Fantasy Baseball: Starting pitcher analysis for the second half of the MLB season
Finding the perfect pitcher to add to your Fantasy baseball team can be the difference between winning your league or going home with nothing. And before you determine which low-owned pitchers you should target, and which you should avoid, heading into Week 16, you absolutely need to see what Fantasy analyst Jeff Zimmerman has to say.
Zimmerman has written at FanGraphs, Hardball Times, RotoWire, ESPN, Baseball America, and Beyond the Boxscore. He has won several FSTA awards including Best Baseball Series and Football Writer of the Year. He's participated in Tout Wars and won it twice (15-mixed auction and 12-team H2H). Along with Tanner Bell, he just published the first edition of "The Process", a complete guide for running your own Fantasy baseball start-to-finish. If there's anybody who knows what it takes to win a league, it's him.
Now, he's done an in-depth analysis of some of the most intriguing waiver wire pitchers for Week 16. One thing we can tell you: Zimmerman is excited about the potential of Marlins pitcher Pablo Lopez, who's owned in just 39 percent of leagues.
"While a shoulder strain halted Lopez's season, he should return from this setback and continue to be productive," Zimmerman said. "In all fairness, the only "bad" result this season is a 4.23 ERA. Each of his strikeout, walk and home-run rates have improved. His 17.5 K%-BB% ranks 46th of the 146 pitchers with 50 IP this season. Universally owned Aaron Nola, Jose Berrios, and Luis Castillo all own lower K%-BB% values.
Several factors have contributed to his breakout. First, his fastball velocity jumped over 1 mph. Second, he's been in the strike zone more with a 48% Zone% helping both his walk and strikeout rate. Finally, he went from throwing his below average sinker from 26% to 17% of the time. While each one isn't a major improvement, the overall combination makes him a near must add when starting."
Zimmerman has also identified which pitchers you should target if your teams needs a jolt, including a player who's most likely sitting on your waiver wire right now who can make a big impact. You ABSOLUTELY need to see his breakdowns before making the call on any waiver wire pitchers.
So which low-owned pitchers should you target heading into the second half of the season? And which undervalued pitcher can help you win your upcoming matchups? ... Join SportsLine right now to see an analysis of the Week 16 pitching waiver wire breakdown, all from an award-winning Fantasy baseball analyst who can give you a huge edge in your league!
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