Matt Boyd (SP, DET) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ team leagues

OWNED IN: 9% of Fleaflicker leagues

ANALYSIS: The David Price trade is finally starting to pay off for the Detroit Tigers now that Matt Boyd is finding his big league niche. Boyd had a nice run of 11 starts and 64 IP for an average of 5.82 IP at Triple-A this year where he produced a 2.25 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 2.5 BB/9, and 8.0 K/9. Before 2016 the 25-year old LHP had a 7.53 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, 2.7 HR/9, and just 6.8 K/9 in 57.1 IP. He had a string of five bad starts in May and June where he pitched 24.2 innings to the tune of a 7.66 ERA, a 1.54 WHIP, and allowed a damaging 1.82 HR/9. In seven starts and 39.1 IP through July and August since those ugly months, Boyd has looked like a different person. In July he produced a 2.21 ERA and 0.98 WHIP and so far this month he has a 1.89 ERA and 1.11 WHIP. His durability has improved too. In four June starts he averaged just 4.92 innings per outing, then he averaged 5.08 innings per outing in four July starts, and in three August starts has pitched 18 innings for a solid average of 6.0 IP each start. Now that he can go deep into games and his opponents OPS for the last two months has been .677 and .606 instead of the .952 and .827 it was in May and June, Matt Boyd looks to be the pitcher that the Tigers and fantasy baseball managers hoped he would be.