Steven Matz (SP, NYM) - Week 15 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues

OWNED IN: 37% of leagues

ANALYSIS: New York Mets starting pitcher Steven Matz has four quality starts in his last six and his 3.46 ERA in 83 1/3 innings this season is very attractive. Moreso, Matz has struck out 76 batters this season and has a 52.4% ground ball rate.

His ground ball rate has jumped to 53.8% since the beginning of June (six starts) and has struck out 35 batters in 37 1/3 innings. The combination of strikeouts and ground balls has helped Matz limit damage and his walk rate has also dropped to 2.63 per nine innings. Most importantly for fantasy owners, the Mets may entertain trade offers for Matz as the deadline nears, so he may fair better than his 4-5 record if he played for a contender.

Matz will face the Rays on Saturday and, while that is not a part of Week 15, it is a solid start to close Week 14. In Week 15, Matz will face the Nationals at home. While Washington was projected to be one of the best offenses in the National League this season, the team is on a slide lately and Matz has allowed three earned runs in nine innings against the Nationals this inning. Considering the fact that he can help at the end of Week 14 as well as in Week 15, Matz is a good addition in all formats.