Fantasy baseball late-round pitchers: ERA, WHIP, K and saves sleepers

Finding value on the mound late in drafts often comes down to embracing risk and knowing exactly which categories you're targeting. Whether it's injured aces working their way back, overlooked arms buried on depth charts, or specialists who quietly excel in one area, these pitchers can provide a meaningful edge if deployed correctly. From ERA stabilizers and WHIP anchors to strikeout upside plays and potential saves sources, this group highlights late-round options who can help you patch specific needs and maximize roster efficiency as the season unfolds.

ERA specialists

Justin Steele, SP, Cubs – ADP: 472.7: So I guess we should acknowledge something off the top here: A bunch of these late-round categories specialists among pitchers are coming back from injuries. In Steele's case, that is an Internal Brace procedure that could have him back in the majors by May. But that's an awfully long time, and a lot can change between then and now: the final steps of Steele's recovery could go poorly, or your team's apparent needs may just be different than expected. But if Steele looks more or less like himself, he could be a decent bet for ERA with that Cubs defense backing him up, even if he never gets back to his pre-injury form.
Connelly Early, SP, Red Sox – ADP: 299.6: If we thought Early was going to be in the Red Sox's rotation, I suspect his ADP would be closer to 150. Which might just make him an excellent sleeper all around, because he might only need one name ahead of him in the pecking order to get hurt or stumble to get a chance, and that could come at any point. I think Early's teammate Payton Tolle might be the better bet for strikeout upside, but I think Early might be ahead of him in the hierarchy and could be a better bet to be an ERA standout.
Braxton Garrett, SP, Marlins – ADP: 440.5: Garrett's velocity has been up quite a bit in his return from Tommy John surgery, and he'll land in a good pitcher's park, if not a great overall team context. Garrett was a mid-3.00s pitcher in two seasons before his injury, so even if the improved stuff doesn't stick, he could still be quite useful.
Joey Cantillo, SP, Guardians – ADP: 286.9: I'm not sure I see a ton of upside with Cantillo, but I think the floor here is fairly high thanks to his elite changeup. He'll hold his own against righties, and while I don't know if I expect a repeat of his 3.21 ERA in 95.1 innings in 2025, I think something like his 3.71 xERA is doable – and helpful!
Parker Messick, SP, Guardians – ADP: 310.3: This is another one where, if Messick were guaranteed a rotation spot, I think he'd be going a lot earlier, though I don't know if there would be quite as much excitement for him as there would be for Early. He doesn't have the same strikeout upside, but what Messick does have is a really advanced approach from the left side, with excellent command of his entire arsenal, including his changeup. This type of pitcher had a lot of success last season, and I think Messick can follow in Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga (among others') footsteps.

WHIP specialists

Spencer Schwellenbach, SP, Braves – ADP: 644.6: It all comes down to how his recovery from elbow surgery goes. If it goes smoothly, Schwellenbach could be back by mid-season and could provide a real boost to your WHIP. But you have to be in a league with IL spots to play with.
Shane Bieber, SP, Blue Jays – ADP: 350.6: Bieber will have his season delayed due to forearm fatigue from last season, and I have a lot of concern about whether he's actually going to be able to get through the season. But he's always been a low WHIP guy, even when things haven't gone great, and his best-case scenario would have him on the mound sometime in May, a much earlier timeline than Schwellenbach's.
Bryce Miller, SP, Mariners – ADP: 309.8: Miller continues to deal with left oblique inflammation, and his chances of being ready for Opening Day look all but dashed after he felt renewed discomfort during a bullpen session. That continues to drive Miller's price down, but I'll take comfort in the fact that his elbow seems fine after last year's bone spur issues. Miller had a 1.05 WHIP and could be a true standout in that category, with a timeline that could still have him back in the majors in April.
Matthew Boyd, SP, Cubs – ADP: 219.8: Even earlier in his career, when Boyd struggled, he would still occasionally throw up a really impressive showing in WHIP – in 20218, he had a 1.16 WHIP despite just a 4.39 ERA. His command has improved in his 30s, and the defense behind him should continue to enable great results on balls in play, so I do think the WHIP should be very useful even if the ERA is inflated.
Ian Seymour, SP, Rays – ADP: 427.9: The Rays probably need at least one pitcher to move out of the way for Seymour to get a chance, but that'll happen eventually. He's been a standout in the minors across the board, and while it's fair to wonder if the strikeout upside will carry over given the low velocity, Seymour shares a lot of traits with Messick and could have some similar outcomes when he gets the chance.

Strikeouts specialists

Gerrit Cole, SP, Yankees – ADP: 258.3: I mean, you're probably not going to get 200-plus strikeouts out of Cole, not when a pre-May return seems unlikely. But he has been pumping fastballs as high as 98 mph in his bullpen sessions this spring and could even pitch in a Grapefruit League game over the final week, so he's not as far off as you might think. You can never guarantee a pitcher will come back at full capacity from Tommy John surgery, especially one in his mid-30s. But it's hard to imagine a world where Verlander isn't at least a good source of strikeouts when he's on the mound.
Kodai Senga, SP, Mets – ADP: 250.9: We haven't seen the strikeout upside from Senga since his rookie season, when he posted a borderline elite 29.1% mark. But his stuff has looked very good amid a velocity bump this spring, and that forkball remains one of the game's most dastardly putaway pitches, so I remain hopeful.
Ryan Weathers, SP, Yankees – ADP: 247.8: Weathers has actually been a pretty mediocre strikeout pitcher in his major-league career, but the stuff for more is obviously there for him to take a step forward. I have a lot of concern about his ability to stay healthy as a starter, but his 97-plus mph four-seamer is a great base on which to pile a bunch of strikeouts for as long as he stays on the mound.
Kyle Harrison, SP, Brewers – ADP: 441.4: I've never been a huge fan of Harrison's, but I'm kind of intrigued by what we've seen this spring. The fastball velocity bump that helped push his whiff rate to 26% with the pitch last season has sustained, and his slurve has always been a solid putaway pitch, but that combo hasn't really been enough in the past. However, he's added a kick-change grip that has made that pitch play up so far in the spring, and it could complement the rest of his arsenal well. He's a risky bet, but a cheap enough one to be worth making.
Jack Flaherty, SP, Tigers – ADP: 215.2: Look, I get how frustrating it was to have Flaherty around last season. But he still finished with 188 strikeouts in just 161 innings, and you just aren't likely to find many guys with that kind of projectable total this late. I'll take the under on last year's 4.64 ERA and 1.28 WHIP, too, for whatever that's worth to you.

Win specialists

Zac Gallen, SP, Diamondbacks – ADP: 220.7: I'm kinda starting to buy into some Gallen post-hype sleeper appeal. His velocity has been up a couple of ticks on his fastball this spring; he's never been cheaper in drafts, and he's got a lot to pitch for this season heading into free agency. Sure, he had a lot to pitch for last season heading into free agency and was kind of a dud, but between his second-half improvements (3.97 ERA) and velocity bump this spring, I like Gallen's chances of improving. He's a veteran who should pitch deep into games with a pretty good team backing him up, so I like his chances for a dozen or so wins at least.
Carlos Rodon, SP, Yankees – ADP: 210.8: Rodon has 34 wins over the past two seasons, so this one feels like a pretty easy call. He'll miss the first month of the season coming back from an offseason elbow cleanup, but the Yankees are hopeful his stuff should be even better after he pitched through bone spurs in his elbow for most of last season. While we can't know how Rodon will look coming off this surgery, I think expecting something like a 15-win pace when he returns isn't unreasonable.
Matthew Boyd, SP, Cubs – ADP: 219.8: He's a veteran who should pitch deep into games with a good offense and maybe the best defense in baseball behind him. Is the bullpen a little shakier than you'd like? Perhaps, though it might be better than last year's, at least. He won 14 games in 2025.
Chris Bassitt, SP, Orioles – ADP: 345.1: It's another veteran with a good supporting cast around him. Bassitt is boring, which is why he's as cheap as he is, but you should be able to expect double-digit wins from him in Baltimore.
Aaron Nola, SP, Phillies – ADP: 211.2: This one is really just a bet on Nola having a bounce-back season. He was a disaster in 2025 while pitching through an ankle injury and then a stress fracture in his rib, but his peripherals suggest there was at least some bad luck at play, and even if he's never an ace again, an ERA in the mid-to-high-3.00s could lead to a dozen or more wins with the Phillies offense and bullpen backing him up.

Saves specialists

Seranthony Dominguez, RP, White Sox – ADP: 223.4: Dominguez's price is starting to rise, but he still qualifies here, which is surprising given the job security. The White Sox aren't a good team, and Dominguez isn't a great pitcher, but he gets strikeouts, and he has had an xERA of 3.73 or better in each of the past two seasons, so I think he's good enough to get 25-30 saves.
Robert Garcia, RP, Rangers – ADP: 275.6: We don't know who the Rangers' closer will be, but smart money should be on Garcia. He is coming off a 2.95 ERA in 2025 and has a career 3.21 xERA, and while he's better against lefties on the whole, he isn't bad enough against righties to think that'll be a deal breaker. I don't think he has an especially strong grip on the job, but Skip Schumaker tended to stick with one closer during his time in Miami, so if Garcia is good enough, he should avoid a committee situation.
Robert Suarez, RP, Braves – ADP: 226.1: Raisel Iglesias is the closer here. But Suarez's contract keeps him around longer, and he might just be the better pitcher. Teams love to have an elite arm to use as a fireman in flexible situations, so they might be content to have Suarez setting Iglesias up. But Iglesias did lose his job last season before eventually gaining it back. If he loses his job to Suarez this time around, I don't think he's getting it back.
Kirby Yates, RP, Angels – ADP: 325.9: Things seem to be aligning for Yates. Ben Joyce and Robert Stephenson won't be ready for the start of the season, so his competition at this point looks like Jordan Romano or Drew Pomeranz. Pomeranz is probably the best pitcher here, but some managers struggle to get their heads around a left-handed closer, so Yates seems like the best bet here. He struggled last season with homers, but he still missed a bunch of bats and actually had a lower walk rate than any season since 2019, so I'm not giving up on him. Remember, he was arguably the best closer in baseball in 2024. That's not that long ago.
Clayton Beeter, RP, Nationals – ADP: 349.4: Given the state of the team and the skill set involved, Beeter is a pretty bottom-of-the-barrel option. But there's strikeout upside here, and if he can just keep the walk rate in the 12% range, he could be okay – he was at 17.3% last season, so that's asking a lot.