Don’t be so quick to judge pitchers who weren’t drafted in your fantasy baseball league. Pitchers go through spurts, and even if a player isn’t a great fantasy baseball option for the long haul, it doesn’t mean you can’t get a week, or two, or even a month of solid statistics out of them.
That’s why these pitchers are seeing a bump in ownership during the last few days. It’s not too late in some leagues to pick up these pitchers to improve your roster for at least the short-term. And who knows? These guys might surprise those so-called experts telling you to keep them on the waiver wire.
Chris Tillman, Baltimore, SP
Tillman isn’t going to be a strikeout king or contribute in WHIP. But he has shown in multiple seasons in the past to produce in more than one fantasy baseball category.
That’s worth an investment for some fantasy owners looking for wins or help in ERA.
Tillman is 1-0 this season with a 1.29 ERA to go along with a 12.9 strikeout-per-nine-inning mark. Those strikeout numbers won’t stick, since his career average is 6.7. But he’s been a proven winner in the past, with double-digit wins in the past three seasons.
Outside of the last season, he’s also been a solid choice in ERA, with an ERA of 3.71 or less in three of the last four seasons. Fantasy experts don’t generally like Tillman, based on his low strikeout output. But he can offer some value for fantasy owners who are looking for some wins and ERA to bolster their rotation.
Jeremy Hellickson, Philadelphia, SP
At one point in his career, Hellickson was considered a rising star in Tampa Bay’s organization. Injuries piled up for the young hurler and his stock dropped, and he was eventually sent to the lowly Phillies.
However, the Phillies are showing a bit more life than in the past and Hellickson has been one of the better pitchers through two weeks this season.
Hellickson has given up six hits over 11.2 innings, while allowing two earned runs and striking out 11. He’s only issued one walk this season, too.
It will be tough to keep up those numbers, but if he’s healthy, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he could have a stellar season. He’s still only 29, and he managed double-digit wins in three consecutive seasons before injuries derailed his career.
There’s a chance he might be one of the best waiver wire pickups this season if he can revert back to his form from five years ago. That’s a move that could pay big dividends for fantasy owners.
Brandon Finnegan, Cincinnati, SP
Don’t expect to make it through one of Finnegan’s starts without a heart attack. If you can survive, though, it may be worth the investment.
Finnegan took a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the Chicago Cubs this week only to be pulled after giving up the first hit thanks to a huge pitch count. He was all over the place with his location, issuing five walks compared to striking out five batters.
His WHIP is still intact, though, based on his first start of the season where he fanned nine batters against one walk, and the fact that he only allowed one hit against the Cubs. He’s been nasty in those first two starts, allowing only four hits in 12.2 innings.
Despite his 2.84 ERA, he still hasn’t generated a win, yet, but that should improve if he keeps up this streak. Finnegan has youth on his side, being only 23, and this year represents his first full year as a starter.
In 20 games last season, he managed an 8.4 strikeout-per-nine-inning average. He will likely provide plenty of bumps along the way, but he’s shown so far this year to be able to produce in multiple ways for fantasy owners.
