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

NFL

Devonte Wyatt's Fifth-Year Option Exercised By Packers
New York Jets

Quarterback Jordan Travis Retires From Football
Taylor Ward

Sitting On Wednesday
Pittsburgh Steelers

Montravius Adams Released By Steelers
Sam Burns

Could Be Due For A Great Week At TPC Craig Ranch
Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles Picking Up Fifth-Year Option On Jordan Davis
Minnesota Vikings

Myles Price Lands With Vikings As UDFA
Cleveland Browns

NFL Hands Out Fines To Falcons, Jeff Ulbrich For Leak Of Shedeur Sanders' Phone Number
Tyler Glasnow

Shut Down For 10-14 Days
Cleveland Browns

Shedeur Sanders Has A Lot Of Work To Do
Pittsburgh Steelers

Calvin Austin III Has Inside Track On Slot Role
Pittsburgh Steelers

Kaleb Johnson To Be Co-Starter For Steelers?
Baltimore Ravens

Ravens Won't Pick Up Fifth-Year Option On Tyler Linderbaum
Baltimore Ravens

Ravens Exercise Kyle Hamilton's Fifth-Year Option
Minnesota Vikings

Vikings Agree With Andrew Van Ginkel On One-Year Extension
Atlanta Falcons

Nick Nash Has An Opportunity With Falcons
Atlanta Falcons

Falcons Exercise Fifth-Year Option On Drake London
Ketel Marte

Likely To Return This Weekend
A.J. Puk

Won't Need Surgery, Won't Throw For 2-3 Weeks
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Could Be Forced To Injured List With Oblique Injury
Jeimer Candelario

Placed On 10-Day Injured List With Spine Strain
Patrick Rodgers

A Solid Value Play At TPC Craig Ranch
Jamal Murray

Explodes For 43 Points In Game 5
Carson Young

Looking To Recapture Form At CJ Cup
Jayson Tatum

Fires In 35 Points In Series-Clincher
Matt McCarty

An Intriguing Value Play At CJ Cup
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Logs Massive Triple-Double In Game 5
Maxi Kleber

Listed As Questionable For Game 5
Will Zalatoris

Searching For Putting Form At CJ Cup
Rob Dillingham

Out On Wednesday
Jae'Sean Tate

Still Out On Wednesday
Jimmy Butler III

Listed As Probable For Wednesday
Jack Eichel

Notches Two Assists In Game 5 Victory
Sam Stevens

A Risky Play With Upside At CJ Cup
PGA

Sungjae Im Riding Momentum Into CJ Cup
Sebastian Aho

Sends Hurricanes To Round 2
Ben Griffin

Looking To Stay Hot After First Career Win
Jake Knapp

Looking For More Success At TPC Craig Ranch
Linus Ullmark

Records Shutout In Elimination Game
Brady Tkachuk

Extends Point Streak To Four Games
Mackenzie Hughes

Is An Interesting Option At CJ Cup
Pavel Dorofeyev

Doesn't Finish Game 5
Filip Gustavsson

Exits Early Due To Illness
Aaron Ekblad

Slapped With Two-Game Suspension
Aldrich Potgieter

Trending Downward For CJ Cup
Taylor Pendrith

Plays Well In Houston Recently
PGA

Niklas Norgaard May Not Be Cut Out For Texas
Rasmus Hojgaard

Could Be Up Or Down In Texas
Ben Rice

Smacks Two Homers To End Slump
Jorge Polanco

Hits Two More Homers, Drives In Five
Scottie Scheffler

The Untouchable Favorite At CJ Cup
Tom Kim

A Popular Name To Avoid At TPC Craig Ranch
Austin Eckroat

Looking To Find Success Again At TPC Craig Ranch
Cristopher Sánchez

Cristopher Sanchez Set To Start Wednesday
Shota Imanaga

Exits With Leg Cramps
Ben Kohles

Finishes Tied For 59th At Corales Puntacana Championship
Joel Dahmen

Finishes Tied For Second At Corales Puntacana Championship
Beau Hossler

Finishes Tied For 60th At Valero Texas Open
Doug Ghim

Finishes Tied For 18th At the Valero Texas Open
George Kirby

"Feeling Great," Could Throw Again On Sunday
Tyler Fitzgerald

Returning To Starting Nine
Josh Lowe

Progressing Well, Could Play In Rehab Games On Saturday
Shane McClanahan

Begins "Throwing-Like" Activities
Patrik Laine

Remains Day-To-Day
Gabriel Vilardi

On Track To Return Wednesday
Brandon Hagel

Ruled Out For Game 5
Marcus Johansson

Returns To Action Tuesday
Cole Ragans

Won't Start On Wednesday
Dylan Moore

Placed On 10-Day Injured List With Hip Inflammation
Jonas Siegenthaler

Considered A Game-Time Decision Tuesday
Brett Pesce

A Game-Time Call Tuesday
Yordan Alvarez

Back In Tuesday's Lineup
Frederik Andersen

Unavailable Tuesday
Aaron Nesmith

Upgraded To Available
Las Vegas Raiders

Jack Bech A Strong Candidate To Be An Immediate Starter
Las Vegas Raiders

Zamir White Competing For Depth Role
New York Jets

Mason Taylor To Immediately Be Atop Jets Tight End Depth Chart
Bennedict Mathurin

Cleared For Game 5
Buffalo Bills

Dalton Kincaid Setting Up As Post-Hype Sleeper In 2025?
Denver Broncos

Dre Greenlaw Expected To Be Ready For Training Camp
Seattle Seahawks

Sam Darnold To Take Over 90% Of The Snaps
Tennessee Titans

Titans In No Rush To Trade Will Levis
Daulton Varsho

Reinstated From Injured List And Starting On Tuesday
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Records Third Consecutive Double-Double
Brandin Podziemski

Hits Six Treys During 26-Point Performance
Jimmy Butler III

Leads Warriors In Scoring Monday Night
Jarrett Allen

Has Double-Double, Six Steals In Blowout Win
Brandon Boston Jr.

Recovering From Ankle Surgery
Kelly Olynyk

Undergoes Heel Procedure
Aaron Nesmith

Probable For Tuesday's Action
Nathan MacKinnon

Has Two Points In Losing Effort
Martin Necas

Records Two Assists In Game 5 Loss
Mikko Rantanen

Tallies Three Points In Monday's Win
Wyatt Johnston

Leads Stars To Game 5 Victory
Sergei Bobrovsky

Returns To Winning Ways
Anton Lundell

Earns Two Points Monday
Brandon Hagel

Departs Loss Early
Riley Greene

Homers Twice On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

Exits Monday's Win Early
Jimmy Butler III

Officially Active For Game 4
Isaiah Stewart

Uncertain For Game 5
Michael Porter Jr.

Expected To Play In Game 5
Brandon Nimmo

Has Career Game
Russell Westbrook

Questionable For Tuesday Night
Jaylen Brown

Back On The Injury Report
William Byron

Ends With A Strong Top-Five Finish At Talladega
Ryan Blaney

Bad Luck Continues With Talladega Crash
Kyle Larson

Has A Career-Best Performance At Talladega
Ian Machado Garry

Gets Back On Track With UFC Kansas City Win
Brad Keselowski

Talladega Run Ends Early After Crashing
Carlos Prates

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Zhang Mingyang

Still Undefeated In The UFC
Anthony Smith

Retires After UFC Kansas City Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous Decision Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous-Decision Loss
David Onama

Extends Win Streak At UFC Kansas City
Michel Pereira

Drops Decision At UFC Kansas City
Abus Magomedov

Extends His Win Streak
Nicolas Dalby

Gets Finished For The First Time
Randy Brown

Gets Back In The Win Column
Ikram Aliskerov

Gets First-Round TKO Finish At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Gets TKO'd At UFC Kansas City
Chase Elliott

Recovers from Speeding Penalty to Finish Fifth
Joey Logano

Finishes Last at Talladega After Disqualification for Missing Spoiler Brace
Ryan Preece

Loses Talladega Race First in Photo Finish Then in Post-Race Inspection
NASCAR

Poor Toyota Strategy Arguably Cost Bubba Wallace Winning Chances at Talladega
Christopher Bell

Unhurt After Hard Contact with Inside Retaining Wall
Chase Elliott

Is One OF The Top Overall DFS Picks Of The Week
Joey Logano

Could Joey Logano Finish A Race With A Top Finish At Talladega?
NASCAR

DFS Players Should Like Bubba Wallace For Talladega This Week
Christopher Bell

Should DFS Players Roster Christopher Bell At Talladega?
Austin Cindric

Is Austin Cindric Worth Rostering For Talladega DFS Lineups?
Shane Van Gisbergen

Is A Solid, Safe, DFS Choice For Talladega Lineups
Austin Dillon

Is Austin Dillon A Viable DFS Play At Talladega This Week?
Josh Berry

Qualifies Too High At Talladega To Be Worth Rostering In DFS
Michael McDowell

Should DFS Players Take A Shot On Michael McDowell At Talladega?
Noah Gragson

Could Be A Sneaky DFS Play For Talladega
Denny Hamlin

Probably Qualified Too Well for DFS Consideration
Kyle Larson

Increasingly Undervalued Due to His Crashing, but Still a Great DFS Option
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF