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Welcome back! It's Week 23 of our fantasy baseball Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups series! there are just a few precious weeks left, and every start is becoming more and more important as most of the fantasy baseball world is in playoff matchups. If you've made it this far, there's a good chance you don't really need a ton of SP help - but we'll dig for some gems nonetheless!
As we have been all season, we'll be looking for starting pitchers with strong K-BB ratios, favoring guys that can keep the ball on the ground.
Let's get to it - here are your starting pitcher fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups recommendations for Week 23 of the fantasy season (September 12 - September 18).
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Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues
Pitcher pickup recommendations for leagues of any size
Reid Detmers, Los Angeles Angels (38% Rostered)
He did not make a start in Week 22 as the Angels chose to bump him back to not feed him to the wolves (Astros) again. That caused his ownership to drop 10 points down to 38% here, and it gives us the chance to get two starts from him in Week 23.
Since his return from the minors, he's made eight starts and put up a sweet 29.4% K% with a 9.6% BB% and a .280 xwOBA. There has really only been one bad start since that return, weirdly against the Tigers, and he's even been pulling in the wins in front of a hurting offense. That lineup is improved now and I think he's going to finish the year on a high note.
Alex Cobb, San Franciso Giants (42% Rostered)
Unsurprisingly, it didn't go well for Cobb against the Dodgers. In Week 23, he gets the Braves and Dodgers again, so he's really not a great option for that week. However, his last few starts of the year are in much better matchups - so if you're not in the playoffs yet and want to add a solid pitcher for those last few weeks, Cobb is someone I'd be picking up and benching until we get there.
Jose Quintana, St. Louis Cardinals (38% Rostered)
It's the same old tune with Quintana. He just keeps giving you five or six strong innings. The downside is the lack of strikeouts, but the upside is a good schedule and reliability.
Hunter Brown, Houston Astros (34% Rostered)
Please make sure you check the Astros probable starters coming up because I'm not sure if Brown is going to stick in the rotation. He had a really good start in his first turn, and it would seem that he'd have earned a few more starts with Justin Verlander still on the shelf, but we can never be sure. There's not a ton to go on here with Brown since he's so new - but the stuff is very good and the Astros have proven to get a lot of out their starters.
Nick Lodolo, Cincinnati Reds (35% Rostered)
Lots of strikeouts, but not the safest option you'll find. I really think the upside and the "stuff" alone should have him rostered above 60%, but he just hasn't gotten there. I'm excited to see how Lodolo finishes off his rookie campaign.
Eduardo Rodriguez, Detroit Tigers (46% Rostered)
He's made four starts since returning from his phantom stage. He's had three good starts in there and one really bad one against the Mariners. He has 16 strikeouts and eight walks, but he's coming off of a start with no walks. I think he's getting his legs under him and could provide some really good starts as we finish up this season.
Bailey Falter, Philadelphia Phillies (24% Rostered)
The young lefty has put together a 3.40 ERA, a 0.93 WHIP, a 23% K%, and a 4.4% BB% over his last eight starts, dating back to early July. That K-BB% is quite useful and supports the great WHIP he's put up. He's pitched well, looks believable, and has two starts on the schedule for Week 23. Add him now!
Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues
Dean Kremer, Baltimore Orioles (26% Rostered)
He has toughed it out through some rough matchups against the Blue Jays (twice), Red Sox, and Astros. Greener pastures are ahead, and he has the elite walk rate we love to see in our waiver wire picks ups (5.5%).
Ken Waldichuk, Oakland Athletics (9% Rostered)
Two starts now for Waldichuk and a half-decent 12.4% SwStr%. He hasn't eclipsed the 20% K% and the walks are high at 9.3% as well. The reason to consider him is the talent and the lack of data samples we have. There could be some unknown upside here. I would much prefer anybody in the section above, but Waldichuk is on my radar.
Roansy Contreras, Pittsburgh Pirates (18% Rostered)
He's gaining momentum down the stretch and has thrown six or more innings FOUR TIMES since early July. The stuff is really good, as we've been talking about all year, but he's being held back by walks still. If he can lower the walk rate as we move forward he could really put up some dominant outings here. He's not a priority add by any means, but he can be added in you're in a real pinch.
Other Waiver Wire Options
- Domingo German, New York Yankees
- Alex Wood, San Francisco Giants
- Jose Suarez, Los Angeles Angels
- Nick Pivetta, Boston Red Sox
- Cole Irvin, Oakland Athletics
- Wade Miley, Chicago cubs
Alrighty, hope you enjoyed the piece and I hope some of these starting pitcher picks change your life forever and ever, for the better. So long!
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