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          Fantasy baseball Thursday advice: Look out for Michael Wacha

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          Stat Stories: Wednesday's standout MLB fantasy performances (1:28)

          Check out some of the top performers in fantasy MLB from Wednesday, including Aaron Judge and Nick Castellanos. (1:28)

          • Mike Sheets
          Sep 26, 2024, 02:27 PM

          Look for our fantasy baseball starting pitcher rankings, hitter upgrades and downgrades daily to help you make smart fantasy baseball lineup decisions and for MLB betting tips. MLB game odds are provided by ESPN BET, and fantasy advice is geared toward ESPN 10-team leagues with standard scoring.

          Note: This file has been updated with any overnight pitching changes or weather-related game postponements, along with the addition of the latest MLB game odds as of the indicated time of publication.

          Mr. Wacha goes to Washington

          Michael Wacha opened the 2024 season on the waiver wire in most leagues, and he's going to finish the season the same way. In between, he was an incredibly reliable fantasy starter who probably deserved more attention considering he is currently rostered in just 41% of ESPN leagues.

          Through 28 starts this season, Wacha holds a 3.28 ERA and 1.19 WHIP. The fact that he posted a 3.32 ERA in 2022 and a 3.22 mark last season just highlights his consistency. Since May 9, Wacha has made 21 starts, and he's surrendered more than three earned runs just one time. In short, if you're seeking a reliable starter who won't hurt you in the season's final week, he is it.

          Wacha will take the hill Thursday against the Washington Nationals, who rank 25th in baseball with an 80 wRC+ in September. With Thursday's abbreviated slate featuring only 10 games, filling any roster gaps and maximizing opportunities for additional stats is key. Streaming Wacha is a great way to achieve that.

          What you may have missed on Wednesday

          By Todd Zola

          • The Philadelphia Phillies' 9-6 win over the Chicago Cubs along with the Milwaukee Brewers' 2-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates last night clinched a first-round bye for the Phillies in the NL playoffs. The Los Angeles Dodgers still hold a one-game lead for the No. 1 seed. The Phillies will end the regular season with the best home record with a 54-27 (.667) mark. The Dodgers finish their home schedule tonight against the San Diego Padres. Through 80 home affairs, the Dodgers are 51-29 (.637). The Phillies enjoy the tiebreaker, having defeated the Dodgers five times in six meetings this season.

          • The final two games of the crucial series between the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets have been postponed due to inclement weather from Hurricane Helena in the Atlanta area. Last night's game, along with today's contest, have both been rescheduled for a doubleheader on Monday. The games will take place only if there is still an NL Wild Card spot up for grabs. If the games only determine seeding, the commissioner's office will decide whether or not they will be played.

          • The New York Yankees placed LHP Nestor Cortes on the 15-day IL due to a flexor strain in his throwing elbow. Cortes was slated to pitch last night, but instead underwent an MRI which revealed the injury. There is a chance for Cortes to return should the Yankees make it deep into the postseason.

          • Baltimore Orioles RHP Grayson Rodriguez has been ruled out for the rest of the year, including the playoffs. Rodriguez's recovery from a lat strain is advancing, but not to the extent that he can make it back this season.

          • The Houston Astros will play the rest of the season short-handed, but hope to be at full strength come the AL Wild Card round which starts next Tuesday. Outfielders Yordan Alvarez and Chas McCormick will stay in Houston and not travel to Cleveland for the final series of the season. Alvarez is not on the IL, but he's missed the last three games due to a sprained right knee. McCormick has been on the IL since September 11 as he's recovering from a fractured hand. Jason Heyward, Jake Meyers and Mauricio Dubon will continue to see more action in the outfield and at DH.

          • Cincinnati Reds 2B Jonathan India cleared the league's concussion protocol, but he was still held out of last night's game against the Cleveland Guardians. India was hit in the helmet by a pitch on Tuesday. India is expected to return to action on Friday in Wrigley Field against the Cubs following today's off day.

          • Colorado Rockies 2B Brendan Rodgers missed last night's home contest because of a sore left hamstring. Rodgers' availability for today's matinee against the St. Louis Cardinals is uncertain.

          • Los Angeles Angels 1B Nolan Schanuel fouled a ball off his right leg in the first inning of last night's contest. He completed his at-bat by striking out, but then left the game. His status for today's afternoon tilt with the Chicago White Sox is unclear.

          Everything else you need to know for Thursday

          • There are only a few days of regular season baseball left, but that still leaves us time to stream pitchers against the Chicago White Sox, who will end the season with the lowest wRC+ (74) since the Pittsburgh Pirates posted a 72 wRC+ in the shortened 2020 campaign. Thursday's beneficiary is Tyler Anderson (26% rostered in ESPN leagues), who owns a 3.70 ERA across 30 starts this season. Although he struggled in his past two outings -- both against the Houston Astros -- facing the White Sox presents a much easier challenge.

          • Aaron Civale (16%) has taken a step back this season after posting a 3.46 ERA in 2023, but he has been rounding into form of late. The right-hander has produced a 2.93 ERA and 1.12 WHIP over his past eight starts, limiting opponents to three or fewer runs in each outing. Civale's recent run of success should continue Thursday against the Pirates. The Bucs have done very little offensively since the All-Star break, ranking 27th in MLB with an 88 wRC+.

          • After pitching just seven innings in his first two MLB starts combined, Kumar Rocker (8%) can't be counted on to pitch deep into Thursday's contest against the Oakland Athletics. However, he remains a strong source of strikeouts, having racked up 12 Ks in those seven frames this year. The A's have a 25.8% strikeout rate over the past 30 days, so the 24-year-old should chip in with a handful of strikeouts in this matchup.

          • If you're looking for offense, take a look at Minnesota Twins hitters against Valente Bellozo. The Miami right-hander sports a 5.28 ERA over his past six starts, and his 8.12 FIP during that stretch suggests things could have gone much, much worse. Trevor Larnach (1%) and switch-hitter Willi Castro (33%) will all have the platoon edge in this matchup, though righty batters Carlos Correa (58%) and Byron Buxton (20%) are viable options, too.

          • Betting tip of the day: On Thursday, take over 4.5 total strikeouts (-125) for Kyle Gibson. While the right-hander isn't necessarily a high-strikeout pitcher, he has exceeded this mark in six of his last nine starts. Plus, the Colorado Rockies have the highest strikeout rate against right-handed pitchers in the National League at 26.4%. Just yesterday, right-hander Erick Fedde, who has a worse strikeout rate than Gibson, fanned 10 Rockies batters.

          Starting pitcher rankings for Thursday

          Reliever report

          To get the latest information on each team's bullpen hierarchy, as well as which pitchers might be facing fatigue and who might be the most likely suspects to vulture a save or pick up a surprise hold in their stead, check out the latest Closer Chart, which will be updated every morning.

          Hitting report

          Plan ahead in fantasy baseball with help from our Forecaster projections. Each day, we will provide an updated preview of the next 10 days for every team, projecting the matchup quality for hitters (overall and by handedness) as well as for base stealers.

          Best sub-50% rostered hitters for Thursday

          Best and worst hitters from the day are generated by THE BAT X, a projection system created by Derek Carty using advanced methods like those used in MLB front offices, accounting for a variety of factors including player talent, ballparks, bullpens, weather, umpires, defense, catcher pitch-framing and lots more.

          Worst over-50% rostered hitters for Thursday

          THE BAT X's Best Stacks for Thursday