Fantasy Baseball Week 22 Preview: Top 10 sleeper pitchers include Jacob Lopez, Hurston Waldrep
Lopez lines up for two right after delivering his best two so far
By
Scott White
•
1 min read

Not that you'd sit just any pitcher, of course, but if you have an opening or two and could use a streamer off the waiver wire, you've come to the right place. Scott White has 10 recommendations for the upcoming scoring period, all rostered in less than 80 percent of CBS Sports leagues.
All information is up to date as of Sunday evening.
Sleeper pitchers for Week 22 (Aug. 18-24)
Just when it seemed like the pixie dust had worn off for Jacob Lopez, the 27-year-old bounced back with maybe his best two starts so far and now has five starts with nine strikeouts or more. He seems like a no-brainer with two starts, particularly since one is against a depleted Twins lineup.
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Michael Wacha may seem like a boring choice, but he's sporting a 3.35 ERA on the year after allowing two earned runs or fewer in six straight starts. He's exactly the sort of low-risk pitcher who becomes high-reward when he's in line for two starts, as is the case this week.
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Max Scherzer just hurled a seven-inning gem against the Cubs on Thursday and has been excellent for four straight turns now. He's mostly been written off at age 41, but that's more because of an inability to stay healthy than a lack of effectiveness. While healthy, he's a promising play against the league's worst offense.
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Though the walks have remained too high for comfort, Jack Leiter has done good work over his past eight starts, putting together a 2.95 ERA. He'll be facing two bottom-five offenses this week, too, in the Royals and the Guardians.
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Hurston Waldrep has ditched his four-seamer for a two-seamer this year, and it's made for a more effective pairing with his splitter, resulting in just two earned runs over 17 2/3 innings. There's some downside risk that hasn't come to fruition yet, but the White Sox make for an inviting matchup.
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Zebby Matthews has only once lasted six innings since returning from a shoulder strain, but his 65 percent strike rate and 14 percent swinging-strike rate are sure to yield good results if they continue. You should expect the best against a bottom-five offense like the White Sox.
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Brady Singer is susceptible to crooked stat lines, which makes him an unnerving choice even with two starts, but the good starts are generally worth the price of admission. Three of his past four have seen him go six innings or more while allowing one earned run or fewer.
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Jose Quintana makes for another boring choice, but the left-hander is scheduled to face a Giants team with by far the lowest OPS against lefties. His outings tend to run short, but he's gone six innings in five of his past six.
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Jack Perkins' first two turns through the rotation have been encouraging enough to recommend him against a torn-down Twins lineup. He hasn't delivered a huge strikeout total yet but has been collecting whiffs at a high with an expanded four-pitch arsenal.
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Full disclosure: While I may have the stomach for a second helping of spaghetti, I don't for a two-start Spencer Arrighetti. It's just one of those weeks where I'm forced to recommend someone completely outside of my comfort zone. I could squint and see a big week for him, but you're hoping against hope that his control issues don't derail it.
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