Fantasy Baseball Streamers, 8–15 to 8–21
~ Guys to Fuel your Playoff Run~
~Pitching streamers for week 19~
By Mike Cave
Welcome to week 19’s Streamer’s Delight! In this section I will give around eight to 12 possible streaming pitcher options that are around or under 50 percent owned in ESPN leagues. My goal is to provide you with pitchers that I believe will give you a decent shot at a QS/Win or both and in turn, hopefully hit two out of three streamers. Based on the QS/Win criteria, my last week’s record: 6–3
And ytd record: 62–31. *Note: some opposing pitchers and pitching dates are subject to change.
In order by date…
Robbie Ray ARI 8/15 (vs NYM, Colon and 8/20 @SD, Richard)
-Recommending Ray is almost totally matchup based as he faces off against the Mets at home and then travels to San Diego later in the week. Ray hasn’t exactly been good lately…he’s only pitched three quality starts in his last 10 starts, but his latest came when facing these same Mets. Ray has upper echelon strikeout upside and the Mets and Padres both struggle in that category offensively. Since Ray has an ERA north of 4.50 and a WHIP of 1.45, I wouldn’t bank on a QS and therefore would have a hard time trusting him in roto leagues. Ray should be a good start in points leagues where there are no penalty for baserunners or earned runs.
Ervin Santana MIN 8/15 (@ATL, De la Cruz)
-Santana has been an absolute stud lately, only giving up six ER over his last 28 ⅓ innings pitched and going 2–1 in the process. Although Santana has been known to take fantasy owners for a roller coaster ride every season throughout his career, he seems dialed in right now and I don’t see it coming to a halt any time soon as the Braves are up next on the slate. Santana should be able to contribute in every fantasy format, so feel free to stream with confidence here.
Drew Smyly TB 8/15 (vs SD, Perdomo)
-Smyly was ranked in the top 25 or so of starting pitchers coming into the season, but really fell apart in mid-May. Topping out at an ERA of 5.64, Smyly has slowly lowered it to 5.04 during his last four starts, while tossing a QS in each one of those games. I’d still be cautious moving forward with Smyly, but this matchup has a lot of potential and, if he’s corrected the ship, you want to be along for the ride.
Blake Snell TB 8/16 (vs SD, Jackson)
-Snell has battled command issues during most of his time in the big leagues this season. While he averages more than one strikeout per inning, he stretches innings with too many pitches and eventually with walks. After tossing three straight QS, Snell has failed to reach that feat during his last three outings and his latest was a 1 2/3 inning stinker against the Blue Jays. I’m suggesting Snell be used in points formats that don’t penalize for walks or hits, but could end up useful in any format. This matchup against the Padres is about as good as it gets, so if Snell doesn’t perform, I doubt we’ll see him on the list again any time soon.
Joe Musgrove HOU 8/17 (@BAL, Bundy)
-If Musgrove is still available in any of your leagues, I’d stop reading this and go grab him ASAP. One of the better arms coming up through the Astro’s system, Musgrove has done nothing but impress since Lance McCullers hit the DL. His 1.47 ERA and 0.76 WHIP through 18-plus innings so far to date is outstanding, but what’s even more impressive is who he did it against…two perennial playoff powerhouses, the Blue Jays and the Rangers. What I love about pitchers in general is command, a skill that Musgrove grades very high on and in turn enables him to go deeper into games. He will be put to the test as the Astros visit Camden yards to face off against a tough Orioles team and one of their own young stud pitchers, Dylan Bundy. I see this matchup being controlled by pitchers through the first five to seven innings and wouldn’t be surprised if they both left the game with the score tied up..
Dylan Bundy BAL 8/17 (vs HOU, Musgrove)
-Bundy is in a similar boat as Musgrave—great young pitcher that is mostly efficient with his pitches. The only concern with Bundy that I’ve noticed is that his skipper has been a little quick with the hook. Bundy has battled injuries throughout his short professional career and they are taking it somewhat slow with him, by letting him build up to higher pitch counts and innings pitched. So the problem lies with not being able to get through that pesky sixth inning that qualifies a starting pitcher for a QS, which has only happened twice for Bundy in a handful of starts. Overall, I wouldn’t worry too much about that and hope he can be in control like he has been in his last three outings. The Astros pose a threat offensively, but they also tend to strikeout more than the league average, so it plays into Bundy’s strongsuit.
Matt Moore SF 8/20 (vs NYM, Colon)
-Moore has been a decently solid pitcher this season and fantasy owners have seen a rise in value since he was traded to the Giants a few weeks back. Going from the AL East to the NL West really boosted Moore’s stock as he will face weaker opponents and he’ll also get to pitch to pitchers, so an elevated strikeout rate is to be expected. Since joining the NL, Moore has tossed two QS out of two games pitched and also has a streak of eight QS dating back to June 29. Moore gets the Mets at home, which should help his cause to reach his ninth QS in a row as the Mets are one of the lighter hitting teams in the NL. Pick up Moore if available and stream with confidence.
Some 50/50 options…
Jose Berrios MIN 8/16 (@ATL, De La Cruz)
-Most likely positive outcome…W (mid-high K upside)
Lucas Harrell TEX 8/16 (vs OAK, Triggs)
-Most likely positive outcome…QS, W (moderate K upside)
Matt Shoemaker LAA 8/18 (vs SEA, Iwakuma)
-Most likely positive outcome…QS (moderate K upside)
Tom Koehler MIA 8/19 (@PIT, Kuhl)
-Most likely positive outcome…QS, W (moderate K upside)
Braden Shipley ARI 8/21 (@SD, Perdomo)
-Most likely positive outcome…QS, W (moderate K upside)
Guys to Fuel Your Playoff Run
By: Sean Kallevig (@majorfan1213)
For those of us who are in the hunt for the playoffs, we are all looking for that one piece that will put us over the edge so we can win the championship in our league. There are four ways in which fantasy players who are in this situation can find that key piece to put them over the edge. 1) Pick up or have a player who is currently on the DL, but expected to be back soon. 2) Trade to fill the weakest needs of your team. 3) Juice the orange and ride the hot streak of a fringy waiver wire guy. 4) Grab a prospect who is promoted for the roster expansion. For most of those who are in standard leagues, your trade deadline will be on August 12. Since that date will have passed by the time this article is released, I will focus more on options 1,3 and 4.
If your trade deadline still has yet to pass by the time you read this article I do have one piece of advice for you, and it’s fairly straightforward and simple. Pull up your roster and look at it! Identify the area where you need the most help. At this stage if you are in the hunt, your team for the most part should be solid enough to give you a chance at winning it all. So if you are to trade, limit your moves. Don’t try to trade all your depth to fill three holes. Instead, look at your biggest position or category of need, and make a move to advance you there, but don’t compromise any key core of your roster. Remember anything can happen in the playoffs, so whether you are the No. 1 seed or the No. 8 seed, you can still win. If you are in a dynasty league with prospect rosters, this is the time to sell your young promising stars for top tier older talent that will help fuel your run for now. Always follow the saying “win now, there will always be prospects later.”
*The list of players are in order from who I think will provide the biggest boost to your playoff run.*
1) AJ Pollock ARI OF
Pollock was a fantasy stud in 2015 and was someone drafted as early as the second round in this year’s draft. He’s a five-category OF who excels at everything he does, except staying healthy. Pollock is currently on a rehab assignment after injuring his elbow again in spring training. Pollock can only spend 20 days on his rehab assignment, which means he will have to be up by the end of August, just in time for the playoffs. With David Peralta going on the DL for the third time, the Diamondback’s need to get Pollock into the lineup. Many fear that Pollock won’t play a lot as they will want to conserve him for next year, as they are virtually out of the playoff push. This seems to be far from the case. Its just as important for the player to get back into the game and get the feel for it again. Expect Pollock to be a little slow out of the gates, but after a week or two, he should be back to being a top 20 OF for the remainder of the season. This is a guy who could be the Tim Hightower of fantasy baseball and be on the most championship winning teams.
Ownership Ranks:
ESPN: 45 percent
CBS: 77 percent
Yahoo: 71 percent
2) Edwin Diaz SEA RP
The new closer for the Mariners may provide the biggest boost for players in need of saves. Diaz has come in and been dominant since he took over the role. He’s converted all four of his save chances since August 2 and has seven Ks in four IP. He has given up an ER against Boston, but still converted the save. Diaz is looking like a top five closer ROS. I also value him as a top five closer for the foreseeable future. If Diaz is still on waivers, no matter what league you are in, he needs to be added now!
Ownership Ranks:
ESPN: 54.8 percent
CBS: 73 percent
Yahoo: 68 percent
3) James Paxton SEA SP
Paxton has been on fire over the past week and really has shown a lot of promise since the start of July. During his two game stretch against Boston and the Angels he went a combined 16.1 IP with nine H, one ER, one BB, and 12 Ks. He could have thrown a complete game against the Angels had a line drive not come back at him and hit his pitching elbow. He is listed as day-to-day but is expected to make his next start. Assuming that start goes according to plan, Paxton can be a SP2 for you the remainder of the way and has a ton of upside for the ROS and the coming seasons.
Ownership Ranks:
ESPN: 25.5 percent
CBS: 65 percent
Yahoo: 28 percent
4) Jose Reyes NYM SS
This is a guy that is hardly talked about on any of the mainstream podcasts and in fact, some podcasts refuse to mention his name! Reyes has had a odd start to his return to baseball. He’s only hitting .239, but has shown a lot of pop as nine of his 16 hits have gone for extra bases. He has also flashed his speed as he has swiped three bases since his return. He is currently on a rehab assignment and should be back by this upcoming week. It’s truly a toss up between Reyes and the next name on this list on who you will want to help you at SS or MI, but I like Reyes a little better as he will hit atop the Mets lineup.
Ownership Ranks:
ESPN: 20.1 percent
CBS: 60 percent
Yahoo: 33 percent
5) Brad Miller TB SS
Miller has been on a hot streak over the past few weeks. Since July 26, Miller is hitting .360 with 12 R, five HR, 12 RBI and two SB, and he is not showing any sign of slowing down. There has been some controversy in Tampa Bay as ownership has expressed that the newly acquired Matt Duffy will play SS when he’s healthy. Although Miller is unhappy about his news, he will not lose playing time due to it. He will be moved around and get a lot of playing time at 1B. This will help his value as he will be eligible to play shortly at SS, 1B, MI, CI, OF, and, depending on the league site, potentially 3B . That flexibility may come in handy during the playoff stretch. He provides more power than Reyes, but he’s in a weaker lineup, and even though the Rays say he will still be an everyday player, at this moment playing time is a small concern.
Ownership ranks:
ESPN: 48.1 percent
CBS: 65 percent
Yahoo: 51 percent
6) Daniel Norris DET P
Norris has been called the next lefty ace by some experts in the field. He’s had a down year as he spent a lot of time in AAA and when he did get the call he got injured. But the time when he was up with the Tigers, he has shown a lot of promise. Although he has yet to complete six innings in a start, he is over a K/9 and has not allowed more than three runs in any start. With Zimmerman going back on the DL and Norris just completing a rehab assignment, this may be the perfect opportunity for him to show his true colors. He should be a SP3 ROS, with SP1 upside in dynasty leagues.
Ownership Ranks:
ESPN: 2.7 percent
CBS: 21 percent
Yahoo: 5 percent
7) Anibal Sanchez DET SP/RP
Don’t laugh me out of the fantasy community for this selection to this list, but I can’t help myself from being intrigued by Sanchez. He had a terrible first half to the year, and I mean quite possibly the worst first half of any pitcher in fantasy this year. It was to the point that the Tigers demoted him to the bullpen. But after recent openings in that rotation he has another chance to prove his worth, which he has done a decent job of so far. Over his past four starts he has 26IP, nine ER, five BB and 27 K’s. He is 1–1 over this stretch with three of the games being a quality start. Two of the starts he has also racked up 10 Ks, and in his latest outing he did deserve the W, but had to settle for the no decision. He’s a SP4 ROS, but could be a SP3. If he continues to show his dominant self against a tough lineup in a tough park I will buy into the SP3 ranking, if he fails miserably, he still has the chance to be a SP4 and can help your playoff hunt, but you will have to be careful and watch the matchups.
Ownership Rankings:
ESPN: 16.2 percent
CBS: 19 percent
Yahoo: 22 percent
8) Aaron Judge NYY OF
We received the news this week that A-rod is finally going to call it a career, what light you view that career in is up to you, but this decision actually has potentially a massive impact on this fantasy season. Due to his retirement, it opens up a roster spot for a promising prospect. My best guess on who this will be is Aaron Judge. Judge has been speculated for most of the season to be called up at some point, most pointing to the september call-ups. Judge’s time table now has increased and he will be able to provide a few more weeks of production that most of us would love to have. Judge will slot into a role right away, whether it’s at DH or in the OF. He should provide a good average and give you five to 10 HRs the rest of the way. Even though OF is deep this year, Judge should be picked up even in three OF leagues.
Ownership Ranks:
ESPN: 3.9 percent
CBS: 29 percent
Yahoo: 5 percent
- This article was written on Monday, August 8*
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