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

Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 16

Kyle Bishop's fantasy baseball starting pitchers who are potential waiver wire pickups for Week 16. Consider adding and streaming these free agent pitchers.

With the news that Max Scherzer is heading to the injured list with back issues, many fantasy owners are left combing the waiver wire for a replacement. Obviously, nobody you can pick up for free is going to give you what Mad Max can, but there are plenty of respectable options out there, no matter your league depth.

Whether you're a Scherzer owner or just need to make a move to bolster your pitching staff, you've come to the right place.

A reminder before we begin: This column focuses on players who are below 50% owned in Yahoo leagues, and standard 5x5 scoring. Your mileage may vary, in terms of availability or league settings. Using that cutoff point for ownership rate, however, these are your starting pitcher waiver wire targets and adds for Week 15 of the 2019 fantasy baseball season.

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

 

Pickups for Shallow Leagues

Michael Pineda (SP, MIN) — 37% Owned

Pineda is striking out hitters at a respectable rate, posting an exceptional walk rate, and giving up too many homers and hard-hit balls. In other words, it's a typical season for the 30-year-old. He has turned in quality starts in eight of his last 10 outings (and fell one out shy of notching a ninth), and encouragingly has allowed just two home runs in his last 46 innings of work.

Griffin Canning (SP, LAA) —36% Owned

Canning's last start prior to the break was a rough one - he gave up six runs and allowed half of the 20 batters he faced to reach base in a loss to the Rangers - but his talent still merits a higher rate of ownership than his current mark. The rookie misses bats at an impressive clip with a 14.5% swinging strike rate, and does a good job of limiting walks. If he can figure out how to cut down on the home runs, the 23-year-old will be poised for a breakout in the second half.

Dylan Cease (SP, CHW) — 30% Owned

I tend to regard pitching prospects who struggled to limit walks in the minors with a healthy skepticism, and Cease is no exception. But the talent is undeniable, with high-90s heat and two breaking pitches that frequently flash plus. The rookie has consistently been a ground ball pitcher, which will help him navigate his hitter-friendly home park. Command will make or break his rookie season, and growing pains are inevitable. Still, not many pitchers on the wire offer the kind of strikeout upside that Cease possesses.

 

Pickups for Deeper Leagues

Chris Bassitt (SP, OAK) — 25% Owned

Bassitt bounced back nicely from a poor showing to conclude his first half, firing six shutout innings in a win over the White Sox on Saturday. The 30-year-old is striking out batters at a career high clip and owns solid ratios (3.98 ERA, 1.22 WHIP) through 15 starts. You may want to skip his next outing, a date with the powerful Twins lineup, but he's a good back-end arm in deeper formats.

Alex Wood (SP, CIN) — 23% Owned

The oft-injured Wood has yet to throw a pitch in the majors this season, but he's nearing a return from the back issue that's kept him out of action, having made two starts thus far on his rehab assignment. The lefty owns a career 3.29 ERA and 1.21 WHIP, thanks to a respectable strikeout rate and the ability to limit walks and home runs. The latter may prove more challenging in his new home, of course, but with a ground ball rate near 50%, Wood should be able to keep that going. He's probably still a few weeks away, but plenty of owners have already stashed him.

Chase Anderson (SP, MIL) — 17% Owned

Aside from his career year in 2017, Anderson has always struggled to keep the ball in the yard. Even with that issue, though, he's managed to put up decent numbers this season. The 31-year-old owns a 4.27 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in 13 starts and five relief appearances, and is missing bats at a career-high rate. Though throwing him out there for his next start against Atlanta is not recommended, Anderson is a decent play in easier matchups.

 

For Your Radar

Daniel Ponce de Leon (SP, STL) — 9% Owned

Ponce de Leon was excellent in place of the injured Adam Wainwright on Friday, allowing just one run on three hits in 6.2 innings while striking out seven in a win over the Diamondbacks. He has now made 18 MLB appearances in the last two seasons (eight starts, 10 relief outings) and produced sparkling ratios (2.37 ERA, 0.97 WHIP) with 69 strikeouts in 65 innings. He's achieved those results at least in part due to batted ball luck, but a 18.1 K-BB% suggests there's real ability here.

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers


Check out RotoBaller's entire fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and sleepers list, updated daily!




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

Alexander Romanov

Islanders Retain Alexander Romanov on $50 Million Contract
Andrei Kuzmenko

Signs Up for One More Year with Kings
Morgan Geekie

Signs Long-Term Extension with Bruins
Ivan Provorov

Stays in Columbus on Seven-Year Deal
Alex Pietrangelo

Stepping Away From Golden Knights for Health Reasons
Matias Maccelli

Maple Leafs Bring in Matias Maccelli
Evan Bouchard

Inks $42 Million Contract with Oilers
Vladimir Tarasenko

Wild Acquire Vladimir Tarasenko From Detroit
Patrick Kane

Signs New One-Year Deal with Red Wings
Brad Marchand

Lands Six-Year Extension
Aaron Ekblad

Remains a Panther on Eight-Year Deal
Mitchell Marner

Heads to Vegas
Randy Arozarena

Homers Twice, Plates Four Monday
Shea Langeliers

Hits Three-Run Homer In Return From Injured List Monday
Wilyer Abreu

Belts Grand Slam and Hits Inside-the-Park Home Run
Philadelphia 76ers

Trendon Watford Lands in Philadelphia
Jordan Clarkson

Expected to Sign With Knicks
Zack Wheeler

Tosses Eight Shutout Innings, Punches Out 10
Santi Aldama

Remains with Grizzlies
Atlanta Hawks

Nickeil Alexander-Walker Lands in Atlanta
George Springer

Exits Early Monday With Neck Injury
Jalen Ramsey

Could Move Around in Pittsburgh
Los Angeles Clippers

Brook Lopez Strikes Deal With Clippers
Jonnu Smith

to be Used in Hybrid Role
Terry McLaurin

Commanders, Terry McLaurin Not Close on Contract Extension
Hunter Goodman

Likely Headed to Injured List
Chicago Bulls

Tre Jones Remaining in Chicago
Michael Mayer

Raiders Not Interested in Trading Michael Mayer
Houston Rockets

Dorian Finney-Smith Signing With Rockets
Trent Grisham

Exits With Hamstring Tightness
Atlanta Hawks

Caris LeVert Joining Pistons
Milwaukee Bucks

Kevin Porter Jr., Bucks Reach Agreement on a New Contract
Brooklyn Nets

D'Angelo Russell Heading to Dallas
Denver Nuggets

Bruce Brown Jr. Heading Back to Denver
Atlanta Hawks

Clint Capela Returning to Houston
Cameron Johnson

Traded to Denver
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Signs Massive Extension
Michael Porter Jr.

Traded to Brooklyn
Matt Chapman

Could Return for Start of Giants Homestand
Wyatt Langford

Expected to Return on Saturday
Yanquiel Fernández

Yanquiel Fernandez Called Up to Majors
Tyler Mahle

Dealing With Rotator-Cuff Strain
Brooklyn Nets

Ziaire Williams Expected to Return to Nets
Austin Wells

to Miss Next Two Games
Tre Mann

Set to Become an Unrestricted Free Agent
Bo Bichette

Scratched With Sore Knee
Cody Martin

to Enter Free Agency
Los Angeles Clippers

Nicolas Batum Staying with Clippers
Jurickson Profar

to Return on Wednesday
Jordan Clarkson

Jazz Finalize Contract Buyout for Jordan Clarkson
Aldrich Potgieter

Wins Rocket Mortgage Classic
Thorbjorn Olesen

Finishes Tied for 41st at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Denny McCarthy

Finishes Tied For 12th at Travelers Championship
Chris Kirk

Finishes Tied For Second at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Michael Kim

Finishes Tied for 26th at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Max Homa

Misses Cut at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Lucas Glover

Finishes Tied For Ninth at Travelers Championship
PGA

Nico Echavarria Finishes Tied For Sixth at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Brooklyn Nets

Day'Ron Sharpe Staying with Nets
Colby Thomas

Called Up From Triple-A
Shea Langeliers

A's Reinstate Shea Langeliers From Injured List
Pittsburgh Steelers

Rumors Still Swirling Around Potential T.J. Watt Trade
Bryce Harper

Activated and Starting on Monday
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
Jonas Brodin

Expected to Miss Start of Next Season
TB

Conor Sheary Placed on Waivers for Contract Termination
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
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
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
Marvin Harrison Jr.

Expected to Make Second-Year Jump
Jalin Hyatt

Looking to Flip the Script in 2025
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
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
Aaron Rodgers

Roman Wilson Could Fit Nicely With Aaron Rodgers
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
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
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF