In the wonderful world of fantasy baseball, a team can never have enough starting pitching. No matter how great your pitching stats look, a season can turn on a dime with a few significant injuries. The week, the high hopes of adding to the back end of a fantasy staff ended with him pitching one below-par game and a lengthy trip to the injured list with a left elbow issue.
Here's a look at some free agent starting pitching options this week in the free pool in 12-team formats, using roster percentage from the National Fantasy Baseball Championship:
Fuentes has worked his way into the free agent pool in many shallow leagues after spending the last 18 days in Atlanta's bullpen, and his recent numbers make a strong case for a pickup. Over his last five appearances, he's allowed just one run on two hits and three walks across 8.2 innings, with eight strikeouts and two wins. His ERA (3.45) and WHIP (1.021) are trending in the right direction, and 19 strikeouts over 15.2 innings suggest the underlying stuff is legitimate.
As a swingman filling a seventh starter role on a fantasy roster, Fuentes has the tools to contribute across multiple categories, particularly if Atlanta begins stretching him out. His realistic ceiling is a vulture win every couple of weeks, with a shot at a dozen or so starts over the second half of the season. That may not be the most exciting profile, but in the right roster context, it represents real value. It's also worth noting that he's one injury away from stepping into a more prominent role, which could make him a significant fantasy asset and an expensive waiver wire add.
Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Zebby Matthews (52) delivers a pitch against the New York Yankees in the first inning at Target Field. | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
Matthews took multiple punches to open his 2026 AAA season, surrendering 14 runs on 27 hits, seven home runs, and five walks over 16.1 innings across his first four starts. His next three outings painted a very different picture, as he allowed just four runs on 14 hits and six walks over 18.0 innings with 18 strikeouts.
That stretch likely played a role in Minnesota's decision to slot him into the rotation following Taj Bradley's pectoral injury. He made the most of the opportunity, delivering a stellar major league debut against Miami, seven shutout innings on four hits, one walk, and four strikeouts for the win.
That debut aside, his major league track record coming in was difficult to ignore. Over 25 prior starts, Matthews carried a 5.92 ERA and 1.538 WHIP across 117.0 innings, while surrendering 23 home runs. His longball weakness offset solid command and a legitimate strikeout total (131 punchouts) over that span. The building blocks of a useful fantasy arm are present, but the home run troubles keep his ceiling firmly in check until he demonstrates he can keep more balls in the yard.
The Angels have floated the possibility of Rodriguez making his return on Sunday after two rehab appearances at the rookie and A-Ball levels. Facing lighter competition, he allowed three runs on 12 hits and two walks over 9.2 innings while striking out 18 batters, including 11 Ks in his most recent outing. He threw 94 pitches in that start, with 63 going for strikes.
Some rust is to be expected, and the injury risk hasn't fully disappeared after starting the year on the injured list with a right shoulder issue. That said, his ceiling remains in view if he can stay healthy and improve his command. Over 43 major league starts, Rodriguez owns a 20-8 record with a 4.11 ERA, 1.291 WHIP, and 259 strikeouts across 238.2 innings, numbers that make him well worth rostering once he demonstrates he's healthy and back up to full strength.
Garrett's supporters in the high-stakes market were deflated when Robby Snelling beat their buy-and-hold investment to the majors, only to get their hopes back a week later. Miami apparently sensed something was wrong with Snelling shortly after his debut, as Garrett hadn't pitched at AAA since May 5th. That excitement was short-lived, however, after a disastrous outing against Minnesota on Thursday (five runs, four hits, five walks, and three strikeouts over just 1.1 innings on 64 pitches).
Zooming out to his last three appearances, including his 2026 major league debut, the results have been alarming: 11 runs, 10 hits, three home runs, and 12 walks across 9.1 innings with 12 strikeouts. He's also hit two batters over that stretch, adding to a concerning total of seven hit batsmen in the minors this season.
The context makes the struggles somewhat understandable. Garrett dominantly opened his AAA season (0.77 ERA, 0.514 WHIP, and 23 strikeouts over 23.1 innings) before the wheels came off. He profiles as a soft-tosser at 92.0 mph, though his fastball and sinker velocity have actually ticked up in 2026 compared to prior seasons.
His major league track record invites a look (12-14 record over 48 appearances and 47 starts for Miami in 2022 and 2023, with a 3.63 ERA, 1.183 WHIP, and 246 strikeouts over 247.2 innings).
The elephant in the room, however, is his second Tommy John surgery in December 2024, which included an internal brace and typically requires around 15 months of recovery. The fact that he was pitching in the minors by late March suggests the timeline may have been pushed, and 2026 may be a more turbulent year than his early AAA numbers initially suggested.
Detroit Tigers pitcher Troy Melton throws at live batting practice during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla. on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Three outings into his rehab assignment across A and AAA, Melton has looked sharp, allowing just one run on four hits and two walks over 6.2 innings with 10 strikeouts. His most recent AAA appearance was particularly encouraging: 96.4 mph average fastball velocity, two innings, no runs, two hits, two walks, and three strikeouts. He threw 54 pitches (33 for strikes) in that outing, suggesting he likely needs two more starts before he's ready to be activated.
His first season in Detroit showed plenty of promise before his injury. Over 16 appearances, including four starts, Melton went 3-2 with a 2.76 ERA, 1.007 WHIP, and 36 strikeouts across 45.2 innings, despite giving up seven home runs.
A right elbow strain in late February landed him on the 60-day injured list, with May 27th serving as his earliest possible return date. In shallow formats, Melton is approaching buy-and-hold time, considering the number of starting pitching injuries for the Tigers. I expect Detroit to work him that hard this season, suggesting wins and depth of games will be a problem.
After a subpar start to his AAA season (4.71 ERA, 21 hits, three home runs, and 12 walks over 21.0 innings with 21 strikeouts), Madden sucked in some fantasy teams over the past week. His right arm and league-average fastball (92.8 mph) propelled him to two excellent showings (three runs, six hits, a home run, two walks, and 12 strikeouts) to start his major league career.
From 2022 to 2026 at AA and AAA, Madden went 10-11 with a 4.68 ERA, 1.393 WHIP, and 340 strikeouts over 271.1 innings. His scouting report suggests a fastball in the high 90s with minimal movement, but that velocity has been missing in action this year. I see more risk than reward, but I'm a fantasy snob.
Batters beat up Bassitt pretty good over his first five starts, leading to 16 runs, 31 hits, three home runs, and 10 walks over 21.1 innings while striking out only 10 batters. He regained his strikeout ability over his last three appearances (16 over 16.2 innings), adding some pulse to his waiver wire profile (2-0 with a 3.24 ERA and 1.320 WHIP). Over his next two starts, Bassitt faced the Tigers and Rays at home.
Next week, Cecconi has double starts on the road (Detroit and Philadelphia), making him a gamble starting option for the fantasy teams chasing wins and strikeouts. He pitched better in his last two starts (two runs, 11 hits, four walks, and 10 strikeouts over 9.1 innings), but Cecconi battled high pitch counts in both games (82 over 5.1 innings and 89 across 4.0 innings). His body of work in 2026 (5.60 ERA, 1.578 WHIP, and eight home runs over 45.0 innings) spells avoid.
New York Yankees pitcher Carlos Lagrange (84) throws a pitch against the Minnesota Twins in the fourth inning during spring training at Lee Health Sports Complex/Hammond Stadium. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
If the Yankees need a starting pitcher to cover Max Fried next week, Lagrange could be that guy. He has a 4.32 ERA, 1.410 WHIP, and 46 strikeouts over 33.1 innings at AAA while serving up six home runs and battling his command (20 walks).
Lagrange pitched well in two of his last four starts (two runs, 11 baserunners, and 16 strikeouts over 10.0 innings), but lost his way in his other two matchups (seven runs, eight hits, three home runs, and six walks across 8.2 innings with 12 strikeouts). He brings an elite fastball (99.6 mph) with command issues. Lagrange has yet to record an out in the sixth inning in 2026.
Other Options:Bailey Ober, Luis Castillo, Brandon Sproat, Griffin Jax, Kumar Rocker, Ryan Johnson
This article was originally published on www.si.com/onsi/fantasy as Best Week 8 Fantasy Baseball Pitchers on the Waiver Wire Including Braxton Garrett& Didier Fuentes .
