Fantasy Baseball ERA Waiver Wire Adds

The fantasy baseball season is entering its final month, leaving rotisserie managers little time to leapfrog opponents in the standings. Each pitcher’s use carries extra weight as teams draw closer and closer to their maximum innings limits. Clever managers looking to gain ground in ERA can skip the streaming game and seek out reliable relievers to add from the waiver wire without chewing through their remaining innings allowed. 

Likewise, head-to-head managers entering their playoffs have to consider which categories they might steal from an opponent with a timely add from the wire. A pitcher added from the wire could make or break a week, and be the difference between advancing or elimination. Managers looking to win the ERA category should take a look at pitchers’ upcoming schedules and focus on those facing more forgiving offenses. 

RotoBaller’s Starting Pitcher Schedule Projection Tool is a great place to find pitchers’ upcoming scheduled matchups as well as a projection of their next 14 starts. It is a good starting point when evaluating the viability of a potential addition. Are you looking for a pitcher who can contribute to the ERA category? Read on for five suggestions that might still be available in your league.

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Top ERA Pitchers On The Wire

Tarik Skubal - Detroit Tigers (49% rostered)

These days no RotoBaller suggested add article is complete without a mention of Tarik Skubal, and with good reason. Still unowned in half of leagues, Skubal has been surprisingly effective since being activated in July, logging a 1.07 WHIP and 59 strikeouts in 50.1 innings. The southpaw’s 3.93 ERA can be expected to drop closer to his 2.67 xERA with anticipated starts coming against the lowly White Sox (twice!), A’s, and Royals as the season winds down.

Tanner Scott - Miami Marlins (46% rostered)

Tanner Scott is a prime example of a reliever whose frequent use and elite advanced stats will help roto managers draw down ERA without chewing through the innings left in a season. Scott has not allowed a run since July 31, and through August has seen his ERA fall to 2.48. With David Robertson removed from the closer role in Miami, Scott should see more save opportunities which will attract more fantasy owners to pick him up. Grab Scott while he is still available.  

Bryan Woo - Seattle Mariners (36% rostered)

Bryan Woo had only three starts in August thanks to a brief stint on the injured list. In those starts, Woo allowed opponents a .437 OPS and allowed just three runs, lowering his season ERA from 4.96 at the end of July to its current 4.15. Three of the rookie’s next four starts come against the Mets, Angels, and Athletics, offering prime opportunities to reduce that figure closer to his 3.09 xERA. 

Matt Brash - Seattle Mariners (32% rostered)

Another reliever to help roto enthusiasts, Matt Brash has made more appearances than any other pitcher in 2023. The young righty is sporting an unreal 36.3% strikeout rate, thanks in large part to a slider that has induced a 48.3% whiff rate this year. Brash’s current ERA is at 3.47 but his 3.21 xERA and 2.23 FIP give hope that fewer runs will be scored on his watch in September.

Matt Manning - Detroit Tigers (19% rostered)

It feels a bit strange to recommend a second starting pitcher from the Tigers, but you can't argue with the results. Since his ERA peaked at 5.06 on August 6, Manning has seen that number tumble to 3.62. Manning gets the Yankees (whom he blanked through six innings in his last start) again next week and then the Reds’ lively lineup, against whom he should sit. If projections hold, though, the righty will finish 2023 with a favorable schedule, facing the floundering Angels followed by the anemic offenses of the Athletics and Royals.

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