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 3 Waiver Wire: Starting Pitchers

Week 2 is almost in the books and the fantasy baseball madness is in full swing. That means we’re all out here frantically panning for waiver wire gold.

Starting pitchers have the most rollover during the season and the incredible depth of pitchers that are going across the league mean there are almost always candidates to look at with dreams of striking it rich. I’m here to put together some starting pitchers for your waiver considerations.

Protocol dictates sticking to players who are owned in <50% of leagues.

Editor’s Note: RotoBaller’s fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups list is updated every single day. Our awesome writers bring you analysis on hot or emerging starting pitchers, and also all other fantasy positions. You can also download our waiver wire iPhone app for free, and easily stay updated.

 

Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Targets:

Jerad Eickhoff (PHI, SP) – 48% - Eickhoff was able to beat up on the Padres in his second start and now has a strikeout per inning (12 in 12) alongside a nice 1.50 ERA and 0.92 WHIP. His 1.91 FIP is crispy as well. His swinging strike rate has taken a bit of a step forward thus far from 10.4% to 10.9% while his command looks strong. This is all with the “small sample size” caveat, but most encouraging is the flip flop of his ground ball and fly ball rates from last year. In 2015 he was more of a fly ball guy, whereas this season he’s generating grounders as his most frequent outcome.

Matt Moore (TB, SP) – 42% - Moore has shown some of the brilliance that put him on fantasy radars back in 2013, sort of. He’s struck out 11 in 12 innings thus far so that’s vintage Moore, but he has a neat 3.00 ERA and 1.08 WHIP - both better than we’re used to seeing. His control is a little better thus far but his FIP through the first two starts is still 4.49. I’d advise some caution when chasing him. That said, if he can be had for free on waivers then why not speculate?

Brandon Finnegan (CIN, SP) – 34% - When you take a no-hitter deep into a game you’re going to be noticed, let alone one against the Chicago Cubs. Finnegan’s control is his biggest bugaboo and that has showed so far as he’s walked six in 12.2 innings so far, but he’s also struck out 14. He pitched around 100 innings last season so don’t expect more than 130-140 innings out of him, but he makes for an intriguing flier.

Eduardo Rodriguez (BOS, SP) – 31% - Just a friendly reminder is all. He threw 50 pitches in a simulated game on Wednesday as of the latest report.

Ross Stripling (LAD, SP) – 30% - The whole Finnegan thing? Yeah, that again. Almost throwing a no hitter in your debut and stringing together some more scoreless innings in the second start will put you on the map. Stripling’s FIP is 2.93 through his first two starts, though his SIERA is 4.46. He doesn’t deserve to be ahead of names that follow at lower ownership rates, but the hype is understood. For now he has a spot in the Dodgers’ rotation and is performing well, so feel free to stream him but don’t count on him as a fixture.

Anthony DeSclafani (CIN, SP) – 25% - Again, this is one of my favorite short-term DL stashes. He showed major improvements in the second half last season as he started to rack up more Ks alongside significantly fewer walks as his secondary offerings really stepped up. He should be solid in four of five categories (I won’t pretend that the Reds are going to give him wins).

J.A. Happ (TOR, SP) – 22% - Happ is trying to retain the Ray Searage magic that he was blessed with during his stint with the Pittsburgh Pirates last season. His first start in 2016 saw him give up two runs in six innings while he struck out four. His second start was against the Yankees and saw him pitch six innings of one run ball where he danced around seven hits and three walks. He didn’t look particularly sharp in either start but he got the job done. Pitching for Toronto means you’re facing some serious offenses. I prefer others lower than this ownership percentage, but it’d be disingenuous not to include him.

Adam Conley (MIA, SP) – 20% - Conley’s first start went horribly, but his second start saw him post six shutout innings where he struck out nine Mets. He has 11 strikeouts in seven innings so far and a 12.9% swinging strike rate means the whiffs are legitimate thus far (again, seven innings). He’s had decent strikeout stuff in the minors, but I don’t think he should be viewed as a major strikeout guy moving forward. He’s a solid streamer/end of rotation guy who has room for growth though that is worth playing in the NL East against weaker opponents.

Bartolo Colon (NYM, SP) – 20% - Bartolo Colon just keeps on chugging. He pitched six innings of one run ball with seven strikeouts in his first start against the Phillies and followed that up with 5.1 innings where he struck out five and gave up two runs against the Indians. He isn’t going to do anything special, but the Mets give him solid chances of picking up the W and his elite control allows him to keep a lid on potential damage.

Kevin Gausman (BAL, SP) – 20% - Again, just a friendly reminder. He might rejoin the Orioles on April 21.

Mat Latos (CWS, SP) – 18% - I feel the need to include him here just so I can temper any expectations people may have in seeing the surface statistics, as the 0.75 ERA and 0.50 WHIP are going to draw you in alongside the two wins.

Josh Tomlin (CLE, SP) – 14% - He finally had his first start of the season on Saturday after being pushed back thanks to scheduling issues and pitched five innings of one run ball against the Mets before having to leave due to a hamstring cramp. He struck out six on the day and had good command working for him. He makes for an intriguing deeper league starter who you play in favorable matchups.

Nick Tropeano (LAA, SP) – 11% - Tropeano made his 2016 debut against the Athletics, going five scoreless innings and striking out six. He did allow six hits and walk two, so his WHIP was 1.60 after the outing but he showed the plus putaway stuff in his secondary offerings that he flashed last season when he struck out 38 in 37.2 innings. He becomes an intriguing option for as long as he gets the opportunity to pitch, and hopefully when Andrew Heaney is ready to come back the Angels will have recognized that Tropeano is better than guys like Jered Weaver and Matt Shoemaker.

Shane Greene (DET, SP) – 9% - Greene turned in a solid outing against the Pirates on Wednesday where he allowed two runs on three hits and three walks in six innings while striking out seven to pick up the win. Manager Brad Ausmus said that if Greene pitches well then he’ll stay in the rotation. We’ll see what comes of that but Greene certainly pitched well in his only start of the year. He’s slated to take on the Royals on Tuesday night for his next start.

Chase Anderson (MIL, SP) – 7% - Anderson is riding improved command thus far to some early season success as he’s pitched 11 scoreless (okay he allowed three unearned runs) innings to open 2016. These starts were not against scrubs either as he’s taken on the Astros and Cardinals. Anderson isn’t a world beater but his secondary offerings, a good changeup and curveball, give him some options to attack hitters. He’ll take on the struggling Twins on Monday so he makes for a good target.

Chris Bassitt (OAK, SP/RP) – 5% - His second start of the season went better as he pitched seven innings and only allowed one unearned run against the Mariners in a no-decision. Bassitt did struggle with command as he walked five that night, but he only allowed three hits to balance that. He is an AL-only guy who can be streamed effectively, but should not be a staple on your squad unless you’re in a deep league.

Kendall Graveman (OAK, SP) – 3% - Graveman is a groundball specialist who can also not be a total zero in the strikeouts category (77 in 115.2 IP last season) that also happens to pitch in Oakland’s spacious park. He allowed two runs in his first start against the White Sox and only surrendered one run in six innings against the Angels in his second start, so the ratios are what you’re valuing here. He allowed an odd (read: large) amount of homers last season given his groundball-inducing ways, and can hopefully correct that this season to the point where he can be truly helpful to mixed leaguers. For now he’s more of an AL-only type.

Jon Gray (COL, SP) – 3% - Gray may not have opened the year on the active roster thanks to an abdominal strain suffered towards the end of March, but he has already thrown some successful bullpens where he ironed out some mechanical issues and reportedly rediscovered his curveball. Gray can mix that in with a mid-90s fastball and slider to log about a strikeout per inning. His command isn’t the best but he still posted a nice 3.63 FIP last season (against a brutal 5.53 ERA that may drive potential owners away) and you can strictly pitch him away from Coors if you’d like, at least to start.

Chad Bettis (COL, SP) – 3% - Two Rockies pitchers?! What kind of starting pitcher article is this? Just hear me out. If you can use him wisely and navigate around the harsh home starts at Coors then he can be quite effective. Bettis has pitched 18.1 innings thus far and is 2-0 with 14 strikeouts, a 2.95 ERA and 1.20 WHIP. His skill based ERAs are all over four so tread carefully, but he posted a 3.18 ERA in the second half last season and could be very useful if deployed correctly.

Logan Verrett (NYM, SP/RP) – 1% - Spot started admirably for the Mets to fill in for Jacob deGrom, throwing six shutout innings against the Marlins. He might get another look if you need a cheap streamer next week as he should draw the Phillies.

 

MLB & Fantasy Baseball Chat Room

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


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

Logan Gilbert

Fans 10 In Return Start Monday
Pittsburgh Steelers

Steelers, DeShon Elliott Agree to Two-Year Extension
Ryan Pepiot

Strikes Out 11 in Win
Hunter Goodman

Homers Twice, Drives in Three
Stephen Curry

"Not Even Close" to Retirement
Jonathan Kuminga

Linked to Bulls, Heat
Kevin Durant

Has "No Desire" to be Traded to Minnesota
Isaac Paredes

Returns as DH on Monday
New York Giants

Mike Kafka Expected to Reclaim Play-Calling Duties
Jon Runyan

Limited During Minicamp
Saquon Barkley

Feels Great Physically
Justin Simmons

Panthers Have Talked With Justin Simmons
Jordan Addison

Trial Date Set for July 15
New York Jets

Jets Sign Kingsley Jonathan, Marquis Hayes
Jarace Walker

Remains Sidelined for Game 5
Justin Verlander

Returning to the Rotation on Wednesday
Tony Finau

Finishes Tied For 38th at U.S. Open
Bud Cauley

Misses The Cut at U.S. Open
Cameron Young

Finishes Tied For Fourth at U.S. Open
J.J. Spaun

Wins U.S. Open
Xander Schauffele

Finishes Tied For 12th at U.S. Open
Robert MacIntyre

Finishes Second at U.S. Open
Si Woo Kim

Finishes Tied For 42nd at U.S. Open
Vershon Lee

Vikings Ink Undrafted Offensive Lineman Vershon Lee
Luke Clanton

Misses The Cut at RBC Canadian Open
San Francisco 49ers

C.J. West Signs Rookie Deal with San Fran
Jaylen Warren

Training to Handle Larger Workload
Giancarlo Stanton

to Make Season Debut on Monday
Will Campbell

Ends Minicamp as Top Left Tackle
Sam Cosmi

Making Good Progress From Torn ACL
Kamaru Usman

Gets Back In The Win Column
Adonai Mitchell

Impresses at Minicamp
Joaquin Buckley

Winning Streak Comes To An End
Miranda Maverick

Drops Decision At UFC Atlanta
Bradley Chubb

Fully Healed, Looking Disruptive
Jonnu Smith

Contract Talks "Still Fluid"
Rose Namajunas

Wins Decision At UFC Atlanta
Andre Petroski

Suffers Unanimous-Decision Loss
Edmen Shahbazyan

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Raoni Barcelos

Wins Third Fight In A Row
Chase Elliott

Ends Mexico City with A Great Finish of Third
Christopher Bell

has A Strong Runner-Up Performance At Mexico City
Chase Briscoe

Wild Day Ends with A Top-10 Finish
Michael McDowell

Leaves Mexico City with A Top-Five Finish
Cody Garbrandt

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Cody Brundage

Defeated After Accidental Clash Of Heads
Cody Brundage

Mansur Abdul-Malik Defeats Cody Brundage By Technical Decision
Oumar Sy

Suffers His First Loss
Alonzo Menifield

Scores Upset Win
Alex Bowman

Delivers Bravura Performance After Michigan Injury
Tyler Reddick

Inexplicably Mediocre on his Once-Best Track Type
John Hunter Nemechek

Canny Strategy Gives John Hunter Nemechek Best Career Road-Course Finish
Cole Custer

Earns Best Finish Since Cup-Series Comeback at Mexico City
Grant Holmes

Punches Out 15 in Loss
Elly De La Cruz

Goes Yard in Fourth Straight Game
Will Vest

Dealing With Finger Injury
Jackson Merrill

Placed on Seven-Day Concussion Injured List
J.J. McCarthy

Looking "a Lot Stronger"
Shohei Ohtani

Will Be Dodgers' Starting Pitcher Monday
Roki Sasaki

Shut Down From Throwing
Garrett Wilson

Receives New Contract Offer
Jordan Hicks

Headed to Boston
Kyle Harrison

Traded to Red Sox
Travis Kelce

Slims Down During the Offseason
Trey Hendrickson

Bengals Restart Contract Discussions
Brady House

Nationals Promoting Brady House to Major Leagues
Rafael Devers

Traded to San Francisco
Logan Gilbert

to Start on Monday
Jayden Higgins

Impresses During Minicamp
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

on the Move to Memphis
Cole Anthony

Dealt to the Grizzlies
Seattle Seahawks

DeMarcus Lawrence Making an Impression With his New Team
Tyler Mahle

Placed on 15-Day Injured List
Luis Robert Jr.

Scratched with Thumb Soreness
Desmond Bane

Traded to Orlando
Byron Buxton

Scratched from Sunday's Lineup
Brendan Donovan

Returns to the Lineup
Steven Adams

Rockets Agree to Three-Year Contract Extension
Ty Dillon

Is a Respectable Cap Flexiblity-Focused DFS Option For Mexico City
Corey Perry

Produces 10th Postseason Goal
Connor McDavid

Scores First Finals Goal
John Hunter Nemechek

Is John Hunter Nemechek Worth Rostering In Mexico City DFS Lineups?
Sam Bennett

Nets Another Road Goal in Game 5 Win
Eetu Luostarinen

Earns Two Points Saturday
Brad Marchand

Pots Two Goals in Game 5 Victory
Sergei Bobrovsky

Ties NHL Record with 10th Road Win
Ross Chastain

Trackhouse Racing's Mexico Focus Makes Ross Chastain a Leading Contender for the Win
Kyle Busch

One of Two Past Mexico City Winners in the Field
Ryan Preece

Earns Surprising Front-Row Start
Austin Cindric

Not as Strong of a Road Racer as People Think
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Stronger on Infield Road Courses Than Purpose-Built Ones
Joey Logano

Seemingly Alternating Between Good and Mediocre Races
Brad Keselowski

One of the Few Drivers with Mexico City Experience
Denny Hamlin

Ryan Truex Makes First Cup Series Start Since 2014
Erik Jones

Mexico City Will Likely be a Struggle for Erik Jones
Noah Gragson

Front Row Motorsports' Speed May Make Noah Gragson a Decent DFS Option
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Road Courses Are Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s Worst Track Type
Evander Kane

Drops to Fourth Line Saturday
Kasperi Kapanen

Won't Play on Saturday
Calvin Pickard

Starts Game 5 for Oilers
Tyrese Haliburton

Struggles in Friday's Loss to OKC
Chet Holmgren

Dominates the Glass in Game 4
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Leads the Way in Game 4
Jalen Williams

Has a Quality Showing on Friday Night
Russell Westbrook

to Decline Player Option
Kevin Durant

Trade Could Happen in the "Next Few Days"
Joaquin Buckley

Set For Main Event
Kamaru Usman

An Underdog At UFC Atlanta
Miranda Maverick

Set For Co-Main Event
Rose Namajunas

Looks To Bounce Back
Andre Petroski

Looks To Extend His Win Streak To Four
Edmen Shahbazyan

A Favorite At UFC Atlanta
Raoni Barcelos

Set To Take On Former Champion
Cody Garbrandt

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Mansur Abdul-Malik

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Connor Hellebuyck

Wins Vezina And Hart Trophies
Aleksander Barkov

Records Two Power-Play Assists Thursday
Sam Reinhart

Collects Three Points in Thursday's Loss
Matthew Tkachuk

Notches Three Points in Losing Effort
Calvin Pickard

Joins Exclusive List with Thursday's Win
Mattias Ekholm

Logs Two Assists in Comeback Victory
Leon Draisaitl

Delivers Victory in Overtime Thursday
Myles Turner

Playing Through Illness
Reed Sheppard

Will Play in the NBA Summer League
Kevin Durant

Deal Could Come Sooner Rather Than Later
Dorian Finney-Smith

Undergoes Ankle Surgery
Anze Kopitar

Wins Third Lady Byng Trophy
Sergei Bobrovsky

Heading Out for Win No. 15
John Klingberg

Won't Play in Game 4 Against Panthers
Viktor Arvidsson

Sits Out Game 4 Against Panthers
Stuart Skinner

Remains in Oilers Crease Thursday
Jalen Williams

Leads Thunder in Scoring Wednesday
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Settles for 24 Points in Game 3 Loss
Pascal Siakam

Does Everything for Pacers Wednesday Night
Matt McCarty

Comes Off Season-Best Showing at RBC Canadian Open
Justin Thomas

Desperate to Continue Good 2025 Season
Jon Rahm

Seeks Revenge at U.S. Open
Tom Kim

Aiming for Improvement in U.S. Open
PGA

Sungjae Im Expects Solid Performance at Oakmont
Brian Harman

Aims to Rebound From the Memorial
Tony Finau

has Been Up and Down at U.S. Open
Patrick Cantlay

Hoping This is the Year at Oakmont
Akshay Bhatia

Improving in Time for U.S. Open
Xander Schauffele

Primed for Another Major Championship Run
Cameron Young

May Struggle at U.S. Open
Collin Morikawa

Eyeing Third Major Championship Title
Matt Fitzpatrick

Seeks to Avenge Oakmont Collapse
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF