Regardless of how attentive we’re as fantasy managers, there’ll at all times be gamers whose performances fly beneath our radar.
For instance, over the previous 5 weeks, one right-handed pitcher finds himself the No. 5 scorer at his place (with 119 fantasy factors), forward of universally rostered people who’ve been lots productive in their very own proper throughout that point span, corresponding to Zack Wheeler, Max Fried and Logan Webb.
Sure, Ryan Pepiot of the Tampa Bay Rays has carried out as effectively not too long ago as almost another pitcher within the sport in addition to Cy Younger Award favorites Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes. But, in contrast to the entire different names we have talked about thus far, Pepiot finds himself obtainable as a free agent in additional than one-third of ESPN leagues. Past that being a straightforward factor to right in case you’re in any of these leagues, that proportion hints at an incredible buy-in alternative by way of commerce in codecs the place Pepiot is rostered.
The Rays’ transfer to extra homer-friendly George M. Steinbrenner Discipline, the place its 117 Statcast HR issue (that means it inflates homers by 17% in comparison with a mean park) this season alone is significantly larger than Tropicana Discipline’s 98 issue over the earlier three years, might have helped contribute to Pepiot’s modest roster charge. As one of many league’s extra fly ball-oriented pitchers (a 28.6% charge for the reason that begin of 2024 rating because the Thirty first-highest amongst 104 qualifiers), it is solely pure that Pepiot might need been perceived as extra of a “bust candidate” (particularly in house begins) than your common pitcher.
However, simply as he did throughout his breakthrough 2024, Pepiot has made additional changes this season that make him an intriguing long-term goal in fantasy. Most notably, he is pouring extra pitches into the strike zone than ever earlier than and his 54.5% zone charge is greater than 5% larger than his 2024 quantity. In June alone, he has upped his common fastball velocity to 95.3 mph, his highest quantity in any single MLB month. Pepiot has additionally been way more constant along with his location this 12 months than final, strolling two or fewer hitters in every of his previous 13 begins, after strolling three or extra in 16 of his first 39 profession big-league begins.
Finest but: Pepiot has thrown no less than 96 pitches in every of hls final 4 begins, regardless of enjoying for the notoriously matchups-oriented Rays, and he ought to be way more geared up to breeze previous the 160 IP mark for the season after totaling solely 130 in his first full season within the workforce’s rotation. About the one factor separating him, whether or not by notion or true rest-of-year worth, from a equally expert, way more closely rostered righty in Luis Castillo, is the innings complete.
I see top-25 fantasy starter’s worth in Pepiot the remainder of the best way — and he is not the one such underappreciated beginning pitcher fantasy managers can choose up or try to accumulate at a reduction charge. Let’s check out a couple of extra pitchers you need to be concentrating on to your groups.
Bryan Woo, Seattle Mariners: A longtime private favourite, Woo’s perennial impediment to superstardom has been accidents, however in his protection, he has now gone 11 months since his final journey to the IL — and it has been 13 months since he is missed time attributable to any arm subject. Since his return from that almost all current absence, Woo ranks eleventh in fantasy factors (402, throughout 29 begins), and he ranks fourth throughout that very same span with 11 outings value no less than 20-plus factors.
As appears the “Mariners approach,” his management is elite (an MLB-leading 3.3% stroll charge between this and final season) and he is pouring his four-seam fastball in at an elevated, career-high 95.5 mph. Woo may be regarded a top-10 fantasy starter — maybe a Logan Webb kind — if not for his damage historical past. However aren’t all pitchers inherently damage dangers to a point? Woo is 91.5% rostered in ESPN leagues, however ought to be universally on groups.
Jesus Luzardo, Philadelphia Phillies: Which is scaring fantasy managers off extra: the back-to-back disastrous (minus-20 or worse in every) begins he made on Might 31 and June 5, or an damage historical past that features three journeys to the IL previously three seasons alone? Take out Luzardo’s two-start blip and he’d be tied for 14th amongst beginning pitchers in fantasy factors. Whereas cherry-picking outings is often an train in folly, one other approach to illustrate that is to notice that he has made 10 begins of 15-plus fantasy factors, which is tied for seventh-most within the league.
Luzardo is throwing about as exhausting as he ever has on the MLB stage (96.4 mph). He is additionally getting top-shelf grades for the efficiency of his sweeper and, in reality, has a Statcast anticipated ERA that checks in 0.60 decrease than his precise quantity. Oh, and he is a free agent in almost one-quarter of ESPN leagues.
Will Warren, New York Yankees: Some of the beneath-the-radar breakthroughs of 2025, Warren ranks fifth in Okay/9 ratio (11.47) and tenth in Okay-rate (29.7%) amongst pitchers who’ve made no less than 10 begins. And, as an example the significance of these strikeouts in fantasy phrases, solely 20 pitchers have greater than his 10 outings with double-digit fantasy factors.
Warren’s four-seam fastball already grades as one among baseball’s very best and, if he good points even slightly extra command of his high-spin sweeper, he’d shortly soar into the highest 40 at his place. Maybe fantasy managers ought to nonetheless method his matchups with warning (which is why he is nonetheless on the market in almost 75% of ESPN normal leagues), however he is a pitcher who ought to have way more broad fantasy attraction than that quantity signifies.
Matthew Boyd, Chicago Cubs: This is yet one more pitcher who brings with him the damage query, having totaled solely 202 2/3 MLB innings over the past 4 seasons attributable to persistent elbow points that in the end led to a June 2023 Tommy John surgical procedure. Nonetheless, Boyd has been remarkably efficient since his return to motion late in 2024. Throughout 23 begins between this and final season, he has a 2.80 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP and 13 outings value no less than 13 fantasy factors.
Boyd’s four-seam fastball is averaging a career-high 93.1 mph, and he is getting higher than 30% whiff charges with each his changeup and slider. We’ll see how geared up he’s to make it by means of the complete 162-game schedule after going 5 years between 100-IP campaigns, however the Cubs are doing a superb job of not asking an extreme quantity from him. On the very least, he must be rostered in additional than the 62.3% of leagues wherein he’s at present — no less than for so long as he continues to pitch this effectively.