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 2

Kyle Bishop's fantasy baseball starting pitchers who are potential waiver wire pickups for Week 2. Consider adding and streaming these free agent pitchers.

Being only a week and a half into the season, drastic measures are to be avoided. None of us are happy with Yu Darvish right now, for example, but kicking him to the curb after two starts amounts to fantasy malpractice in most situations.

That doesn't mean you can't tinker on the edges, which is precisely what this column is designed to help you do. Whether you're looking for injury reinforcements in a shallow league or on the hunt for a diamond in the rough in a deeper format, every week in this space we'll discuss some of the best arms on the waiver wire.

As a reminder, 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 2 of the 2019 fantasy baseball season.

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

 

Pickups for Shallow Leagues

Matt Shoemaker (SP, TOR) — 47% Owned

While the Tigers and Orioles aren't exactly the '27 Yankees, a pitcher can only contend with the hitters placed in front of him. Shoemaker won his first two starts of the season decisively, pitching seven innings each time and striking out 15 batters while allowing just seven baserunners (none of whom scored). Next up is a road date with the Red Sox that might be best avoided, but the Cobbler has provided mixed league value in the past when healthy.

Tyler Skaggs (SP, LAA) — 47% Owned

Skaggs bounced back nicely from a middling debut with a gem against the Rangers on Saturday. He twirled 6 1/3 frames of one-run ball, scattering five hits and a walk while striking out five. The 27-year-old looked to be breaking out last season before a late-season elbow issue torpedoed his overall numbers. His next assignment is the Cubs at Wrigley Field. That's a tough opposing lineup, but with Chicago's pitching staff getting gashed in the early going, Skaggs should still have a pretty solid shot at a win.

Steven Matz (SP, NYM) — 44% Owned

Though Matz has yet to get through the sixth inning in a 2019 start, it's not because he isn't pitching well. The southpaw has allowed just one run in his 10 1/3 innings of work. Mickey Callaway had a quick hook in Matz's debut as he was pulled after only 74 pitches. Saturday's start against the Nationals was more to do with inefficiency, as Matz needed 103 pitches to record just 16 outs. Wins and quality starts may prove difficult to come by if that continues, but the Mets' lefty is worthy of mixed-league consideration anyway.

Zach Eflin (SP, PHI) — 41% Owned

Eflin only went five innings in his debut, and he was opposed by Max Scherzer. He still notched a win though, allowing just four batters to reach base (none scored) and recording nine strikeouts. Unless your league allows same-day transactions, it's too late to grab him in time for his start against the Twins today, but he deserves to be more widely owned.

 

Pickups for Deeper Leagues

Aaron Sanchez (SP, TOR) — 22% Owned

Things haven't gone great for Sanchez since leading the American League in ERA back in 2016. Injuries and ineffectiveness made him an afterthought in fantasy drafts this spring, but the 26-year-old has looked good out of the gate, allowing just two runs and striking out 11 hitters across 11 innings in his first two starts. As with his teammate Shoemaker, however, you may not want to roll the dice at Fenway for his next outing.

Michael Pineda (SP, MIN) — 21% Owned

The Twins are being cautious with Pineda because he's barely pitched since July of 2017, which is why he's only logged nine innings in his first two starts of the year. They've been good ones, though, as he's racked up 10 strikeouts against just two walks and allowed only two runs to score. The second start was particularly impressive, coming as it did against the Phillies' newly stacked lineup at Citizens Bank Park. His fastball velocity and the movement on his slider both look like they haven't suffered at all for the lengthy absence.

Yonny Chirinos (SP/RP, TB) — 19 % Owned

Typically used as a "follower" last year, Chirinos got the nod to start against a dangerous Astros squad last weekend and was dominant. He allowed just one run on two hits across seven innings, striking out six without issuing a walk. Chirinos posted a 3.51 ERA across 90 innings last season and could earn his way into regular starts if he can build on that performance against Houston. His next appearance, whether it's a start or a follow, will likely come against the White Sox.

Caleb Smith (SP, MIA) — 10% Owned

Smith's 2019 debut wasn't enough to earn a victory for either himself or his team, but he did pitch well in his first game since last June. The lefty allowed two runs in five innings of work and struck out eight. Perhaps most importantly, he walked just one batter and did not allow a home run. Walks and homers were both occasional issues for Smith last season, and he'll need to address those outcomes in order to take the next step. He'll take on the Braves today.

 

For Your Radar

Trevor Cahill (SP, LAA) — 6% Owned

Skip his next start against the Brewers, but Cahill has looked solid thus far in 2019. As long as he's healthy, he's a worthwhile streaming option in most mixers.

Anthony DeSclafani (SP, CIN) — 5% Owned

Tony Disco impressed in his first start of the year, striking out eight and allowing just one run on three hits (all singles) and three walks against the red-hot Brewers. The key to that success was a heavy dose of curveballs, in addition to his quality slider.

Drew Pomeranz (SP/RP, SF) — 3% Owned

Pomeranz began the process of putting an awful 2018 season behind him with a solid showing against the Dodgers last week. He struck out six in his five innings of work, and cruised through the first four innings before allowing a pair of solo shots in the fifth. But considering how many homers Los Angeles has been hitting, he's hardly alone in that regard.

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

Yordan Alvarez

Resumes Swinging -- Return Imminent?
Jake Burger

to Miss an Additional 2-3 Weeks
TreVeyon Henderson

Signs Rookie Contract
Christian Watson

Goes on PUP List
Austin Riley

Hopes to be Activated Next Week
Ketel Marte

Lands on Restricted List After Burglary
Ricky Pearsall

Heads to PUP List
Brandon Aiyuk

Placed on PUP List
Luther Burden III

Signs Rookie Deal
Washington Nationals

Eli Willits Expected to Sign Contract on Saturday
Grayson Rodriguez

Being Shut Down Again - Will We See Him Again This Year?
Ezequiel Tovar

Activated and Back in Lineup on Friday
Max Fried

"Hopeful" to Pitch Next Week - Looks Like He'll Avoid IL Stint
Steven Kwan

Receives Injection in Wrist, Considered Day-to-Day
CJ Abrams

Back to Start Second Half
Alec Bohm

Back From Rib Injury on Friday
Trey Hendrickson

Holdout to Spill into Regular Season?
Jalen McMillan

Bucs Offensive Coordinator Not Forgetting About Jalen McMillan
Levi Onwuzurike

to Miss at Least Four Games
Nick Emmanwori

Seahawks, Nick Emmanwori Reach Agreement on Rookie Deal
Max Holloway

Set For Main Event
Brandon Lowe

Back From 10-Day Injured List
Dustin Poirier

Set For His Final UFC Fight
Roman Kopylov

Set For Co-Main Event
Paulo Costa

Returns At UFC 318
Luis L. Ortiz

to Remain on Leave for Another Month - Will he Pitch Again?
Daniel Rodriguez

Looks For Third Win In A Row
Kevin Holland

Set For His Fourth Fight This Year
Dan Ige

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
MMA

Patricio Freire Set For His Second UFC Fight
Daniel Zellhuber

Set To Open Up UFC 318 Main Card
Michael Johnson

Looks For Third Consecutive Win
Elijah Arroyo

Signs Rookie Deal
Jaydon Blue

Described as "Borderline Lazy"
T.J. Sanders

Bills Sign T.J. Sanders to Rookie Deal
Christian Wilkins

Raiders Put Christian Wilkins on PUP List
Jabari Small

Lions Add Jabari Small to Backfield
Quinshon Judkins

Remains Unsigned, Won't Report With Rest of Rookies
Mason Taylor

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Jets
Hendon Hooker

Leading Lions QB2 Battle Entering Training Camp
Ozzy Trapilo

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Bears
Tate Ratledge

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Lions
Jack Bech

Signs Rookie Contract with Raiders
Yegor Chinakhov

Requests Trade
Dakota Joshua

Maple Leafs Acquire Dakota Joshua
Lukas Dostal

Signs Five-Year Extension with Ducks
Shemar Stewart

Not Practicing With College Team
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Expected Back Friday
Damian Lillard

Returning to Portland
Paul Skenes

Pirates Could Preserve Paul Skenes in Second Half
Brooks Barnhizer

Grabs 19 Points, Nine Boards in Summer League Win
Jeremiah Fears

Scores 22 Points in Summer League Loss to Thunder
Isaiah Collier

Collects 17 Points In Summer League Win
Caleb Houstan

Joins Hawks
AJ Johnson

Erupts for 25 Points in Summer League Loss
Washington Wizards

Leaky Black Logs Double-Double in Loss to Jazz
Connor Norby

Undergoes Surgery, Expected to Miss 6-8 Weeks
Trey Alexander

Tallies 25 Points in Losing Effort
Johni Broome

Records Second Consecutive Double-Double
Jahmir Young

Has Historic Summer League Outing
Rob Dillingham

Plays Big Role in Wednesday's Win
Tyrese Proctor

Erupts for 35 Points Against Kings
Cody Williams

Leads Jazz to Victory Against Wizards
LeBron James

Mavs Not Interested in "Gutting its Roster" For LeBron James
Josh Hart

Undergoes a Procedure on Right Finger
Jake Burger

Goes on 10-Day Injured List With Quad Strain
Sal Frelick

Dealing With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain, TBD for Start of Second Half
Chris Sale

Plays Catch
Los Angeles Clippers

Bradley Beal Heading to Los Angeles to Join Clippers After Contract Buyout
Rayan Rupert

Scores 24 Points in Summer League Win
Derik Queen

Collects Third Consecutive Double-Double in Summer League Loss
GG Jackson II

Records 13 Points in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Johni Broome

Logs Double-Double Against Wizards
DaRon Holmes II

Records Double-Double in Summer League Loss to Raptors
Kyle Schwarber

Named All-Star Game MVP
Harris English

Takes Stellar 2025 Performance to The Open Championship
Aldrich Potgieter

Seeks Better Result in Northern Ireland
Cameron Young

Likely to Hang Around at The Open Championship
Cameron Smith

Just Trying to Make the Cut at Royal Portrush
Jordan Spieth

Is Jordan Spieth Still a Natural for Links Style Golf?
Patrick Reed

a Viable Option at The Open Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im Wants to Rebound from Last Experience at Royal Portrush
Xander Schauffele

Looks to Defend His Claret Jug at Royal Portrush
Tony Finau

Trying to Turn Tide at Royal Portrush
Daniel Brown

Seeks a Rebound at The Open Championship
Rory McIlroy

Will be the Most Watched Player This Week at Royal Portrush
Daniel Berger

Trending Poorly as The Open Championship Looms
Clayton Kershaw

Retires Both Batters In ASG Appearance
Robert MacIntyre

Hoping to Bounce Back at Open Championship
Shane Lowry

Hopes to Repeat at Royal Portrush
Brian Harman

Hopes to Rekindle Some Magic at the 153rd Open
UTA

Michael Carcone Returns to Utah on One-Year Contract
Bowen Byram

Signs Two-Year Deal with Sabres
Morgan Barron

Jets Re-Sign Morgan Barron for Two Years
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF