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For fantasy owners in an auction league, now is the time to blow your budget. Owners will usually spend a large percentage of their budget early in the season when it appears that players are due for huge years. As the means of regression averages out for a lot of these players, spot starters and early season call-ups make huge contributions in short term spans. Any type of edge that a fantasy owner can get at this time of the year is so important and can make the difference between raising a championship flag or whining about finishing second by one point in one category. As Ricky Bobby says, “if you ain’t first, you’re last.” Spot on Mr. Bobby. Spot on.
Below are some of my starting pitcher streamer sleepers for the second half of Week 10 to consider adding off your league’s waiver wire. Some of these SP options can be considered sleepers for your team depending on the league format and depth, including NL-Only, AL-Only and head-to-head formats.
Thursday Starting Pitcher Streamers
Shaun Marcum (CLE v. SEA) - Ownership: 1% Yahoo!, 4% Fleaflicker
Marcum got absolutely tronced by the Rangers in late May but has since come back rather strong. Last week, he checked the Mariners to three earned runs and eight hits in just over six innings. Seattle has looked like a different team since they acquired Mark Trumbo, but you have to imagine the win probability/law of averages favor the Indians on Thursday.
Matchup Rating: Risky Stream
Jon Niese (NYM v. SF) - Ownership: 10% Yahoo!, 4% Fleaflicker
Another streaming start that is banking on the law of averages, though the win probability isn’t that great, will take place in Citi Field. Niese hasn’t looked terribly effective this season, but he has done very well against left-handed batters. Hopefully the big lefty bats in the Giants lineup will continue that trend.
Matchup Rating: Risky Stream
Tanner Roark (WAS at MIL) Ownership: 46% Yahoo!, 17% Fleaflicker
There is no evidence to suggest that Roark will be great pitcher. He doesn’t strike guys out, rarely tops out at over 92 MPH, and his HR/FB rate is disgusting. But he just keeps getting it done. His owners are hoping he can continue to stymie weak bats as Milwaukee will enter the game with an 80 wRC+, good enough to be placed second from the bottom.
Matchup Rating: Solid Stream
Friday Starting Pitcher Streamers
Wandy Rodriguez (TEX v. MIN) - Ownership: 7% Yahoo!, 7% Fleaflicker
Remember when Wandy was a stud in Houston? That seemed like ages ago. But it appears he has regained at least a sliver of what made him so good in the mid to late 2000s. He has maintained his control on the low portion of the strike zone as his groundball rate is the highest it’s ever been in his career. That does not bode well for a Twins squad that is somewhat aggressive and struggles against left-handed pitching.
Matchup Rating: Solid Stream
Jaime Garcia (STL v. KC) - Ownership: 27% Yahoo!, 14% Fleaflicker
Kansas City might be destroying righties this season, but they have really come back down to earth against southpaws. Garcia’s stuff has been fantastic at times and it’s rather incredible to see his ownership numbers as low as they are. After he mows down Royals on Friday, expect those ownership numbers to go way up.
Matchup Rating: Must Stream
Chase Anderson (ARI at SF) - Ownership: 15% Yahoo!, 13% Fleaflicker
If it weren’t for his 1-1 record, Anderson would be a top pitcher available in most fantasy leagues. He has pitched rather well but has recorded a shocking total of nine no-decisions. His next start will be in a pitcher friendly park at night, where weather conditions are ideal for low scoring outings.
Matchup Rating: Solid Stream
Saturday Starting Pitcher Streamers
Mike Pelfrey (MIN at TEX) - Ownership: 23% Yahoo!, 16% Fleaflicker
It’s always risky to want to stream pitchers that have relatively similar walk and strikeout rates. If you add above-average left on base rates as well, then you know that pitcher is due for a blowup. Pelfrey has done a solid job of pitching to contact thus far, but there’s a strong possibility his 5.7% HR/FB rate shoots up in Arlington.
Matchup Rating: Risky Stream
Jimmy Nelson (MIL v. WAS) - Ownership: 17% Yahoo!, 15% Fleaflicker
Nelson has strung together a few solid starts in a row now, which is always cause for concern with him since it seems he’s due every three or four starts to get rocked. Unfortunately, it could come against the Nats. That being said, he will get his owners help in the strikeout category, as the Nationals are striking out at a 20.7% clip.
Matchup Rating: Risky Stream
Ryan Vogelsong (SF v. ARI) - Ownership: 18% Yahoo!, 14% Fleaflicker
It’s like night and day for Vogelsong when pitching on the road as opposed to pitching at home. When in the friendly confines of AT&T Park, he has a 2.25 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 22 K in 28 innings. The only downside is that the game time start is 4:05 West Coast time, and games are typically higher scoring in the day than in night at At&T. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that the baseball gods will treat the late afternoon start as a night game.
Matchup Rating: Solid Stream
Kyle Hendricks (CHC v. CIN) - Ownership: 18% Yahoo!, 13% Fleaflicker
Hendricks is a quality pitcher but he has trouble going deep into games. Plus, the Reds seems to be clicking offensively right now and it’s hard to go against a team that hot. The Rotoballer Streaming Starting Pitcher tool rates Hendricks matchup at 104, so there’s always that.
Matchup Rating: Risky Stream
Sunday Starting Pitcher Streamers
Adam Warren (NYY at BAL) - Ownership: 9% Yahoo!, 8% Fleaflicker
Our friend TBD makes plenty of starts on Sunday. Hence, this is the only reason Warren gets a mention here. He will be facing an underachieving yet dangerous offense in a hitter’s park in the middle of the day. The factors are not in his favor.
Matchup Rating: Risky Stream
Chris Heston (SF v. ARI) - Ownership: 36% Yahoo!, 31% Fleaflicker
Fresh of a no-no, Heston may struggle in this one. Sure, Arizona has not exactly been lighting up right-handed pitching (.318 OBP, 93 wRC+), but any pitcher that faces Paul Goldschmidt right now in the day needs to be awfully careful.
Matchup Rating: Risky Stream
Mike Bolsinger (LAD at SD) - Ownership: 50% Yahoo!, 23% Fleaflicker
Bolsinger offers solid value at the end of the week for any fantasy owner. He does a good job of keeping runners from scoring and seems to get a ton of run support. You have to like his win probability and low ERA numbers, but he typically only goes about six innings each time out.
Matchup Rating: Solid Stream
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