Fantasy Baseball 2012: Emergency Waiver-Wire Pitcher for May 11

Mixed-league roto owners, are you in need of a waiver-wire pitcher before Friday's slate of games?

Here's my free-agent choice (from the majority of 12-team leagues) for one day of fantasy stardom: 

Rick Porcello, Detroit Tigers (@ Athletics)

1. Of his six starts, Porcello has allowed three or less runs four times. He's also gone at least 6.1 innings on five occasions.

2. Porcello might not have a sub-4.00 ERA from this point forward, but he's still a good bet for 150 strikeouts and 13 victories.

3. For whatever reason, Porcello has better career peripherals when pitching on the road (4.49 ERA, 150/65 K/BB), compared to Comerica Park in Detroit.

4. When in doubt, always ride the veteran pitcher operating in a spacious ballpark...and Porcello gets the nod over his rookie counterpart with Oakland. 

The Next Five For Friday

1. Tommy Milone (Athletics) vs. Tigers—A rare rookie gem, especially when he's working at home for Oakland.

2. Bud Norris (Astros) @ Pirates—A reliable source for seven strikeouts (and 3.5 runs allowed) in nearly every start.

3. Felipe Paulino (Royals) @ White Sox—Let's see if Paulino can build upon last week's stifling of the Yankees.

4. Kyle Drabek (Blue Jays) @ Twins—The hot-and-cold Drabek gets a reprieve with the light-hitting Twins for Friday.

5. Clay Buchholz (Red Sox) vs. Indians—He's posted shaky numbers in his last five starts...but tonight's clash with Cleveland might spark a turnaround. 

A Look Back

Thursday's selection: Toronto's Henderson Alvarez
Final tally: Seven innings, one win, one earned run allowed, three walks and two strikeouts

Jay Clemons can be reached on Twitter, day or night, at @ATL_JayClemons.