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
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups - Week 4

It is very unbecoming to be braggadocious, but hey if you read this article last week you just may have started a no-hitter from Carlos Rodon because of it. You may also have picked up Drew Smyly (forearm) just in time for him to give up five earned runs in as many innings and then land on the injured list, but hey - never let the truth ruin a good story.

We are heading into Week 4 now, and boy time flies when you're having fun! The elite starters are nearing their fourth turn through the rotation already and we have seen some real breakout performances already. No doubt the waiver wire is getting thinner as these weeks pass and fantasy managers start gobbling up these electric arms looking really good at small rostered percentages. The well will never run dry though, and we have a solid 22 weeks left of fantasy baseball to cover.

Let's get into some ideas for waiver wire pickups while considering the current rostered percentages. These are recommendations designed to be longer-term options. I am focusing more on the advanced metrics here rather than short-term schedule analysis. The week ahead is Monday, April 19th through 25th. Let's get into it.

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

 

Pickups for Shallow Leagues

Huascar Ynoa, Atlanta Braves (52% rostered)

This was not a name that you heard much during draft season, but oh how quickly things can change. Ynoa opened his season with one inning of relief but then entered the rotation. In his first two starts for the Braves, he racked up 15 strikeouts in 11 innings while giving up five hits and just one lone earned run. His Saturday start did not go well against the Cubs, however. Adding on to the bad news, in his career prior to 2021, Ynoa had thrown just 24.2 Major League innings and they had not been pretty as he gave up 20 earned runs and 29 hits in those frames.

2021 is a new year, and Ynoa has flashed some brilliant stuff so far. His four-seam fastball has reached triple-digits already and has averaged 97 miles per hour. His sinker is also thrown very hard with an average velocity of 97.5 miles per hour. His most commonly thrown pitch is actually a slider (45% usage) that had a ridiculous 23% swinging-strike rate prior to Saturday's outing. He has also been able to keep the ball on the ground with a GB% above 55%.

I am willing to forgive the bad start on Saturday and invest in the skills.

Taijuan Walker, New York Mets (25% rostered)

I'm talking about Walker for a third straight week, but his rostered percentage just has not budged. He's added velocity this year, throwing his fastball as hard as 97 miles per hour. He has a strong 31% CSW% and a 12% swinging-strike rate this year with a decent 42% ground-ball rate.

Maybe people just haven't bought in yet. His last outing against the Phillies lasted just 4.1 innings, but he struck out eight. The walks have been a bit of a problem with five walks in his 10.1 innings, and he's thrown just south of 50% of his pitches in the zone. Everything else though has looked encouraging. I'm a believer in Walker and think he can put up some really nice stats and pile up some wins with that Mets offense behind him once they get going.

Casey Mize, Detroit Tigers (29% rostered)

Mize was highly touted heading into last year when he was rushed to the big leagues with the canceled minor league season. It was not an impressive first stretch in the Majors, but things are looking a bit better for him so far this year. In 11 innings, he has struck out nine hitters and allowed just one earned run while facing the tough offenses of the Twins and Astros. He has also shown elevated velocity and a deep pitch arsenal, throwing each of his four-seamer, slider, splitter, and sinker more than 10% of the time (he also has a lightly used changeup).

The bad news for Mize is the command has not been there. He has thrown just 54% of his pitches in the strike zone and has a low overall CSW% of 23.4%. Those numbers are discouraging, but they have not manifested in a huge walk issue (yet) as he's issued just four free passes thus far. There is such a thing as "effectively wild" though, and maybe Mize has that going for him, although his low 6.4% swinging-strike rate suggests that is probably not the case.

There is definitely risk with Mize, and the recommendation on picking him up is mainly the result of his former pedigree as a prospect. He is going to need to improve his command and get a few more whiffs to have continued success, but he certainly has the skills to do just that.

 

Pickups for Deeper Leagues

Dane Dunning, Texas Rangers (23% rostered)

Dunning has had a nice start to the year with his new team, throwing nine innings in two starts while allowing five hits, one run, and striking out 11. With his first Major League cup of coffee with the White Sox last year, he impressed with a 24% strikeout rate, a 9% walk rate, and a 45% ground-ball rate. He's made strides on those numbers already this year with a 32.4% strikeout rate and a 5.9% walk rate. That stuff is always really encouraging to see from a young pitcher even over just a couple of starts.

He has been mostly sinker and slider this year, as those two pitches have made up 86.5% of his offerings. He has a strong 33.5% CSW with the sinker, but hasn't gotten as many whiffs as you would like to see with the slider at 10.3% SwStr%. His lightly used changeup has been the put-away pitch and has really caught hitters off guard with a 30% swinging-strike rate. He's also mixed in a few cutters and curves, but used them mostly as waste pitches. The ceiling isn't super high with Dunning since he's still pretty raw and he's pitching behind one of the worst offenses in the game, but he seems like a mature pitcher than can get some strikeouts and limit the damage most times out.

Jake Odorizzi, Houston Astros (34% rostered)

It was not a pleasant return to the mound for his new team, as Odorizzi gave up seven hits and five earned runs in 3.1 innings pitched. He was going to be eased into things regardless, so he was not given a chance to even out his line by throwing a few more strong innings. The somewhat encouraging part of the start was that most of the damage was done by the long ball, but none of those home runs traveled very far. Akil Baddoo hit a ball 96 miles per hour that traveled 348 feet over the fence, and Nomar Mazara hit one at 96 miles per hour that went just 363 feet for a dinger. Renato Nunez's homer was the furthest at 381 feet. That leaves Odorizzi with the shortest average distance on home runs given up so far this year.

So yeah. Justifying three home runs allowed is not the most convincing thing, I know, but I'm willing to give Odorizzi a pass on that start. He was just coming back from an injury and had not had a normal spring anyways, signing with the Astros late after the Framber Valdez (finger) injury. Odorizzi was really solid with the Twins in 2019. He has proven that he can generate a lot of spin, and you always like to see the Astros get their hands on someone like that. I'm keeping an eye on Odorizzi and adding him in very deep leagues if he's still available.

Kyle Gibson, Texas Rangers (10% rostered)

Another boring, low-upside player here, but man this is a low percentage for Gibson. Right now, his numbers look terrible, but that's mainly the result of his brutal 0.1 inning outing on Opening Day. Since that start he's thrown 13 innings (against the Blue Jays and Rays) and given up just one run on ten hits while striking out 11. His new cutter has a high swinging-strike rate of 16.7% and a ground-ball rate of 50%, which is great to see. Gibson's calling card has always been limiting the damage by keeping the walk totals down and getting some soft contact. He's done a lot of that since the first start, and he should be rostered at a much higher rate than we see right now. He doesn't have significant strikeout upside and probably won't throw any shutouts, but he's a solid pitcher, likely a better fantasy arm than the worst starter on your team in a deep league.



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


Check out RotoBaller's entire fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and sleepers list, updated daily!




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Kirk Cousins15 mins ago

Set To Receive Roster Bonus
Bryce Eldridge25 mins ago

Will Not Play On Saturday
Aaron Rodgers33 mins ago

Wants To Play In Minnesota
Blake Perkins34 mins ago

Cleared For Light Baseball Activities
Doug Nikhazy43 mins ago

Optioned To Triple-A
Jung Hoo Lee52 mins ago

Scratched On Saturday With Back Tightness
Cody Bradford53 mins ago

Won't Throw For At Least Four Weeks
Colorado Rockies1 hour ago

Charlie Condon Out At Least Six Weeks With Broken Wrist
Bryce Miller1 hour ago

Ironing Out The Kinks In Spring Training
Logan Gilbert1 hour ago

Named Opening Day Starter
Mookie Betts2 hours ago

Missing Tokyo Exhibition Games Due To Illness
Jesús Sánchez2 hours ago

Jesus Sanchez To Miss Four Weeks With Oblique Strain
Jon Gray2 hours ago

Has A Fractured Right Wrist
Bobby Witt Jr.2 hours ago

Back In Cactus League Lineup On Saturday
Washington Commanders2 hours ago

Clelin Ferrell Returning To Washington
New York Jets2 hours ago

Kris Boyd Signs With The Jets
Garrett Crochet2 hours ago

Starting On Opening Day
Nick Castellanos2 hours ago

Returning On Saturday
Trevor Story2 hours ago

Starting On Saturday
Los Angeles Chargers2 hours ago

Mekhi Becton Inks Deal With Chargers
Ke'Bryan Hayes2 hours ago

Returning On Saturday
Tyler Johnson3 hours ago

Links Up With Jets
Jordan Walker3 hours ago

Returns To Lineup On Saturday
Paul Skenes3 hours ago

Named Opening Day Starter
Gunnar Henderson3 hours ago

Hopes To Be Ready For Opening Day
Kyle Juszczyk4 hours ago

Returns To 49ers
Rafael Devers6 hours ago

Wilyer Abreu Starting On Saturday
Ronald Acuña Jr.6 hours ago

Ronald Acuna Jr. Could Run Less To Stay Healthy
Eeli Tolvanen7 hours ago

Scores Twice In Victory
WPG7 hours ago

Kyle Connor Strikes Twice On Friday
Jack Roslovic7 hours ago

Tallies Goal, Assist In Friday's Victory
Leon Draisaitl8 hours ago

Leads Edmonton To Victory
Liam O'Brien8 hours ago

Exits With Undisclosed Injury
Josh Manson8 hours ago

Exits On Friday
Kevin Porter Jr.16 hours ago

Expected To Be Available Saturday
Atlanta Falcons16 hours ago

Falcons Agree To Terms With Morgan Fox
Damian Lillard16 hours ago

Listed As Probable For Saturday's Game
Giannis Antetokounmpo16 hours ago

Probable For Saturday
Lonzo Ball16 hours ago

Remains Out For Saturday
Indianapolis Colts16 hours ago

Colts Sign Corey Ballentine To One-Year Deal On Friday
Trendon Watford17 hours ago

Will Miss Saturday's Game
Chet Holmgren17 hours ago

Resting Versus Detroit
Nicolas Claxton17 hours ago

Resting On Saturday
Pittsburgh Steelers17 hours ago

Brandin Echols Signs Two-Year Deal With Steelers
Josh Giddey17 hours ago

Not Likely To Play Saturday
Noah Clowney17 hours ago

To Remain Out Against Celtics
Kenny Yeboah17 hours ago

Signs One-Year Deal With Lions
Avery Williams17 hours ago

Signs With Eagles
Cam Thomas17 hours ago

Sits Out First Leg Of Back-To-Back Saturday
Jalen Williams17 hours ago

Still Out On Saturday
Coby White17 hours ago

Listed As Probable For Saturday
Kene Nwangwu17 hours ago

Jets Re-Sign Kene Nwangwu To One-Year Deal
Cody Martin17 hours ago

Cleared To Return Friday
Trey Lyles17 hours ago

Misses Friday's Game Due To Back Soreness
Grayson Allen17 hours ago

Not Playing Friday
Trey Jemison III17 hours ago

Unavailable Against Nuggets
Gabe Vincent17 hours ago

Sits Out Friday's Game
Nick Richards18 hours ago

Sitting Out On Friday
Dorian Finney-Smith18 hours ago

Sidelined On Friday
Domantas Sabonis18 hours ago

Back In Action On Friday
Zeke Nnaji18 hours ago

Active On Friday
Simi Fehoko19 hours ago

Signing With Cardinals
Kylen Granson20 hours ago

Headed To Philadelphia
Sterling Shepard20 hours ago

Remaining With Buccaneers
Cincinnati Bengals20 hours ago

Bengals Not Ruling Out Trey Hendrickson Extension
Cooper Kupp20 hours ago

Signing With Seahawks
Karel Vejmelka21 hours ago

Makes Ninth Consecutive Start Friday
Dustin Wolf21 hours ago

Set To Face Avalanche Friday
Mikael Backlund21 hours ago

Out Week-To-Week
Sam Colangelo21 hours ago

Deemed Day-To-Day With An Upper-Body Injury
Michael Bunting21 hours ago

A Game-Time Call Friday
Dallas Cowboys21 hours ago

Dante Fowler Jr. Heading Back To Cowboys
Andrei Svechnikov22 hours ago

Expected To Return Next Week
Nikolaj Ehlers22 hours ago

Good To Go Against Stars
Buffalo Bills22 hours ago

Larry Ogunjobi, Michael Hoecht Both Facing Six-Game PED Suspensions
Tee Higgins23 hours ago

Bengals Making Headway On Contracts For Tee Higgins, Ja'Marr Chase
Mackenzie Blackwood1 day ago

Battling Illness, Not Starting On Friday
Rasmus Ristolainen1 day ago

Day-To-Day With Upper-Body Injury
Lian Bichsel1 day ago

Not Playing On Friday
Josh Norris1 day ago

Undergoing Evaluation
JJ Peterka1 day ago

Not Playing On Saturday
Neal Pionk1 day ago

Viewed As Week-To-Week
Roman Dolidze1 day ago

Set For A Rematch
Marvin Vettori1 day ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Chidi Njokuani1 day ago

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos1 day ago

Looks For His 12th UFC Win
Kurt Holobaugh1 day ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 104
Alexander Hernandez1 day ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Cody Gibson1 day ago

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Da'Mon Blackshear1 day ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 104
Quinton Byfield1 day ago

Scores In Fifth Straight Game
Jesper Bratt1 day ago

Posts Second Straight Three-Point Performance
Brendson Ribeiro1 day ago

Searching For Second UFC Win On Saturday
Diyar Nurgozhay1 day ago

Set To Make His UFC Debut
MMA1 day ago

Seung Woo Choi In Dire Need Of Victory
Kevin Vallejos1 day ago

Makes Debut At UFC Vegas 104
Jacob Bridgeman3 days ago

Use Caution For Jacob Bridgeman At TPC Sawgrass
Nicolai Hojgaard3 days ago

Looks To Stay Consistent Heading Into PLAYERS Championship
Karl Vilips3 days ago

Makes PLAYERS Championship Debut After First PGA Tour Win
Taylor Pendrith3 days ago

A Sneaky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Sahith Theegala3 days ago

Out Of Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick3 days ago

A Shaky Play Heading Into PLAYERS
Scottie Scheffler3 days ago

Eyeing Three-Peat At TPC Sawgrass
Aldrich Potgieter3 days ago

A Risky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Si Woo Kim3 days ago

Looks To Keep Building Momentum At The PLAYERS
Denny McCarthy3 days ago

Looks To Continue Solid Play At TPC Sawgrass
Collin Morikawa4 days ago

Poised For Another Strong Performance At TPC Sawgrass
Robert MacIntyre4 days ago

A Risky Play With Upside At The PLAYERS Championship
Jordan Spieth4 days ago

Looking To Change Fortunes At TPC Sawgrass
Cameron Young4 days ago

Avoid Cameron Young At The PLAYERS Championship
Michael Kim4 days ago

Continues Incredible Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Justin Thomas4 days ago

Looking For More Magic At TPC Sawgrass
Xander Schauffele4 days ago

Continues Competitive Return At The Players Championship
Rory McIlroy4 days ago

Looks To Reverse Recent History At TPC Sawgrass
PGA4 days ago

Victor Hovland Looking To Find Form At The PLAYERS Championship
Brian Harman4 days ago

A Sleeper Pick At The PLAYERS Championship
Min Woo Lee4 days ago

A Hard Name To Trust At The Players Championship
Tyler Reddick5 days ago

Power-Steering Failure Foils Tyler Reddick's Bid For Potential Victory
William Byron5 days ago

Recovers From Being Trapped A Lap Down To Finish Sixth
Josh Berry5 days ago

Gives Wood Brothers Team Best Run Since 2021
Alex Pereira5 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC 313
Magomed Ankalaev5 days ago

Becomes The New UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion
Justin Gaethje5 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Rafael Fiziev5 days ago

Loses Third Fight In A Row
Ignacio Bahamondes5 days ago

Gets Submission Win At UFC 313
Christopher Bell5 days ago

Scores His Third Consecutive Victory Of The Season At Phoenix
Kyle Larson5 days ago

Strong Phoenix Performance Falls Short Of Victory
Chris Buescher5 days ago

Quietly Earns A Top-Five Finish At Phoenix
Alex Bowman5 days ago

Leaves Phoenix With His Best Finish At The Site Since 2016
Zane Smith5 days ago

Quietly Nabs His First Phoenix Top-10 Finish
Jalin Turner5 days ago

Retires After UFC 313 Loss
Iasmin Lucindo5 days ago

Gets Dominated At UFC 313
Amanda Lemos5 days ago

Dominates At UFC 313
King Green5 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC 313
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Bills Defense - Von Miller IDP Rankings, D/ST Streamers, Fantasy Football Team Defense

Von Miller Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller, one of the greatest pass-rushers in NFL history, was released by his team on March 9, 2025. He had signed a six-year, $120 million deal with the team in 2022, but the soon-to-be 36-year-old wasn't able to make it to the end of that contract, so he's now looking for […]


Aaron Jones - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Staying Put - Impact Players Re-signed: Aaron Jones, Zach Ertz, Jaylen Warren, more

NFL free agency is a frenzy. As football fans, we love to see the movement around the league. It allows us to dream about the possibility of our team signing a fresh player who could make a serious impact. However, one cannot overlook the impact of re-signing significant contributors. While it is not as exciting […]


Tucker Kraft - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets: Wide Receivers and Tight Ends To Buy in 2025

My friend Josh used to make me listen to the Bring Me The Horizon song "Diamonds Aren't Forever," which begins with the line "We will never sleep, cause sleep is for the weak." That sentiment rings true in fantasy football dynasty leagues as well. You can't get complacent. You can't stop thinking about how to […]


Zay Flowers - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football WR Buy or Sell: Zay Flowers, Rashee Rice, and Jordan Addison (2025)

The 2024 NFL Draft class had seven first-round wide receivers. Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze were selected in the top 10. Meanwhile, Brian Thomas Jr., Xavier Worthy, Ricky Pearsall, and Xavier Legette were Day 1 selections. More importantly, Nabers and Thomas finished their rookie seasons as top-7 wide receivers in half-point PPR […]


Courtland Sutton - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Sleepers, Draft Targets: Early 2025 Analysis

One of the biggest factors in winning fantasy football teams is finding middle-to-late-round sleepers. With wide receivers typically carrying the most drafted players of any position, it makes sense that taking multiple stabs at the position in search of hitting multiple-round values is the way to set yourself apart in drafts. For 2025, the draft […]


Caleb Williams - Fantasy Football Rankings, QB, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

2025 NFL Free Agency Frenzy: Biggest Winners and Disappointments at Every Fantasy Football Position

NFL franchises will have an opportunity to reshape their rosters before the draft. Fantasy managers will have a chance to read the tea leaves and make measured strikes against their fantasy football opposition ahead of rookie drafts. Savvy managers will use this period to try to get the best return on some previous investments, as […]


DK Metcalf - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Free Agency Fantasy Football Analysis: Fallers On New Teams (2025)

With the first wave of NFL free agency coming to an end, several fantasy-relevant players have signed on to new teams. The quarterback carousel still has several dominoes to fall, but Sam Darnold, Geno Smith, and Kenny Pickett have found new homes within the first few days of the new league year. The running back […]


James Conner - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Fantasy Football Fallers - Players Trending Down In 2025

Fantasy football players trending "down" can mean a few different things. It can mean aging veterans, a new situation for players, regression in production after a stellar season, a change in coordinators, or all of the above. It doesn't necessarily mean these players won't produce; it's just a warning sign to proceed cautiously. Ultimately, marking […]


Michael Florio's Football Show - Podcast RotoBaller Network

Florio's Football Show: Free Agency Fantasy Fallout!

Michael F. Florio is back going over the any signings and trades that free agency week brought us! He discusses his winners and losers of players that changed teams - then does the same for players who were not moved but still had their value impacted! Be sure to also tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM […]


Davante Adams - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

NFL Free Agency Tracker - Updates On Every Free Agent Signing (2025)

The NFL offseason is starting to heat up, and the league's legal tampering period is set to begin on March 10 at noon Eastern. Free agents cannot officially sign until the new league year begins on March 12 at 4 p.m. Eastern, but deals will be agreed to, and news will be coming in quickly […]


Drake Maye - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Players To Target In Deep Leagues

Fantasy football sleepers are what make the game fun. There is nothing like landing an absolute stud in the double-digit rounds of your fantasy draft. The more teams in your league, the more important sleepers become. As the player pool shrinks, it is an absolute must to hit on at least one or two sleepers. […]


DK Metcalf - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Fantasy Football Avoids, Busts: 2025 NFL Free Agent Signings

The 2025 NFL free-agency period is well underway, and many wide receivers, tight ends, quarterbacks, and running backs have already found their new homes. While some of them are in better landing spots, or at least should continue having solid production relative to their ADP (anticipated draft position) in fantasy football, some of them should […]


Jaydon Blue - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Picks, NFL Draft

2025 Fantasy Football Rookie Sleepers: Late-Round Prospects With Immediate Upside

Players who are thought of as less likely to succeed in the NFL are typically selected later in drafts. When a player falls through the rounds, it's generally because teams have doubts about their ability to produce. It takes a specific family of skill sets to succeed in the big leagues. But sometimes, players fall […]