September 10, 2016

Ricky Delgado analyzes the top two-start fantasy baseball starting pitcher (SP) streamers on the Week 24 waiver wire to consider adding and streaming this week.

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 24, as we reach the home stretch in the final month of the season. NOTE: these are expected starts.

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Going Twice, Roll The Dice

Danny Duffy, KC

vs OAK 9/12, vs CHW 9/17

Owned In: 57% of Fleaflicker Leagues

27-year-old Danny Duffy has had quite the whirlwind season with the Kansas City Royals. After being thrown into the rotation in mid-May by necessity, he developed into the team’s ace, recording 14 quality starts in 22 outings. His strikeout rates have been impeccable, with a 16-strikeout performance under his belt already. He’s coming off a pair of shaky starts, however, as he gave up seven at the end of August against the Red Sox and four in less than six innings at home against the Tigers. Those were particularly important matchups as the Royals hunt down a playoff spot. In his most recent start, however, he returned to form, striking out 10 in six innings against the Twins. Duffy’s command remains superb, having walked more than two batters in a game just twice this year.

This week, Duffy makes a pair of home starts, where he’s 6-0. This first will come against the Oakland Athletics, who rank 28th in the league in runs scored. The A’s also rank 28th in walks, which will work effectively against Duffy’s command. Finally, considering Oakland has the third worst road record in the American League, the matchup seems ideal for Duffy. His second start will be against the division rival Chicago White Sox. Chicago also possesses a horrid road record, and also ranks in the bottom 10 in runs scored and walks. Considering Duffy hasn’t lost to the White Sox in four starts against them this year, look for the left-hander to have a strong week.

Anthony DeSclafani, CIN

vs MIL 9/12, vs PIT 9/17

Owned In: 37% of Fleaflicker Leagues

The last time we checked in on Anthony DeSclafani, he was getting ready for a pair of starts in late July, having already gotten through in an impressive June. He would go 1-0 the final week of July and has continued his impressive form. Last month he went 2-2, but allowed more than three runs just once in five starts, wrapping up the month with a complete game shutout in Arizona. This week, DeSclafani will take on a pair of division rivals, with one of them holding on to a faint playoff chance.

The first opponent will be Milwaukee at the Great American Ballpark, where Desclafani is 4-2 with a 2.67 ERA. The 26-year-old’s great strength is the ability to strand runners on base, with a 82.1 LOB%. Aside from the Brewers’ terrible road record (23-41 at the time of this writing), they rank towards the bottom of the league in RBI. Look for DeSclafani to strand runners en route to victory. His second start will be against the Pittsburgh Pirates, who finally put a stop to a prolonged losing streak as their playoff hopes fade. Pittsburgh is a better road team, but still mediocre. At the beginning of last month, DeSclafani threw six innings of two-run ball at PNC Park, earning a victory. Considering he’s better at home and facing one of the lowest-scoring teams in the league, expect another solid start as DeSclafani puts the finishing touches on an encouraging 2016 season.

Matt Boyd, DET

vs MIN 9/12, @ CLE 9/17

Owned In: 12% of Fleaflicker Leagues

For the third time this year, Matt Boyd is one of our five two-start streamers of the week. The right-hander made his first start of the season back in May, and the Tigers have been doing their best ever since to manage his innings while having him make a difference in their playoff chase. Boyd hasn’t surrendered more than three runs in a game since late June and has recorded a quality start in four of his last five outings. His biggest knock could be walks allowed, although he hasn’t walked more than three batters in one game since mid-June.

At this point, the biggest obstacle in his season is Detroit’s management of his innings. This week, the 25-year-old is tentatively scheduled to start two games against a pair of division rivals. First, he’ll take on the Minnesota Twins on Monday night at Comerica Park. Boyd has faced the Twins twice already, having recorded a pair of victories with three runs allowed in 12 innings combined. He’s clearly comfortable against this foe, so there should be no expectations of a letdown. His second start will come against the division-leading Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Boyd’s first appearance of the year came against the Tribe, when he fired four innings and two-thirds of shutout baseball out of the bullpen back in late April. Looking at his recent road performances, the youngster seems to be growing more confident with each passing start. Look for more success from Boyd as the Tigers tighten their innings limit leash.

Miguel Gonzalez, CHW

vs CLE 9/12, @ KC 9/17

Owned In: 6% of Fleaflicker Leagues

In his first season with the Chicago White Sox, 32-year-old Miguel Gonzalez has been quietly impressive. Sure, his 3-6 record and 3.81 ERA don’t exactly jump out at you, but there’s more to his story. With the exception of his injury-shortened start back on August 11th, the Mexican native has tossed quality starts every time out since the start of July. He’s only walked nine batters over that period, having not allowed one since July. This week, Gonzalez faces a pair of divisional rivals as he seeks to continue this respectable season.

First, he’ll face the Cleveland Indians for the first time this year. While there’s certainly a fear of the unknown in this situation, Gonzalez has recorded quality home starts against the Yankees, Cubs, Orioles and Tigers in his last four home starts, demonstrating that he’s more than up for the challenge. His 72.7 LOB% will play a major role in this start, and if he can live up to it, he’ll succeed. His second start will be back in Kansas City, where he suffered the aforementioned injury a month ago. Prior to that outing, he’d recorded consecutive quality starts against Kansas City back in May. Expect another, as he quarrels with an aggressive Royals team that’s ripe for strikeouts.

Bryan Mitchell, NYY

vs LAD 9/12, @ BOS 9/17

Owned In: 0% of Fleaflicker Leagues

Your eyes haven’t deceived you, Bryan Mitchell is owned in 0 percent of Fleaflicker leagues at the time of this writing. The 25-year-old, who was expected to play a major role in the Yankees’ bullpen before an injury sidelined him until last month, is back as a starter. In his first appearance of the year, he pitched the Yankees to a home sweep against the Toronto Blue Jays. Mitchell fired five shutout innings against the former first place team in the AL East, drawing rave reviews as he could play a major role in the team’s playoff hopes. Although he only struck out two in his start, Mitchell was incredibly effective during his rehab stint, striking out 24 batters in 21 innings of work.

This week, he has a rough task as he faces off against a pair of division leaders. The first will be the Los Angeles Dodgers, a team that’s been striking out more than most since the all-star break. While the Dodgers are nearing 20 games over .500, they struggle to replicate their success on the road, where they’ll be against Mitchell. Expect the youngster to put forth a worthy performance in his followup. His second start of the week will be against the Boston Red Sox at the dreaded Fenway Park. The Red Sox have overtaken Toronto for first place in the AL East, and considering how close the two teams are, Mitchell’s performance against the Blue Jays must be taken into account. Of course, a road start is significantly tougher, but Mitchell’s poise in his first start of the year gives prospective owners encouragement.

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