After three weeks of baseball this season, chances are your fantasy pitching staff could use some help. Let me assure you you’re not alone. Offense is up. Lots of early-round pitchers have gone down. Managers everywhere are scouring the waiver wire. But don’t panic. In this article, I’m going to share my favorite pitching streamers for the upcoming week.
It’s still early in the season. So, just like in my last article, I’m not just recommending pitchers that can help you win your next matchup. Instead, these are players who I’d strongly consider holding if they continue performing at the same level. I’ve separated them in order of availability.
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Top 11 Pitching Streamer Options For This Upcoming Week
Pitching Streamers Available in Some Leagues (50% – 65% Rostered)
Taj Bradley SP DBacks
2 Starts: Monday, April 24 vs Astros + Sunday, April 30 @ White Sox
If Taj Bradley is available in your league, stop reading this (but come back!) and pick him up. The highly regarded prospect has fared very well in his first two starts (17 Ks/2 BB in 11.1 IP) and now, aided by Rays’ injuries, it looks like he has a regular rotation spot for the foreseeable future. If you need extra incentive, he’s got two starts lined up for next week, albeit against a dangerous Astros team on Monday. Don’t worry too much, the kid looks like he can handle it.
Edward Cabrera SP Marlins
2 Starts: Monday, April 24 @ Braves + Saturday, April 29 vs. Cubs
It’s never been about a lack of swing-and-miss stuff for Edward Cabrera. His nasty curve and changeup were both on display Tuesday, generating a 50% whiff rate and 8Ks. The more important question for him though: is he limiting walks? The answer has been yes in his last two starts, during which he’s walked only 3 batters in 11 innings. He’ll have his work cut out for him next week against two solid offenses in the obvious Braves and the surprising Cubs. Regardless of the opponent, though, you should pick him up and hold him for a bit in leagues where he’s available.
Johan Oviedo SP Pirates
2 Starts: Tuesday, April 25 against Dodgers + Sunday, April 30 @ Nationals
If doubters were wondering if Johan Oviedo’s early success would translate into a good start in crazy Colorado, they sure had to be pleasantly surprised on Wednesday when he surrendered just one run, struck out six, and generated 13 swinging strikes. He’s now turned in a quality start in all three appearances and even picked up two wins. He’s a two-start pitcher next week too: a big test against the Dodgers, but then a juicy matchup in Washington. I say pick him up for the stream. If he keeps passing the tests, don’t let him go.
Pitching Streamers Available in Most Leagues (About 30% to 50% Rostered)
Mackenzie Gore SP Nationals
1 Start: Wednesday, April 26 @ Mets
After another good start this week against the Orioles! Gore has now racked up 25 Ks in his first 21 IP. That’s mostly using his fastball which resulted in 9 of his impressive 18 swinging strikes on Wednesday. He’s still walking a bunch, but so far has navigated through it. Although his opponent this week, the Mets, are among the league leaders in walks, Gore still has upside and could be on the brink of realizing it. Plus, if he holds his own next week, he should be lined up for two starts the following week. Might be a good idea to beat the rush.
Drey Jameson SP DBacks
1 Start: Saturday, April 29 @ Rockies
I’m including Drey Jameson in this article not because of how he did this week (3.2 IP 2ER 3H 4BB 3K at St. Louis) or because of next week’s opponent (The Rockies in Coors Field). I’m including him because he throws very hard (5th-best average fastball velocity), misses lots of bats (94th percentile whiff rate), and now has a starting rotation spot with Madison Bumgarner completely out of the way. His upside warrants a roster spot on your team. Still a little nervous? You still have time to see how he does tomorrow against the Padres. It’s also worth noting that he will likely get the Nationals (towards the bottom in runs per game) and the Giants (Major League leaders in striking out) his next two turns.
Mason Miller SP A’s
2 Starts: Tuesday, April 25 @ Angels + Sunday, April 30 vs. Reds
If it feels like Mason Miller has come out of nowhere, that’s probably because he’s barely thrown over 30 innings as a professional! Why the quick promotion? I’m not a scout, but I’m thinking it has something to do with velocity. The dude threw 15 fastballs over 100 MPH in his first start. He averaged 99.4. And they say his spin rate ranks pretty high. We’re not sure how far they’ll push him innings-wise (only 4.1 on Wednesday), but the innings he does give you could be filled with Ks. If you need an extra incentive, he’s slated for two starts this coming week. The second one is against the Reds in pitcher-friendly Oakland. If he’s available in your standard league, give him a shot.
Hayden Wesneski SP Cubs
1 Start: Friday, April 28 @ Marlins
After getting roughed up in his first two starts, Hayden Wesneski dominated the Oakland A’s on Monday in their large ballpark. For what it’s worth, he stopped throwing his cutter in this matchup, a pitch that wasn’t working for him. Is that enough to build up faith he’ll deliver you a good start next week in Miami? Well, the good thing is, he’s got a bigger test tonight against the Dodgers. If he passes it, that would sure make me feel better. It’s also worth noting that he lines up for the Nationals in the following week.
Pitching Streamers Widely Available (About 30% Rostered or Fewer)
Yusei Kikuchi SP Blue Jays
1 Start: Wednesday, April 26 vs. White Sox
I was only going to do 10, but after watching Yusei Kikuchi’s gutsy performance against the Yankees last night, I made room for one more. He wasn’t missing bats much – only 3 Ks in 6 IP – but he kept many of the Yankees’ hitters off balance and induced soft contact. This comes after his best start of the year during which he dominated the Rays, the hottest team in baseball. He lines up against the struggling White Sox next week. After beating two heavyweights, I like his chances.
Eduardo Rodriguez SP Tigers
2 Starts: Monday, April 24 @ Brewers + Saturday, April 29 vs Orioles
Judging by his ownership percentage, you might have missed Eduardo Rodriguez’s dominant performance against the Guardians on Tuesday. How does eight shutout innings with 10 Ks and no walks sound? And it only took 99 pitches to get there, 14 of which were swings-and-misses. We can’t guarantee he’ll get back to double-digit Ks in his next start – this was the first time he has done that since 2021 – but in a two-start week, he should be very useful. He was once a solid fantasy option. He could become more than a streamer if the success continues.
Kyle Bradish SP Orioles
2 Starts: Tuesday, April 25 vs. Red Sox + Sunday, April 30 @ Tigers
Back from the IL this week, Kyle Bradish put his good-looking slider and curveball on full display in Washington. Those two pitches generated 10 of his 11 swinging strikes, led to 6 Ks, and kept the Nationals off the board for 6 innings. Given his two starts next week and his wide availability, he makes for a deep sleeper pick this coming week.
Griffin Canning SP Angels
1 Start: Tuesday, April 25 vs A’s
After missing almost two seasons with an injured back, Griffon Canning sure looks healthy. He’s been effective in both of his starts. Just this Wednesday he went to the Bronx and limited the Yankees to two runs and four hits over 5.1 innings. More importantly, though, he generated 15 swings-and-misses and his velocity was at the same levels we saw two years ago. Canning is widely available. He should be able to go deeper into games going forward, once the Angels are comfortable letting him throw more pitches (only 69 in both his starts). The best news of all: he’s pitching against the A’s next week.
Got a few pitching streamers of your own in mind? Share your take in the comments below.