We had another graduate this week. The only thing that can stop Braxton Garrett these days is Mother Nature. On Wednesday, he needed only 66 pitches to cruise through his first five innings (of one-run ball) against one of baseball’s toughest lineups in one of the toughest venues (Red Sox in Fenway) when a rain delay ended his outing. He still picked up a win. And predictably, after surrendering just two runs or fewer in eight of his last nine starts, the young lefty’s roster percentage has now grown beyond pitching streamer territory. If he has somehow been overlooked in your league, now’s the time to add him to your roster.
If not, no worries. This article is full of pitching streamers who can help you sprint into the All-Star Break. Whether you’re in first place or battling for the last playoff spot, it’s perfect for weekly transaction leagues or for studious daily-transaction managers who like to plan ahead. Below are my 10 favorites for week 14. As always, they are listed in roster-percentage order.
Oh, and one programming note. The week following the All-Star Break (week 15) is 10 days long in most fantasy baseball leagues. It will start when regular season games resume on Friday, July 14th, and won’t end until the following Sunday, July 23rd. As a result, my next pitching streamers article will be posted on July 14th and will cover that entire timeframe. Until then, good luck and enjoy the break!
More great fantasy baseball advice and analysis: Waiver Wire & FAAB Recommendations | Daily MLB Injury Report | MLB DFS Picks | Line-up Analysis | Dynasty Rankings and Strategy | MLB Bullpen Updates | MLB Player Props | Prospect Rankings & Analysis | Fantasy Baseball Risers and Fallers
Top 10 Pitching Streamer Options For This Upcoming Week
Pitching Streamers Available in Some Leagues (About 50% to 65% Rostered)
Dane Dunning SP/RP Rangers
Last start: Wednesday, June 28th vs. Tigers – 8.2IP W 2ER 4H 0BB 10K
2 starts next week: Tuesday, July 4th @ Red Sox + Sunday, July 9th @ Nationals
If you’re looking for a two-start pitcher with a high floor, there won’t be many better options next week than Dane Dunning. He’s coming off his best start of the season on Wednesday, when he tied his career-high strikeout total (10) and missed a complete game by one out. That makes three quality starts in a row for the 28-year-old veteran, who has allowed less than four runs in all but one of his ten starts. Though it must be noted that his xERA (4.58) is almost two runs higher than his stellar 2.69 ERA, and that the Red Sox (his first of two opponents next week) are quite capable of getting those numbers closer, he has fared well against several high-powered offenses (most recently two earned runs in six innings against the Blue Jays and three earned runs in five innings against the Angels). Also, his second start in Washington (ranked 22nd in runs per game) should hopefully even things out.
Brayan Bello SP Red Sox
Last start: Thursday, June 29th vs. Marlins – 7IP L 1ER 2H 1BB 5K
1 start next week: Wednesday, July 5th vs. Rangers
It’s not often I would recommend a pitcher due to face the Rangers next week, but Brayan Bello will have to be the exception. That’s because he’s now thrown five quality starts in a row (also six out of the last seven), hasn’t yielded more than three runs in a start since April, and is now going deep into games (the Red Sox let him pitch into the 8th inning Thursday!). Yes, the Rangers are scary, but Bello has proven he can handle the league’s best offenses (three runs in six innings against the Rays, two in seven against the Angels, two in six against the Braves). And for what it’s worth, they’re a little less lethal against righties on the road. Furthermore, the 24-year-old’s roster percentage has crept up a lot over the last month and if he handles himself well next week, this is probably your last chance to get him.
Ranger Suarez SP Phillies
Last start: Tuesday, June 27th @ Cubs – 7.1IP W 1ER 4H 1BB 8K
Next start: Sunday, July 2nd vs. Nationals
1 start next week: Saturday, July 8th @ Marlins
Following yet another dominant performance on Tuesday, Ranger Suarez’s roster percentage is rapidly climbing. That tends to happen when you rack up six quality starts in a row and allow no more than two earned runs doing it. Whether the lefty can sustain this level of performance, or whether his ERA (currently 3.18) will get closer to his xERA (4.20) is debatable. It probably depends on his increased use of his best pitch, the curveball (which has generated an impressive 38.2% whiff rate), a reportedly better-located sinker, and keeping the ball on the ground (only 1 home run yielded over six starts). In any case, you’ve got to like his next two matchups. The Nationals (this weekend) and Marlins (next week) both rank in the bottom 10 in runs-per-game and in home runs, specifically. That should play well to Suarez’s strengths.
Pitching Streamers Available in Most Leagues (About 30% to 50% Rostered)
Emmet Sheehan SP Dodgers
Last start: Thursday, June 29th @ Rockies – 5IP W 3ER 7H 0BB 5K
1 start next week: Tuesday, July 3rd vs. Pirates
As if a start in Colorado isn’t difficult enough, Emmet Sheehan had to endure an almost two-hour-long, pea-sized hail delay before throwing a pitch on Thursday. The 23-year-old held up pretty great considering, surrendering three runs in five innings, earning his second win, inducing 11 swinging strikes on 88 pitches, and compiling his highest strikeout total (5) of his young career. The changeup was particularly working as it accounted for his putaway pitch for each strikeout. The rookie, whose ERA/WHIP now stands at 2.65/0.82 after three starts, will get one more go before the All-Star Break and it’s a very favorable matchup against the Pirates, a team ranked 23rd in runs per game and about the same in all ratio categories. The start will thankfully take place in the hail-free city of Los Angeles.
Gavin Williams SP Guardians
Last start: Tuesday, June 27th @ Royals – 7IP 0ER 1H 1BB 6K
Next start: Sunday, July 2nd @ Cubs
1 start next week: Friday, July 7th vs. Royals
If you wanted to see the upside for Gavin Williams after a not-so-impressive debut last week, Tuesday must have been very satisfying. The rookie struck out six, induced 11 swinging strikes on 92 pitches, only allowed one hit (three base runners overall), and, similar to last week, finished strong by retiring his last 13 batters faced. Fine, it was the Royals in their spacious ballpark, but considering he relied almost entirely on his 95.6 MPH-average fastball and got a 26% whiff rate, and induced lots of soft contact (86.7 average exit velocity), we certainly know the potential is there even against better lineups. He’ll take on one of those tomorrow on the road against the Cubs, before drawing these same Royals at home next week. He’s got too much upside to be sitting on your waiver wire. Grab him while you still can.
Kyle Hendricks SP Cubs
Last start: Thursday, June 29th vs. Phillies – 7IP L 3ER 6H 0BB 4K
2 starts next week: Tuesday, July 4th @ Brewers + Sunday, July 9th @ Yankees
Though he hasn’t been a fantasy baseball contributor for a long time (2020 was the last time his ERA was under 4.77), Kyle Hendricks seems to be doing the kind of things we saw him do when he was. He’s inducing soft contact (his 86.3 MPH average exit velocity ranks in the 90th percentile), not hurting himself with walks (a very solid 1.94 K/9 rate), and keeping fly balls in the yard (0.43 HR/9). He was never someone who racks up the strikeouts, but in a two-start week you might get enough to make the stream worth it. The Brewers rank 24th in runs per game and have a very low .299 WOBA, and the Yankees are closer to league average, but are still Judge-less and until the recent A’s series were struggling offensively. This pick is not without risk, but you could certainly do worse.
Kenta Maeda SP Twins
Last start: Wednesday, June 28th @ Braves – 5IP L 2ER 5H 2BB 4K
1 start next week: Tuesday, July 4th vs. Royals
After battling a couple of injuries this season, and returning from a major one that kept him out all of last season, Kenta Maeda finally appears healthy. You’d have to be to stand up to the Braves, a team that has scored third-most in baseball and lead the league in OBP, Slugging, and OPS. While the veteran was stuck with a loss, he yielded just two runs in five innings on Wednesday and now has 12 strikeouts in his 10 innings since coming back. His 14 swinging strikes on 82 pitches is another good sign, as is his splitter that induced five swinging strikes for the second straight start. The Royals, his final first-half opponent, do their fair share of whiffing. They rank among the leaders in striking out and 28th in runs per game. It’s a good stream, and could be more if the 35-year-old continues to find his pre-injury form.
Pitching Streamers Widely Available (About 30% Rostered or Fewer)
Garrett Whitlock SP/RP Red Sox
Last start: Tuesday, June 27th vs. Marlins – 4.2IP 6ER 11H 0BB 7K
Next start: Sunday, July 2nd @ Blue Jays
1 start next week: Friday, July 7th vs. A’s
The bad news: Garrett Whitlock has had two sub-par starts in a row. The other bad news: he draws the Blue Jays on the road tomorrow, a mostly top-10 offensive team with a solid .328 WOBA. The good news: despite the two bad starts, the 27-year-old still maintained the whiffs (18 swinging strikes last week, 13 this week, and 13 strikeouts in 11.2 innings), and the control (0 walks in both starts). The best news of all: he gets the A’s as his final first-half opponent. They rank last in runs per game, WOBA, Average, Slugging, and OPS. Seems like a no-brainer stream to me.
Kyle Bradish SP Orioles
Last start: Sunday, June 25th vs. Mariners – 7IP W 2ER 2H 2BB 7K
Next start: Saturday, July 1st vs. Twins
Next week: Thursday, July 6th @ Yankees
It’s still surprising that Kyle Bradish, after yet another solid effort on Sunday against the Mariners, remains so widely available. The 26-year-old has now put together an impressive 2.92 ERA and 0.99 WHIP over his last nine starts. Moreover, he’s gone seven innings in two of his last three, struck out at least seven in three of four, and plays for a team with the second-best record in the American League. He’s got a couple of good matchups coming up too. The Twins, his opponent this weekend, lead the world in striking out. And the Yankees, his last opponent before the Break, have seen an offensive dip coinciding with losing Aaron Judge. Would you believe they now rank 28th in batting average and 29th in OBP? Though he doesn’t pitch quite as well on the road, hopefully Bradish can take advantage of it.
Bryan Woo SP Mariners
Last start: Tuesday, June 27th vs. Nationals – 5IP 1ER 6H 1BB 7K
2 starts next week: Monday, July 3rd @ Giants + Saturday, July 8th @ Astros
If you’ve missed out on some of the bigger prospect names this season, there’s probably still one out there on your waiver wire who’s put together a 2.23 ERA over his last four starts while collecting 28 strikeouts. You might not have heard of Bryan Woo, or due to his bad career debut against the mighty Rangers last month, you may have dismissed him. In either case, he’s an ideal volume streamer next week with serious strikeout upside for two starts. The Giants strike out third most in baseball and the Astros, though they rank about league average in runs per game, do less damage against righties at home. Even in a shallow league, he’s definitely worthy of a roster spot next week.