little time left in the season he could just run out the clock with a horseshoe in his back pocket. Don’t count on it, but a total collapse isn’t imminent or anything. He’ll face a Houston team that has been much scarier in name than in results lately.

Daniel Mengden (OAK - SP): 8% owned

Mengden’s most recently allowed only two hits over a complete-game shutout against the Phillies. Yeah, I know, the Phillies, but still. He’ll face a middle-of-the-road Tigers team next on Wednesday before hosting the Mariners after that. I’m not expecting much from a guy who owns a 5.42 FIP in the Majors with a 4.89 Triple-A FIP through 41 innings there, but when an offense is clicking like this then sometimes you simply need to buy the cheapest ticket to the show.

Chris Stratton (SF - SP/RP): 7% owned

It’s a crummy spot to lean on Stratton with the Dodgers due up as his next start (and not even at home) on Sept. 24, but he did just shut down the D-backs in his last outing for the win and he’s widely available so we’ve got to speak on him. Not only has he pitched well lately, but we’ve seen him touch double-digit strikeouts multiple times in a very small window of time, making his relative ceiling worth the gamble for some despite the terrible matchup.

Steven Brault (PIT - SP/RP): 4% owned

While Tyler Glasnow’s juicy potential shone brightly, it was fellow rookie Brault who actually delivered for the big-league club in just his second start. He had done okay out of the bullpen, but was phenomenal against the Brewers on Sept. 11 with six innings of shutout ball. He struck out six and allowed just one hit and a walk, though the 23.9 percent groundball rate on the day isn’t ideal. Still, the poor contact induced makes for some promise in a rematch against the Brew Crew at home on Wednesday. If he does well again then he should draw at least one more start before the end of the season. This is a guy who logged a 1.94 ERA/1.07 WHIP with 109 K’s across 120 1/3 Triple-A innings, so he’s no slouch.

Matthew Boyd (DET - SP): 4% owned

Boyd toyed with the White Sox at home throughout a complete-game shutout on Sept. 17, falling one out shy of a no-hitter thanks to a Tim Anderson double with two outs in the ninth. While it was his first win since July 29, that was his third start out of his last four outings in which he’s allowed one run or fewer. Two of those three came against the Indians during their ridiculous winning streak, which is saying something. He’ll take on the Twins at home next on Saturday, making him a viable, albeit uninspiring, streamer.

 

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Adds

 

Premium Tools & DFS Research

Get a free trial of our powerful MLB Premium Tools. Our famous DFS Optimizer & Lineup Generator, daily Matchup Ratings, expert DFS Lineups/Cheat Sheets, and more.

Sign Up Now!




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Ilia Topuria

Becomes The New Lightweight Champion
Charles Oliveira

Knocked Out At UFC 317
Jeremy Peña

Jeremy Pena Lands on Injured List With Fractured Ribs
Kai Kara-France

Alexandre Pantoja Submits Kai Kara-France
Kai Kara-France

Submitted At UFC 317
Joshua Van

Extends His Win Streak
Tyler Boyd

Interested in Playing for Steelers
Miami Dolphins

Dolphins Now Looking to Acquire a Tight End
Brandon Royval

Drops Decision
L'Jarius Sneed

Says he's Healthy
Renato Moicano

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Beneil Dariush

Gets Back In The Win Column
Felipe Lima

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Payton Talbott

Bounces Back
Minkah Fitzpatrick

Heading Back to Miami
Jonnu Smith

Shipped to Pittsburgh
Alex Bowman

Competitive Run Ends With Third-Place Finish at Atlanta
Erik Jones

Secures A Top-Five Finish After Adversity In Atlanta
Tyler Reddick

Collects A New Career-Best Finish At Atlanta
Jalen Ramsey

Steelers Acquiring Jalen Ramsey
Kerry Carpenter

Leaves Game with Apparent Hamstring Injury
Brooklyn Nets

Day'Ron Sharpe Heads to Free Agency
Santi Aldama

Receives Qualifying Offer
Orlando Magic

Moritz Wagner has Team Option Declined
Jabari Smith Jr.

Signs Massive Extension
Jusuf Nurkić

Hornets Trading Jusuf Nurkic to Utah
Collin Sexton

Heading to Charlotte
Cam Thomas

Set for Restricted Free Agency
Milwaukee Bucks

Bobby Portis Staying in Milwaukee
Jonas Brodin

Expected to Miss Start of Next Season
TB

Conor Sheary Placed on Waivers for Contract Termination
Los Angeles Clippers

James Harden, Clippers Agree on a New Contract
Dante Fabbro

Stays with Blue Jackets on Four-Year Deal
Joel Hofer

Commits to Blues for Two More Years
Kevin Bahl

Signs Long-Term Extension with Flames
Oneil Cruz

Smacks Two Homers
Jordan Spence

Traded to Ottawa
Petr Mrazek

Heads to Anaheim
John Gibson

Red Wings Acquire John Gibson
Matthew Knies

Inks Six-Year Extension with Maple Leafs
Aaron Judge

Blasts Two Homers, Dealing With Back Issue
Claude Giroux

Signs One-Year Deal with Senators
Yordan Alvarez

has Chance to Return Next Weekend
Minnesota Timberwolves

Julius Randle Signs Three-Year Extension
Kelly Oubre Jr.

Opts into Player Option
Luis Robert Jr.

Heads to Injured List
Gabriel Arias

Carted Off on Sunday
Bryce Harper

Faces Live Pitching
Jeremy Peña

Jeremy Pena Remains Out on Sunday
Utah Jazz

Bojan Bogdanovic Retiring From Basketball
Los Angeles Lakers

Dorian Finney-Smith Declines Player Option
Jaylin Williams

Signing Three-Year Extension
LeBron James

Accepts Player Option
Anfernee Simons

"a Possible Re-Trade Candidate"
Chase Elliott

Ends Winless Skid With Atlanta Victory
Brad Keselowski

Falls Short of Atlanta Victory
NFL

NFL Won't Hold Supplemental Draft This Year
Damon Arnette

Getting Second Chance With Texans
Deommodore Lenoir

Arrested for Obstruction of Justice
Yordan Alvarez

Eyeing Return Before All-Star Break
Milwaukee Bucks

Kevin Porter Jr. Declining Player Option
Carson Hocevar

Recovers From Big One to Finish 10th at Atlanta
William Byron

Caught up in Atlanta Big One but Retains Points Lead
Denny Hamlin

Top In-Season Challenge Seed Denny Hamlin Eliminated in Lap 70 Crash
Ty Dillon

Bottom Seed Ty Dillon Upsets Denny Hamlin to Advance in In-Season Challenge
Quinn Priester

Fans 11 in One-Hit Gem
Toronto Raptors

Garrett Temple Returning to Toronto
Los Angeles Clippers

Nicolas Batum Declines Player Option
Spencer Schwellenbach

Dominant in Victory
Keon Johnson

Gets Team Option Picked Up
Rayan Rupert

Staying in Portland
Marvin Harrison Jr.

Expected to Make Second-Year Jump
Jeremy Peña

Jeremy Pena Out of Lineup Saturday
Jalin Hyatt

Looking to Flip the Script in 2025
Garrett Mitchell

to Undergo Shoulder Surgery
José Ramírez

Jose Ramirez in Guardians Lineup on Saturday
Kyle Larson

Don't Expect Kyle Larson to Win First Drafting Track Race on Saturday
Christopher Bell

Unlikely to Complete Atlanta Sweep
Brad Keselowski

Seeks Another Clutch Win for Hail-Mary Playoff Bid
Chris Buescher

Unlikely to Lead Enough to Have Much DFS Value
Alex Bowman

Qualifies Best Among Non-Fords but Unlikely to Contend at Atlanta
Ryan Preece

Will Probably Run Better Than Usual at Atlanta
Austin Dillon

Consistently Mediocre at Atlanta
Ty Gibbs

Slightly Faster Lately but Unlikely to be a Factor at Atlanta
Erik Jones

a Low-Key Strong DFS Option
Noah Gragson

Could Have DFS Value as One of the Lowest-Qualifying Fords
Riley Herbst

Unlikely to Replicate February Atlanta Finish
Ty Dillon

Could Benefit from Kaulig Speed
Chase Burns

Slated to Make Next Start on Monday
Dylan Sampson

Being Used as a Receiver
Carson Schwesinger

Figures to be in Full-Time Role in 2025
Cedric Tillman

Should Have Full-Time Role
Bryce Young

Looking More Comfortable, Showing More Intensity
Charlie Coyle

Blue Jackets Acquire Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood From Colorado
Jack Quinn

Signs Up for Two More Years with Sabres
Brandon Saad

Stays in Vegas on One-Year Deal
Trent Frederic

Inks Eight-Year Extension
Josh Naylor

Exits Friday's Contest Early with Neck Stiffness
Emil Heineman

Shipped to the Islanders
Noah Dobson

Traded to Montreal
John Tavares

Agrees to Four-Year Extension with Maple Leafs
Sam Bennett

Signs Eight-Year Extension with Panthers
NYI

Islanders Select Matthew Schaefer With No. 1 Pick in NHL Draft
José Berríos

Jose Berrios Tosses Seven Scoreless Innings in Fourth Win
Nick Martinez

Flirts With No-Hitter, Settles for Win
Gary Sánchez

Gary Sanchez Homers, Reaches Five Times in Onslaught
Trea Turner

Blasts Two Homers, Steals Base
Aaron Rodgers

Roman Wilson Could Fit Nicely With Aaron Rodgers
Josh Simmons

on Schedule to Open the Year as a Starter
Micah Parsons

Contract Length an Issue for Cowboys, Micah Parsons
Denver Broncos

Broncos Unsure How Their Running Back Room Will Look
Russell Wilson

Not the Only Leader in Giants Clubhouse
Jihaad Campbell

to Begin at Inside Linebacker
Charles Oliveira

Can Become A Two-Time Lightweight Champion
Ilia Topuria

A Favorite At UFC 317
Kai Kara-France

Can Become The New Flyweight Champion
Alexandre Pantoja

Set For Fourth Title Defense At UFC 317
Joshua Van

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Brandon Royval

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Renato Moicano

Returns At UFC 317
Beneil Dariush

An Underdog At UFC 317
Payton Talbott

Looks To Bounce Back
Felipe Lima

Set To Open Up UFC 317 Main Card
Daniil Tarasov

Panthers Bring in Daniil Tarasov
Frederick Gaudreau

Kraken Pick Up Frederick Gaudreau From Wild
Michael Thorbjornsen

Returns in Detroit at Rocket Classic
Adam Hadwin

Could Struggle Over the Weekend in Detroit
Cam Davis

Hopes Detroit Magic Can Spark Turnaround
Matt Wallace

a Boom-or-Bust Option at Rocket Classic
Joel Dahmen

Not Cutting it Lately
Michael Kim

Searching for Spark at Rocket Classic
Rasmus Hojgaard

a High-Ceiling Play in Rocket Classic
Matt McCarty

a Wild Card Heading into Detroit
Emiliano Grillo

Rolling into the Summer Season
Rickie Fowler

Looking for More Magic at Rocket Classic
Wyndham Clark

Brings High Upside to Detroit Golf Club
Max Greyserman

Could Make Noise at Rocket Classic
Akshay Bhatia

a Strong Value Play at Rocket Classic
Eric Cole

Hoping for Better Times at Rocket Classic
Beau Hossler

Searching for Form at Rocket Classic
PGA

Byeong Hun An in Good Form Heading into Rocket Classic
Cameron Young

Looking For Redemption and Possible First Career Victory in Detroit
Collin Morikawa

is The Headliner This Week in Detroit For Good Reason
Si Woo Kim

Back in Competition After Last Week's Withdrawal
PGA

Alex Noren Finishes Tied For 30th at Travelers Championship
Kurt Kitayama

Misses The Cut at RBC Canadian Open
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF