Leaderboard of the Week: Interesting Starting Pitchers

With less than a month left in the season, everything is in front of us, and nothing else matters. Today, I'm going to scrutinize our projected starters grid for some under-rostered starting pitcher options.

No leaderboard this week, just my opinion on pitchers who could help to finish off the season. Any starter on the list is rostered in fewer than 80 percent of the leagues in the NFBC RotoWire Online Championship.

Additionally, I included some pitchers who, on first glance, I thought might be helpful based on their schedule, but I'd avoid. The pitchers are in my preference order.

Adds (Rostership rate in parentheses) 

Davis Martin (40%): While he's been an acceptable pitcher this year (4.13 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 7.9 K/9), he has been dealing with a finger blister. In his return against the Astros, he went five innings with no earned runs and three strikeouts.

Next week, he's lined up for two juicy starts against Pittsburgh and at St. Louis. And then faces the Tigers and Royals. Must add.

Connor Prielipp (27%): The 25-year-old lefty is sucking me back in after being a ratio killer this season (5.28 ERA, 1.37 WHIP). He's scheduled to face Detroit next week, then two starts against the Yankees and Angels, and finally the Giants to end the season. That's a pretty nice schedule.

He's been a different pitcher over his last three starts (2.2 BB/9, 3.22 xFIP, 3.35 botERA) as he started throwing his sinker more. His groundball rate jumped from 42 percent to 51 percent. A six-run start pushed up his ERA to 4.96 during that stretch. I'd gamble on him, especially with his schedule.

Andre Pallante (31%): As I write this article, Pallante is still on the IL, but he should come off it to start in Colorado. That isn't the reason for the add. Over the next three weeks, he could face the Giants, the Giants again, and then two starts against the Pirates and Brewers (who have likely clinched).

Pallante has been meh this season with a 3.57 ERA (3.96 xFIP), 1.24 WHIP and 6.42 K/9, but those matchups are the chef's kiss.

Justin Wrobleski (31%): Wrobleski is in the Dodgers bullpen right now, but he might need to make a start with Eric Lauer on the IL and Shohei Ohtani not ready to pitch. 

For the season, Wrobleski has been helpful with a 3.65 ERA and 1.11 WHIP, but he's struggled in the second half (7.07 ERA, 1.43 WHIP) with home runs (3.9 HR/9). He just came off the IL (forearm), so hopefully he'll regain his first-half form. 

It doesn't really matter when exactly he returns, since the team faces the Reds (x2), Giants (x2), Padres, and Marlins.

Nathan Eovaldi (54%): Eovaldi's return timeline is up in the air, but he's the best starter listed. It'll be close if he can return in time, but he'll continue rehab with the Rangers 1.5 games out of the last Wild Card spot. Roster him if you have an open IL spot.

Anthony Molina (0%): Molina will start Saturday (vs Mets) after being a reliever for most of his season (and career). In his first start of the season, earlier this week, he went five innings with six strikeouts and three earned runs. 

While the 24-year-old righty relies on his 96-mph four-seam fastball, he has three other offerings (slider, curve, and change) to form a starter's arsenal. 

He has been verified to start on Saturday, and if he keeps his rotation spot, he'll face the Padres, Cardinals, and Twins. 

A wild card for sure, but that's what some teams are looking for. 

Jonah Tong (3%): I'm unsure when/if Tong will join the Mets rotation, but there is talk of it being any day now. His overall line in AAA has been horrible with a 4.54 ERA (5.90 xFIP), 1.37 WHIP (5.0 BB/9), and 10.6 K/9. He's been better over this last six starts with a 2.01 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 9.5 K/9.

None of the teams left on their schedule scare me, with the Phillies and Nationals being league-average offenses in the second half. I might add and see how his first start goes. 

Avoids 

Will Dion (3%): Dion's interesting in that he's been lights out this year with a 3.38 ERA (3.42 xFIP), 1.13 WHIP and 10.1 K/9. The problem is that he has thrown out of the bullpen, except for starting his last game. 

Right now, he's lined up (not officially) to have two starts against the Padres and Angels. Too much needs to line up for him to be useful. 

Patrick Sandoval (25%): Would a two-start week against two of the league's worst teams interest you? Next week, Sandoval lines up to face the Angels and Royals. It would be a one-week play with games against the Rays and Cubs to end the season. 

While a 4.41 ERA (4.49 xFIP) can be streamed, his 1.73 WHIP (4.6 BB/9) is a killer in roto leagues. There's no sign of the walks dropping, with a 5.7 BB/9 over his last four starts. Because of all the walks, he's only made it to the fifth inning in two of his last four starts.

I can't recommend him with the complete lack of command. 

Jack Perkins (6%): The Athletics have a great schedule to end the season, and everyone else, besides Perkins, has been added — and for good reason.

He has struggled with walks (4.0 BB/9), which have him with a 6.42 ERA and 1.49 WHIP. And a 10.3 K/9. I wish I could recommend him as a strikeout play, but at last, no. 

David Peterson (37%): While Peterson started out great with the Cubs, he's morphing back into himself (4.58 ERA). With both the Mets and Cubs, he posted a 3.97 BB/9. Those walks have pushed him up to a 1.46 WHIP. That WHIP is doing as much ratio damage as a 5.28 ERA would do. 

He's lined up for two starts against the Brewers and Pirates next week. I don't think I could pull the trigger.