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Week 21 Waiver Wire: Starting Pitchers

We are getting dangerously close to entering the last month of the fantasy baseball season. That means that every single move and every single stream one makes probably has a huge ripple effect on their season. Keep this in mind when you're navigating late August, but at the same time you've gotta risk it to get the biscuit.

Let's explore some lesser-owned pitchers who may be able to help you in the upcoming weeks, ignoring those who have wronged us and should be left on waiver wires to sabotage our enemies--err, leaguemates.

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Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Targets

Mike Fiers (HOU, SP) – 34% Owned – Fiers just turned in a brilliant start against Baltimore on Aug. 20, striking out seven over seven innings of one-run ball against a potent O’s lineup. Four of his last six starts have been of the quality variety, resulting in a 3-2 record with 34 Ks in 36 innings. Not bad for a guy who also has a strong Houston lineup supporting him. He’ll take on the Rays at home on Aug. 26 in a nice matchup.

Homer Bailey (CIN, SP) – 30% Owned – He’s thrown one clunker since returning, but his last two starts have been solid – including an 11-strikeout performance on Aug. 12. He threw 96 pitches in his last outing, which is nice to see out of his arm after his long recovery. He’ll face the Dodgers at home on Aug. 22 before a road date with the D-backs on Aug. 28, making him a decent two-start option. The Reds have been surprisingly potent lately, so he may just snag two wins for the savvy owners who scoop him.

Robbie Ray (ARI, SP) – 28% Owned – He flashed his ceiling on Saturday, firing seven innings of one-hitm one-run ball alongside a career-high 13 strikeouts. He’s struck out nine or more in four of his last six starts, but still struggles with consistency when it comes to control. It’s hard to argue with his current performance, and he has another nice matchup on deck against the Braves at home on Aug. 25.

James Paxton (SEA, SP) – 27% Owned – Paxton may be on the DL, but he’s set to come off of a rehab start on Saturday and report how he felt. He may not even need another rehab start before returning to the rotation, but one shouldn’t rely on that being the case just yet. Even if he needs another tune-up start, J-Pax owns a 1.59 ERA and 0.74 WHIP with 27 Ks in 28 1/3 innings over the last 30 days. Don’t let someone else snag him for the stretch run.

Chad Green (NYY, SP) – 26% Owned – Green absolutely dominated the Blue Jays at home on Aug. 15, striking out 11 over six shutout frames with 104 pitches. He’ll square up against the Angels today (Aug. 21) before tangling with the Orioles in the Bronx on Aug. 27. While he’s had a few rough starts in his rookie campaign, he has turned in two stellar outings for victories as well. He has nothing left to prove in the Minors, logging an insane 1.52 ERA (2.13 FIP) and 0.94 WHIP with 100 Ks in 94 2/3 Triple-A innings this season, so he should have the green light in the Yankees’ rotation as the regular season hit the home stretch.

Anibal Sanchez (DET, SP) – 22% Owned – Sanchez is one of the more volatile “boom/bust” types. His latest start embodied the “boom”, as he struck out eight Royals over seven scoreless innings, while the “bust” was illustrated by the start prior to that where he gave up eight runs in four innings. A streamer that isn’t for the faint of heart, he’ll do battle with the Twins in Minnesota on Aug. 23 for his next start.

Tyler Anderson (COL, SP) – 18% Owned – Anderson hasn’t had the best couple of starts, but did strike out eight Cubs over seven innings in his last outing on Aug. 19 at Coors. He was hit around by the Phillies on Aug. 13 before that, though his start looks worse than it could’ve been due to a very strange ejection by the home plate umpire. If he’s been cut loose, scoop him up for his next start at Milwaukee on Aug. 24, as they make for a decent streaming target.

Matt Boyd (DET, SP) – 16% Owned – Well, Boyd no longer qualifies as my favorite <10% owned starter. Good on y’all for respecting his efforts lately, with the most recent being a quality start against a Boston lineup that was admittedly missing David Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia. Boyd hasn’t lost since being recalled on July 9, going 4-0 since with a 2.06 ERA and a 36:12 K/BB ratio. Don’t have delusions of grandeur though, as he also sports a 4.13 SIERA, 4.44 FIP and 4.59 xFIP over that same span. He’s not a .223 BABIP pitcher, plain and simple. All the same, he’s a good stream for his next start on Aug. 24 at Minnesota.

Reynaldo Lopez (WAS, SP) – 15% Owned – Lopez has won his last two outings, striking out 11 in his most recent trip to the hill, though both starts have come against the Braves. He’ll do battle with the Orioles at Camden Yards on Aug. 23 next, as he looks to show off his high-strikeout upside down the stretch for fantasy owners and Washington’s management.

Brandon Finnegan (CIN, SP) – 13% Owned – Finnegan was incredible on Aug. 20, taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the Dodgers. He ended up striking out eight in seven shutout innings, which will certainly do. He’s a risky streamer, as his entire start is predicated on whether he actually has control or not (which has proven to be a coin-flip situation). He’ll face the D-backs in Arizona on Aug. 26 next.

Kendall Graveman & Sean Manaea (OAK, SP) – 10% & 9% Owned – Both have been pretty darn good recently, with Graveman throwing a “Maddux” (complete-game shutout on less than 100 pitches) in his latest outing while Manaea has four quality starts with a 3.99 ERA and 1.25 WHIP over the last 30 days. Unfortunately, they both line up for starts against a hot Indians lineup this week. As a result, they’re worth monitoring/stashing, but probably not starting.

Jake Thompson (PHI, SP) – 7% Owned – Thompson didn’t follow up his first victory with a good outing, allowing five runs against the Dodgers on Aug. 17, but now gets a good matchup against a struggling White Sox team on Aug. 23. For those of you in deep leagues facing desperation, one could do worse than a guy who had a 2.50 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in 129 2/3 Triple-A innings before the promotion.

Miguel Gonzalez (CWS, SP) – 2% Owned – It had to be done. The quietest stud of the season, Gonzalez is set to throw off of a mound on Sunday and his rehab progress should be monitored. He owns a 2.70 ERA (3.45 FIP) with a solid 34:9 K/BB ratio in 46 2/3 innings since July 1, which is deserving of much more than 2% ownership. I blame the White Sox for letting him only get a 1-3 record over that same stretch, but just look deeper.

 

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