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Welcome back, RotoBallers, to our starting pitcher fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 20(August 5th - August 11th). In this weekly piece, we search for starting pitchers rostered in less than 50% of Yahoo! leagues. These are SP options to consider that might be good additions to your fantasy roster, both short- and long-term.
This week, I look at several veterans who may have made slight changes to their pitch mix or their plans, like Yusei Kikuchi and Frankie Montas. We also look at youngsters with promise, like River Ryan and Hayden Birdsong. There is something for everyone on the waiver wire for the shrewd player. Acquiring players like these and adding to your pitcher mix for the second half could help you win your league.
Every player on my list has a flaw. It could be low strikeout rates; it could be a walk rate that is too high. Every player listed here can provide some level of benefit to your fantasy team. I look for guys who can contribute to my bottom lines; a win perhaps (although chasing them is foolish and tricky), maybe some strikeouts, while not destroying my carefully manicured ratios.
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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues
Recommendations for leagues of any size rostered between 30-50% on Yahoo!
Yusei Kikuchi, Houston Astros (rostered in 49% of leagues)
I will be open and honest here: I truly believe that the Astros might be able to unlock a cheat code with Kikuchi. I know it is only one start, but in his Houston debut on Friday night, Kikuchi struck out 11 hitters while pitching into the sixth inning. In the chart below, you can see that the coaching staff has suggested to Kikuchi to use his hittable four-seamer less while using the slider and the changeup more. This could be telling especially if he continues to get results. It would not be the first time that the Astros front office and coaching staff reshaped a pitcher and put them on the right path. At only 49% rostered this week, this feels like a gamble worth pursuing.
Sean Manaea, New York Mets (rostered in 44% of leagues)
Full disclosure: I have always liked Manaea and have rostered him often in the right leagues. He's always been able to generate swings and misses and get strikeouts. Often his ratios have hurt fantasy players. But this year, he has seven wins, with a 3,50 ERA, a 1.20 WHIP, and 112 strikeouts in 113 innings, impressive stuff. Manaea pitched seven innings and struck out 11 in his last start against Minnesota, generating 23 swinging strikes, just a massive amount. Stellar work in July for the veteran lefty. See below.
Hayden Birdsong, San Francisco Giants (rostered in 34% of leagues)
Many players will make the mistake of dropping Birdsong this week when he was returned to Triple-A, but savvy players know that this was a temporary move. Birdsong will get the start on Tuesday against the Washington Nationals. In his last two starts, the rookie has thrown 11 innings and generated 20 strikeouts while earning two wins. If he has been dropped in your league, and you need a starting pitching boost, grab Birdsong this weekend.
Jose Quintana, New York Mets (rostered in 32% of leagues)
Quintana has won three of his last four starts, capping off an excellent July with five strikeouts over six innings last week against Minnesota. In the month, he had three wins, a 2.05 ERA, a sparkling 0.98 WHIP, and 25 strikeouts in 30 innings. Fantasy players look at Quintana and see a flawed pitcher with low K rates, while I see him as a usable back-of-the-rotation starter that will give you worry-free innings most weeks.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues
Recommendations for leagues of any size rostered less than 30% on Yahoo!
River Ryan, Los Angeles Dodgers (rostered in 27% of leagues)
I scooped up Ryan everywhere I could when he became eligible for the major league roster. In two starts, he has pitched into the sixth inning both times. In his first start, he had only two strikeouts, but then went off for eight against Houston on his last outing, earning his first win. I am not sure how much runway he will get but with the uncertainty of the health of the Los Angeles rotation (Walker Buehler, Yoshinobu Yamamoto), Ryan could stick a while here. I think he's worth an addition in most leagues. Listed below, you can see how good his offerings are; above-league-average on every offering.
Frankie Montas, Milwaukee Brewers (rostered in 16% of leagues)
This is kind of a speculative play, as I think Montas is a better pitcher than he has shown this year. In his first start with the Brewers on Friday night, Montas slightly changed his pitch mix, throwing more sinkers and using his fastball more later in counts, being less "cute" and going right after hitters. Those with good long-term memories may recall that when Montas was at his best, that's how he pitched in Oakland. He's likely the number two starter for Milwaukee right now; let's see how the next few starts go, but Montas could be on to something here.
JP Sears, Oakland Athletics (rostered in 12% of leagues)
Sears is often forgotten about and thus not highly scrutinized for a roster spot, but he's perhaps starting to change that mindset. What intrigues me: the strikeout rate seems to be improving. See below; 30 strikeouts in 29 innings. Add in that he has won four of his last five starts, and you have an intriguing depth option to add to your roster right now.
Carson Spiers, Cincinnati Reds (rostered in 11% of leagues)
Spiers has two starts coming this week, and has shown enough to be considered in many leagues, yet is rostered in very few. One thing to consider is that he may be on a pitch count, which limits his ability to earn wins. However, Spiers was good in his first start back last week from his shoulder issue: five innings, a win, four strikeouts, and only one hit. Overall, he's got four wins, a 3.46 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP, and 45 strikeouts in 52 innings. Not bad, and a guy who could help the right squad searching for a playoff berth in fantasy baseball.
Other Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Options
- Spencer Arrighetti, Houston Astros (rostered in 9% of leagues)
- Mitch Spence, Oakland Athletics (rostered in 6% of leagues)
- DJ Herz, Washington Nationals (rostered in 6% of leagues)
Happy hunting for starting pitchers this weekend! If you have questions, you can always message me on X @mdrc0508. You can even tell me you hate these picks. Remember that fantasy baseball is supposed to be FUN above everything. Enjoy it!
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