Fantasy Waiver Wire Pitchers: Dixon’s Picks for Week of 9/8
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We can see the finish line now. If you’re in a head-to-head league, your playoffs are likely underway, or about to start. If you took my advice on the fantasy waiver wire wire pitchers last week, you know that these guys don’t always pay off. All you can really do is prepare and play the odds. Once you set your lineups, it’s out of your hands.
We also had a few guys get their second starts bumped back. Oh well. That’s life. Before we look at this weeks fantasy waiver wire pitchers that you should consider for streaming, let’s look at my season totals after the weeks of Shane Greene, Wade Miley, and Hector Santiago.
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Now, on to this week’s Dixon’s Picks.
- Marcus Stroman, Toronto Blue Jays — Probable Starts: Monday vs. Chicago Cubs, Sunday vs. Tampa Bay Rays
I talked about Marcus Stroman a few weeks ago and while he did have a few rough outings, he seems to have righted the ship. There are plenty of pitfalls in both the Cubs and Rays offenses but as a rule, they’re still pretty favorable opponents for pitchers, which is what makes Stroman so inviting this week.
Something else that works in Stroman’s favor is the fact that he strikes people out. If you’re in a head-to-head match-up, a bad game early in the week doesn’t have to be a terrible thing. Sure, you want nothing but good starts, but if a few rough ones knock you out of the running in ERA and WHIP, you can then really load up on the counted stats without much risk. Believe me, I’ve done it a time or two.
If that strategy is in play, you do need a guy out there that strikes hitters out at a good rate. Stroman does that. Even in his bad outings, you can usually count on about a strikeout an inning.
The potential is there for two very good starts but even if that doesn’t happen, the worst case scenario with Stroman is likely not that bad.
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- Edinson Volquez, Pittsburgh Pirates — Probable Starts: Tuesday at Philadelphia Phillies, Sunday vs. Chicago Cubs
Similar to Stroman, Edinson Volquez can usually be counted on for a good strikeout rate, good outing or not. This week, he’s got a couple of very favorable pitching assignments and I’m expecting a few good performances.
Volquez is another in a line of successful Pittsburgh Pirates reclamation projects and he’s been particularly strong over the last month, turning in quality start after quality start.
When fantasy waiver wire pitchers are throwing well and get two favorable assignments in a week, you really owe it to yourself to at least consider them. As it is, Volquez probably has the brightest prospects for the week.
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- Hector Santiago, Los Angeles Angels — Probable Starts: Tuesday at Texas Rangers, Sunday vs. Houston Astros
We don’t often have someone make Dixon’s Picks two weeks in a row, but here we are. Hector Santiago got bumped from a start. That’s the bad thing. The good thing is that just one week later, he’s still the probable starter in two strong match-ups.
I can say pretty much the same thing about Santiago this week that I did last week. He’s been pretty solid for most of the year, and most of the last few weeks. That’s not to say that he’s been extraordinary, but pretty solid is a good thing.
Now, the hope is that he can step that up a notch against two non-contenders. It’s certainly a strong possibility, and the way he’s been pitching, Santiago offers little risk.
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