Is it seriously Week 12 already? Can you believe we’re just about halfway through the fantasy baseball regular season? Hope you’re doing well in your leagues and are at the top of your standings. If not, or if you’ve recently received some bad news about one of your starters (I’m still so bummed about Chris Sale and Dustin May!), this article could hopefully patch your pitching staff together and help you finish the first half strong. It’s perfect for weekly transaction leagues and for studious daily transaction managers who like to plan ahead. Below are my 10 favorite pitching streamers for week 12. As always, they’re listed in roster-percentage order.
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Top 10 Pitching Streamer Options For This Upcoming Week
Pitching Streamers Available in Some Leagues (About 50% to 65% Rostered)
AJ Smith-Shawver SP Braves
Last start: Thursday, June 15th vs. Rockies – 5.2IP W 3ER 6H 1BB 6K
1 start next week: Wednesday, June 21th @ Phillies
Though his line might have been better in his first start, AJ Smith-Shawver flashed more of his upside on Thursday against the Rockies. He had a solid six strikeouts over 5.2 innings, but more importantly induced 17 swinging strikes compared to only six against the Nationals. That might have something to do with his changeup, a pitch he didn’t throw at all in his first two Major League appearances. He only threw it eight times in this one, but got a stunning six whiffs on six swings! His next opponent, the Phillies, aren’t exactly a favorable matchup. But a wise fantasy manager might want to roster the 20-year-old phenom just to see what he does next.
James Paxton SP Red Sox
Last start: Monday, June 12th vs. Rockies- 6IP 0ER (1R) 4H 1BB 8K
Next start: Sunday, June 18th vs. Yankees
1 start next week: Friday, June 23rd @ White Sox
Is James Paxton all the way back? It’s starting to feel that way after yet another swing-and-miss bonanza on Monday against the Rockies. He induced 16 whiffs on 98 pitches, struck out eight, and only allowed an unearned run over six innings. He’s now at 12.4 K/9, averaging 95.8 MPH on his fastball, hasn’t allowed a home run over three starts, and is sporting a 33% whiff rate which would be the highest of his career. Granted, he’s only faced one team over .500 so far, the Angels and it was his only bad start (5ER over 3 IP). But he draws the struggling Yankees without Aaron Judge this weekend, and then the White Sox next week, a team ranked 24th in runs per game. If “Big Maple” stays healthy, he won’t likely be available in your league much longer.
Andrew Abbot SP Reds
Last start: Friday, June 16th @ Astros – 6IP W 0ER 4H 2BB 2K
1 start next week: Wednesday, June 21st vs. Rockies
We’re three starts into Andrew Abbot’s career and he already has three wins. Sure, there are reasons to be skeptical going forward. His nine walks in his first 17.2 innings, only 12 strikeouts (a far cry from the 15 K/9 we saw in the minors), and just four swinging strikes on 83 pitches against the Astros last night could be potential red flags. One of these starts, the high average exit velocity could catch up to him. But I’m thinking that’s not very likely against next week’s opponent, the Rockies away from Colorado. Not only are they much worse on the road (.650 OPS vs. .790 at home), but they also are far worse against lefties (.229/.285/.365 vs. .268/.330/.418 against righties). It’s a risky one, but there’s definitely some K upside there.
Pitching Streamers Available in Most Leagues (About 30% to 50% Rostered)
Jack Flaherty SP Cardinals
Last start: Tuesday, June 13th vs. Giants – 4.1IP L 6ER 10H 3BB 3K
1 start next week: Monday, June 19 @ Nationals
After three solid starts in a row, Jack Flaherty had a dud performance on Tuesday. His six runs and ten hits are the most surrendered by him since his May 4th implosion against the Angels. Whether this signals a return to his April/Early May struggles (when he yielded 24 earned runs in 24 innings over 5 starts), or whether this is just a blip in his recent success is anyone’s guess. The good signs though: he didn’t allow a home run for the sixth straight game, he’s limited hard contact well all season (82nd percentile average exit velocity/75th hard hit rate), the Giants only had two extra-base hits, and his .345 BABIP allowed so far is awfully high and should come down a little. Will it start to normalize against the Nationals, a team ranked 21st in runs per game? We can only hope.
Yusei Kikuchi SP/RP Blue Jays
Last start: Thursday, June 15th @ Orioles 4.2IP 2ER 6H 2BB 7K
2 starts next week: Tuesday, June 20th @ Marlins + Sunday, June 25th vs. A’s
If you’re looking for a two-start pitcher with a fairly high floor, Yusei Kikuchi is about the best option for you this week. He’s been very consistent lately, yielding exactly two runs in each of his last four starts. He’s been a reliable source for strikeouts too, averaging exactly one per inning all season. Giving up home runs have sadly been a common theme also. His scary 2.4 HR/9 rate has been the biggest source of concern. But fortunately for fantasy managers this week, the two teams he faces – the Marlins and A’s – are not only in the bottom five in runs per game, but rank 22nd and 23rd in home runs, specifically. The pitching streamer world is never without risk, but this seems like a good bet.
Josiah Gray SP Nationals
Last start: Wednesday, June 14th @ Astros – 7IP 4ER 6H 0BB 5K
2 starts next week: Monday, June 19th vs. Cardinals + Saturday, June 24th @ Padres
OK, Josiah Gray’s start on Wednesday wasn’t dominant. He gave up four runs in seven innings to the Astros, an offense that has been mediocre this season. And we know his very solid ERA of 3.19 doesn’t line up very well with his xERA of 4.32. But there’s still some encouraging signs. One, he didn’t walk anyone during this start. That’s been his biggest problem (4.22 BB/9) and it was the first time all year. Two, he’s developed a new sweeping slider that he just unveiled recently. It generated four swinging strikes out of 13 swings. Not bad. If you’re looking for volume, you might want to see where it goes with his mostly favorable two-start week.
Braxton Garrett SP Marlins
Last start: Sunday, June 11th @ White Sox – 5.1IP 0ER 3H 1BB 9K
Next start: Saturday, June 17th @ Nationals
1 start next week: Thursday, June 22nd vs. Pirates
After stumbling in his last start against the lowly Royals, Braxton Garrett rebounded in a big way on Sunday. He kept the White Sox off the board for 5.1 innings, generated 14 swinging strikes on 82 pitches, and struck out a season-high nine batters. He now has a 2.25 ERA and 1.04 WHIP over his last six starts. His whiff rate sits at an impressive 29.4% for the season, backed up by a nasty slider that generates whiffs at 44.8%. It’s a shame the Marlins don’t let the man work, but the innings he’s giving you are as solid as they come for the waiver wire. He lines up for the Nationals on the road this weekend and then against the Pirates next week so the good times might just keep on coming.
Pitching Streamers Widely Available (About 30% Rostered or Fewer)
Brayan Bello SP Red Sox
Last start: Saturday, June 10th @ Yankees – 7IP 2ER 3H 2BB 3K
Next start: Saturday, June 17th vs. Yankees
1 start next week: Thursday, June 22nd @ Twins
After holding the Yankees to only two runs on Saturday, Brayan Bello has now posted quality starts in three of his last four appearances. He’s also lowered his ERA to a season-best 3.78. Though his 8.43 K/9 rate and 25.1% whiff rate are pedestrian, he has managed to consistently limit damage with an impressive 57.1 ground ball percentage. That’s a good recipe for someone whose home games are in Fenway Park. That’s where he’ll face a staggering, Judge-less Yankees offense on Saturday before heading to Minnesota to play a strikeout-happy Twins team. They rank in the bottom ten in average, OBP, and OPS. He’s widely available and definitely worth the stream.
Garrett Whitlock SP/RP Red Sox
Last start: Wednesday, June 14th vs. Rockies – 7IP W 2ER 6H 1BB 7K
2 starts next week: Tuesday, June 20th @ Twins + Sunday, June 25th @ White Sox
Looks like we’re loading up on Red Sox pitchers this week! Garrett Whitlock had a great start on Wednesday, earning a win with seven solid innings of two-run ball. His seven strikeouts were a season-high and his 17 swinging strikes were most impressive. This could be the result of his fastball velocity being up and his changeup down. The latter induced over half of the swinging strikes. Whatever the case, the 27-year-old has a rotation spot, looks healthy, and is lined up for two favorable matchups next week. The strike-out-happy Twins might have a hard time with the changeup, and the White Sox are towards the bottom in most offensive categories. Good chance he’s available in your league, too.
Tanner Houck SP/RP Red Sox
Last start: Friday, June 16th vs. Yankees – 4IP 1ER 4H 1BB 2K
1 start next week (tentative): Wednesday, June 21st @ Twins
I had Tanner Houck on this last heading into his start last night against the Yankees. He was cruising along nicely until a line drive hit the right side of his cheek in the fifth inning. It was scary at first but initial reports seem to suggest he avoided any serious injury. Garrett Whitlock, his teammate, even mentioned that he was joking around before being taken to an area hospital. So that’s great news. The Red Sox could understandably be ultra-cautious and skip next week’s start in Minnesota. Out of respect, I’ll keep him here, but for fantasy baseball purposes, you’d be well served to monitor the situation closely. I’ll also note that if his start gets pushed back a few days, instead of skipped, he’d still draw a favorable matchup on the road against the White Sox.