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

Week 4 Waiver Wire - Starting Pitchers

It’s been quite the wild ride through the first three weeks of the 2017 season. While we don’t want to be overreacting here, it’s never a bad time to check up on the waiver wire and see which under-owned arms might be available to help your squad.

For our purposes, we’re going to use Yahoo ownership levels and try to cut things off around 35%. Data accurate as of April 25.

Let's get to it.

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

 

Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Targets

Robert Gsellman - (NYM, SP): 26% owned

Gsellman will be skipped in the rotation after his start on April 25 was rained out, which was done in order to keep Noah Syndergaard on schedule. That means Gsellman may make a bullpen appearance, so set your roster accordingly if you do or don’t want accidental bullpen stats from the starter. Since last week’s post, he went out and dominated the Phillies over seven strong innings, but couldn’t get a win with his first quality start of 2017.

He now has a lovely 10.19 K/9 with a 3.48 FIP, 3.02 xFIP and 3.10 SIERA, though his 7.5 percent swinging-strike rate really doesn’t point to a K-heavy arm. It was 9.1 percent last season when he posted an 8.46 K/9, for a small reference point. He’ll likely face the Nationals in Washington in his next start.

Hector Santiago - (MIN, SP): 22% owned

Santiago improved to 2-1 after a six-strikeout quality start against the Tigers at home on April 21, as the southpaw now sports a 2.19 ERA and 0.97 WHIP through four outings in 2017. His 4.16 SIERA is nearly double the ERA, of course, but his 10.1 percent swinging-strike rate is a career-high mark and he’s always been a low-BABIP arm. His .247 mark comes after respective rates of .252 and .260 in his last two seasons. His control will be the X-factor, as his current four percent walk rate is way down from 10.1 percent last season. Keep an eye on that when he goes to Texas to face the Rangers on April 26.

Miguel Gonzalez - (CWS, SP): 18% owned

Gonzalez was an above-average arm last season, posting a 3.73 ERA and 1.24 WHIP that were mostly just separated from extraordinary levels by a couple of terrible outings. There’s certainly something to be said for consistency and a guy who can avoid the bombshell start, but he’s picked up right where he left off this season with more of those above-average trips to the hill.

While we all know the 2.00 ERA and 1.07 WHIP are over his head, the 3.29 FIP is a fan of his being more aggressive in the zone. The percentage of pitches in the zone for Gonzalez went from 41.7 percent to 44.7 percent last season, and is currently 45.4 percent in 2017. He’ll look to remain strong in Detroit against the Tigers on April 30.

Zack Wheeler - (NYM, SP): 21% owned

Wheeler’s 5.40 ERA may be holding him back from being truly recognized as a potential breakout arm this season, but despite an innings cap looming he has shown signs of being plenty useful in 2017. Not only does he have 21 strikeouts in 21 2/3 innings (who doesn’t like a strikeout per inning?) but his FIP (3.75), xFIP (3.59) and SIERA (3.48) all point to mid-threes arm who has pitched better than the results indicate. If his ERA was currently even just 3.90, how high would ownership be?

Dan Straily - (MIA, SP): 16% owned

Straily kicked in the doors to the waiver-wire conversation by following up his 5 1/3-inning no-hit bid on April 16 with 14 strikeouts against the free-swinging Padres on April 22. He won’t face the Pads every time, but this is an arm that now has a 3.25 ERA and an 8.62 K/9 dating back to 2016’s All-Star break. The 1.71 HR/9 rate in that span is rough, but even just getting that down to his career 1.39 mark would make a difference. He’s been more than just a short-term splash is the point here.

Patrick Corbin - (ARI, SP): 13% owned

Corbin still has a bloated 1.45 WHIP, but brought his ERA down to 3.10 after allowing only two runs over seven solid innings alongside nine strikeouts against the Padres at home on Tuesday. He’s now 2-3 on the season, but the southpaw has now posted back-to-back quality starts with at least eight Ks -- it’s just both of those came against San Diego. He’ll face the Rockies in a tougher home matchup on April 30 next, so this is just a more general awareness-raiser rather than “pick him up and start him right now” blurb. His 3.67 FIP, 4.04 xFIP and 4.08 SIERA like what he’s doing, though, for the record.

Charlie Morton - (HOU, SP): 10% owned

Morton hasn’t exactly delivered on that preseason buzz with a 4.29 ERA and gaudy 1.57 WHIP, but he does have 19 strikeouts in 21 innings and is fighting through a career-worst .353 BABIP to become valuable for fantasy owners again. He gets to face Oakland next, where he’ll look to show why he has a 3.15 FIP, 3.92 xFIP and 3.97 SIERA alongside the solid strikeouts.

Jesse Hahn - (OAK, SP): 7% owned

Hahn appears to have rebounded from an ugly 2016 campaign (6.02 ERA, 1.64 WHIP) and recaptured his old form from ’14 and ’15 as he currently has a sparking 2.05 ERA that houses a 2.94 FIP within it. His Tuesday start yielded eight innings of shutout ball in which he only allowed one hit and two walks with six strikeouts, making him a big pickup.

While his 3.99 xFIP doesn’t like him as much, he has posted HR/9 marks of 0.49 and 0.47 in ’14 and ’15, respectively, so I’d buy the FIP over xFIP here (current 0.35 HR/9). His 4.15 SIERA likely doesn’t buy the .205 BABIP (totally fair), but his respective rates in those two previous seasons were .270 and .273. He has the command to create his own luck and be of use to fantasy owners here.

Trevor Cahill - (SD, SP/RP): 4% owned

In case you missed it, Cahill regained his formed out of the bullpen for the Cubbies last season with a 2.74 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 66 strikeouts in 65 2/3 innings (one spot start). While his peripherals weren’t strong, his grounder-heavy arsenal was perfect for a historically great defense behind him. The Padres can’t provide him the same caliber of glove behind him so I expect his .233 BABIP to rise beyond his ’16 mark of .246, but he’s made up for that by pitching better.

His 3.35 FIP, 2.90 xFIP and 3.03 SIERA are all better than his 3.44 ERA and his 14.8 percent swinging-strike rate points to a guy who should keep his strikeout-per-inning stuff from last season when that rate stood at 11 percent. The wins may not flow in, but why he’s owned in fewer leagues than Clayton Richards boggles my mind.

Jesse Chavez - (LAA, SP/RP): 2% owned

Chavez was misused out of the bullpen in 2016 and had a rough season as a result (4.43 ERA, 1.33 WHIP), but has posted a 3.13 ERA as a starter thus far in 2017 with a .238/.312/.398 triple slash against. He’s not getting lucky and needs to work on inducing poorer contact, but I guarantee if his ERA was a full run lower (aka, if he didn’t need to pitch out of the ‘pen in an extra-inning game) alongside the 8.63 K/9 then his ownership would be at least five percent or so.

 

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Adds


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

Kris Bubic8 mins ago

The Front-Runner For Fifth Starter Role
NASCAR2 hours ago

Despite Rarely Factoring for the Lead, Bubba Wallace Had a Great Points Day
Ross Chastain2 hours ago

Chances for Victory Ended After a Bump From Carson Hocevar
Ricky Stenhouse Jr3 hours ago

Recovers From Causing Daytona Big One to Finish Fifth at Atlanta
Carson Hocevar3 hours ago

Earns Best Career Finish, but Not Without Controversy
Walker Kessler11 hours ago

Battling An Illness, Questionable For Monday
Lauri Markkanen11 hours ago

Questionable For Monday
John Collins11 hours ago

Out For Second Consecutive Game
Collin Sexton11 hours ago

Continues To Sit On Monday
Edouard Julien11 hours ago

Brooks Lee Competing For Second Base Job
Jordan Clarkson11 hours ago

Sitting Out Monday's Action
Erick Fedde11 hours ago

Drawing Trade Interest
Robert Williams III11 hours ago

Out Against Jazz
Giancarlo Stanton12 hours ago

Remains Without Timetable
Addison Barger12 hours ago

X-Rays Come Back Negative On Addison Barger
Nick Madrigal12 hours ago

Suffers Dislocated Shoulder
Trevor Gott12 hours ago

Signs Minor-League Deal With Seattle
Aaron Gordon12 hours ago

Considered Probable For Monday
Jamal Murray12 hours ago

Probable To Face Pacers
Jalen Smith12 hours ago

Ruled Out For Monday
Coby White13 hours ago

Listed As Probable For Monday
Ayo Dosunmu13 hours ago

Without Timeline For Return
Justin Edwards13 hours ago

Won't Play Against Chicago
Jarrett Allen13 hours ago

Available Versus Grizzlies
Tyrese Maxey13 hours ago

Questionable For Monday Night
Darius Garland13 hours ago

Will Not Play On Sunday
D'Angelo Russell13 hours ago

Remains Out On Monday Night
Chris Kreider13 hours ago

Dealing With An Upper-Body Injury
Alexander Wennberg13 hours ago

Returns In Second-Line Role
Connor Zary14 hours ago

Available Sunday
J.J. Moser14 hours ago

Back In Action Against Kraken
Ryan Pulock14 hours ago

Returns To Islanders Lineup Sunday
Logan Cooley14 hours ago

A Game-Time Call Sunday
Hampus Lindholm14 hours ago

Unlikely To Return To Action This Season
Norman Powell15 hours ago

Won't Face The Pacers
Kawhi Leonard15 hours ago

Ruled Out On Sunday
Sean Reynolds17 hours ago

In A Walking Boot
Charlie Morton17 hours ago

Set To Start On Tuesday
Tyler Fitzgerald17 hours ago

Nearing Spring Debut
Jonathan Bowlan17 hours ago

Expected To Start Season In Relief Role
Jalen Suggs17 hours ago

Absent Again On Sunday
Addison Barger17 hours ago

Exits Early On Sunday
Jarrett Allen17 hours ago

Questionable On Sunday Night
Erik Miller17 hours ago

Dealing With Finger Injury
Rudy Gobert18 hours ago

Remains Out On Sunday
Pedro León19 hours ago

Pedro Leon Dealing With Left Knee Discomfort
Heliot Ramos19 hours ago

Suffers Oblique Strain
Prelander Berroa19 hours ago

Diagnosed With Elbow Strain
Félix Bautista19 hours ago

Felix Bautista Throws Live Batting Practice
Parker Meadows19 hours ago

Battling Minor Biceps Injury
Chris Murphy19 hours ago

Throwing Bullpens
James Wood20 hours ago

Participates In Defensive Drills
Kevin Pillar20 hours ago

Signs Minor-League Deal With Rangers
Ryan Blaney22 hours ago

The Heavy Favorite To Win At Atlanta
Kyle Larson22 hours ago

Can Kyle Larson Finally Get A Good Finish At The New Atlanta?
Chase Elliott22 hours ago

Can Win This Weekend
William Byron22 hours ago

Don’t Overlook William Byron At Atlanta This Weekend
Austin Cindric22 hours ago

Looking To Contend Once Again At Atlanta
Ross Chastain22 hours ago

Will Start Deep in the Field at Atlanta
Daniel Suarez22 hours ago

Looking To Continue Magic At Atlanta
Christopher Bell22 hours ago

An Obvious DFS Pick At Atlanta
Denny Hamlin23 hours ago

Is One of the Top DFS Options Of The Week For Atlanta Lineups
Joey Logano23 hours ago

Is One Of The Favorites To Win At Atlanta
Kyle Busch23 hours ago

Expect Kyle Busch To Compete For The Win At Atlanta
Ty Gibbs23 hours ago

Should Not Be Overlooked For Atlanta DFS Lineups
Tyler Reddick23 hours ago

Should Fantasy Players Roster Tyler Reddick At Atlanta This Week?
Alex Bowman23 hours ago

Is Alex Bowman Worth Rostering For DFS Lineups At Atlanta?
Shane Van Gisbergen23 hours ago

May Be A Sneaky DFS Value Option For Atlanta
Juuse Saros23 hours ago

Stands Tall On Saturday
John Hunter Nemechek24 hours ago

Should John Hunter Nemechek Be Considered For Atlanta DFS Lineups?
Kirill Kaprizov24 hours ago

Expected To Miss Longer Period Of Time
Carson Hocevar24 hours ago

Is A Fantastic Value Option For Atlanta DFS Lineups
Alex Tuch24 hours ago

Sustains Undisclosed Injury
Tom Wilson24 hours ago

Could Miss Sunday's Contest
John Gibson24 hours ago

Exits Early With Upper-Body Injury
Andrew Copp1 day ago

Doubtful For Sunday
Mark Andrews1 day ago

A Potential Salary Cap Casualty?
Dante Fabbro2 days ago

Back For Blue Jackets Saturday
Sean Durzi2 days ago

Returns From 52-Game Absence
Matthew Tkachuk2 days ago

Will Not Play Against Kraken
Jordan Eberle2 days ago

Back In Action Saturday
Boone Jenner2 days ago

Ready For Season Debut Against Blackhawks
Nico Hischier2 days ago

Returns To Devils Lineup Saturday
Mika Zibanejad2 days ago

Available Against Sabres
Igor Shesterkin2 days ago

Good To Go Saturday
Washington Commanders2 days ago

Jonathan Allen Could Be Salary Cap Casualty
Treylon Burks2 days ago

Could Use A Fresh Start Elsewhere
Tampa Bay Buccaneers2 days ago

Jamel Dean A Cut Candidate For Buccaneers
Seattle Seahawks2 days ago

Dre'Mont Jones' Cap Figure Is Untenable
Pittsburgh Steelers2 days ago

Steelers Could Be Looking To Replace Larry Ogunjobi
Philadelphia Eagles2 days ago

Darius Slay Has Sixth-Highest Cap Hit For Eagles
Graham Gano2 days ago

Could Be On His Way Out
Derek Carr2 days ago

Saints Could Cut Derek Carr
Kendrick Bourne2 days ago

Patriots To Move On From Kendrick Bourne?
Minnesota Vikings2 days ago

Vikings Likely To Move On From Ed Ingram
Jason Sanders2 days ago

Could Be A Cap Casualty
Cooper Kupp2 days ago

Rams Could Cut Cooper Kupp
Los Angeles Chargers2 days ago

Something Has To Give With Joey Bosa
Jacksonville Jaguars2 days ago

Jaguars Hire James Gladstone As New General Manager
Donald Parham Jr.2 days ago

Steelers Sign Donald Parham Jr. To One-Year Deal
Philadelphia Eagles2 days ago

Nolan Smith Has Surgery For Torn Triceps Muscle
George Kittle2 days ago

Discussing Extension With 49ers
Matthew Stafford2 days ago

Rams Give Permission To Matthew Stafford's Agent To Talk To Other Teams
Skyy Moore3 days ago

Could Be Salary Cap Casualty
Arizona Cardinals3 days ago

Cardinals Plan To Be Active In Free Agency
Henry Cejudo3 days ago

Set For Bantamweight Clash
Song Yadong3 days ago

Faces A Legend At UFC Seattle
Anthony Hernandez3 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Brendan Allen3 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Jean Matsumoto3 days ago

Looks To Remain Undefeated
Rob Font3 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Seattle
Melsik Baghdasaryan3 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Jean Silva3 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Seattle
Alonzo Menifield3 days ago

Opens Up UFC Seattle Main Card
Julius Walker3 days ago

Makes His UFC Debut
PGA5 days ago

Kris Ventura A Strong Value Pick At The Mexican Open
Sam Ryder5 days ago

A Player To Watch At The Mexican Open
Aldrich Potgieter5 days ago

An Intriguing Option At The Mexican Open
Mac Meissner5 days ago

Looking To Regain Form At The Mexican Open
PGA5 days ago

K.H. Lee A Player To Avoid At The Mexican Open
Stephan Jaeger5 days ago

Aims For Consistency At Mexican Open
Nicolai Hojgaard5 days ago

Poised For Strong Performance At Mexican Open
Joel Dahmen5 days ago

Difficult To Trust At Mexican Open
Michael Thorbjornsen5 days ago

Looks To Get Things Going In The Right Direction At Mexico Open
Davis Riley5 days ago

An Unlikely Candidate For Success At Mexico Open
Luke List5 days ago

A Risky Play With Upside At Mexican Open
Carson Young5 days ago

A Volatile Option At Mexican Open
Ryan Fox5 days ago

A Boom-Or-Bust Play At Mexican Open
Alex Smalley5 days ago

A Solid Play At Mexican Open
Kevin Yu5 days ago

A Risky Play With Upside At Mexican Open
Taylor Moore6 days ago

An Intriguing Option At Mexican Open
Rasmus Hojgaard6 days ago

Eyeing A Major Bounce-Back At Mexican Open
Michael Kim6 days ago

Looks To Keep Momentum Going At Mexican Open
Sam Stevens6 days ago

Continues His Excellent 2025 Season At Genesis Invitational
Patrick Rodgers6 days ago

Finishes Tied For Third At Genesis Invitational
Thorbjorn Olesen6 days ago

Makes First PGA Tour Start In 2025 At Mexico Open
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Keon Coleman - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football Buys and Sells - 2024 Rookie Class Edition

The 2024 rookie class was a good one for dynasty fantasy football gamers. We saw several first-year players step on the field and make an immediate impact. Gamers who were in a rebuild entering the 2024 season got a shot in the arm if they selected the right players. However, not every rookie pick was […]


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

Dynasty Fantasy Football Buy or Sell?: Zay Flowers, Rashee Rice, Jordan Addison

Wide receivers typically enjoy longer stretches of being productive than do running backs, so in Dynasty fantasy football, the windows in which it's valuable to hold them last longer. This applies to their trade values as well, so it's always important to keep that in mind. But this can be part of a collection of […]


Sam Darnold - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Biggest Fantasy Football Surprises of 2024: Quarterbacks

2024 saw passing numbers drop for many quarterbacks as defensive coordinators sold out to stop a surging NFL passing game by committing to a two-high safety scheme. Running backs reaped the benefits, but several quarterbacks suffered as a result. On the flip side, a few quarterbacks landed in perfect situations that allowed them to exceed […]


Brock Purdy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL injuries, DFS Picks

Dynasty Fantasy Football Buy or Sell?: Brock Purdy, Bryce Young, Michael Penix Jr.

Dynasty fantasy football never sleeps. Even if you think your team is set up for success and you like how your rosters look, there are plenty of players that end up as overvalued or undervalued, depending on how they produced last season. It's just a fact that sometimes players have abnormally good or bad seasons, […]


Jalen Coker - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Players To Buy In Deep Dynasty Fantasy Football Leagues

When I say "deep dynasty leagues," I mean deep leagues, the kind where virtually every relevant player is already on a roster. Deep dynasty leagues are less about league size and more about bench size. Be it a 10, 12, or 14-team league, what matters is that the free agent pool is almost completely bereft […]


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

Five Dynasty Fantasy Football Tight End Sleepers to Target Late in Drafts (2025)

Generally, when it comes to tight ends in fantasy football, there are two schools of thought. Take one of the elite options early in your draft or bypass the position and wait until the later rounds to take a few flyers. This is commonly referred to as the “great or late” approach. Unfortunately, for dynasty […]


Brian Thomas Jr - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football Rankings - Top 2nd Year Players to Buy and Target in Drafts (2025)

With one full season now in the books for the 2024 NFL Draft class, it's time to look back and re-rank the rookies from that draft for dynasty fantasy football leagues. Several players saw their dynasty value rise following the season, and some players saw their dynasty value plummet.  In this article, we will look […]


Jaxson Dart - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks

Dynasty Rookie Fantasy Football Draft Sleepers - Value Pick Targets at Every Position (2025)

Everyone's always looking for sleepers in rookie drafts in Dynasty Fantasy Football. There's a massive payoff waiting for you if you can pick a rookie that far outperforms his expectations. Fantasy managers who selected Brian Thomas Jr. or Bucky Irving in last year's drafts gave their teams massive boosts and players that should produce well […]


Omarion Hampton - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks - NFL Draft

NFL Rookie Breakout Trends: Top NFL Draft Prospects to Target in Fantasy Football (2025)

The 2025 NFL Draft has quite a few intriguing prospects, many of whom can be directly compared to players who are already in the league, or at least archetypes that are generally successful. There is a suite of skills at all the offensive skill positions that help players succeed at the next level. They vary […]


Brock Bowers - Fantasy Football Rankings, TE, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

Biggest Fantasy Football Breakouts of 2024: TE

Tight ends are becoming increasingly important in NFL offenses. Offensive coordinators are scheming creative ways for their tight ends to get open in an age when the position is as athletic as ever. While tight ends formerly did not tend to experience success until their third season in the league, we have seen recent performers […]


Jaxon Smith-Njigba - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL DFS Picks

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets: Top Wide Receivers to Buy Low or Sell High in 2025

Even though the NFL season is officially over, the offseason is one of the best times to upgrade your team in dynasty formats. That could mean buying several star players or trading away a young superstar for multiple first-round picks. Those decisions should be made based on how your team currently looks.  In this article, […]


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

NFL Draft Predictions (2025): Fantasy Football Sleepers to Target in Dynasty League Drafts

I'll keep this intro short. This year's draft has a ton of late-round steals that will be league-winners in redraft if they go to good situations and don't get injured. This is especially true in the running back position. It's a stacked RB class, and the position is valued less in the NFL than every […]


Early 2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers and Draft Targets - RB

Running back was an interesting position in fantasy football in 2024. Most of the top backs in the league were unusually healthy for most of the season. That left little room for waiver-wire darlings and late-round picks to perform well for your fantasy squad. Given how injured running backs usually are, it is reasonable to […]