A wise fantasy baseball manager never rests. He is never satisfied with his team and is always on the hunt for the player that can help in both the present and future. For this article, we’ll focus on the present, as we present the top pitcher streamers who’ll be making two outings this week.

We do this every week, because deep down we all know those last two or three guys taken in drafts won’t be with us the whole way through. Mix and match is the name of the game and maximizing these players’ values is the goal. Here are the top five two-start pitching streamers for week 21. NOTE: these are expected starts.

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Going Twice, Roll The Dice

Doug Fister, HOU

@ PIT 8/22, vs TB 8/27

Owned In: 36% of Fleaflicker Leagues

The last time we checked in on Doug Fister, he was getting ready to make a pair of starts in late June. He’d go on to win his first start and lose his second and has gone 3-4 since, bringing his season record to 11-8 with a 3.76 ERA. Considering Fister had only managed a subpar 5-7 record with a 4.19 ERA last year with the Nationals, this has been an excellent turnaround campaign as the veteran attempts to regain relevancy. The 32-year-old has shown flashes of brilliance these past two months, posting four quality starts and giving up more than four runs just four times. Fister has proven to be a superior pitcher on the road, winning five more games despite pitching the same number of games both at home and away. That figures to bode well for the right-hander in his first start of the week at PNC Park against the Pirates. His 1.11 HR/9 figures to be extra effective against the Bucs, who rank as the fourth-lowest home run hitting team in the National League. Fister’s second start of the week will be against the Tampa Bay Rays, who are 12 games under .500 on the road and not showing any signs of improvement. Currently owning the lowest batting average in the American League, Fister should manage to handle the Rays and have an excellent chance at victory.

Michael Pineda, NYY

@ SEA 8/22, vs BAL 8/28

Owned In: 27% of Fleaflicker Leagues

Michael Pineda makes his second appearance in our streamers piece after making the top five way back in April. Back then, we described the 27-year-old as enigmatic through his first three professional seasons, with encouragement that 2016 might be a new chapter. The results have unfortunately been more of the same, as he’s posted a 6-10 record with a 4.89 ERA. Surprisingly, the numbers don’t tell the whole story, as Pineda’s ERA stood at 6.92 at the end of May. Since then, he’s continued his seesaw style, having a stellar June before once again struggling in July. In his last start out, he pitched five shutout innings against the Blue Jays only for a rain delay to force him out of the game before his bullpen imploded. It was Pineda’s second consecutive strong start after posting a quality outing at Fenway Park his last time out. Perhaps with a rejuvenated Yankees offense, he might be able to take this recent form and build upon it to close 2016 in encouraging fashion. His first opponent this upcoming week will be the Mariners, his former team. In his only season with Seattle, he posted a 2.92 ERA at Safeco Field, and in his only start at the venue since then, he posted quality start in victory. Expect the Dominican hurler to effectively use his 10.17 K/9 at a ballpark he’s quite comfortable in. In his second start, Pineda will face the Orioles at home. Just last month, he tossed fixed shutout innings against them in the Bronx en route to victory. Last year, he struck out 16 Orioles at home, perhaps in the best start of his career. With a strong level of familiarity in both outings, look for this enigma to display promise once again.

Jameson Taillon, PIT

vs HOU 8/22, @ MIL 8/27

Owned In: 24% of Fleaflicker Leagues

Young Jameson Taillon has taken the rookie pitcher spotlight away from Tyler Glasnow as the latter continues to recover from injury. the 24-year-old Taillon made his debut back in June and has incredibly posted nine quality starts in 11 starts. He’s only managed a 3-2 record, however, as his ERA sits exactly at 3.00 on the year. Taillon hasn’t displayed great strikeout tendencies, but he’s been incredibly effective at stranding runners on base. This’ll come into play in his first start of the week, as he’ll take on the Houston Astros. The Astros, apart from being five games under .500 on the road, are one of the lower ranked American League teams in the RBI department. They also happen to ground out frequently, which works right into Taillon’s plans with his 53.8 GB%. In his second start, the rookie will face off with the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. Taillon has already faced the Brewers this year, tossing six innings of one-run ball against them last month. With the Brewers having already thrown in the towel and currently playing some of the worst baseball in the NL, expect Taillon to continue his recent brilliance with two solid victory opportunities.

Blake Snell, TB

vs BOS 8/22, @ HOU 8/27

Owned In: 18% of Fleaflicker Leagues

Young Blake Snell made his Major League debut earlier this season, considered one of Tampa Bay’s top prospects. The left-hander made his debut at Yankee Stadium in April, surrendering just one run in five innings of work. After spending May in the minors, he’s remained with the big league club these past three months and has been relatively effective. His biggest problem, however, has been control, a matter which has prevented him from going deeper into starts. Snell has posted four quality starts this season, but has fallen one inning or fewer shy of a quality start six separate times due to high pitch counts. This has played a role in his 4-5 season record, although his 3.06 ERA is encouraging. This week, he’ll make his first start at home against the Boston Red Sox. Snell has already faced Boston once, surrendering four runs in five innings and a third against them back in June. It was the last time he gave up more than three earned runs, however, showing his maturation as the season has progressed. Considering his opponent is David Price, who has been far from spectacular in his first year with Boston, look for the Rays to give Snell a puncher’s chance at victory. His second start will be at Minute Maid Park against the Astros.  With a 2.42 ERA on the road, Snell has shown his confidence on the road. Considering the Astros have recent began to regress after making a push towards a playoff spot, look for Snell to attack and pose a serious threat at victory.

Homer Bailey, CIN

vs LAD 8/22, @ ARI 8/28

Owned In: 13% of Fleaflicker Leagues

Homer Bailey’s 2016 story could ultimately be one of the most inspiring of the season. In August of 2014, Bailey was 9-5 with a 3.71 ERA, having tossed consecutive quality starts, including a seven-inning scoreless performance. Sadly, his season ended with surgery, as he tore a tendon in his right forearm. After doubts over whether he would return in time for the start of the 2015 campaign, he made his season debut on April 18th. After just two starts, however, he was lost for the season again, this time with an elbow injury that would result in Tommy John surgery. After a long road back, Bailey made his 2016 season debut on July 31st at San Diego. He would fall an out short of a quality start, but emerged victorious, surrendering just two runs while striking out six. After a hiccup in Pittsburgh, he then tossed six shutout inning at Milwaukee, earning another victory. This past Wednesday he posted another encouraging start in Miami, though it would be a no-decision. Bailey appears to be regaining his old form and could really make a statement this week. His first start will be at home against the Dodgers. Thus far, the 30-year-old has shown a penchant for striking out batters and stranding runners. Los Angeles is an average NL team in both categories, meaning Bailey will have to be aggressive with the strikeout. His second start of the week will be in Arizona for a fourth road start in six outings. Considering the Diamondbacks only trail Atlanta for worst home record in baseball, this will be a measuring stick for how far Bailey will come. Expect solid results for the 10-year veteran on the comeback trail.

 

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