RADIO
Fantasy baseball owners are always looking for the next sleeper or big player from the waiver wire to help improve their teams. Every year there are starting pitchers who come out of nowhere to make a huge splash, and then there are guys who take a little bit longer to develop or round into form as the season progresses.
Below I will be discussing three starting pitchers who may be sleepers for your team and may still be available on your league's waiver wire, depending on the league format, including NL-Only and AL-Only leagues. The focus here is on deeper options to consider, to try and stay ahead of the curve and your fantasy competition. Good luck RotoBallers.
Kyle Hendricks - SP, CHC
3% Owned in Yahoo, 3% in Fleaflicker Leagues
Pitching for the Chicago Cubs can be frustrating and Kyle Hendricks learned that the hard way in his last start versus the St. Louis Cardinals. Hendricks went 6.1 innings and allowed only 1 earned run, but received the loss. In his first 3 starts this season, he has gone 19.1 innings and has allowed only 5 earned runs (2.33 ERA).
The only flaw in terms of fantasy value for Hendricks is a lack of big strikeout numbers. He only has 14 in his 19.1 innings, and his total has decreased through each start. However, his control has been amazing thus far, so fantasy owners can expect many quality starts the rest of the season, even if many of them will not result in wins. For the short term, Hendricks is a great addition in deeper leagues.
Jeremy Hellickson - SP, TB
6% Owned in Yahoo, 8% in Fleaflicker Leagues
The red-hot Tampa Rays have climbed back into the wild card race and the return of Jeremy Hellickson should bolster the rotation. Manager Joe Maddon will likely be careful managing Hellickson’s pitch count for the short term. In his last start against the Boston Red Sox, Hellickson only pitched 4.2 shutout innings, but struck out 5 batters.
He was in position to receive the win had he been able to complete 5 innings. He has yet to pitch 5 innings in either of his starts since returning from elbow surgery, but expect that to change in his next couple starts. He will face an impressive Angels team on Friday but will look to build on back-to-back positive starts. If Hellickson begins to pitch deeper into games, he should be looked at in all formats.
Roenis Elias - SP, SEA
15% Owned in Yahoo, 12% in Fleaflicker Leagues
With the Mariners in the thick of the wild card race, they need their starting pitchers to continue to produce at a high level - and Roenis Elias has done just that in his last two starts. Since the All-Star break, Elias has pitched 10.1 innings and only given up 2 earned runs while striking out an impressive 14 batters. He had been torched in his three starts prior to the All-Star break, so the days off could not have come at a better time for him.
In his first season as a starter for the Mariners, Elias is sporting a respectable 8.03 K/9. He will look to continue his recent surge on Friday when he faces the 1st place Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards. If Elias continues to pitch well, all formats should consider picking him up.
