Welcome to Pickup of the Day, where every weekday we’ll pick an under-the-radar player whose immediate value is on the rise. The idea here is to identify a starter who can give you some solid innings off the scrap heap, a talented backup who’s been given a chance because of a starter’s injury, an unheralded regular with a favorable matchup, or a potential breakout player who’s starting to put it together. Unlike regular waiver-wire advice, Pickup of the Day is geared more towards interim success, but hopefully we’ll have the intuition to help you snag a waiver-wire gem a few times this season.
With Matt Garza (oblique) on the disabled list and now Kyle Lohse (ankle) banged up, the Brewers needed a boost from someone in their rotation. They’ve received it from Mike Fiers, who has allowed one run over 14 innings in his two starts this month, whiffing a career-high 14 in Thursday’s victory over the Cubs. We’ve seen Fiers pitch well in the majors before, as he posted a 3.74 ERA and struck out over a batter per inning while making 22 starts in 2012. He fumbled his chance in 2013 and has always gotten by on deception rather than pure stuff, but Fiers is certainly capable of helping out fantasy owners in spurts. The 29-year-old has been dominant at Triple-A this year with a 2.55 ERA and 129/17 K/BB ratio over 102 1/3 frames. Scoop him up if you’re hoping to catch lightening in a bottle.
