Lance McCullers Emerging as Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Option as He Nears Return

After checking out some fantasy baseball waiver wire hitter options, let's take a peek at some pitchers maybe worth adding.

Also be sure to check out our daily streaming starting pitcher stories.

Check out the top fantasy baseball waiver wire options everyday on FantasySP. 

Should You Add Lance McCullers Jr.?

We'll begin by looking at McCullers, who has not made a start this season. He's expected to make another rehab appearance on Saturday, and then maybe be added to the big league team after that.

McCullers hasn't pitched in the big leagues since 2022. He's been really good over his career, with a 3.48 earned run average over 127 starts and 130 appearances, which covers 718 2/3 innings. He's got 800 punchouts over those innings.

Those numbers are great for fantasy, but there's also some risk given his injury history, and him not pitching in a couple years. I think that will make him a fantasy pitcher who is owned in all deeper leagues, but not all standard leagues before he tosses his first MLB pitch this season.

He's already being added in deeper leagues, and if you have a roster spot to play with, I'd stash McCullers as soon as you could. His own percentage will only continue to rise if his final rehab start goes as planned and then it's announced that he'll make his next start in the big leagues.

Depending on who he faces in his first game, McCullers might be started in most fantasy leagues. It's being reported that he could start in the April 25-27 series against the Royals, which isn't the best matchup, but it's also not the worst. I'd expect McCullers to start in all deeper leagues, along with some standard leagues.

Should You Add Jose Quintana?

Quintana was signed late, so he still needed to ramp up at the start of the regular season. His first MLB start for the Brewers came last week against the Diamondbacks, and Quintana was absolutely stellar.

He worked seven innings, not allowing a run on four hits and no walks. Quintana only struck out two batters, but that's his game - a low ERA, with a low amount of hits and walks, but also not many strikeouts.

That limits Quintana's fantasy ceiling a bit, but he also covers enough innings and has a good enough ERA to still be a pretty good fantasy asset. Right now, he's owned in just 5% of synced FantasySP leagues, so he's available to almost all of you.

His next start will come against the Tigers, and then he'll make his next start against the Giants (most likely). Those aren't super favorable matchups, but neither were the Diamondbacks, so if Quintana can deliver in either of those two games, his own percentage is going to skyrocket.

Before he makes his next start, you can bet Quintana's own percentage is going to rise. I think he's a decent streaming option in deep or standard leagues against the Tigers. Most fantasy owners are only going to want to start him in deeper leagues, but after his last start, that's enough reason to start him in any leagues against Detroit.

If he excels in that outing, you can expect Quintana to be rostered in most deeper leagues, and he should remain rostered in those leagues most of the season. He'll be a better standard league streamer than a full-time keeper, but more often than not, fantasy owners should have no issues giving him streaming starts.

Should You Add Merrill Kelly?

Kelly has had a rough start to the season with a 7.20 ERA, but he's also 2-1.

Kelly opened his season with a 5 1/3-inning start and win against the Chicago Cubs. He allowed a run on three hits and four walks, while striking out one. 

Kelly struck out two Yankees over just 3 2/3 innings in his next start. He was rocked for nine runs on nine hits and three walks.

He rebounded by allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits and two walks over six innings against Baltimore. Kelly struck out four batters.

Those are tough offenses, so a high ERA isn't all that surprising. Kelly also has a career 3.88 ERA, so he's going to improve pretty drastically in that stat as the season moves along.

His next start is today (Tuesday) against a weak-hitting Marlins' lineup. That favorable matchup has Kelly as a good streaming option despite his struggles to open the season. Another start against the Cubs in his next start is looming, so this is a potential two-for-one waiver wire pickup.

Kelly is going to be a better fantasy asset as the season rolls along, and he's more of a keeper than a streaming option, but his one blowup start has his own percentage out of whack.

I'd take advantage of things while I could and pick up Kelly for the long haul. He's a starter you can trust nearly every turn through the rotation. Kelly isn't flashy, but he eats innings and posts lower ERAs, which is still beneficial for fantasy baseball teams.

Should You Add Andre Pallante?

Pallante is off to a hot start this season, so he's on the rise as a fantasy asset.

In three starts, Pallante is 2-0 with a 2.20 ERA. He's allowed four runs on 10 hits and seven walks, while punching out 13.

In his first start, Pallante allowed two runs on four hits and two walks over five innings against Minnesota. He got the win and struck out three batters.

Pallante punched out six Red Sox in a 4 1/3-inning start in his next game. He allowed just two runs on four hits and three walks, but needed 92 pitches to get as far as he did.

He worked seven scoreless innings against the Phillies in his last outing. He surrendered two hits and two walks, while striking out four.

Pallante is another fantasy pitcher who isn't super flashy, but he can limit runs and record enough strikeouts to be a good fantasy asset. He's a bit underrated as a fantasy asset, and is owned in far too few leagues, in my eyes.

Pallante should be held in a decent amount of deeper leagues, and can be a standard league streaming option in the right matchups. Matchups with the Mets and maybe Braves coming up don't look the best for Pallante, but there's a chance he can at least be an average fantasy pitcher in those outings.

Should You Add Dustin May?

May has been fantastic across his first three starts, but is still available in about 20% of fantasy leagues synced through FSP.

He's 1-1 with a 1.06 ERA in his first three appearances in 2025. May has allowed five runs (two earned) on seven hits and six walks, while punching out 14 batters.

May started his season against the Braves, working five frames. He allowed an unearned run on a hit and three walks, while striking out six.

He worked six innings against the Nationals and Rockies in his last two outings. Against Washington, May gave up three runs (one earned) on three hits and three walks, while striking out one. May punched out seven over six frames against Colorado - he allowed a run on three hits and no walks.

May hasn't faced the best lineups yet, and his numbers are not the greatest in every stat, but he's limiting runs and eating innings.

He was a better deep-league asset to begin the season, but he's pitched well enough to get plenty of standard league love. I think by the time May starts again, he'll be rostered in most standard leagues too.

His next outing against the Rangers isn't the best, but May has the talent to shut down any lineup. May's next start after that could be against the Pirates, and that's an incredibly favorable matchup for him.

Pick up May if you can, because I think he's here to stay and can be a good fantasy asset in all leagues for the remainder of the season (or as long as he's on the mound).