🦃 BLACK FRIDAY - SAVE 50% WITH CODE THANKS
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 22 Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire: Ross, Iglesias, Eovaldi, Happ

Welcome to Week 22. If you've been following along with this series all season, you know the drill. If not, this article is to help you uncover starting pitcher options that may have been overlooked in your league.

As always, included are options for both shallow and deeper leagues. I also add my list of pitchers discussed previously at the end of the article with ownership levels to boot. Make sure to check them out, and grab any that are still out there.

To read about even more waiver wire options for starting pitchers, be sure to check out our famous waiver wire pickups list which is a running list that is updated daily. And don’t forget to check out our Starting Pitcher Matchups & Streaming Tool for expert guidance during the week too, including what pitchers to start/sit for seasonal and DFS leagues.

 

Starting Pitchers Waiver Wire - Shallow Leagues

Joe Ross (WAS, SP)

OWNED IN: 31% of Fleaflicker Leagues

BALLER MOVE: Add in all leagues

I'm officially baffled. Yes, the Nationals have indicated Joe Ross will be shut down in the next 2-3 weeks. But why in the world would you not use him until that point? Ross saw his ownership take a dip after a rough West Coast trip (8.2 IP, 9 ER) and perhaps from the looming shutdown. Still, there is no reason he should sitting on your waiver wire.

Ross now owns a 3.24 ERA and 1.01 WHIP to go along with a shiny 65/11 K/BB ratio. He has been excellent in his most recent appearances, firing 13 innings with only one earned run and an 11/2 K/BB split while collecting two wins.

Ross has been magnificent all year for Washington, limiting hitters to a .225 BAA. The team made the right call by inserting Ross over Doug Fister. The Nationals find themselves on the outside looking in despite Ross's run. This is a name to keep an eye on for 2016, as he has the potential to break the top 25 SP. The Nationals deserve kudos for acquiring him and Trea Turner in exchange for Steven Souza.

The downside here is you're only getting two or three more starts, and if you're in a league with a cap on additions I can empathize with letting him float. There's no excuse for the rest of you. He has a road test at St Louis followed by a tasty home outing versus Atlanta. Act accordingly.

 

Raisel Iglesias (CIN, SP)

OWNED IN: 41% of Fleaflicker Leagues

BALLER MOVE: Add in all leagues

Raisel Iglesias has been covered plenty here at Rotoballer. How is his ownership still only 41%? Has everyone shifted their focus to football already? We have a month of baseball left people, don't give up now!

He's been on a roll since the All-Star Break, accruing a 2.81 ERA while limiting hitters to a .176 BAA and a .256 wOBA. Iglesias has been fantastic for the Reds recently, compiling six straight quality starts in the month of August. In that span he owns a 2.27 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, and a 10.21 K/9 rate.

He is working on consecutive games with 10+ strikeouts. In the past month, his 45 K is behind only Madison Bumgarner, Chris Sale, and Clayton Kershaw. That's what I call some solid company.

He has a road outing on tap versus the Cubs, a team that he limited to two runs with eight strikeouts over 5.2 innings. The Cubs are a formidable opponent at home, but Iglesias is too hot to let him ride the pine. Throw him in your lineups and keep him there for the two-start week (vs PIT, vs STL) in week 23.

 

Nathan Eovaldi (NYY, SP)

OWNED IN: 49% of Fleaflicker Leagues

BALLER MOVE: Add in all leagues

Again, another ownership level that makes absolutely no sense. Eovaldi has been of the few pieces keeping the Yankees in playoff contention and has provided New York with that steady #2 presence left by Michael Pineda. How he's available in more than 50% of leagues is beyond me.

While the 4.00 ERA and 1.42 WHIP are unpleasant on the eyes, it's necessary to look beyond the full season numbers here.  Check out his post-ASB numbers.

Nathan Eovaldi Pre and Post ASB Splits (Yahoo)

Nathan Eovaldi Pre and Post ASB Splits (Yahoo)

One of the key factors is hitters have struggled against his fastball. He's limited hitters to a .242 BAA versus the fastball in August, a noticeable improvement from earlier in the year (.450 in April). His upped the speed on his fastball to 96 mph and even though it seems small, it's been important to his success in the second half.

He gets an excellent matchup today versus Atlanta, a team that's lost nine of their last ten, and faces Tampa at home in week 22. Fire him up in all leagues.

 

Starting Pitchers Waiver Wire - Deeper Leagues

J.A. Happ (PIT, SP)

OWNED IN: 18% of Fleaflicker Leagues

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14 + leagues / Stream Worthy

It's always interesting to see how players react after joining a playoff contender. In J.A. Happ's case, he's found a groove that's padding the Pirates lead as the top Wild Card.

Since joining the Pirates from Seattle, Happ has started four games and compiled a 2.08 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and a 22/6 K/BB ratio. If you remove a rough debut versus the Cubs, Happ has a 0.52 ERA over 17.1 innings.

This is a complete 180 from his disastrous campaign with the Mariners (4.64 ERA, 1.41 WHIP). Perhaps the added incentive of pitching in meaningful games in the dog days of summer has motivated Happ to step up his game. He's limited his walks significantly, and his .265 BAA during his recent run is in line with his season and career numbers.

Do I trust Happ for shallow leagues? Only for streaming purposes. But owners starved for pitching should check and see if Happ is hanging around the wire. Next week he has an outing at St. Louis, a team that finds itself in the latter half of NL clubs vs LHP. I'd stream Happ in shallow leagues and grab a share in 14-teamers or NL-Only.

 

Other Pitchers Previously Highlighted to Consider

Go grab Yordano Ventura and Aaron Nola. Seriously, stop reading and go get them.

In Order of Ownership %

Noah Syndergaard (NYM, SP / 85% ; up 1%)
Jaime Garcia (STL, SP / 77% ; up 3%)
Yordano Ventura KC, SP / 68%)
Taijuan Walker (SEA, SP / 60% ; down 2%)
Mike Leake (CIN, SP / 60% ; up 4%)
Wei-Yin Chen (BAL, SP / 59% ; no change)
Luis Severino (NYY, SP / 56% ; up 4%)
Taylor Jungmann (MIL, SP / 51% ; down 6%)
R.A. Dickey (TOR, SP / 47% ; down 7%)
Yovani Gallardo (TEX, SP / 47% ; up 1%)
Chris Tillman (BAL, SP / 44% ; down 6%)
Carlos Rodon (CHW, SP / 36% ; up 3%)
Erasmo Ramirez (TB, SP / 33% ; down 3%)
Kris Medlen (KC, SP / 32%)
Jonathan Niese (NYM, SP / 28% ; no change)
Aaron Nola (PHI, SP / 26% ; up 6%)
Eduardo Rodriguez (BOS, SP / 23% ; down 2%)
Kyle Hendricks (CHC, SP / 21% ; down 2%)

Brett Anderson (LAD, SP / 19% ; no change)
Jake Peavy (SF, SP / 10% ; down 2%)
Tom Koehler (MIA, SP / 10% ; no change)

 

MLB & Fantasy Baseball Chat

[iflychat_embed id="c-12" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]

 




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

Nic Dowd

Out Against Lightning
Jake Evans

Good to Go Saturday
Gavin Brindley

to Sit Out at Least Two Games
Thomas Chabot

Available Against Sharks
Roman Josi

Returns From 12-Game Absence
Jake Walman

Out Saturday
Kawhi Leonard

Anticipated to Return on Sunday
J.T. Miller

Won't Play Against Mammoth
Brenton Strange

Activated Off Injured Reserve, Will Play vs. Arizona
Chris Godwin

Expected to Play in Week 12
Kawhi Leonard

Sidelined for Saturday's Game Against Hornets
Joe Burrow

Won't Be Activated This Week
Tre Mann

Dealing With Ankle Soreness
Jaden Ivey

Could Make Season Debut Soon
Tobias Harris

Listed as Questionable for Saturday
Aaron Gordon

Expected to Miss Time With Hamstring Injury
Matas Buzelis

Leaves Friday's Game Early With Ankle Issue
Gabriel Vilardi

Has Two Goals in Losing Effort
Jordan Staal

Provides Two Goals in Friday's Win
Matt Boldy

Amasses Three Points in Impressive Road Win
Filip Gustavsson

Shuts Out Penguins Friday
Josh Doan

Pots Two Goals Friday Night
Alex Tuch

Tallies Four Assists in Big Win
Vinnie Hinostroza

Suffers Serious Injury Friday
Aaron Gordon

Won't Return to NBA Cup Meeting with Houston
Travis Kelce

Open to Returning in 2026?
Onyeka Okongwu

Could Miss Matchup With Pelicans
Brandon Aiyuk

49ers, Brandon Aiyuk Headed for a Divorce Soon?
D'Angelo Russell

Ruled Out Against Pelicans
Trey Hendrickson

Ruled Out for Week 12
Tre Jones

Cleared to Play Friday with Planned Minutes Limit
Jaden McDaniels

Cleared to Face Phoenix
Coby White

Ruled Out for Friday's Game Against Miami
Jarrett Allen

Ruled Out on Friday
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Doubtful as Grizzlies Face Mavericks
Adolis García

Rangers Non-Tender Adolis Garcia on Friday
Jaylon Tyson

Returning Versus Indiana
Darius Garland

Cleared to Play on Friday, Expected to See Limited Action
Marvin Bagley III

to Miss Friday's Game Against Raptors
Auston Matthews

Doubtful for Saturday
Rashod Bateman

Ruled Out for Week 12
Alexandre Sarr

Ruled Out for a Second Straight Game
Roman Josi

Could Return Saturday
Samuel Honzek

Out for Six Months After Surgery
Chris Godwin

Officially Questionable for Week 12
Sion James

Expected to Play Through Groin Issue Saturday
Jalen Chatfield

Available for Friday's Matchup
Andrew Wiggins

Labeled as "Day-to-Day"
Nico Sturm

Activated From Injured Reserve
Jason Zucker

Available Friday
Connor Hellebuyck

to Miss 4-6 Weeks
Jaylen Warren

Cleared From Injury Report Ahead of Week 12
Brian Thomas Jr.

Ruled Out for Week 12
Kenneth Walker III

Listed as Questionable for Week 12
Trey Benson

Ruled Out For Week 12
Josh Jacobs

Officially Questionable to Play in Week 12
Darius Slayton

Cleared to Return From Hamstring Injury in Week 12
Daniel Jones

"Good to Go" for Week 12
Alvin Kamara

Officially Questionable to Play in Week 12
Xavier Worthy

"Trending in the Right Direction," Officially Questionable
Isiah Pacheco

Out Against Colts
Drake London

Officially Ruled Out for Week 12
CFB

Beau Pribula Expected to Start Against Oklahoma
Aaron Rodgers

Questionable to Play Against Bears
Rhamondre Stevenson

Expected to Return in Week 12
Dan Hooker

An Underdog At UFC Qatar
Arman Tsarukyan

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Ian Machado Garry

A Favorite At UFC Qatar
Belal Muhammad

Looks To Bounce Back
Alonzo Menifield

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Volkan Oezdemir

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Myktybek Orolbai

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Jack Hermansson

Makes His Welterweight Debut
Kyoji Horiguchi

Returns To The UFC
Tagir Ulanbekov

Set To Open Up UFC Qatar Main Card
Elly De La Cruz

Played Through Partially Torn Quad to End 2025
Tarik Skubal

Tigers "Doubtful" to Trade Tarik Skubal
Raisel Iglesias

Returning to the Braves on One-Year Deal
Sahith Theegala

Looking to Continue Fall Run at RSM Classic
Stephan Jaeger

Looking to Bounce Back at RSM Classic
Tom Hoge

Looking to Regain Form at RSM Classic
Joe Highsmith

Searching for Turnaround at RSM Classic
Adam Hadwin

Looking to Build on T11 Finish in Bermuda
Austin Eckroat

Searching for Momentum at RSM Classic
Joel Dahmen

Trying to Find Form at the RSM Classic
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Doubtful to Play Against Western Kentucky
Michael Thorbjornsen

Hopes to End 2025 Campaign With Another Solid Finish
Andrew Novak

Looks to End 2025 Season on High Note at RSM Classic
Harry Higgs

Teetering for PGA Tour Card in 2026
PGA

Nico Echavarria has the Potential to Contend at the RSM Classic
Sam Stevens

Finishing Out Year in Georgia
Seamus Power

Playing Better at the Right Time
Beau Hossler

Roller Coaster Comes to Saint Simons Island
Quade Cummins

The Time is Now for Quade Cummins in Georgia
Austin Cook

Needs a Win at the RSM Classic
Cameron Champ

on the PGA Tour Card Bubble
Grayson Rodriguez

Shipped to Angels
Taylor Ward

Orioles Acquire Taylor Ward From Angels
Shota Imanaga

Accepts Cubs Qualifying Offer
Brandon Woodruff

Returning to Milwaukee in 2026
Denny McCarthy

Looking For Another Solid Finish at RSM Classic
Si Woo Kim

Looking To Use Current Momentum to Flip Script at RSM Classic
Mackenzie Hughes

a Good Bounce-Back Candidate at RSM Classic
Harris English

Making 14th Start at This Week's RSM Classic
Konnor Griffin

Could Compete for Starting Shortstop Job in 2026
Gleyber Torres

Accepts Tigers Qualifying Offer
CFB

Sam Leavitt Set to Enter Transfer Portal?
Jose Altuve

Undergoes Foot Surgery
Alex Bregman

Red Sox Going for Either Alex Bregman or Pete Alonso?
CFB

James Franklin to be Virginia Tech's Next Head Coach
CFB

Fernando Mendoza the Clear Heisman Trophy Favorite?
CFB

Beau Pribula Has Chance to Face Oklahoma on Saturday
Jack Della Maddalena

Gets Dominated
Islam Makhachev

Claims UFC Welterweight Belt
Zhang Weili

Gets Outclassed
Valentina Shevchenko

Wins Unanimous Decision At UFC 322
Sean Brady

Suffers First-Round TKO Loss
Michael Morales

Remains Unbeaten
Leon Edwards

Suffers Second-Round Knockout Loss
Leon Edwards

Carlos Prates Becomes The First Man To Knock Out Leon Edwards
Beneil Dariush

Suffers Brutal First-Round Knockout Loss
Beneil Dariush

Benoit Saint Denis Knocks Out Beneil Dariush In 16 Seconds
Josh Naylor

Mariners Finalizing Five-Year Contract

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP