Good pitching streamers are getting a little harder to find this week. Some pitchers are becoming too rostered to be considered a streamer (congrats to Eduardo Rodriguez for graduating), some guys off to good starts have begun to flounder (Johan Oviedo and Yusei Kikuchi gave up a combined 12 runs last week), and some exciting rookies took it on the chin (rude welcomings to Gavin Stone and Brandon Pfaadt). Don’t fear, though, there’s still quality names on this list that can help you win your weekly matchup.
As always, I’ve listed my favorite pitching streamers in order of roster percentage. For the first time, the three tiers I use all have a very distinctive feel. The first group are all veterans will good matchups. The second group are all young pitchers off to great starts to their season/career. And the third group are young pitchers with upside but carry super high risk on a start to start basis. I didn’t plan it that way – really just an observation. Take a look for yourself!
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Top 10 Pitching Streamer Options For This Upcoming Week
Pitching Streamers Available in Some Leagues (About 50% to 65% Rostered)
Drew Smyly SP Cubs
Last start: Monday, May 1 @ Nationals – 7 IP W 1ER 6H 0BB 2K
Next start: Saturday, May 6th vs. Marlins
1 start next week: Friday, May 12th @ Twins
Savvy veteran Drew Smyly took advantage of his start in Washington on Monday, limiting the Nationals to just one run over seven solid innings en route to a win. Only two strikeouts, but the Nationals have surprisingly struck out the least of any team in baseball so we’ll have to settle for it. What else can you say? Smyly is pitching well, limiting hard contact with the best of them, and draws the Marlins tonight, and then a road matchup against the Twins (3rd most Ks in MLB) next week. He’s getting less available with each good start. Stream away if you can still get him.
Andrew Heaney SP Rangers
Last start: Wednesday, May 3 vs. DBacks – 4.2IP 6ER 4H 4BB 5K
2 starts next week: Tuesday, May 9th @ Mariners + Sunday, May 14th @ A’s
This isn’t an exciting option, and I know Andrew Heaney is coming off a stinker against the DBacks, a game that saw him allow three home runs and allow a season-high four walks. But he’d mostly held his own before this start, he has a solid career track record of providing strikeouts, and most importantly for streaming purposes, you couldn’t ask for much better starts next week. Both the Mariners and A’s are among the league leaders in striking out, among the bottom half in runs per game, and both of their ballparks are consistently pitcher-friendly. It all adds up to a perfect traditional stream.
Jon Gray SP Rangers
Last start: Tuesday, May 2 vs. DBacks – 5.1IP 4ER 8H 1BB 2K
2 starts next week: Monday, May 8th @ Mariners + Saturday, May 13th @ A’s
Well, if I’m recommending Andrew Heaney for his two juicy matchups next week, I guess it would be logical to also recommend Jon Gray. Really, almost all the things I said above are true for him. He has a track record of strikeouts (though less this season so far), he’s been decent by and large this year, and he gave up big home runs to the mighty Rangers in his last start (don’t they all?). He’s also pretty boring. But good matchups tend to make boring pitchers a lot more interesting. Gray’s roster percentage is also in the same neighborhood as Heaney’s. If you can’t have one, see if you can grab the other.
Pitching Streamers Available in Most Leagues (About 30% to 50% Rostered)
Josiah Gray P Nationals
Last start: Friday, May 5th @ DBacks – 5IP L 3ER 7H 2 BB 6K
1 start next week: Wednesday, May 10th @ Giants
Considering Josiah Gray has only had one bad start all year, it’s amazing this guy is still available in most fantasy leagues. Fine, he’s not exactly blowing hitters away with a big fastball, but it’s certainly been effective in limiting hard contact. He’s among the top ten percent of the league in average exit velocity allowed and hard hit rate. He held his own against the DBacks last night and his next start is in San Francisco against the league leaders in striking out. If some of the more exciting names are gone in your league, Gray should be your guy.
Tanner Bibee SP Guardians
Last start: Tuesday, May 2 @ Yankees – 5.1IP 2ER 4H 0BB 5K
2 starts next week: Monday, May 8th vs. Tigers + Sunday, May 14th vs. Angels
After a very impressive debut, Tanner Bibee held his own against the Yankees in the Bronx. There was a little more pitching to contact than in his first start, but he still managed five strikeouts over 5.1 innings and now has 13 over his first 11. Oh yeah, and no walks. Next week he’ll get two starts, the first a juicy matchup against the Tigers and the second a little harder one against the Angels. If he continues his early success in both and remains in the rotation, he’ll likely be too rostered to be in this article anymore. Might want to grab him right now.
Logan Allen SP Guardians
Last start: Sunday, April 30th @ Red Sox – 5IP L 2ER 4H 2BB 8K
Next start: Saturday, May 6 vs. Twins
1 start next week: Friday, May 12 vs. Angels
Not to be outdone by his teammate Tanner Bibee, Logan Allen has also put together two impressive starts to begin his career. Despite being a little less economical in his latest performance at Fenway on Sunday and needing over 100 pitches to finish five innings, Allen was able to generate 12 swings-and-misses and strikeout another eight batters. That makes 16 in his first 11 innings! His matchup tonight against the Twins, a middle-of-the-road offense that strikes out a lot (3rd in MLB) is a great stream for daily-transaction leagues. The Angels start next week is more difficult, but worth the risk for the K upside.
Bryce Miller P Mariners
Last start: Tuesday, May 2 @ A’s – 6IP 1ER 2H 0BB 10K
Next start: Sunday, May 7th vs. Astros
1 start next week: Saturday, May 13 @ Tigers
Can you have a better Major League debut than Bryce Miller did? 10 strikeouts and no walks? An electric fastball peaking at 97 MPH and generating 11 whiffs? Taking a perfect game into the sixth inning? OK, it was the A’s, but still. Some question whether throwing the fastball so much (70% of the time in this one) could eventually allow the competition to catch up to him, but for weekly streaming purposes next week, he should be able to get through a trip to Detroit just fine. If you play in a daily-transaction league, I’d roll the dice tomorrow against the Astros. And if you can spare the roster spot in any standard league, I’d hold on to him for a while.
Pitching Streamers Widely Available (About 30% Rostered or Fewer)
Mason Miller SP A’s
Last start: Tuesday, May 2nd vs. Mariners – 7IP 0ER 0H 4BB 6K
Next start: Sunday, May 7th @ Royals
1 start next week: Friday, May 12 vs. Rangers
I didn’t include Mason Miller in last week’s article because it seemed like the A’s wouldn’t let him go more than 5 innings. Now, after a seven-inning (no-hit!) start on Tuesday, during which they let him throw 100 pitches, I’d be pretty excited to grab him for tomorrow’s start in Kansas City in a daily transaction league. Next week is a different story. The Rangers have developed into a powerhouse offense this season. They’re much less dangerous on the road, however, and if Oakland’s pitching staff has one advantage, it’s their home ballpark which limits long balls and singles alike. A dangerous stream to be sure, but hey, the pickings are a little slim right now.
Hayden Wesneski SP Cubs
Last start: Tuesday, May 2nd @ Nationals 6IP 1ER 5H 0BB 2K +
Next start: Sunday, May 7th vs. Marlins.
1 start next week: Saturday, May 13th @ Twins
OK, Hayden Wesneski certainly hasn’t wowed anyone since spring training. But he’s now strung together three good starts out of his last four and has been adept at limiting damage. So far, he’s made for a decent streamer with the right matchups. The Marlins (his opponent tomorrow) have the fewest runs per game in baseball, while the Twins (next week’s matchup) rank in the bottom half of most offensive categories. Maybe their 3rd most strikeouts could help Wesneski improves on his pretty lame 5.4 K/9. Streaming sure is not without risk. Good luck.
Brandon Pfaadt SP DBacks
Last start: Wednesday, May 3 @ Rangers – 4.2IP 7ER 9H 1BB 3K
2 starts next week: Tuesday, May 9 vs. Marlins + Sunday, May 14 vs. Giants
Streaming Brandon Pfaadt this upcoming week is not for the risk-averse. He got lit up for seven runs and nine hits in his debut. But hear me out. It was a big ask to debut him against a Texas team that trails only the Rays in runs per game, ranks in the top five in average, OBP, and OPS, and is far more dangerous at home (.275 average at home vs. .245, 31 home runs vs. 12, .834 OPS vs. .736). He was pitching OK through the first four innings, only yielding runs on two solo shots, and then totally unraveled after a leadoff homer in the fifth. It happens to guys making their debut. Next week he has two starts and they are both favorable. I think the game might slow down for him a little. The dude had the most strikeouts in the minors of any pitcher since 2001 last season. There’s talent here and I’m not going to give up on it so easily. He’s in my lineup next week. I guess I like risks.