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
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Late-Round Fantasy Baseball Pitcher Targets: WHIP

Joe Ryan - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, MLB DFS Picks, Betting Picks

This is the next part of a series reviewing standard rotisserie league categories to identify later-round draft options and sleepers to help your fantasy team in each spot. We've already covered SP targets to help with ERA.

In this article, we're looking for starting pitchers that can help your fantasy team's WHIP. This is not an easy task. Most of the great WHIP projections go off of the board pretty quickly. After the top 30 or so starting pitchers, you are generally taking on a lot of risk. We are typically taking on some risk with late-round starting pitchers, so make sure you get at least a couple of the top-30 names on your team.

The more breathing room in pitching, the better, but for now, let's attack the WHIP category.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and weekly lineup resources:

 

The Makings of WHIP

The WHIP calculation is simply walks plus hits divided by innings pitched. Hits are pretty tough to predict since a lot of what goes into that is random. Walking hitters is much less random, that is mostly in the pitcher's sole control. For this reason, you are better off attacking low-walk pitchers late in the draft rather than trying to guess at who will allow fewer hits.

Walk rates are pretty steady year-over-year as well, giving us a high level of confidence about our projections in that category. Let's dive into some low-walk, late-round pitchers that can help bolster your team's WHIP.

 

The Targets

Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers (ADP 175)

The risk here is innings pitched, as it has been for quite a while with Kershaw. He managed just 121.2 innings last year, and has not gone above 180 since way back in 2015.

The reports about his current health are positive, and while he is on the field there is little question about his performance. Check out his BB% and WHIP totals over the last five seasons.

Year BB% WHIP
2017 4.4% 0.95
2018 4.5% 1.04
2019 5.8% 1.04
2020 3.6% 0.84
2021 4.3% 1.02

There is no reason to think Kershaw will suddenly bloat to a 6.0% walk rate, which keeps his WHIP projection very positive. You may only get 100 innings out of Kershaw this year, but your team's WHIP will be benefited by drafting him at the current discount.

John Means, Baltimore Orioles (ADP 220)

The lack of a strong strikeout rate does lead to him giving up more hits than you'd like (more balls in play = more hits), but he is another guy who does a fantastic job limiting walks. For his career, he has thrown 348.2 innings with an elite 5.0% walk rate. That has kept his ERA at a low 1.08 despite a more average-looking 3.82 ERA.

A big change in 2021 for Means is the ballpark. Camden Yards moved the left-field fences back and made them taller. This will probably hurt his WHIP a bit, as the outfielders will have more ground to cover, which will allow some fly-balls to drop in that otherwise would not have. It is a likely positive for his ERA as well, as the difference is sure to take away some home runs.

Either way, Means' reliably low walk rate will keep his WHIP as a positive; he's a really good value way down there in the 200's.

Joe Ryan, Minnesota Twins (ADP 214)

We have only seen 26.2 Major League innings from Ryan, but they were good ones. He went for a 30% K% and a 5.0% BB% in those innings. This small of as sample size isn't really worth reading into, but it is backed up by his strong minor league numbers as well. In 66 innings in AAA last year, he walked just a dozen batters for a 4.8% BB%. That carried through immediately to the big leagues, and I have no reason to suspect it won't be sustained in 2022.

It is tough to project what Ryan will do overall this year since he gave up such a ridiculously high fly-ball rate and his pitch arsenal falls short of dominant. However, we can say with confidence that he will post a very usable WHIP mark given his history of just not handing out free passes.

Yu Darvish, San Diego Padres (ADP 100)

A little more expensive here, but not nearly as expensive as we've seen in recent years. Darvish had a disappointing line in 2021, going for a 4.22 ERA as he dealt with a big-time home run issue (1.52 HR/9). Despite those bad numbers, his WHIP remained strong at 1.09, bolstered by another strong 6.5% walk rate. Really since 2018, he has been one of the best pitchers in the game at avoiding walks.

The ground-ball rate for Darvish went in the wrong direction last year, coming down below 40% for just the second time in his career. This could actually benefit him in WHIP, however, as ground-balls go for hits less frequently than line drives or fly-balls. Darvish is one of my favorite SP targets this year with the discount we're seeing on him, and he's a really good bet to post another great WHIP in 2022.

Nathan Eovaldi, Boston Red Sox (ADP 125)

Last season was Eovaldi's best work, posting a 3.75 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP over 182.1 innings. He especially turned it on in the second half, with a great 29.1% K%, a 4.5% BB%, and a 1.14 WHIP over his final 79 innings.

He has been pretty inconsistent in his career, but he has always managed walks well. Besides one short-sample blip in 2019, he has come in with a walk rate below 8.0% in each season since 2014. His career walk rate sits at 6.9%, and the strikeout gains were really encouraging to see late last year.

The field has noticed what Eovaldi did last year, as evidenced by his highest ADP ever. He can be a tough guy to pull the trigger on with some of the other high-upside names around him, but if you need some WHIP safety – Eovaldi is a nice pick.

Other names to consider: Jose Urquidy, Sean Manaea, Pablo Lopez, Logan Gilbert, Bailey Ober



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Grayson Allen5 hours ago

Ruled Out Versus Kings
D'Angelo Russell5 hours ago

Suiting Up On Wednesday
Bradley Beal6 hours ago

Unavailable Wednesday
DK Metcalf7 hours ago

Puts In Full Practice On Wednesday
Henrik Norlander7 hours ago

Needs Strong Showing At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Michael Kim7 hours ago

Playing Well Down The Stretch
Nick Taylor7 hours ago

Returns To Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Jhonattan Vegas7 hours ago

Playing Well Heading To Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Matthias Schmid7 hours ago

Looks To Bounce Back At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Patrick Rodgers7 hours ago

Heads To Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Mackenzie Hughes7 hours ago

Debuts At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Maverick McNealy7 hours ago

Seeking Back-To-Back Top-10 Finishes In Bermuda
Lucas Glover7 hours ago

In A Groove Ahead Of Bermuda Championship
Andrew Putnam7 hours ago

A Player To Watch In Bermuda
PGA8 hours ago

Nico Echavarria In Top Form Heading To Bermuda
Jusuf Nurkic8 hours ago

Back On Wednesday Night
Anfernee Simons8 hours ago

Won't Suit Up Against The Timberwolves
Robert Williams III8 hours ago

Resting In Rematch With Minnesota
Deandre Ayton8 hours ago

Out Again On Wednesday
Andre Drummond8 hours ago

Out Sick On Wednesday
Paul George9 hours ago

Won't Play Versus Cleveland
Joel Embiid9 hours ago

Sitting On Wednesday
Tage Thompson9 hours ago

Labeled As Day-To-Day
Mattias Samuelsson9 hours ago

Out Indefinitely
Gabriel Landeskog9 hours ago

Remains Without A Timeline
Jonas Brodin9 hours ago

Considered Questionable For Thursday
Tank Bigsby9 hours ago

Listed As DNP On Wednesday
Andre Drummond9 hours ago

Listed As Questionable On Wednesday
Tyreek Hill9 hours ago

Misses Wednesday's Practice
Hampus Lindholm9 hours ago

Expected To Miss "Weeks"
Jani Hakanpaa9 hours ago

Available On Wednesday
Tee Higgins10 hours ago

Officially Limited On Wednesday
Marcus Smart10 hours ago

Set To Play Wednesday
Seth Jarvis10 hours ago

Set To Miss A Second Consecutive Game
Michael Pittman Jr.10 hours ago

Practicing In Full
Brian Thomas Jr.10 hours ago

Limited On Wednesday
Josh Jacobs10 hours ago

Limited During Wednesday's Practice
Mike Conley10 hours ago

Resting Wednesday Versus Portland
Kirk Cousins10 hours ago

Limited On Wednesday
Najee Harris10 hours ago

Does Not Practice On Wednesday
Christian McCaffrey10 hours ago

Limited On Wednesday
George Kittle11 hours ago

Not Practicing On Wednesday
Brian Robinson Jr.11 hours ago

Off The Injury Report
DK Metcalf11 hours ago

To Be Limited In Wednesday's Practice
Sam LaPorta12 hours ago

Misses Practice, Remains Day-To-Day
J.J. McCarthy12 hours ago

Undergoes Second Knee Surgery
Gardner Minshew II13 hours ago

Will Start In Week 11
Tee Higgins13 hours ago

Won't Practice But Bengals Encouraged With His Progress
Isiah Pacheco13 hours ago

Unlikely To Return In Week 11
Younghoe Koo14 hours ago

Falcons Sticking With Younghoe Koo As Their Kicker
Dalton Kincaid14 hours ago

No Practice For Dalton Kincaid On Wednesday
Amari Cooper14 hours ago

To Be Limited On Wednesday
Nick Hardy17 hours ago

Looks To Find Consistency On The Greens In Bermuda
Carson Young17 hours ago

Hopes To Carry Recent Form To Bermuda
Brandon Clarke18 hours ago

Questionable For Wednesday's Action
Kevin Yu18 hours ago

A Name To Watch At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Marcus Smart18 hours ago

Picks Up Questionable Tag Ahead Of Wednesday
Fred VanVleet18 hours ago

Tagged As Questionable For Wednesday
Steven Adams18 hours ago

Questionable For Meeting With Clippers
Dorian Finney-Smith18 hours ago

In Danger Of Missing Another Game
Obi Toppin18 hours ago

Questionable For Wednesday Night
Anthony Davis18 hours ago

Expected To Play Wednesday
Connor McDavid19 hours ago

Leads Oilers To Victory With Four-Point Effort
Neal Pionk19 hours ago

Records Three Assists In Historic Win
Linus Ullmark19 hours ago

Records First Shutout As Senator
Hampus Lindholm19 hours ago

Taken Out By A Lower-Body Injury
Sam Bennett19 hours ago

Battling An Upper-Body Injury
Lars Eller19 hours ago

Returns To Washington
Shohei Ohtani1 day ago

Among NL Silver Slugger Winners
Aaron Judge1 day ago

Headlines AL Silver Slugger Winners
Jose Alvarado1 day ago

Out Against OKC
Dante Fabbro1 day ago

Makes Blue Jackets Debut Tuesday
Wander Franco1 day ago

Now Facing Weapons Charges
Spencer Knight1 day ago

Set To Face Devils Tuesday
Travis d'Arnaud1 day ago

Agrees On Two-Year Deal With Angels
Logan Stanley1 day ago

Added To Injured Reserve
Philipp Grubauer1 day ago

Remains Out On Tuesday
Shane Pinto1 day ago

Returns To Senators Lineup
Cam Fowler1 day ago

Placed On Injured Reserve
Robby Fabbri1 day ago

Lands On Injured Reserve
Brendon Todd1 day ago

A Hard Sell At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Greyson Sigg1 day ago

May Surprise In Bermuda
Jacob Bridgeman1 day ago

In For Adventure At Port Royal Golf Course
Mark Hubbard1 day ago

Plays Solid In Bermuda
Andrew Novak1 day ago

Tries To Build Off ZOZO Championship
Daniel Berger1 day ago

Looks To Continue His Consistent Run At Port Royal Golf Course
Justin Lower1 day ago

Looks To Continue His Hot Play At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
2 days ago

Blue Jays, Red Sox To Meet With Juan Soto
Dustin Wolf2 days ago

Cools Off Kings Monday
Jasson Domínguez3 days ago

Yankees Expect Jasson Dominguez To Have A Big Role In 2025
Carlos Correa3 days ago

Progressing
Carlos Prates3 days ago

Gets Higlight-Reel Knockout Win At UFC Vegas 100
Neil Magny3 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Vegas 100
Cortavious Romious3 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC Vegas 100
Gaston Bolaños3 days ago

Gaston Bolanos Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Joey Logano3 days ago

Holds On At Phoenix To Win His Third Cup Series Championship
Los Angeles Dodgers3 days ago

Dodgers Considered Favorites For Roki Sasaki
Ryan Blaney3 days ago

Falls Short Of The 2024 Cup Series Title At Phoenix
Dusko Todorovic3 days ago

Gets TKO'd At UFC Vegas 100
Wander Franco3 days ago

Arrested On Monday After Altercation
Tyler Reddick3 days ago

Lacks Speed Of Other Championship 4 Contenders But Drives Well
William Byron3 days ago

Finishes Third In Phoenix Race And Championship
Miami Marlins3 days ago

Marlins Hire Clayton McCullough As New Skipper
Mansur Abdul-Malik3 days ago

Gets First-Round Finish At UFC Vegas 100
Luana Pinheiro3 days ago

Falls Short At UFC Vegas 100
Gillian Robertson3 days ago

Extends Win Streak At UFC Vegas 100
Gerald Meerschaert3 days ago

Gets Finished At UFC Vegas 100
MMA3 days ago

Reinier de Ridder Gets Submission Win In UFC Debut
4 days ago

Rays Have Interest In Juan Soto
NASCAR4 days ago

Bubba Wallace Is A Top DFS Recommendation With Upside For Phoenix
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Is Expected To Compete For The Title At Phoenix
Joey Logano4 days ago

Is One Of The Favorites To Win At Phoenix
Kyle Larson4 days ago

Could Be A Favorable DFS Option For Phoenix Lineups
Corey Lajoie4 days ago

Corey LaJoie Will Start 20th At Phoenix
Brad Keselowski4 days ago

Is A Solid Recommendation For Phoenix DFS Lineups
Erik Jones4 days ago

Will Start 19th At Phoenix This Week
Carson Hocevar4 days ago

Will Compete For A Top-10 Finish At Phoenix
Ty Gibbs4 days ago

Should DFS Players Fade Ty Gibbs At Phoenix?
Chase Elliott4 days ago

Is Chase Elliott A Solid DFS Pick For Phoenix Lineups?
Ryan Blaney4 days ago

The Championship Favorite Despite Qualifying Blunder
William Byron4 days ago

Will Be Strong In Fight For Championship
Austin Cindric4 days ago

Is Austin Cindric Worth Rostering For Phoenix DFS Lineups?
Ross Chastain4 days ago

Is Great At Phoenix
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Looking To Go Back-To-Back At Phoenix After Championship Snub
Chase Briscoe4 days ago

Can Be Worth Rostering In Tournaments At Phoenix
Denny Hamlin4 days ago

Could Contend At Phoenix
5 days ago

Nick Martinez Expected To Accept Qualifying Offer
MLB5 days ago

Roki Sasaki Will Be Posted, Opens Door For 2025 MLB Debut
Nolan Arenado5 days ago

Could Be On The Trade Block
Zach Neto5 days ago

Undergoes Shoulder Surgery, Could Miss Start Of 2025
Mason Miller6 days ago

To Stay In The Bullpen
Shohei Ohtani6 days ago

Shoulder Surgery Could Delay His Pitching
New York Yankees6 days ago

Yankees Exercise Aaron Boone's Option
Carlos Prates6 days ago

Looks For His Fourth Win In A Row
Neil Magny6 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
MMA6 days ago

Benardo Sopaj Looks For His First UFC Win
Ricky Turcios6 days ago

Returns At UFC Vegas 100
Dusko Todorovic6 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 100

RANKINGS

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