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Waiver Wire Starting Pitchers for Your Fantasy Baseball Team
Earlier in the week we dug into the sabermetrics to find three solid waiver wire pickups for you. Now we're taking a look at 5 more waiver wire pitchers who can help your fantasy baseball team in the short term. All ownership percentages from Yahoo!
Alfredo Simon (61% Owned)
Before the regular season began, not many people thought that Alfredo Simon would be Cincinnati's most reliable starting pitcher in April. Simon has gotten off to a scorching start, posting a 4-1 record to go along with a 1.60 ERA and 0.98 WHIP. Although he failed to record a strikeout in seven shutout innings on Sunday, fantasy owners won't complain about the quality start. In fact, Simon has given the Reds a quality start in all six of his outings, doing so with a 2.94 BB/9. If for whatever reason Simon is a free agent in your league, go pick him up in all formats and ride him until the wheels fall off.
Tim Lincecum (60% Owned)
Since winning back-to-back Cy Young Awards, Tim Lincecum has failed to have a successful season. Nevertheless, his recent pitching has shown signs of a turnaround. Although he has been unable to pitch deeply into the game, Lincecum has only given up six runs over his last three starts. His K/9 was well over 10.0 when winning those Cy Young awards, but even at its current 8.81, the K/9 is useful in most formats. The Giants will give Lincecum plenty of opportunities to pick up wins throughout the season, so he is worthy of a pickup in almost any format.
Josh Beckett (23% Owned)
Beckett has failed to earn a win in each of his first five starts, but it is not because of poor pitching. Although he is just 0-1, Beckett will carry a 3.14 ERA into his start against San Francisco on Thursday. The Dodgers didn't know what to expect from him since he was coming off an injury, but he has surely exceeded expectations. The 9.42 K/9 and 2.83 BB/9 are extremely impressive, and because he is playing on a team that has a high-powered offense, expect Beckett to rack up many wins this year, making him useful in most formats.
Zach McAllister (19% Owned)
After starting the season 3-0, McAllister has struggled in his last two starts, which is why he is likely a free agent in your league. However, the two rough outings came in road starts against high-powered offenses (Angels and Giants). The one positive that came out of those outings was the increase in strikeouts-- McAlister managed 11 strikeouts in just 9.1 innings. The 3.82 ERA is decent, and his ability to limit the long balls this year (0.27 HR/9 compared to last year’s 0.87), makes him worthy of a pickup in deep leagues.
Jhoulys Chacin (7% Owned)
Chacin is finally healthy and back to starting for the Colorado Rockies. Although he had trouble with his control in his first start of the season, he is worth a pickup in deep leagues. Last year, Chacin posted a 3.47 ERA in 31 starts, and you should expect a similar ERA for this season. In two Triple-A starts, Chacin had a 2.53 ERA and did not allow a home run. If he can stay healthy and continue working on lowering his BB/9, Chacin can turn in a solid season and provide fantasy owners with quality starts.
