This week’s fantasy baseball starting pitcher review will help you identify starting pitchers available in 50% or more of Yahoo! fantasy baseball leagues. For deep league players, the third is available in 85% or more of Yahoo! leagues.
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Zack Wheeler, Mets (36% owned)
Wheeler has had a career marked with stints of extreme effectiveness derailed by injury. While the Mets said that they plan to “constantly re-evaluate” Wheeler’s workload, he’s worth an add in all ten-team and deeper leagues. He hasn’t allowed more than two runs in five of his last six starts, and he’s struck out 32 batters in 33.2 innings in that same stretch. Wheeler may not be around all year, but he’s worth slotting in if you need some good production. He gets the hapless Padres offense this week, which means he needs to be owned in all leagues at least this week.
Dan Straily, Miami (22% owned)
Straily, the #21 SP over the last month, had a rough go of it his last time out, but his underlying numbers reveal so promising figures about Straily. First, his WHIP sits at a well-above average 1.03. He has nearly a strikeout an inning (48 K in 48.2 IP), but his walks are very concerning. is 11.2% walk rate is beyond bad, but he chooses to walk people instead of giving up good hits. He’s inducing mostly fly balls and ground balls, which means bad contact. His 14% line drive rate is extremely good, sitting alongside weak contact master Dallas Keuchel. He gets the Angels, who currently have the second-worst AL wOBA, next.
Mike Foltynewicz, Atlanta (15% owned)
I’m a sucker for a starter with an absolute heater of a fastball, and Folty fits that bill. He has some control problems as he transitioned to the majors, but he has seemed to reel it in. Folty has had one blow up start in his last six starts, among five quality starts. Folty doesn’t have gaudy strikeout numbers, but he notched a WHIP of 1.00 or lower in three of his last five starts. The fireballer might be figuring it all out. He gets the Pirates and Giants in San Francisco next week, which bodes well for his short-term prospects.