Photo courtesy of Luigi de Guzman.
We are headed into the last week of the season. For those of you who are involved in a dog-fight in pitching categories, I have a strategy for you.
If your team needs a boost in ERA, WHIP, K’s or wins to put you over the top for the season you need to employ this very simple strategy. Bear in mind, this strategy will only work if you can pick up players from the waiver wire or you already have some of these pitchers on your roster.
The players you will want to target will have relief pitcher eligibility along with a starting pitcher designation. Add these players with relief pitcher eligibility into your relief pitcher slots for the last week of the season. Saves are not important when you have the opportunity to boost four other statistical categories.
*All of the following pitchers have starting and relief pitching eligibility.
- Two-Start Eligibility
Tanner Roark – This is a guy that have two starts the last week of the season. There is no pitcher more under the radar than Tanner Roark has been in the second half of the season. He is 7-0 for the Washington Nationals with a K/9 of 6.91 and an ERA of 1.08.
His game is all about control and keeping runners from advancing, having stranded 82.9% of runners in his role as reliever and part-time starter. He has only started three games this season and they have all been in the month of September. The Nationals are going to give him an additional two-start audition this week for a possible role as a full time starter next season.
Last three starts
Alex Wood – If strikeouts are what you are looking for, you can plug Alex Wood into your lineup and watch the K’s pile up. He averages nine strikeouts per nine innings. Admittedly, he has been terrible two out of his last three starts, having not lasted more than four innings. This might be the week you take a flyer on him. In August he posted an ERA under 1.50. If you are in a tight race for ERA and WHIP you will not want to start him. If you need strikeouts, he’s your guy if he can get through five innings.
Last three starts
- One-Start Eligibility
Tyson Ross – Granted, Tyson Ross has a losing record. But look at his stats and ask yourself, how is this possible? The Padres do not score a lot of runs for him, which limits his win potential. If he got more run support he would be talked about in the same breath as Chris Archer.
He will give you a very low season ERA of 3.24 along with a high K/9 rate of 8.59. He fanned ten batters in five innings on September 1st against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He doesn’t walk many people and he doesn’t make mistakes by giving up home runs, allowing only .056 HR/9.
Last four starts
I hope your team has had great success this season from reading Fantasy Baseball Crackerjacks. Continue to visit the site every week during the off-season where we will get you ready for the upcoming 2014 fantasy league drafts. If you have questions or comments let us know in our comments section, by email, Facebook, or on Twitter.