Fantasy baseball lineup advice for Wednesday: Last chance to stream Cavalli?

ESPN FantasyAug 18, 2026, 04:30 PM ET
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Check out all of our starting pitcher rankings and other lineup selection tools here to help you make smart fantasy baseball lineup decisions. All fantasy advice is geared toward ESPN 10-team leagues with standard scoring.

Note: All information is accurate as of the time of publication. For updates, as well as any breaking news that might impact today's MLB slate, be sure to check out the latest fantasy baseball buzz.

Other resources: RP depth chart | 2026 Rankings
ESPN's 2026 Player Rater | Betting notes for Wednesday

STARTING PITCHERS FOR WEDNESDAY

Pitchers are ranked in order of their Forecaster/Daily Notes projected fantasy points (FPTS), using ESPN's standard scoring system (2 points per win, minus-2 per loss, 3 per inning, 1 per K, minus-1 apiece per hit or walk allowed, minus-2 per earned run allowed).

T: The pitcher's handedness. OPP: Opposing team. RST%: The pitcher's roster percentage in ESPN leagues. W%: The individual starting pitcher's win probability using ESPN projections. IP: Projected innings pitched. H+BB: Projected hits plus walks allowed. ER: Projected earned runs allowed. K: Projected strikeouts.

If a team is planning on using an "opener" to start their game, but will rely on a "bulk pitcher" to follow him on the mound after 1-2 innings, the bulk pitcher is listed and indicated with an asterisk.

FPTS	Pitcher	T	Opp	Rst%	W%	IP	H+BB	ER	K
13.6	Chris Sale	L	@MIN	99.6%	39%	5.9	6.8	2.2	7.0
13.1	Drew Rasmussen	R	TOR	94.3%	38%	5.5	5.7	1.6	5.2
12.6	Michael King	R	@NYM	84.0%	42%	5.7	6.6	1.9	5.6
12.5	Chase Burns	R	STL	98.2%	38%	5.6	6.5	2.3	6.5
12.4	Paul Skenes	R	DET	99.8%	39%	5.6	6.6	2.2	6.2
12.3	Parker Messick	L	SF	94.3%	38%	5.7	6.6	2.2	6.0
12.0	Logan Gilbert	R	@MIL	98.5%	36%	5.6	6.4	2.4	6.3
10.3	Sandy Alcantara	R	@PHI	91.1%	42%	6.2	7.9	2.9	5.2
10.1	Jacob deGrom	R	WSH	94.2%	29%	5.1	6.0	2.4	5.5
10.0	Walbert Urena	R	@HOU	19.9%	30%	5.1	6.1	1.8	4.4
9.7	Aaron Nola	R	MIA	36.5%	30%	5.8	7.6	3.1	6.3
9.2	Robert Stock	R	SD	0.3%	14%	4.7	5.8	1.6	4.6
8.5	Taj Bradley	R	ATL	58.6%	26%	5.4	7.4	2.7	5.3
8.4	Will Warren	R	@BAL	37.3%	31%	5.2	7.0	2.8	5.4
8.2	Max Scherzer	R	@TB	2.8%	16%	4.7	6.0	2.0	4.4
8.2	Cade Cavalli	R	@TEX	48.0%	26%	5.4	7.4	3.0	5.4
8.1	Seth Lugo	R	ATH	23.0%	38%	6.0	8.3	3.4	5.0
8.1	Clay Holmes	R	CWS	25.8%	21%	4.8	6.2	2.0	4.0
8.0	Payton Tolle	L	ARI	72.6%	29%	5.1	6.8	2.9	5.3
7.7	Dustin May	R	SEA	19.8%	26%	5.2	7.2	2.7	4.9
7.1	Chris Bassitt	R	NYY	2.7%	27%	5.3	7.6	3.0	4.9
6.9	Matthew Liberatore	L	@CIN	3.3%	21%	5.1	7.2	3.1	5.2
6.8	Adrian Houser	R	@CLE	0.7%	24%	5.2	7.3	2.8	4.4
6.7	Jackson Jobe	R	@PIT	12.1%	16%	4.6	6.2	2.3	4.1
6.6	Jose Urquidy	R	@CHC	0.1%	7%	3.7	4.4	1.6	3.3
6.3	Brandon Pfaadt	R	@BOS	26.9%	26%	5.3	7.4	3.3	4.6
5.5	Jeffrey Springs	L	@KC	7.5%	24%	5.0	7.2	3.1	4.0
1.8	Roki Sasaki	R	@COL	33.3%	29%	4.9	8.1	5.0	5.0
	TBD		LAA	0.0%	0%	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
-0.6	Kyle Freeland	L	LAD	1.1%	29%	5.6	9.3	6.4	4.9

Pitchers to stream on Wednesday

This could be the last time that Cade Cavalli qualifies for streaming status, as his rostership is up to 48% in ESPN leagues. It should be twice that, with a 2.43 ERA and 0.96 WHIP over his last 10 efforts with 69 strikeouts to just 13 walks spanning 59 1/3 innings. Next up is a road start when the Washington Nationals visit the Texas Rangers. Cavalli faces a lineup with the eighth-lowest wOBA versus right-handed pitching.
Dustin May has been solid since being acquired by the Milwaukee Brewers, posting a pair of quality starts. He hasn't dominated, with a modest 11 strikeouts in 13 frames. Next up is a home affair with the Seattle Mariners, sporting the 10th-lowest wOBA in MLB facing righties fueled by an above-average strikeout rate.
After struggling in his first start with the Chicago Cubs, Clay Holmes rebounded with 6 2/3 scoreless innings against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cubs will need more solid efforts from Holmes after returning Edward Cabrera to the injured list. Holmes is set to take the hill in Wrigley Field and square off with the Chicago White Sox. This matchup is strength versus strength, with Holmes boasting the lowest home rate among pitchers compiling at least 480 innings since 2021, while the White Sox sport the fifth-highest strikeout rate this season against right-handers.
Will Warren was initially scheduled to start last night, but the New York Yankees activated Carlos Rodon from the 15-day IL to start the series opener against the Baltimore Orioles, pushing the rest of the rotation up a day. Warren is in a rut, recording a 6.63 ERA and 1.58 WHIP over his last four outings -- and that includes six scoreless frames against the Cubs. It's that effort that keeps him on the streaming radar as he enjoyed a solid first half and could revert to that form down the stretch. Wednesday presents a favorable matchup at Camden Yards against a struggling Orioles offense. Over the last month, they've generated the ninth-lowest wOBA and ninth-highest strikeout rate facing right-handers.

Hitters to stream on Wednesday

The Athletics are expected to activate Jeffrey Springs from the 15-day IL to start Wednesday's game with the Kansas City Royals. If they opt to wait a day, Gage Jump will get the nod. Either way, the Royals face a vulnerable left-hander, putting their right-handed hitters in the spotlight. Maikel Garcia, Salvador Perez, Nick Loftin and Isaac Collins benefit from this matchup at Kauffman Stadium.