Kyle Gibson (SP, MIN) - Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues

OWNED IN: 29% of leagues

ANALYSIS: Kyle Gibson splits opinions on his performance, not only in the fantasy community but also with Twins fans in general. The former top prospect has never reached the heights expected, but still might offer a nice floor play in fantasy play. So far through nine starts, only one win should not be a red flag as most of this comes down to back Minnesota bullpen play as opposed to Gibson’s performance. That's not ideal for fantasy owners, but bullpens figure this out and the benefits should come. At the very least, a 9.9 K/9 supports those other categories enough to eat the lack of wins at this point.

What stands out with Gibson is a FIP/ERA combo that is actually in lockstep and offers a productive path moving forward. ERA sits a 3.96 with a FIP at 3.67, meaning that Gibson has pitched better than his good numbers even show. The significant difference in the profile has been about three percent more curveballs with a corresponding drop in changeups. Some more swing and miss is working to kick up those strikeouts and drive opponent swing percentage to a career-low 42%. Gibson is a smart play going forward, but watch the hitter-friendly starts at Target.