One month. That’s all that’s left of the baseball regular season. If you feel like almost no time has passed since Shohei Ohtani played in his first MLB game and Chris Davis was still good, you’re not alone. This season has gone by quickly, but with the final month that still remains, there is time to earn glory in your fantasy league. One of the easiest ways to do that is on the waiver wire, especially now that many owners have shifted their attention to football. And one of the easiest things to do on the waiver wire is streaming pitchers, as there are a multitude of unowned pitchers who can provide value if used in the right matchup.
To determine the pitchers eligible for consideration, I looked at players who were owned in less than 30 percent of ESPN leagues.
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Monday, September 3
Joey Lucchesi (SD) @ Arizona Diamondbacks (16.8%)
Another start, another gem. Lucchesi has been on a roll as of late, striking out at least six and allowing two or fewer runs in four of his past five starts, including a game at Coors. Of course, the one game out of five where he didn’t meet those criteria was against the Diamondbacks, but even then, he still managed to strike out six batters. With a strikeout rate north of 25 percent, strikeouts are one thing you don’t have to worry about when streaming Lucchesi. It helps that the Diamondbacks had struck out just under 23 percent of the time against lefties heading into Thursday, the ninth-highest rate in baseball. Lucchesi should be able to get the better of his opponent in this rematch.
Tuesday, September 4
Trevor Richards (MIA) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (4.8%)
Richards is another pitcher who’s been racking up the Ks recently-in his past 38 2/3 innings (since July 22) he has struck out 46 batters, good for a 29.1 percent strikeout rate. He’s gotten knocked around somewhat in his most recent starts, admittedly, but consider his opponents: the Red Sox, Yankees, and Braves, all of whom are top-10 offenses in baseball (with the former two being the two best). The Phillies, meanwhile, had the 10th-lowest wRC+ and the third-highest strikeout rate against righties before yesterdays’ games. Richards is probably already salivating.
Wednesday, September 5
Tyler Glasnow (TB) @ Toronto Blue Jays (19.1%)
Glasnow has been tremendous with the Rays in his five starts, pitching to a 3.80 ERA while striking out 35.2 percent of the batters he’s faced. Thanks to that, along with an improved walk rate (down to 9.9 percent with the Rays from a career 13.4 percent mark), his supporting metrics are even more impressive-a 3.24 FIP and 3.06 xFIP. Even against an opponent like the Blue Jays, who have been above average offensively against righties, Glasnow has pitched well enough to earn the nod. And, after all, this is the same team against which he struck out six over five innings of one-run ball not three weeks ago.
Thursday, September 6
Marco Estrada (TOR) vs. Cleveland Indians (7.3%)
You might be wondering why I’m recommending a player with a 5.18 ERA. It’s not his ERA predictors: both his FIP and xFIP are higher than his ERA. It’s not his strikeout rate, either, as he sits at a lowly 17.4 percent. It’s certainly not his opponent. Estrada owes his selection here simply due to a lack of available options, with only four games on the schedule for Thursday. I won’t try too hard to defend the pick-I would only use Estrada if you desperately need innings. I will say that if either Luis Castillo (37.5%) or Shane Bieber (40.6%) are available in your league, they represent much more attractive options.
Friday, September 7
Felix Pena (LAA) @ Chicago White Sox (3.4%)
Pena has had his ups and downs, but right now is most certainly an up. With 24 strikeouts in his last 18 innings, Pena has the capability to provide value to your team, even if he does allow a few runs. The White Sox struck out more than all but one team against righties going into Thursday, and they had the 10th-lowest wRC+. It’s a risky play, but one that could pay off. If you’re looking for a safer option, take a look at Derek Holland (26.7%), who’s allowed four or more runs in a game just once since July 1 and faces the Brewers on the road.
Saturday, September 8
Junior Guerra (MIL) vs. San Francisco Giants (25.0%)
Guerra hasn’t been at his best as of late, but his season line is still more than respectable. A 4.09 ERA shows that he’s gotten the results he’s needed to, while his 4.33 FIP indicates that he’s deserved it. While those numbers are somewhat average, what isn’t average is his matchup. Giants hitters had an 87 wRC+ against righties heading into Thursday and were striking out 23.7 percent of the time, both numbers that were among the eight worst teams in baseball. Average will get it done here.
Sunday, September 9
Tyler Anderson (COL) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (27.0%)
Anderson actually has a two-start week this week, so if you wanted to use him against both the Giants on Monday and the Dodgers on Sunday, that might not be such a bad idea. His 4.79 ERA isn’t great, but his xFIP of 4.22 shows he’s gotten somewhat unlucky. Also, his ERA at home (4.29) is actually lower than it is on the road (5.37), so the fact that the game is in Coors shouldn’t be too worrisome. Anderson still has major strikeout upside that he showed earlier in the year, which is why I’m confident he can break out of his recent rut sooner rather than later. Look at the line from his game on Monday before using him here, though.
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Brian Reiff is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Brian, check out his archive and follow him @briansreiff.
