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Welcome back RotoBallers to our starting pitcher fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups recommendations for Week 14 of the fantasy baseball season (June 27 - July 2). My name is Nick Shlain and this is my third week of writing this column, but I should be sticking around for the rest of the season.
There are only two weeks until the MLB All-Star break as the fantasy baseball season continues to roll along. With that being said, baseball is the longest fantasy season so there's still plenty of time to make up ground in the fantasy standings and upgrade your rosters for a playoff run. We're looking to make up some of that ground on the mound here.
Today we'll be taking a look at some promising recent prospect call-ups, some veterans arms who may be improving, and the best pitcher still in the minor leagues to stash to help fantasy managers. Good luck on the waiver wire this week!
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Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues
Pitcher pickup recommendations for leagues of any size
Gavin Williams, Cleveland Guardians (37% Rostered)
Williams was a bit uneven in his big league debut. He allowed four earned runs in 5.2 innings while striking out four batters. Still, he showed that he has some upside with his fastball sitting around 97 mph. In the minor leagues, Williams had a 3.92 xFIP and 61 strikeouts in 46 innings.
Given that Triston McKenzie will be out for a while, Williams will likely be given a long look in the rotation. He makes sense if you're looking for a long-term solution in your fantasy rotation.
Emmet Sheehan, Los Angeles Dodgers (38% Rostered)
After two starts, Sheehan looks like one of the best rookie starting pitchers in the league. He no-hit the San Francisco Giants for six innings in his first start. Then he followed it up with his first big league victory as he allowed only two runs over six innings against the Houston Astros.
With Julio Urias still on the injured list, Sheehan is going to stick in the Los Angeles rotation for now. It's possible that if he continues to pitch well he could remain in the rotation ahead of Bobby Miller.
Taijuan Walker, Philadelphia Phillies (57% Rostered)
I've recommended Walker each of the last two weeks, but he keeps pitching well and is still readily available across fantasy leagues. Walker hasn't allowed more than one earned run in each of his last four starts and has recorded five strikeouts in each of those games.
While Walker still has a 4.42 xFIP overall this season, he's pitching a lot better than that lately. We have to continue to ride the hot hand here until he burns us.
Kenta Maeda, Minnesota Twins (26% Rostered)
Maeda returned from the injured list and looked like himself against the Tigers. He threw five scoreless innings and struck out eight batters while only needing 83 pitches to do so.
Maeda certainly has a difficult matchup in his next start against the Atlanta Braves, but he'll face the Kansas City Royals after that. Being in the Twins' rotation and getting to face the other American League Central teams is good for fantasy.
Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues
Pitcher pickup recommendations for deeper leagues
Wade Miley, Milwaukee Brewers (32% Rostered)
Miley's xFIP is 4.95 this year, but you can't argue with the results as he has a 2.91 ERA on the season. He's allowed just one earned run over his last three starts. While he won't help much in the strikeout category, Miley can certainly help your ERA if he keeps pitching like this.
Miley left his last start with a cramping issue that isn't considered to be serious going forward.
Griffin Canning, Los Angeles Angels (27% Rostered)
The lopsided score in Saturday night's Rockies vs. Angels game overshadowed what was another good start by Canning. He threw six shutout innings and struck out seven batters at Coors Field. It was his seventh consecutive start allowing three earned runs or less.
Quite frankly, Canning should be rostered in a lot more than 27% of leagues. He's pitching very well right now and can be a long-term solution in fantasy rotations.
Dane Dunning, Texas Rangers (52% Rostered)
Dunning is another pickup in the mold of Wade Miley. He has a 4.79 xFIP this year but has a 2.76 ERA. Dunning also won't help very much with strikeouts, but he can pitch. He's gone at least six innings while allowing only two earned runs in each of his last two starts against the Yankees and Blue Jays.
His opponent gets a lot easier as he has a matchup at home with the Detroit Tigers this week.
Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Stashes
Eduardo Rodriguez, Detroit Tigers (82% Rostered)
Rodriguez is ahead of schedule in his return from a finger injury. He was seen on the field throwing live batting practice this week.
Rodriguez had a 2.13 ERA and 0.98 WHIP before his injury and the Tigers have the easiest remaining schedule in all of baseball. Stashing him now could pay off big time when he returns during the second half of the season.
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