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Welcome back RotoBallers to our starting pitcher fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups recommendations for Week 16 of the fantasy baseball season (July 10 - July 16). My name is Nick Shlain and this is my fifth week of writing this column, but I should be sticking around for the rest of the season.
The MLB All-Star break is this week, so teams won't be back in action until Friday. 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 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
Alek Manoah, Toronto Blue Jays (75% Rostered)
Alek Manoah isn't available in most leagues and he's had his struggles this season, but he sure looked to have overcome them in his return to the mound on Friday. Manoah struck out eight batters and allowed only one run in six innings against the Detroit Tigers on the road. He still has a 5.91 ERA this year, but overall he has a 3.17 ERA in his MLB career. It's clear what he's capable of in the second half of this season.
He really should be rostered in all leagues as he's got the potential to be a fantasy difference-maker over the second half of the season.
Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers (49% Rostered)
Tarik Skubal didn't last as long as Manoah in his return to the mound, but he was awfully impressive. Skubal tossed four perfect innings with six strikeouts against the Oakland Athletics. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said after the game that he expects Skubal to be a "monster" every time he takes the mound. Skubal dealt with some cramping in his leg during the start, but his arm is healthy for the second half of the season.
With the Tigers' offensive struggles and Skubal not working deep into games yet, it might be tough for him to win games. But he should contribute in the other fantasy categories right away.
Jack Flaherty, St. Louis Cardinals (39% Rostered)
Jack Flaherty hasn't had the best season so far. He has a 4.27 ERA and a 4.46 xFIP, but he hasn't allowed an earned run in each of his last two starts totaling 12.2 innings. Since May 9, he has a 3.09 ERA over 10 starts. Flaherty hasn't thrown even 100 innings since 2019. As he approaches that number this year, he seems to be regaining his footing as a solid member of the Cardinals rotation.
Flaherty only has six wins this season, but he's struck out 89 batters in 92.2 innings. He's been a reliable strikeout pitcher all year.
Aaron Civale, Cleveland Guardians (47% Rostered)
Aaron Civale has a 2.56 ERA in nine starts for the Guardians this season. He might not be able to keep that up as he has a 4.40 xFIP, but he's been impressive so far and can certainly be used in the right matchups. His last start was definitely one of those as he spun seven scoreless innings against the Kansas City Royals and struck out nine batters in the process.
Civale only has three wins in his nine starts, but Cleveland will push for the playoffs in the second half and he's completed at least five innings in eight of his nine starts.
Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues
Pitcher pickup recommendations for deeper leagues
JP Sears, Oakland Athletics (21% Rostered)
JP Sears has only won one of his 17 starts this season, but that's what you get with the Oakland Athletics in 2023. He's been solid with a 4.09 ERA. His recent form has been quite good as he's completed at least seven innings in three of his last four starts and recorded at least seven strikeouts in two of those games.
Sears has 89 strikeouts in 94.2 innings this season, so he should probably be rostered in more leagues. There's always the chance that he gets traded to a better team at the trade deadline.
Gavin Williams, Cleveland Guardians (42% Rostered)
Gavin Williams earned his first major league victory in his last start and was an out away from a quality start while striking out seven batters against the Royals. With Cal Quantrill hitting the injured list, Williams is firmly entrenched in the Guardians' rotation now. He has a 19:7 SO:BB and 4.01 ERA after four starts for the Guardians.
Williams has a big fastball and decent breaking pitches, so he could strike out even more batters over the rest of the season. Being on the Guardians probably won't hurt him in the wins category.
Matt Manning, Detroit Tigers (6% Rostered)
Matt Manning didn't allow a hit over six innings while striking out five against the Blue Jays in his last start. He's another Tiger, so he might not help much in the wins category. He has managed to win three of his five starts this season, though. Manning also has a 3.72 ERA in those starts.
Don't expect Manning to go deeper than six innings in his starts, but he could be a solid contributor if he stays healthy the rest of the season.
Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Stashes
Nick Lodolo, Cincinnati Reds (?% Rostered)
Nick Lodolo is my favorite pitcher to stash right now. He started a rehab program about 10 days ago, so his return is still unclear. Still, he was a very good pitcher last year. His injury was to his leg and not his arm. Lodolo also will be returning to a surging Cincinnati Reds team pushing for the playoffs.
Lodolo had a 3.66 ERA and 131 strikeouts in 103 innings last year. He could be an absolute stud for teams that roster him upon his return.
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