RADIO
We'll be doing this roundup of points leagues every week here at RotoBaller, with waiver wire targets and streaming pitchers being evaluated in terms of the different scoring systems of ESPN, Yahoo!, CBS, and Fantrax.
Player values can vary wildly from platform to platform, so we'll make sure to highlight where players are the best and worst fits. We know points league players get neglected and we're here to help with all of the best streams for the week.
These fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups are for the week of June 20 - June 26, looking at players below ~50% rostered for ESPN, Yahoo!, or Fantrax. Rankings are calculated using games through Saturday, June 18.
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Know Your Scoring System
You know what I'm going to say, right? You must account for, as precisely as possible, how a player performs under your particular scoring system. Don't be fooled into believing you can just make rough adjustments in your head, bumping up guys with high on-base percentages and low strikeout rates. Every point, in every category, counts.
For example, ESPN and Fantrax are virtually identical in their scoring for hitters and roster size. The only difference is that stolen bases are worth one more point on Fantrax and ESPN subtracts one point per strikeout. That's the difference between Trea Turner being a top-five hitter versus a top-25 hitter.
If your league uses standard settings, then great! Turn to page 94 and you can skip ahead to the leaderboards. If you play with custom settings, it'll still be fine. Go back to page 43 and look below at the scoring systems of the four major platforms. I bet there's a chance that you'll find that your league's scoring is very similar to one of the four (well, not Yahoo!'s), even if it's not the platform you actually play on.
You'll likely find a suitable mirror to your own system if you look above. While every point counts, as long as they aren't seismic changes, you can get away with some "close enough" calls. IE. If everything is the same except for HBP (or something similar), you're probably fine.
Waiver Wire Leaderboards
In addition to our overall waiver wire leaderboards, once we're deep enough into the season, we'll also start doing a 21-day leaderboard as well, giving us a window into recent production. All charts are updated prior to Saturday's games, on stats and ownerships, and clicking on a chart will open a new page with a magnified version.
And it's Father's Day, so I'm afraid the analysis will be light. But we'll be back to regularly scheduled programming next week.
*APR = Average Platform Ranking - the average platform ranking between ESPN, CBS, Yahoo, and Fantrax (standard point settings)
Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire - Best Choices
George Kirby, SEA (@ OAK) - What do we do against the A's (vs RHP: 29th in wOBA, 29th in xwOBA, 22nd in K%)? That's right, we attack!
Josiah Gray, WSH (@ TEX) - The Texas offense has been much improved as of late but Gray is currently on a heater of his own. In four starts since allowing 7 ER vs LAD on May 24, Gray has posted a 0.82 ERA over 22 IP, striking out 22 batters. But he'll need to get the walks under control if he truly wants to take the next step. He had 11 BB in those four great starts and now has a 4.21 BB/9 for the season and faces a Rangers team with enough power strokes to make him pay for any unforced errors.
Ross Stripling, TOR (@ CHW) - After cutting through the butter of Detroit and Kansas City, Stripling was mundane vs NYY, lasting just 3.2 IP and allowing 2 ER. But the White Sox are a good chance to get back to some fantasy goodness, as they are bottom-five in wOBA/xwOBA vs RHP.
Marco Gonzales, SEA (@ OAK, @ LAA) - Don't be a trap, don't be a trap, don't be a trap...
Jon Gray, TEX (vs WSH) - Gray has rolled in his past two starts (granted, they came against CHW and DET), striking out 16 batters over 13 IP and allowing just one earned run. Washington isn't quite as bad as his previous opponents but they still have a bottom-10 offense vs RHP.
Taijuan Walker, NYM (@ MIA) - The strikeouts have returned, as Walker is coming off of his best two starts of the year (12.2 IP: 2 ER, 19 K) but also faces a Marlins offense that is top-10 vs RHP. The real question, though, is whether he can stop Jon Berti from stealing seven bases in one game.
Dane Dunning, TEX (vs WSH) - Dunning has the occasional hiccup but if you can get past the inconsistency, is a solid matchup from week to week. And while his 22% K% is below-average, a 29.7% CSW% is bordering on top-tier.
Roansy Contreras, PIT (vs CHC, @ TB) - Contreras has had back-to-back mediocre performances but will look to get back on track against back-to-back mediocre offenses.
Alex Cobb, SF (vs CIN) - Cobb faced this same Reds team on the road in his last start before hitting the IL with a neck sprain, allowing 2 ER over 6 IP and striking out eight batters.
Keegan Thompson, CHC (@ PIT) - After back-to-back bad outings vs the Yankees and Orioles, Thompson got back on track against Atlanta, striking out nine batters over six innings and allowing zero runs. He has a good chance to keep it up against a Pirates offense that is bottom-three in wOBA and K%.
Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire - Next Choices
Merrill Kelly, ARI (vs DET) - What do we do against the Tigers (vs RHP: 30th in wOBA, 30th in xwOBA, 25th in K%)? That's right, we attack!
Justin Steele, CHC (@ PIT) - Since allowing 7 ER to the Reds on May 26, Steele has a 2.63 ERA over his past four starts. And never forget how much the Pirates mostly stink - Pittsburg is bottom-three vs LHP in wOBA, xwOBA, and K%.
Tyler Wells, BAL (vs WSH, @ CHW) - Wells continues to be a sneakily excellent option for streaming and is coming off of a solid start vs Toronto, picking up the win after allowing one earned run over six innings. He'll get two shots to do it in Week 11, facing two offenses that are both bottom-10 vs RHP.
Beau Brieske, DET (@ BOS, @ ARI) - Over his past three starts, Brieske has a 0.96 ERA (3.41 FIP) over 18.2 IP. Impressive in and of itself but more so considering they came against the Yankees, Blue Jays, and a Rangers offense that's been heating up. He gets two road starts this week, with one coming against a very subpar Arizona offense. Hopefully, the recent 14-run outburst by the Tigers means more offense is coming and Brieskie can actually snag a Win-bonus.
Zach Davies, ARI (@ SD, @ DET) - Good god, is that Zach Davies!?! Davies has a 1.31 ERA (1.78 FIP) over his last three starts, striking out 20 batters over 20.2 IP. Let's not get too carried away, though, as they came against Cincinnati twice and Pittsburgh once. But the good-time matchups continue for his two-step in Week 11, getting a San Diego offense that's been bottom-10 vs RHP and a Detroit team that's been, well, Detroit (last in wOBA/xwOBA vs RHP).
Anthony DeSclafani, SF (@ ATL, vs CIN) - Disco comes off the IL for a two-step but I'm not rushing to run him out in Atlanta for the first one.
Brady Singer, KC (vs OAK) - Oakland is bad. That's the tweet...Did I do that right? It doesn't feel like I did.
Jonathan Heasley, KC (@ LAA) - Heasley has a 3.72 ERA (3.13 FIP) over the past three weeks and gets to face an Angels team that is quickly moving into the OAK/DET/PIT territory of stream targeting.
Chris Flexen, SEA (@ LAA) - He hasn't been going deep but Flexen has been solid after a rotten stretch in May and gets to face the same LA Trouts that he did in his last turn, allowing 2 ER over 5.1 IP in a no-decision.
Rich Hill, BOS (vs DET) - Detroit is better vs LHP than RHP but is still bottom-six in wOBA/xwOBA.
JT Brubaker, PIT (vs CHC, @ TB) - It doesn't always show up but Brubaker does have stuff good enough to be streamable from week to week. But he has a hard time consistently going 5+ IP and has a Pittsburgh offense behind him that is unlikely to set him up for many wins when he does. But the Cubs have been a bottom-10 offense vs RHP and the Rays have been bottom-five.
Johnny Cueto, CHW (vs BAL) - Facing a mediocre Baltimore offense (22nd in wOBA vs RHP, 16th in xwOBA), Cueto has another good shot to go his usual six innings, with four or five strikeouts. That, with a Win bonus, would be enough for a solid stream. Which, given his advanced age, Cueto may not have had for a while.
Dakota Hudson, STL (@ MIL) - It's a tough matchup with a Milwaukee offense that's top-10 in wOBA vs RHP but Hudson's extreme groundball tendencies continue to allow him to get deep into games, even if the strikeouts aren't going to be high.
Kyle Freeland, COL (@ MIA) - It's not in Colorado and Miami stinks against lefties. Try and ride that lightning, if you dare.
Madison Bumgarner, ARI (@ SD) - The FIP wizard is at it again but the Padres have been a top-10 offense vs LHP.
Chris Archer, MIN (vs COL) - Confession: I haven't loved it but due to a brutal injury stretch, I've been forced to start Archer in bad matchups vs SEA and NY these past two weeks in some of my 15-team leagues...But it looks like confirmation bias says I'm a genius! So, let's just go with that. Don't expect more than 4-5 IP but a matchup with Colorado (18th in wOBA, 25th in xwOBA) isn't the worst one on the board.
Reid Detmers, LAA (vs KC) - The rookie has been up and down but a start against the Royals is often good medicine.
Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire - Desperate Choices
Josh Winckowski, BOS (vs DET, @ CLE) - The rookie just handled Oakland (5 IP: o ER, 3 K) and gets another basement dweller in Detroit before facing a Cleveland team that's mediocre vs RHP. Counterpoint: Who's Josh Winckowski, again?
Zack Greinke, KC (vs OAK) - Greinke comes off the IL for a choice matchup. Unfortunately, we should know by now what we're getting...5is IP, 4ish K, and maybe his first Win of the season?
Aaron Ashby, MIL (vs STL, vs TOR) - Ashby has a two-step but they're against two tough offenses and he left his most recent start with forearm tightness. Red flag, red flag, red flag.
Zach Eflin, PHI (@ SD) - With a 20.0% K% for the season and a 4.81 FIP over the past three weeks, Eflin is a low-ceiling, low-floor option with a lot of value tied to whether he can sneak in a win bonus - something he's only done twice in 2022.
Dylan Bundy, MIN (vs COL) - After an 8 IP/1 ER performance, my sweet Dylan is going to suck some people back in vs a Colorado team that is mediocre vs RHP and won't be at home.
Aaron Civale, CLE (@ MIN, vs BOS) - I didn't trust Civale prior to going on the IL and I certainly don't trust him in his return against a Minnesota offense that is top-10 vs RHP, and a Boston team that's top-10.
Austin Gomber, COL (@ MIA, @MIN) - Boom or bust - Gomber gets two on the road, with one coming against a Miami team that is subpar against LHP, and the other against a Twins team that is worse vs LHP than they are RHP but still aren't awful (14th in wOBA, 3rd in xwOBA, 9th in K%).
David Peterson, NYM (vs MIA) - He's unlikely to go more than 4-5 IP but the Marlins are also unlikely to be good vs LHP (30th in wOBA, 29th in xwOBA, 30th in K%).
Alex Faedo, DET (@ BOS, @ ARI) - Welp, that sucked. Faedo allowed 7 ER in 3 IP in his last start and I'm not taking a chance with running him out vs BOS. But Arizona (23rd in wOBA/xwOBA, 26th in K% vs RHP) is much more palatable if you're needing a stream.
Mitch Keller, PIT (@ TB) - Boy howdy, have I been wrong about Kell-bah-ha-ha-ha...Almost kept it going. Keller has a 2.76 ERA over the past three weeks but a bottom-tier 8.6% K-BB% and 24.1% CSW% makes me think this is the same, old Keller, with the same ol' straight-ball. But hey, he wins the matchup lottery again, as Tampa Bay is a bottom-five offense vs RHP so perhaps Mitch can swing some more magic. But I'm going to pass, so you'll have to let me know what happens.
Devin Smeltzer, MIN (vs CLE) - The FIP gap cometh - don't be fooled by his strong start to the season, even against a Cleveland offense that's near the bottom of the league vs LHP.
Luke Weaver, ARI (vs DET) - Primo matchup but did you see Weaver his last time out? 3.2 IP - 9 ER.
Relief Pitchers Waiver Wire
Unless you're in a very deep league and/or have a lot of dedicated RP-only slots, most of the relievers you're going to want are the ones who are closers, have a chance to close, or elite setup guys. But I do mean elite because most scoring structures are weighted in a way that relievers almost necessarily have to get saves in order to be valuable. Although, long relievers whose usage you can reliably predict, can be useful in leagues with daily moves. But for a majority of leagues, sticking to closers is the way to go.
With that in mind, here are the best relievers on the wire for Week 11, ordered by Yahoo roster%:
Closers (and co-Closers) on the Wire
Tanner Scott, MIA - Scott picked up a Save last week but also blew one. However, with Anthony Bender and Cole Sulser both hitting the IL, Scott has little competition.
Dany Jimenez, OAK - Jimenez remains the man in Oakland, picking up his 11th Save of the Season. Unfortunately, it's still Oakland, so the chances will remain few and far between.
Tanner Rainey, WSH - Rainey has 11 Saves on the season but failed to get an opportunity for another last week, instead making two non-Save appearances.
Jhoan Duran, MIN - Is Duran really the co-Closer? Because he hasn't gotten a Save opportunity since May 24, while Emilio Pagan has snagged three Saves since then.
Committees on the Wire
Cincinnati Reds - Still a hot mess. Alexis Diaz blew a Save this week, while Hunter Strickland and Joel Kuhnel both picked one up.
Tampa Bay Rays - Pick an RP, any RP! Colin Poche got the Rays' most recent Save, with Ryan Thompson blowing two in the past week.
Philadelphia Phillies - Corey Knebel may have been Philly's $10 million man, but poor performance has now left him on the outside looking in, with Seranthony Dominguez and Brad Hand now sharing the duties. Both got a Save and blew a Save in the past week.
Seattle Mariners - Diego Castillo and Paul Sewald remain the high-leverage guys but Seattle didn't have a chance last week for either to earn a Save.
Random Save Chances O' the Week
Noe Ramirez, ARI - Got one on Wednesday, blew one on Wednesday. Noe chance.
Jackson Stephens, ATL - Save on Tuesday
Mychal Givens, CHC - Blew Save on Tuesday
Luis Cessa, CIN - Blew Save on Tuesday
Enyel De Los Santos, CLE - Save on Friday
Hector Neris, HOU - Blew Save on Monday
Archie Bradley, LAA - Blew Save on Saturday
Jose Quijada, LAA - Save on Saturday
Steven Okert, MIA - Blew Save on Monday
Brad Boxberger, MIL - Save on Friday
More Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Advice
