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Fantasy Baseball Week Two Waiver Wire: Starting Pitchers

Nick Mariano's starting pitcher (SP) fantasy baseball waiver wire adds. Pickups and starting pitcher sleepers for Week 2 of the 2017 MLB season.

It’s been quite the wild ride through what we'll call roughly the first 10 games of the 2017 season.

While we don’t want to be overreacting here, it’s never a bad time to check up on the waiver wire and see which under-owned arms might be available to help your squad.

For our purposes, we’re going to use Yahoo ownership levels and try to cut things off around 35%. Data accurate as of April 13.

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

Editor's Note: Our friends at Fantrax have even more fantasy baseball advice columns and videos to help improve your teams. Be sure to also check them out!

 

Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Targets

Mike Leake – (STL, SP): 30% owned

Leake has had a snappy start to 2017 with a 0.60 ERA and 0.73 WHIP in 15 frames. His 1.45 FIP, 2.70 xFIP and 2.73 SIERA are fans as well -- just don’t go thinking you’ve found the next Dallas Keuchel breakout. His 13-to-1 K:BB ratio is incredible and the age-29 Cardinal does indeed possess superb control (career 2.16 BB/9) but those strikeouts will stumble. His current 6.1 percent swinging-strike rate would be a career-low mark, so it doesn’t really jive with what would be a career-best 7.8 K/9. A 3.70 ERA with a 1.20 WHIP and maybe a 7.5 K/9 is doable, though, if you’re into that.

Chris Tillman - (BAL, SP): 24% owned

Just a friendly reminder that he’s likely going to pitch in a rehab start at Double-A on April 17. Perhaps those of you in deeper leagues will want to scoop him before that on the off chance he dazzles and the buzz drives up the speculative price.

Zack Wheeler - (NYM, SP): 20% owned

Wheeler was done dirty by his bullpen in his latest start, as Hansel Robles came in with two outs and the bases loaded only to serve up a grand slam and drive up Wheeler’s earned-run count from zero to three. We won’t just let Wheeler off the hook for putting ducks on the pond in the first place, but that line could’ve looked much cleaner. He has 9.00 K/9 stuff and is showing healthy control thus far, so he could at least be a solid mixed-league asset for as long as he remains healthy.

Brandon McCarthy - (LAD, SP): 17% owned

Speaking of health, McCarthy hasn’t been able to get over the 40-inning hump since 2014. He also just hasn’t been all that good since then either, as it really hurts when a pitcher can’t truly hit their stride and consistently get work on the mound due to injury. Now, the six-foot-seven righty has a tidy 1.50 ERA and 1.00 WHIP to go with two wins in his first two starts of 2017. While his .226 BABIP will undoubtedly rise, this is an arm capable of supreme command and that gets to pitch for a strong NL team -- making him an intriguing fantasy option by default.

Andrew Triggs - (OAK, SP/RP): 14% owned

This is a bit more cautionary. I know Triggs has gotten off to a scoreless start with a 2-0 record, but he only has four strikeouts and is rocking an untenable .205 BABIP and 91.7 percent strand rate underneath the surface. Now his Ks will rise, though his K/9 did go from 9.68 to 7.71 when he transitioned from the ‘pen to the rotation last season. Triggs may make for a fine stream in his supremely friendly home park, but it'll likely be unwise to look to him for much more than that.

Eduardo Rodriguez - (BOS, SP): 14% owned

Rodriguez displayed his usual inconsistency on April 13 against the Pirates, dancing around four hits and four walks to only allow two earned runs. The beautiful part -- the part we’ve really been chasing -- is the eight strikeouts in his 5 1/3 innings. He has the tools to touch a 10.00 K/9, but he may never be able to tie it all together. That’d be a shame, but it’s still early in 2017 after his fantastic second half in 2016 so we’ll see how he fares in his next start at Toronto on April 18.

Charlie Morton - (HOU, SP): 12% owned

The preseason Morton hype yacht has taken on water after two uninspiring starts to open the season (4.09 ERA, 1.45 WHIP with 10 Ks in 11 IP). We’re seeing the healthy putaway stuff that we wanted so badly, though his usual ~60% grounder rate hasn’t stabilized yet (44.1 percent) so this writer has hope. If nothing else, his next start comes in pitcher-friendly Oakland against the A’s on April 16 -- making him a prime streaming candidate.

Adam Conley - (MIA, SP): 11% owned

Conley has his flashes of brilliance, though his penchant for iffy control can really hamstring what can be rather unhittable stuff. The 26-year-old southpaw had 12 starts with only one walk last season, but also 11 of three or more -- including a lovely seven-BB affair on May 22. While Conley did just come into the 16th inning of a long Mets-Marlins affair and serve up the game-winning homer to Travis d'Arnaud, he still should be an intriguing arm when, you know, he's actually pitching as he's accustomed to as a starter.

Wily Peralta - (MIL, SP): 8% owned

Peralta’s early 2.45 ERA (2.17 FIP, 3.45 xFIP, 3.57 SIERA) and 1.18 WHIP might surprise those who are accustomed to the mid-to-high fours ERA of the past couple of seasons. It was performances like that which led to his midseason demotion in 2016, but what he did after being recalled on Aug. 9 is worth noting. He turned in a 2.92 ERA (3.75 FIP, 3.59 xFIP) in 61 2/3 innings with a useful 51-to-16 K:BB ratio. This makes the current run more viable, and means you might want to pay attention.

Jimmy Nelson - (MIL, SP): 8% owned

Nelson, another Milwaukee pitcher checking in at 8% owned, has now spun two quality starts to open 2017, with his latest being a seven-inning gem in which he scattered five hits and walked none against five strikeouts with only one run crossing the plate. Now, I was firmly against Nelson over the last two seasons considering his step back in the sabermetrics (4.92 SIERA in 2016) but right now his 2.68 FIP and 3.48 xFIP are behind him. While his .235 BABIP and 94.3 percent strand rate will likely settle around .290 and 72 percent, respectively, he may very well have figured something out here. If nothing else, perhaps his walk rate will come down to a manageable sub-3.00 mark throughout the season and make him a trustworthy streamer.

Matthew Boyd - (DET, SP): 4% owned

Boyd has had two starts this season -- one way too bad for his talent and one way too good. His first outing was tanked by a .400 BABIP and four walks in only 2 1/3 innings, while his second outing got everyone’s no-hitter alerts buzzing as he took a no-no into the sixth inning. That creates quite the range, but his abilities are closer to no-hitter Boyd than bombed-on Boyd. From his recall on July 9 on, Boyd allowed three or fewer earned runs in 10 consecutive starts. The potential for a blowup will loom, but this is a nice arm to be bouncing around in the bargain bin.

Jordan Montgomery - (NYY, SP): 0% owned

Montgomery should get another start after striking out 7 Rays in 4 2/3 innings of work in his first career MLB start. This came after his first Minor League start of 2017 saw him rack up eight whiffs in five scoreless innings. The young lefty posted a robust 2.13 ERA between Double- and Triple-A in 2016, with 134 Ks in 139 1/3 innings. Don’t look to him for more than one turn, but it’s set to come on April 17 at home against the White Sox.

 

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Adds




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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

CFB

Virginia Tech Close To Naming James Franklin As Head Coach
C.J. Stroud

Week 12 Status Unclear
Quentin Johnston

Expected to Play in Week 11
Drake London

Should Play Vs. Panthers
Davante Adams

Trending Toward Playing
Brian Thomas Jr.

On the Wrong Side of Questionable
Calvin Ridley

Expected to Play in Week 11
Coby White

Could Make Season Debut Sunday
Josh Giddey

Set to Return Sunday
Zion Williamson

Tagged as Questionable for Sunday
Ja Morant

Exits With Calf Injury Saturday
Alex Caruso

Injures Hand, Won't Return Saturday
Domantas Sabonis

Considered Questionable for Sunday
Paolo Banchero

Out Again on Sunday
Anthony Davis

Listed as Doubtful for Sunday
Aaron Nesmith

Ruled Out for at Least Four Weeks
Victor Wembanyama

Questionable for Sunday
Tari Eason

to Miss 4-6 Weeks
Julian Strawther

Will Play on Saturday Versus the Timberwolves
Marcus Smart

Out With Illness Saturday
Cameron Johnson

Ruled Out on Saturday Evening
Rui Hachimura

Won't Play on Saturday
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Officially Available Versus the Lakers
Jeff Skinner

Placed on Injured Reserve
Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokic Available on Saturday Night
Matt Duchene

Continues to Sit Saturday
Thomas Harley

a Game-Time Call Saturday
Kaapo Kakko

Out Week-to-Week
Joseph Woll

Starts on Saturday
John Carlson

Out on Saturday
Rasmus Dahlin

Rejoins Sabres Lineup Saturday
Jack Hughes

to Miss Eight Weeks After Finger Surgery
Luguentz Dort

Will Return Versus Charlotte
Darius Garland

Remains Out on Saturday Night
Zach Edey

Cleared to Make 2025 Debut on Saturday
Cedric Coward

Available Against Cleveland
Sam LaPorta

Placed on Injured Reserve
J.K. Dobbins

Will Undergo Season-Ending Surgery to Repair "Significant" Foot Injury
Tyler Bertuzzi

a Game-Time Call Saturday
Andre Burakovsky

Available Saturday
Alex Nedeljkovic

Available for Saturday's Action
Filip Hronek

Pulled by Concussion Spotter Friday
Jesperi Kotkaniemi

Hurts Ankle in Friday's Win
Seth Jarvis

Not Expected to Be Out for Long
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Doubtful vs. Arkansas On Saturday
Edwin Díaz

Blue Jays Interested in Signing Edwin Diaz?
Jacob deGrom

Named AL Comeback Player of the Year
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Wins NL Comeback Player of the Year Award
Aroldis Chapman

Named AL Reliever of the Year
Edwin Díaz

Edwin Diaz Named NL Reliever of the Year
NFL

Bill Belichick Won't Pursue NFL Head-Coaching Vacancies
Khalil Shakir

in the Clear to Play in Week 11
Bam Knight

Considered Questionable for Week 11
Brian Thomas Jr.

Tagged as Questionable for Week 11
Calvin Ridley

Listed as Questionable for Week 11
John Gibson

Fine for Saturday
Kaiden Guhle

Ruled Out for 8-10 Weeks
Justin Thomas

Will Miss Start Of 2026 After Undergoing Back Surgery
Alex Newhook

to Miss Four Months With Broken Ankle
Marco Rossi

Out Week-to-Week
J.K. Dobbins

Out in Week 11 and for "Foreseeable Future"
Zach Hyman

Set for Season Debut Saturday
Jack Hughes

Sustains Non-Hockey Hand Injury
Quinn Hughes

a Game-Time Decision Friday
Rashod Bateman

Ruled Out for Week 11
Sam LaPorta

Ruled Out for Week 11 With Back Injury
Isiah Pacheco

Officially Ruled Out for Week 11
Trey Hendrickson

Shemar Stewart Both Out for Week 11
Jaxson Dart

Officially Ruled Out for Week 11 Due to Concussion
Darius Slayton

Ruled Out for Sunday
Davante Adams

Questionable for Sunday but Expected to Play
Islam Makhachev

Set For UFC 322 Main Event
Jack Della Maddalena

Set For His First Title Defense
Zhang Weili

Can Become The New Women's Flyweight Champion
Valentina Shevchenko

Set For UFC 322 Co-Main Event
Michael Morales

Looks To Remain Undefeated
CFB

Mario Craver a Game-Time Decision for Week 12
Sean Brady

Set For Title Eliminator Bout
Carlos Prates

A Favorite At UFC 322
Leon Edwards

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Benoît Saint Denis

Benoit Saint Denis Set To Open Up UFC 322 Main Card
Beneil Dariush

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
CFB

Virginia's Chandler Morris Trending Toward Facing Duke on Saturday
Edwin Díaz

Edwin Diaz Says There's a "50-50" Chance he Returns to Mets
Shohei Ohtani

Wins his Fourth MVP Award
Aaron Judge

Wins AL MVP Award Again
Raisel Iglesias

Dodgers Interested in Signing Raisel Iglesias
Pete Alonso

Orioles Could be in the Mix to Sign Pete Alonso
Félix Bautista

Felix Bautista Could Return in Second Half in 2026
Kodai Senga

Attracting Trade Interest, Will the Mets Move him?
Yordan Alvarez

Expected to be Ready for Spring Training
Byron Buxton

Could Waive his No-Trade Clause
Paul Skenes

the Unanimous NL Cy Young Winner
Tarik Skubal

Wins AL Cy Young for Second Straight Year
CFB

Still No Update on Jermod McCoy's Return Timeline
Sami Valimaki

Riding Momentum Into Bermuda
Matthieu Pavon

Struggling Through a Rough Season
Taylor Montgomery

Hopes to Get Back on Track at Port Royal
Ben Martin

a Risky Play at Bermuda Championship
Mark Hubbard

Primed for a Bounce-Back Week in Bermuda
Lee Hodges

Searching for a Spark in Bermuda
Stephen Vogt

Wins Back-to-Back AL Manager of the Year Honors
Milwaukee Brewers

Pat Murphy Named NL Manager of the Year Again
Patrick Fishburn

Looking to Bounce Back in Bermuda
Eric Cole

Carrying Momentum into Bermuda
Tommy Edman

to Have Ankle Surgery Next Week
Ketel Marte

Diamondbacks Unlikely to Trade Ketel Marte
Roman Anthony

to Have a Normal Offseason
Sahith Theegala

Finishes Tied for 27th at Bank of Utah Championship
Sam Stevens

Finishes Tied for 36th at Baycurrent Classic
Patrick Rodgers

Finishes Tied For Sixth at World Wide Technology Championship
Luke List

Finishes 75th at World Wide Technology Championship
Ben Kohles

Finishes Tied for 63rd at World Wide Technology Championship
PGA

Nico Echavarria Finishes Tied for 14th at World Wide Technology Championship
Luke Clanton

Finishes Tied for 46th at World Wide Technology Championship
Blades Brown

Finishes Tied for 18th at Korn Ferry Tour Championship
CFB

Nic Anderson Could Return for LSU this Season

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