X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Week 22 Waiver Wire - Starting Pitchers

And just like that, we’ve got one lone month remaining in the fantasy baseball season. It feels like just yesterday that we were sorting through the chaos of the homer spike with what was sure to be an April outlier -- only it continued anyway! 2017 has been a rough year for pitching, between the long balls, the blisters (which may or may not be related) and the 10-day disabled list “encouraging” more teams to give their pitchers a break.

But we persist through blood, sweat and tears on the waiver wire because that is what we must do to win. Here are my starting pitcher waiver wire targets for Week 22.

For our purposes, we’re going to use Yahoo ownership levels and try to cut things off around 30%.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Targets

Blake Snell - (TB, SP): 30% owned

There must be a bit of “post-hype sleeper” tainting Snell’s ownership levels here. Don’t you all love young pitching? Are too many of you simply evaluating the southpaw based off of his season-long numbers? Sure, the 2-6 record, 4.29 ERA (4.97 SIERA) and 1.41 WHIP are below-average, and the 87 total strikeouts in 98 2/3 innings doesn’t redeem anything. But you know he wouldn’t be here without reason, as he’s posted a 2.39 ERA over his last four starts with a 2-0 record and a healthy 23-to-8 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He’ll square off against the White Sox in Chicago for his next scheduled start on Sept. 1.

Tyler Glasnow - (PIT, SP): 24% owned

You already know he’s been dominant at Triple-A so we’ll just say this: Pirates’ GM Neal Huntington said that the team could shift to a six-man rotation in order to get Glasnow (and Steven Brault) some big-league innings down the stretch. There are a few layers of gambling going on with rostering Glasnow, but the upside is game-changing and September is the time for a little lightning stashed on the bench.

Edwin Jackson - (WAS, SP/RP): 23% owned

Jackson’s latest outing on Tuesday night vs. Miami saw him toss six more innings of two-run ball -- the same outcome as his last start on Aug. 23 against Houston -- with one of those runs being a completely-understandable homer allowed to Giancarlo Stanton. Am I worried that he’s now walked seven against just six strikeouts over his last two starts? Yes, but he now has a 2.94 ERA as a National and Houston and Miami are rather reputable offenses, plus Jackson isn’t a must-start. This all paints him as a decent play his next time out in Milwaukee before a solid home matchup vs. Philadelphia.

Mark Leiter Jr. - (PHI, SP/RP): 17% owned

Leiter’s scheduled start on Tuesday was rained out, so now he’ll take on the Braves in a doubleheader on Wednesday. This gives some of you an extra chance to scoop him up, because even though he bombed against the Padres in a premier matchup, he redeemed himself with seven shutout frames vs. Miami on Aug. 23. He allowed only one hit that day, and has now looked stellar in three of his last four appearances on the mound. The 26-year-old won’t be a bastion of consistency for anyone and the potential for a hiccup will lurk in the shadows, but he’s got the talent to replicate last week’s stat line.

Miguel Gonzalez - (CWS, SP): 13% owned

Some of y’all are catching on, likely helped by that nine-strikeout gem he threw against Detroit on Aug. 25, but he still needs some attention. He’s now gone 3-2 with a 2.94 ERA in eight starts (49 innings) since the All-Star break with seven of those outings falling under the “quality” column. While fantasy owners shouldn’t get hinged to the lofty K totals from his last start, this is an arm who turned in only one non-quality start out of 12 unhindered-by-injury outings between July-September last season. He’s got the talent to do so, even if many associate his name with mediocrity. He’ll go for another QS against the Twins on Thursday in a slated road matchup.

Jake Junis - (KC, SP): 12% owned

Some might still be bitter over his poor showing against the Indians back on Aug. 18, but there’s no denying that Junis has looked spectacular in four of his five August starts now. Tuesday night saw him dominate the Rays over 5 2/3 frames, striking out eight while allowing just one run on three hits and zero walks. In fact, he’s only walked three batters across those five outings (27 1/3 innings) while still bringing some serious whiffs to the table. He’s also given up just two homers in that span, which is extremely encouraging in this power-happy climate. He’ll take on the Tigers next in Detroit on Sept. 4.

Chris Stratton - (SF, SP/RP): 10% owned

Stratton has now struck out 10 in two of his last three starts, which is reason enough for all fantasy owners to perk up and smell what’s cooking. The downside of his second 10-K effort is that it came with five walks versus the one free pass that he issued against the Nationals in his first one. He’s walked four-plus in three of his five starts this season, but he’s shown upside that many would consider worth leaning on with a start against the Cardinals set for Sept. 1 at home in spacious AT&T Park.

Jack Flaherty - (STL, SP): 10% owned

Now Flaherty’s stock has spiked rather quickly as one of the newer kids on the block, with a recent report signaling a potential rotation spot opening up for the 21-year-old with Mike Leake struggling. The 34th overall pick in the 2014 Draft has posted a pristine 2.13 ERA and 1.02 WHIP between 143 2/3 combined Double- and Triple-A innings thus far with 144 strikeouts against just 34 walks. His upside isn’t near that of Glasnow’s, but he’s another young arm worth a stash.

Andrew Heaney - (LAA, SP): 10% owned

Fresh off of his first victory of 2017 -- a 10-strikeout showing against the A’s -- Heaney may just have shaken the rust off heading into September. He’s still sporting a .231 BABIP and 100 percent strand rate, which help fuel the 7.81 FIP, though his 5.63 ERA has a lovely 3.33 xFIP and 3.38 SIERA behind it. That 14.9 percent swinging-strike rate is beautiful, no matter how small the sample size.

Robert Stephenson - (CIN, SP/RP): 2% owned

Stephenson is lining up to face the Mets at home on Thursday with a strong chance at capturing his third consecutive victory. While he dominated Pittsburgh’s batters with 11 strikeouts in his last trip to the rubber, we can’t ignore that he also walked four and still owns a sky-high 5.98 BB/9 behind the 9.4 K/9. He has plenty to offer and admittedly his season-long stats are skewed by two horrendous outings against St. Louis and Miami, in which he walked six and seven batters, respectively. You’re dancing with some control demons here, but this current Mets lineup is one to target -- especially for a guy with big strikeout potential.

 

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Adds

 

Premium Tools & DFS Research

Get a free trial of our powerful MLB Premium Tools. Our famous DFS Optimizer & Lineup Generator, daily Matchup Ratings, expert DFS Lineups/Cheat Sheets, and more.

Sign Up Now!




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Griffin Conine

To Have Shoulder Surgery On Tuesday
Luke Keaschall

Twins Prospect Luke Keaschall Suffers Broken Forearm
Logan Gilbert

Leaves Friday's Start With Forearm Tightness

Vikings Select Tai Felton To Finish Day 2

Seahawks Select Quarterback Jalen Milroe With The 92nd Pick Overall

Browns Select Dillon Gabriel 94th Overall

Packers Pick Savion Williams At No. 87 overall

Steelers Snag Kaleb Johnson In Round 3

Broncos Select Wide Receiver Pat Bryant With The 74th Overall Pick

Texans Select Jaylin Noel With 79th Pick

Lions Select Wide Receiver Isaac TeSlaa With The 70th Overall Pick
Jack Leiter

To Start On Sunday

Patriots Add Wide Receiver Kyle Williams In Round 3

Browns Draft Harold Fannin Jr. With 67th Pick
Garrett Mitchell

Makes Early Exit
Luke Keaschall

Removed Early On Friday
Blake Snell

Likely Avoids Major Injury
Cole Ragans

Dealing With Mild Groin Strain

Broncos Add RJ Harvey To Backfield With 60th Pick

Raiders Select Jack Bech With 58th Pick

Chargers Add Wide Receiver Tre Harris In Round 2
Detroit Lions

Lions Acquire 57th Pick From Broncos

Seahawks Draft Elijah Arroyo 50th Overall
Carolina Panthers

Panthers Acquire 51st Pick From Broncos
Arizona Cardinals

Cardinals Snag Will Johnson At No. 47

Jets Add A Pass-Catcher With Mason Taylor At No. 42

Rams Select Terrance Ferguson With 46th Pick
Houston Texans

Texans Acquire 48th Pick From Raiders, Draft Aireontae Ersery

Saints Snag Tyler Shough At No. 40
Brenton Doyle

Out For Personal Reasons On Friday
Brandin Podziemski

Not On Injury Report For Game 3
Jimmy Butler III

Warriors Optimistic About Jimmy Butler III Playing Saturday
Jae'Sean Tate

To Remain Out Saturday
Jock Landale

Unavailable For Game 3
Terry Rozier

Out On Saturday
Jrue Holiday

Ruled Out For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Orlando
Kevin Love

To Miss Saturday's Game
Jaylen Brown

Available For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Magic
Gary Payton II

Iffy For Saturday's Action
Jayson Tatum

Officially Available On Friday For Game 3 Against Magic
Will Smith

Back From Injury On Friday
Luke Kennard

Questionable For Game 4 On Saturday
Darius Garland

Listed As Questionable For Game 3
Ja Morant

To Miss Game 4 On Saturday
Rui Hachimura

Available For Game 3 In Minnesota
Aaron Ekblad

Available To Return Saturday
Erik Swanson

Ryan Burr Progressing
Daulton Varsho

To Return On Tuesday At The Latest
Max Scherzer

Takes Positive Step On Friday
Aleksander Barkov

Questionable For Saturday
Gabriel Landeskog

Set For Larger Role In Game 4
Calvin Pickard

To Start Game 3 For Oilers
Randy Arozarena

Resting For First Time This Year
Jonas Siegenthaler

To Play Limited Minutes In Game 3
MLB

Red Sox-Guardians Game Postponed On Friday
Luke Hughes

Remains Out On Friday
MLB

Tigers-Orioles Postponed On Friday
Patrik Laine

A Game-Time Decision Friday
Yainer Diaz

Out On Friday Against Royals
Iván Herrera

Ivan Herrera Hopes To Start Rehab Assignment Next Week
Salvador Perez

Sitting Out For First Time This Season
Jaylen Brown

Questionable For Game 3 On Friday
Brendan Donovan

Back In Action On Friday
Jimmy Butler III

Could Miss Game 3 On Saturday
Coby Mayo

Getting On A Roll At Triple-A
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Cade Cunningham

Collects Double-Double In Loss
Jalen Brunson

Drops 30 Points In Game 3
Karl-Anthony Towns

Leads All Scorers In Game 3 Victory
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
Nicolas Dalby

An Underdog At UFC Kansas City
Randy Brown

A Favorite At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Set To Open Up UFC Kansas City Main Card
Ikram Aliskerov

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Sergei Bobrovsky

Shuts Out Lightning In Game 2
Cam Fowler

Finishes Thursday's Win With Five Points
Robert Thomas

Posts Four Assists In Game 3 Win
Pavel Buchnevich

Celebrates Hat Trick During Four-Point Performance
Dylan DeMelo

Battling An Illness
Marcus Johansson

Exits Early Thursday
Aleksander Barkov

Hurt In Game 2
Jrue Holiday

Tagged As Questionable For Friday
Jayson Tatum

Likely Out Again On Friday
Anthony Cirelli

Good To Go Thursday
Andrei Vasilevskiy

Looks To Bounce Back In Game 2
Rasmus Ristolainen

To Miss Training Camp
Jonas Siegenthaler

Returns To Practice
Aliaksei Protas

Traveling With Capitals
Gabriel Vilardi

Still Out On Thursday
Max Pacioretty

Set To Join Maple Leafs Lineup For Game 3
Cam Davis

Looking For Better Fortunes At TPC Louisiana
Adam Svensson

Making Third Apperence At Zurich Classic
Max Greyserman

Aiming For Similar Success At TPC Louisiana
Lee Hodges

A High-Upside Player In New Orleans
PGA

Nico Echavarria Looks To Ride Off Of Elite Putting In New Orleans
Gary Woodland

A Player Worth Watching In New Orleans
Max McGreevy

Returns To The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Rasmus Hojgaard

In Search Of Consistency Ahead Of Zurich Classic
Sam Stevens

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate In New Orleans
Nicolai Hojgaard

Looking To Turn Season Around At Zurich Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks To Sway A Hot Putter In Teams Favor At Zurich Classic
Akshay Bhatia

Looking To Bounce Back At TPC Louisiana
Carson Young

Looks To Turn Things Around At TPC Louisiana
Erik Van Rooyen

Looking For Momentum In Louisiana
Andrew Novak

Making Start At TPC Louisiana After Near Miss At Harbour Town
Ben Griffin

Making Third Career Start At Zurich Classic
Taylor Moore

Competing With A New Teammate In New Orleans
Wyndham Clark

Making Return To New Orleans
Kurt Kitayama

Teeing It Up Again In New Orleans
Collin Morikawa

Back At Zurich Classic For Fifth Time
Thomas Detry

Making Third Appearance At New Orleans Team Event
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF