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Welcome back RotoBallers to our starting pitcher fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 5 (April 22 - April 28). 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, especially for streaming.
Last week, we recommended some starting pitchers to scoop up that were lower rostered than they should be. For those of you in deeper leagues, we will split that into another section, looking at starting pitchers rostered in less than 30% of Yahoo leagues. We also look at pitchers beyond this coming week and look for tasty matchups a bit further down the road. One consideration for many fantasy players is that the bottom portion of your roster in deeper fantasy leagues should be churned frequently. That means you are playing matchups, and looking for pitchers who can exploit weak-hitting teams. Start anybody pitching against the following teams: the Chicago White Sox, the Miami Marlins, and the Colorado Rockies.
Another caveat here: you are not likely going to find guys on the waiver wire that will strike out tons of hitters or be extremely exciting in most instances. What I look for are guys who can contribute to my bottom lines: a win, perhaps (although chasing them is foolish and tricky), while not destroying my carefully manicured ratios. Keep your expectations modest; think do no harm and hope for the best. Let's get after it.
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Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues
Pitcher pickup recommendations for leagues of any size rostered between 30-50% on Yahoo
Gavin Stone, Los Angeles Dodgers (rostered in 40% of leagues)
People seem lukewarm on Stone, and I can understand the ambivalence. Stone earned his first win this past week against the San Diego Padres, pitching into the seventh inning and striking out four. This suggestion has as much to do with Bobby Miller being on the IL; Stone looks like he will get a chance to stick in the rotation for now. He gets the New York Mets next, followed by a tough matchup against the Toronto Blue Jays, but then gets the Washington Nationals. He's a good option to stream in the right matchups for you.
Jose Butto, New York Mets (rostered in 31% of leagues)
Butto was brilliant in his last start against the Kansas City Royals, going six strong innings while striking out nine hitters. He has 15 strikeouts in 12 innings, and manager Carlos Mendoza said that Butto would stay in the rotation. He has been added 26% in the last day, so the opportunity to roster Butto is slipping. A tough matchup looms this week against the Los Angeles Dodgers, but he gets the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs next. Roster him now while you can.
Clarke Schmidt, New York Yankees (rostered in 30% of leagues)
Doesn't Schmidt feel like a perennial prospect? The righty has been solid in his last two starts: over 10 innings total, 14 strikeouts, and a 1.75 ERA. What I like the most: no walks last outing. Schmidt gets a tasty tilt with the Oakland Athletics this coming week. Roster him now while the Yankees contemplate their next moves in the rotation. Note the uptick in cutter usage below. The pitch mix and sequencing seem to be working.
Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues
Pitcher pickup recommendations for deeper leagues rostered between 30% or less on Yahoo
Graham Ashcraft, Cincinnati Reds (rostered in 20% of leagues)
Ashcraft flies under the radar in Cincinnati but was excellent in his last start against the moribund Chicago White Sox. He pitched into the sixth inning, registering eight strikeouts while allowing only one earned run. Yes, I know: a good college pitcher could manhandle the White Sox right now. However, Ashcraft now has 19 strikeouts in 17 innings for the Reds while keeping his K/BB rate at 4.4. There is value to be had here for the savvy fantasy player. Ashcraft gets the Los Angeles Angels and the Philadelphia Phillies next.
Reese Olson, Detroit Tigers (rostered in 19% of leagues)
Olson pitched well this week even while suffering a 1-0 loss against the Texas Rangers. He pitched into the seventh and had eight strikeouts while surrendering one run against a stacked lineup. Two of his three starts have been excellent. Some may recall that Olson pitched well for the Tigers last year, with five wins and a 3.99 ERA in 18 starts. Olson has the Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals followed by the St. Louis Cardinals in the coming two weeks. Grab him while you can and stream him in good matchups.
Casey Mize, Detroit Tigers (rostered in 19% of leagues)
Mize feels like a bit of a forgotten man in Detroit. Mize was a top pick and has battled injuries over the last two years. In his last outing against Texas, he went six innings and struck out six. Mize looks to be healthy again and gets matchups against the Minnesota Twins and the Kansas City Royals this coming week. It would be nice if Mize could register a few more strikeouts moving forward, and he might with that improved health. What I notice below is the uptick in velocity on the four-seamer:
Ryan Weathers, Miami Marlins (rostered in 14% of leagues)
Weathers had only gone five innings in his last two starts against the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Yankees, but both were effective. He whiffed six Cardinals but only one Yankee, where he experienced some cramping and had to come out. This week against the San Francisco Giants, he got the win and whiffed 1o batters while covering six innings. Weathers gets the Chicago Cubs next, and then the Colorado Rockies and Washington Nationals after that, which are enticing matchups for the young lefty. Grab him while you still can. The young lefty is now 3-1 with a 2.70 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, and 22 strikeouts in 20 innings. Weathers has some room to grow but the seeds are there: good fastball velocity, whiff % and the uptick in K%.
Other Waiver Wire Options
- Jameson Taillon, Chicago Cubs (rostered in 17% of leagues)
- Michael Lorenzen, Texas Rangers (rostered in 13% of leagues): I would rank Lorenzen higher but he needs to build up some stamina before I can recommend him.
- Patrick Sandoval, Los Angeles Angels (rostered in 6% of leagues)
- Colin Rea, Milwaukee Brewers (rostered in 8% of leagues)
Happy hunting for starting pitchers this weekend! If you have questions you can always message me @mdrc0508. You can even tell me you hate these picks. Remember fantasy baseball is supposed to be FUN above everything. Enjoy it!
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