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Welcome, RotoBallers, to another edition of pitcher waiver wire pickups for points leagues. Some of the pitchers on this list have long-term value, while others are just good for Week 12 (June 10 to June 16). Either way, though, all starters listed below are great pickups for this upcoming week.
It's insane that we are already 11 weeks done with the fantasy baseball season. So, time is ticking for fantasy teams to improve their record. As a result, streaming pitchers could be a nice strategy for some fantasy managers, especially targeting pitchers with great matchups.
So, without further ado, here are the best pitchers to pick up in points leagues heading into Week 12 of the fantasy baseball season. If you have any other questions after reading this piece, feel free to reach out to me on X (@joeypollizze), and I'll answer any questions before Monday.
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Points League Waiver Wire - Best Choices
Taj Bradley, Tampa Bay Rays
Yahoo: 36% ESPN: 11%
It's crazy to see what one bad outing can do to a pitcher in fantasy. Prior to his start against the Baltimore Orioles last week, Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Taj Bradley was rostered in 49% of Yahoo leagues. But, after giving up nine runs on nine hits across 3 1/3 innings, Bradley's rostership has now dropped to 36%.
The Baltimore matchup was not easy by any means for the young pitcher. However, completely dropping him after one rough outing is not something I would have done. Before his rough outing on June 1, Bradley had a solid 3.13 ERA and 29 strikeouts in his first four starts. In all four of those games, the right-hander showed some great things on the mound, which included holding the Yankees offense to one run across six innings with seven strikeouts.
Taj Bradley looked good in his first start back up:
6 IP 4 H 1 R 2 BB 7 K
11 whiffs and 30 CSW%Got up to 93 pitches and topped 99 on his fastball🔥
pic.twitter.com/ow6gSlMPqp— Andrew DeCeglie (@Andrew_FBB) May 11, 2024
With another start against the Orioles in Week 11, Bradley could be in for another rough outing. But, things lighten up significantly for him over the next month with matchups against the Chicago Cubs, Minnesota Twins, Seattle Mariners, and Washington Nationals to round out June. The upside is there for the 23-year-old to be a long-term fantasy option, so grab him now before your league mates do.
Ryan Weathers, Miami Marlins
Yahoo: 39% ESPN: 22%
At this point, Miami Marlins pitcher Ryan Weathers deserves to be rostered in all 12-plus team leagues. Before his start against the Cleveland Guardians on Friday, Weathers delivered five straight strong outings against some solid offenses. With starts against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Texas Rangers during that span, the left-hander allowed three runs or less in every outing while going at least six innings.
Weathers' best start of the year came back on May 14 when he threw eight shutout innings with four strikeouts against the Tigers. It's been great to see the southpaw finally turn a corner in the majors after struggling with the San Diego Padres to begin his career. Don't forget, the left-hander was a former first-round pick back in the 2018 MLB Draft, so the talent is surely there.
Now, Weathers is finally seeing some results on the mound. He has a 2.18 ERA and 33 strikeouts over his last five starts. Pick up the left-hander now, especially with a start against the New York Mets in Week 12.
Jake Irvin, Washington Nationals
Yahoo: 33% ESPN: 16%
Washington Nationals pitcher Jake Irvin deserves more love in fantasy moving forward. Before his outing against the Atlanta Braves on Friday, Irvin had a 3.39 ERA and 60 strikeouts across 69 innings pitched this season. The right-hander is surely enjoying a breakout campaign in 2024, and there's reason to believe he can keep up this success.
Irvin has had some strong starts this season against some potent offenses, including the Dodgers and Braves. In a start on April 17, the right-hander threw six scoreless innings with six strikeouts against the Dodgers. Then, facing Atlanta on May 28, he delivered six shutout innings with 10 strikeouts.
Jake Irvin's last seven starts:
41.1 IP
2.61 ERA
3.32 xFIP
22.8 K%
3.1 BB%He is relying on the curveball more which is a fantastic pitch in terms of inducing weak contact. pic.twitter.com/dH4Z5dsMlc
— Michael Simione (@SPStreamer) June 6, 2024
With outings like that this season, he should definitely be added in more leagues ahead of Week 12. The 27-year-old is also lined up to face the Tigers this upcoming week, making him a nice add in 12-plus team leagues.
Points League Waiver Wire - Next Choices
Hunter Brown, Houston Astros
Yahoo: 47% ESPN: 45%
It was just a couple of weeks ago that Houston Astros pitcher Hunter Brown was demoted to the bullpen after struggling in the rotation. Brown had an 8.89 ERA in his first seven starts. But, following just one appearance out of the bullpen, the Astros promoted the right-hander back to rotation as the team dealt with some injuries.
That one bullpen appearance, though, seemed to help Brown because he has seen much better results since returning to the rotation. In four outings back as a starter, the 25-year-old has a 3.91 ERA and 24 strikeouts across 23 innings of work. His best start during that stretch came back on May 28, when he threw six innings of one-run ball with nine strikeouts against the Seattle Mariners.
With this recent nice streak on the mound, Brown should be considered an add ahead of Week 12. He also gets to face the Los Angeles Angels (Week 11), Detroit Tigers (Week 12), Chicago White Sox (Week 13), and Colorado Rockies (Week 14) over his next four starts. So, some nice fantasy days could be on the horizon for managers.
Points League Waiver Wire - Two-Start Choices
Erick Fedde, Chicago White Sox
Yahoo: 50% ESPN: 39%
Chicago White Sox pitcher Erick Fedde is not only a great two-start choice heading into Week 12, but he also has some long-term value. Fedde has shown some nice things on the mound this season and currently owns a 3.27 ERA and 73 strikeouts across 74 1/3 IP.
While the right-hander has given up at least three earned runs in three of his past four starts, it's hard to ignore what the White Sox pitcher has done against some top offenses this season. He just threw 6 1/3 shutout innings with six strikeouts against the Orioles three outings ago. Not many pitchers have been able to stop the Baltimore offense this year, but Fedde's ability to do so shows just how much potential he has in fantasy.
His cutter was going and his changeup was untouchable. See how Erick Fedde was feeling on the mound for his career-high 11 strikeout performance in this edition of First of Many. pic.twitter.com/qkIw9rLLHE
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) June 3, 2024
With two starts lined up in Week 12 against the Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks, Fedde should be strongly considered in fantasy. He has two great matchups for managers looking to pick him up.
Jose Soriano, Los Angeles Angels
Yahoo: 12% ESPN: 5%
If fantasy managers are looking for another great two-start pitching option this week, look to see if Los Angeles Angels starter Jose Soriano is available. After starting the year in the bullpen, Soriano has transitioned smoothly to the rotation, where he has seen a lot of success. The 25-year-old currently owns a 3.55 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 11 starts this season.
Soriano has flown under the radar in fantasy this season, but with a two-start week on the horizon against the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants, managers should be looking to add him immediately.
He has thrown at least six innings in four straight starts while giving one earned run or less in two of those outings. The right-hander has been able to eat innings for the Angels in 2024 while providing some solid strikeout numbers. Soriano has struck out at least six batters in six of his 11 starts this year.
Points League Waiver Wire - Deeper Choices
Joey Estes, Oakland A's
Yahoo: 9% ESPN: 3%
If fantasy managers are looking for a pitcher in deeper formats, Oakland A's starter Joey Estes could be a nice add. Despite struggling in his first four starts of the season, Estes has settled down and provided some fantasy value over the past two weeks. He threw five innings of one-run ball against the Tampa Bay Rays on May 29 and then followed that up by delivering 6 1/3 scoreless innings against the Mariners in his most recent outing.
“I belong here.”
Joey Estes notched his first major league win tonight, and he details his change in mentality from last year to this year, citing his newfound confidence. #Athletics pic.twitter.com/yYPF7JHCD0
— Uprooted (@uprootedoakland) May 12, 2024
Estes has looked solid on the mound recently and should be on fantasy radars in deeper leagues. With starts upcoming against the San Diego Padres, Minnesota Twins (twice), and Los Angeles Angeles, there is room for the right-hander to toss more great outings. He is also lined up for a two-start week in Week 12, so now might be the best time to grab him on waivers.
Points League Waiver Wire - More Options
- Michael Lorenzen- 35% rostered
- Matt Waldron- 33% rostered
- Sean Manaea 27% rostered
- Max Meyer- 23% rostered
- Cooper Criswell- 18% rostered
- Austin Gomber- 14% rostered
- Spencer Arrighetti- 8% rostered
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