Through the past couple of weeks, there has been a lot of noise coming from some of the newest arms in baseball right now, giving many managers a lot to think about as we near the end of the 2010 fantasy baseball season.
Pitchers such as Jeanmar Gomez, Brian Duensing, and Barry Enright, have all contributed a string of quality starts, so it is still very much needed to stay on top of what the week has to offer.
Let's take a look at the best, worst, and fantasy baseball waiver wire gems for week 20.
The Top Five Starting Pitchers for Week 15 (8/16 to 8/22) |
| 1. Brian Duensing – MIN: Duensing is cruising along with a 6-1 record and is showing no signs of slowing down. He is fresh off of his first career shutout in his first appearance at Target field, and he will take that momentum home where he will face the Angles. |
| 2. Jeanmar Gomez – CLE: Gomez makes the list for the second straight week simply because the kid keeps on winning, and it may be time for you to give credit where credit is due. Gomez is 3-0 with a 1.54 ERA; the lowest ERA in club history among pitchers in their first four starts. He gets the lowly Royals Tuesday. |
| 3. Jamie Garcia – STL: Garcia will enter Tuesday contest against the Brewers on an extra day’s rest (the seventh time of extra rest this year). He is 10-5 with a 2.71 ERA on the season, and he is also 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA this year against the Brewers. |
| 4. Ted Lilly – LAD: Since being acquired by the Dodgers, Lilly is unbeaten in his last three striking out 15 batters. He will face the Rockies at Dodger stadium on Thursday. |
| 5. Mat Latos – SD: The kid has given up just one run in his last 12 innings and is 7-1 in his last 11 starts. He’ll get the Cubs in his next outing; a nice matchup. |
The Top Five Pitchers to Sit for Week 15 (8/16 to 8/22) |
| 1. Shaun Marcum – TOR: Marcum will face the A’s in his next outing who are on the upswing, while Marcum is currently on the downswing. If you own him, sit him. |
| 2. Max Scherzer – DET: Scherzer hasn’t been pitching that bad, but faces the Yankees next, and he’ll do it with little run support from his team. It’s not a favorable matchup. |
| 3. Joe Blanton – PHI: Blanton continues to struggle heavily with the Phils, particularly in the first inning where he has a whopping 8.53 first inning ERA. The Giants are not a favorable outing for him. |
| 4. Brett Cecil – Tor: Another Blue Jay pitcher who should be sat this week is Cecil after dealing with some recent struggles. He faces a Red Sox team that not only is he 0-1 against, but also is the number two team in runs scored behind the Yankees. |
| 5. Gavin Floyd - CHW: Floyd is primed for another bad outing when he faces the Twins this week, the same team that blew him out of the water the last time he faced them. In addition to that, he goes against Liriano, so it’s not like the White Sox will have many scoring chances either. |
Top Three Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 15 (8/16 to 8/22) |
| 1. Jake Westbrook – STL: Westbrook has flourished since coming to St. Louis and should be scooped up before his 13% average ownership increases. |
| 2. Nelson Figueroa – HOU: Figueroa is 3-1 with a 3.38 ERA and faces a Mets team that is horrible on the road. A good spot start for those of you looking. |
| 3. Daniel Hudson – ARI: Since coming the Arizona, Hudson has been nothing but gold for the D-backs and has a couple of favorable starts coming up. He is currently averaged at 13% ownership in most leagues. |
| High Quality Starts | Risky Starts | Don’t Even Think About It! |
| Chris Volstad vs. Pirates: Mon | Chad Billingsley vs. Braves: Mon | Jon Niese vs. Astros: Mon |
| Ricky Nolasco vs. Pirates: Tues | Zach Greinke vs. Indians: Tues | Rich Harden vs. Rays: Tues |
| Adam Wainwright vs. Brewers: Wend | Jamie Shields vs. Rangers: Wend | Jeremy Bonderman vs. Yanks: Wend |
| Phil Hughes vs. Tigers: Thurs | John Lannan vs. Braves: Thurs | Jonathan Sanchez vs. Phils: Thurs |
| Ubaldo Jimenez vs. D-Backs: Sat | Dice-K vs. Blue Jays: Sat | Ryan Dempster vs. Braves: Sat |
