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

Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Fantasy Baseball Week 3

Cristian Javier Shane McClanahan - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Draft Sleepers, MLB Injury News, Starting Pitchers

Jon's fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for starting pitchers and Week 3 of the 2022 MLB season. Consider adding and streaming these free-agent pitchers.

Week three of fantasy baseball is upon us, and we have seen a lot of exciting developments on the starting pitcher scene. Plenty of guys are popping up here, especially guys we really weren't tracking much in the pre-season.

Finding breakout starting pitchers is one of the most fun parts of the game, and it's actually a pretty easy thing to do if you know what stats to look for. The results so far, as usual, have some good names and bad, but mostly we've been pretty successful overall. We identified Kyle Wright, Carlos Carrasco, Alex Cobb, and Andrew Heaney just before they went on to post great outings, so I hope we can continue to churn out some good recommendations.

There are still plenty of great potential starters on the waiver wire, so let's go to it. Here are your starting pitcher fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups recommendations for week three of the fantasy season (April 24th - May 1st).

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

 

Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues

Jordan Montgomery, New York Yankees (52% Rostered)

It seems as though some people have abandoned Montgomery after a bit of a slow start to the year. However, since his first bad outing of the year that had a lot to do with getting struck by a comebacker, he has bounced back very nicely. He currently sits with a 2.51 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP in 14.1 innings. The downside is that the strikeouts have not been there as he has posted just an 18% strikeout rate through these three outings.

Given Montgomery's career 23% strikeout rate, I would be very confident the strikeouts will bounce back up as we get closer to a real data sample. The biggest positive so far has been the quality of contact numbers. He has allowed just a 2.5% barrel rate, not a single homer, and has earned a 46.5% GB%. That's a very important thing for him to do in Yankees Stadium against some of these all-star hitters he has to face in that division, but Montgomery has proven to be a solid fantasy option over the years and he should absolutely be more than 52% rostered.

Bailey Ober, Minnesota Twins (45% Rostered)

Ober was drafted in most leagues this year, and viewed as more of a "solid floor" option for the Twins this year. He didn't have a great strikeout rate last year and did not flash much ceiling for fantasy purposes, but he was solid and ate innings. So far this year, it's been about that. He has just a 20% strikeout rate, but a really strong 5% walk rate. He has given up two homers early on to Andrew Vaughn and Mitch Haniger, which was something he struggled with as a rookie, giving up 1.9 HR/9 in 2021. Interestingly, he gave up almost no homers in the minors, giving up way fewer than one homer per nine innings in his career below the Majors.

If you are in a league that rewards strikeout rates over raw strikeout totals, Ober might fit more into the "deep league" category here, but any young pitcher that is throwing a good amount of pitches and innings that is this good at limiting walks is on my radar, and I think Ober should be rostered more than he is currently.

Cristian Javier, Houston Astros (39% Rostered)

Astros manager Dusty Baker suggested that Javier will join a six-man rotation here as the Astros go through a stretch of weeks with a bunch of games on the schedule. He also certainly has the leg-up on Jake Odorizzi moving forward given age and recent performance.

So far this year, out of the bullpen, Javier has dominated to the tune of a 38.7% K% and a 3.2% BB%. He has also not allowed a single homer, which is something he struggled mightily with in his first seasons as a Major Leaguer. Javier has always, always posted really high strikeout rates, and he is nearly impossible to hit as a right-handed batter. He's filthy, and he's even already pretty close to stretched out as he's thrown 50+ pitches in his last two relief outings. He's probably a must-roster if he's in the Astros rotation and throwing 75+ pitches per outing. That will probably take a start or two to get there, so it might be in your best interest to wait a week and then try to add him - but you just might miss out on him if you do so. Keep in mind how aggressive your league-mates are, and add Javier accordingly.

Paul Blackburn, Oakland Athletics (29% Rostered)

Blackburn had a very short outing this week against the Orioles, as he reached just 4.2 innings and was pulled after 62 pitches. However, he was pitching just fine in that outing (four strikeouts, no walks, no barrels, no homers), so I wouldn't fret over that.

For the year, the previously unknown Blackburn has a sparkling 35.4% CSW%, a strong 25.5% K, and an elite 1.8% BB%. He's also kept the ball on the ground with a 52.5% GB%. It's not fun to roster an Athletics pitcher with this putrid of an offense behind him, but Blackburn has looked legitimate on the mound and should be rostered for now.

 

Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues

Josiah Gray, Washington Nationals (42% Rostered)

The Gray hype is growing, as he's put up a beautiful 31% K% in his 13 innings so far. He's won two of his starts and put up a solid 3.13 ERA.

The reason to doubt, and the reason we're in the deep leagues section for Gray, is the lack of command. His season WHIP sits at an ugly 1.33, which is due to a gross 12% walk rate. That was his issue last year as well (11%), and it's really hard to trust a pitcher who walks this many hitters. He also has continued to give up some hard contact. After allowing a ridiculous 2.4 homers per last season, he's already given up two in his 13 innings (Daulton Varsho and Jeff McNeil).

I'm not adding Gray in shallow leagues, but for deep leagues, he's worth an add because the ceiling is massive if he can just throw more strikes.

Chris Paddack, Minnesota Twins (26% Rostered)

It's going to take much more than two good starts to get me on Paddack, but he's someone we should talk about. Through nine innings this year, he's yet to walk a batter or give up a homer. His four-seam fastball is also performing much better (this is the key to the whole thing with Paddack), as it's posted a really high 18% SwStr%. That makes his low 18% strikeout rate pretty surprising.

I'm still not adding Paddack personally, but we remember what he did in his rookie year back in 2019, so it's possible he's gotten some of that elite command back and his fastball will indeed be good enough to setup his great changeup for success this year. It can happen with Paddack, but again, I'm going to watch at least two more starts from him before I dive in.

Nick Lodolo, Cincinnati Reds (23% Rostered)

The Reds other rookie pitcher has come out of the gate pretty well, with a nice 25.5% K% and a 57% GB%. The bad side is the 10.6% BB%, which needs watched closely.

His second start of the year really caught my eye, as he generated eight strikeouts and eight ground-balls over five innings against the Padres while racking up 16 whiffs, a large number. We really, really need to see Lodolo manage the walks better, but it does help to have that high of a ground-ball rate if you're going to allow a few extra base-runners. I firmly believe in the ground-ball rate with Lodolo, as his main pitch is a heavy sinker (averaging 94.2 mph) that has performed well so far (33.3% CSW%, 9.1% SwStr%, 54.5% GB%). If he cuts that walk rate below 9%, it could be a really good rookie season for Lodolo.

Tony Gonsolin, Los Angeles Dodgers (42% Rostered)

His fastball isn't good, and it's a short arsenal (mainly a thee-pitch guy), but he does have a nice slider. So far, that slider has posted a great 23.3% SwStr% and 27.4% CSW%, both strong numbers for a breaking ball.

Tony G caught some eyes this week taking a perfect game pretty deep into his start against the mighty Braves. He did strike out just three batters in that start and ended up walking three as well, so not an overly convincing strong start there behind the box score. I'm not adding Gonsolin unless it's a very deep league, but he's got a spot locked in the rotation for the Dodgers with Heaney on the shelf, and you could probably do much worse on your waiver wire.

Keegan Thompson, Chicago Cubs (14% Rostered)

This recommendation might just make me lose my entire reputation, but hey - Thompson has looked good so far this year. He's gone 13.1 innings, with a 36.2% CSW%, a 12.6% SwStr%, a 29.8% K%, a 6.4% BB%, and a 62% GB%. If these were numbers a high-profile rookie were putting up, I'd be adding him in every single league. Maybe we should be a little bit more gracious to Thompson because of this.

We'll keep an eye on Thompson for now without adding him, but if the numbers I just mentioned stay anywhere near where they are now over his next couple of starts, he's going to be someone I'm urging people to add.

 

Bonus: Long Relievers to Add (If They Enter The Rotation)

Michael King, New York Yankees (43.3% CSW%, 45% K%, 2.5% BB%)

Roansy Contreras, Pittsburgh Pirates (36.4% CSW%, 32.3% K%, 9.7% BB%)



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Advice




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

Tetairoa McMillan

Signed By Panthers
Kris Bubic

Throws Seven Scoreless Innings
Bobby Witt Jr.

Posts Four-Hit Game
Jayden Higgins

Inks Rookie Deal
Ashton Jeanty

Secures Rookie Deal With Las Vegas
Colston Loveland

Chicago Signs First-Round Pick Colston Loveland
Stephen Curry

Unsure When He Can Return From Injury
De'Andre Hunter

Iffy For Friday
Evan Mobley

May Miss Another Game
Darius Garland

Questionable For Game 3
Adin Hill

Looks To Return To Winning Ways Thursday
Johnathan Kovacevic

Won't Be Ready For Training Camp Following Surgery
Anthony Stolarz

Not Traveling With Maple Leafs For Game 3
Logan Stanley

Could Return To Action Friday
Josh Morrissey

Will Be A Game-Time Decision Friday
Alex Pietrangelo

A Game-Time Decision Thursday
Pavel Dorofeyev

Won't Play In Game 2
Hunter Greene

Diagnosed With Grade 1 Groin Strain
Victor Dimukeje

Dealing With Torn Pec
Quinn Ewers

Inks Rookie Deal With Dolphins
Nic Scourton

Panthers Expect Nic Scourton, Princely Umanmielen To Make Immediate Impact
Dax Milne

Dax Milne Let Go By Panthers
Cade Horton

Joining MLB Roster This Weekend
Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates Fire Derek Shelton
Tay Martin

Kyron Johnson Waived By Titans
Joe Bachie

Colts Sign Joe Bachie
Jonathon Brooks

Placed On PUP List, Out For 2025
Jadeveon Clowney

Panthers Release Jadeveon Clowney
Jordan Matthews

Panthers Release Jordan Matthews
Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokic Held In Check Wednesday
Chet Holmgren

Logs Double-Double In Game 2 Win
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Leads Thunder To Blowout Win
Derrick White

Close To Another Double-Double In Game 2
Jaylen Brown

Struggles In Second Half Wednesday Night
Josh Hart

Leads All Scorers With 23 Points In Game 2 Against Celtics
Mikal Bridges

Makes Late Impact Again
Eetu Luostarinen

Stretches Point Streak To Four Games
Morgan Rielly

Registers Two Assists In Wednesday's Win
Max Pacioretty

Extends Multi-Point Streak To Three Games
Travis Etienne Jr.

Jaguars Not Very High On Travis Etienne Jr.
Bhayshul Tuten

Could Make Impact In First Season
Mitchell Marner

Hits Game-Winner Wednesday Night
Arian Smith

Jets Expected To Use Arian Smith Early
Mark Scheifele

Returns With A Goal Wednesday
Jalen Ramsey

Rams Involved In Jalen Ramsey Trade Talks
Jake Oettinger

Collects Victory With 29 Saves
James Cook

Bills GM Expects James Cook To Be Ready
Mikko Rantanen

Nets Another Hat Trick Wednesday
Max Fried

Keeps Rolling With Seven Strong Innings On Wednesday
Framber Valdez

Shuts Down Brewers On Wednesday
Sonny Gray

Tosses Gem Against Pirates
Joe Ryan

Scratched From Thursday's Start With Illness
TJ Friedl

Blasts Two Home Runs
Wilyer Abreu

Launches Two Home Runs
Cam Skattebo

Giants Plan To Use Cam Skattebo As Rusher And Receiver
Dylan Cease

Dealing With Forearm Cramp
Karl-Anthony Towns

Turns It Around In Game 2
Jalen Brunson

Leads The Knicks To Another Win
Kristaps Porzingis

Logs Only 14 Minutes In Game 2
Jayson Tatum

Has Another Rough Shooting Night
Pat Bryant

Broncos Sign Rookie Third-Rounder Pat Bryant
Dylan Cease

Makes Early Exit On Wednesday
J.J. McCarthy

Kevin O'Connell Non-Committal On Potential Competition For J.J. McCarthy
J.T. Realmuto

Exits Early On Wednesday With Foot Injury
Juan Soto

Smacks Two Homers
Hunter Greene

Leaves Wednesday's Outing With Groin Injury
Kris Bryant

To Have Surgery On His Back
Rob Dillingham

Remains Out For Game 2 Against Warriors
Al Horford

Starts Game 2 Against Knicks
Giancarlo Stanton

Could Return In Late May
Sam Hauser

Out For Game 2 Against Knicks
Kristaps Porzingis

Available Wednesday
Stephen Curry

Ruled Out For At Least One Week
Mark Jankowski

To Be A Game-Time Call Thursday
Connor Hellebuyck

Puts Home Win Streak To Test Wednesday
William Contreras

Expected To Return On Friday
Miro Heiskanen

Continues To Sit Wednesday
Anthony Stolarz

Won't Play In Game 2
Mackie Samoskevich

Rejoins Panthers Lineup Wednesday
Aaron Ekblad

Set To Return Wednesday
Clayton Kershaw

Might Need Just One More Rehab Start
Teoscar Hernández

Dodgers Hopeful Teoscar Hernandez Will Return In Two Weeks
Will Zalatoris

Looking To Find Consistency Heading Into Philadelphia
Justin Rose

In Solid Form Ahead Of Truist Championship
Russell Henley

Looks To Keep Building Momentum At Truist Championship
Brian Harman

In Great Form Heading Into Philadelphia
Corey Conners

Red-Hot Heading Into Truist Championship
Daniel Berger

In Great Form Ahead Of Truist Championship
Sahith Theegala

Struggles Continue Ahead Of Truist Championship
Xander Schauffele

Eyeing Strong Finish At Truist Championship
Jaccob Slavin

Extends Point Streak With Overtime Winner
Collin Morikawa

Poised To Rebound At The Truist Championship
Tony Finau

Trying To Find Form In Philadelphia
Justin Thomas

Looking To Keep Winning Ways Going Art Truist Championship
Maverick McNealy

In Great Form Ahead Of Truist Championship
Michael Kim

Looking To Recapture Elite Form In Philadelphia
Rory McIlroy

The Headlining Favorite At Truist Championship
Ty Jerome

Struggles As Starter Tuesday
Tommy Fleetwood

Eyeing First Victory At Truist Championship
Patrick Cantlay

Looking To Stay Hot In Philadelphia
Andrew Novak

Looking To Keep Hot Stretch Of Play Going In Philadelphia
Shane Lowry

Still Having An Amazing Season Ahead Of Truist Championship
Stephan Jaeger

Trying For Top-10 Result In Philadelphia
Aaron Rai

Heads To Philadelphia Playing Well
Lucas Glover

Hot And Cold Heading To Truist Championship
Deiveson Figueiredo

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Cory Sandhagen

Gets Back In The Win Column
Reinier de Ridder

Extends His Win Streak To Four
Bo Nickal

Suffers His First Loss At UFC Des Moines
Santiago Ponzinibbio

Suffers TKO Loss At UFC Des Moines
Daniel Rodriguez

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Daniel Marcos

Undefeated No More
Montel Jackson

Extends His Win Streak
Serhiy Sidey

Gets Decision Win At UFC Des Moines
Jeremy Stephens

Unsuccessful In His UFC Return
Mason Jones

Wins Decision At UFC Des Moines
Joey Logano

Steals The Victory At Texas On Sunday
Kyle Larson

Strong Performance Ends With A Top-Five Finish At Texas
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

. Quietly Obtains A New Career-Best Finish At Texas
Josh Berry

Spins His Way To A Poor Result At Texas
Ross Chastain

Picks Up Second-Place Finish
Carson Hocevar

Bad Pit Strategy And Late-Race Crash Spoil Carson Hocevar's Top-10 Run
Erik Jones

Improbably Finishes Fifth Despite Speeding Penalty
Michael McDowell

Despite Crashing Out At Texas, Michael McDowell Surprisingly Fights For The Win
John Hunter Nemechek

Brilliant Pit Strategy Lifts John Hunter Nemechek To Eighth Place
Ryan Blaney

Frustrated After Fumbling Away Potential Win At Texas
Brad Keselowski

Woeful Season Continues With Wreck At Texas
Kyle Larson

Has One Of The Best Cars In The Field At Texas
William Byron

Will Be Tough To Beat At Texas
Chase Elliott

A Slam-Dunk DFS Pick At Texas
Austin Cindric

Could Austin Cindric Legitimately Contend At Texas This Weekend?
Ryan Blaney

Is Worth Rostering For Texas DFS Lineups On Sunday
Joey Logano

Struggling To Find Speed At Texas
Tyler Reddick

Should Be Highly Considered For DFS At Texas This Week
Daniel Suarez

Has Been One Of The Best At Texas In Next Gen Car
Denny Hamlin

Might Have Another Quality Texas Start This Week
AJ Allmendinger

Has Shown Speed At Texas This Weekend
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF