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If you're looking for a two-start streamer, Week 13 might prove to be pretty lucky. There are a ton of options out there but it's important to know which ones to trust.
Every week, this fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups column will identify starting pitchers expected to make two starts in the upcoming fantasy baseball week, ahead of the Sunday night waiver wire runs for leagues with weekly transactions.
This list will be limited to players under 50% rostered in Yahoo leagues and divided into three sections based on recommendation levels: solid starters, risky streamers, and must-avoids.
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Solid Two-Start Pitcher Streamers
Dane Dunning, Texas Rangers - 13% rostered
Scheduled starts: @BAL, vs MIN
Dunning has been inconsistent as of late with much of his trouble coming on the road. In fact, the splits are fairly stark, almost to Jose Berrios levels.
| Dane Dunning 2022 Home/Road Splits | |||||
| ERA | WHIP | K | BB | W-L | |
| Home | 2.83 | 1.03 | 46 | 13 | 1-1 |
| Away | 5.58 | 1.71 | 31 | 19 | 0-5 |
This is a good endorsement for the Twins game next week but why trust him on the road based on this data? Easy, it's the Orioles. They're a bottom-eight offense on the season and hitting just .201 over the past week. Plus, his last road start was his best this year, as he limited the Royals to two runs on six hits over six innings.
The Minnesota offense has been better of late - they're top-five in runs scored over the past two weeks and have plenty of power. The long ball hasn't been a huge problem for Dunning this year as he's a groundball pitcher with a 53% GB%. He may not be a dominant pitcher but he's got a long leash and two strong matchups.
Dean Kremer, Baltimore Orioles - 15% rostered
Scheduled starts: vs TEX, vs LAA
Kremer rejoined the O's rotation in early June and has suddenly become a reliable option at the backend of fantasy rotations. He worked his way up to a season-high seven innings last time out and hasn't allowed an earned run in his last three starts over 18 2/3 IP. A 19-7 K-BB is just OK so fantasy managers may be left wanting for more in that category. That doesn't prevent him from being a quality streamer in good weeks.
Texas has picked things up on offense recently and do provide some risk. They haven't been good against right-handed pitching much of the year, though. The Angels would seem to be a tougher draw but over the past week, they have struck out more than any team and have the third-fewest runs scored. Kremer may have rediscovered the effective curveball he flashed his rookie season and is worth a shot this week.
Dean Kremer's curveball pic.twitter.com/KPgViaIEyw
— Nick Pollack (@PitcherList) September 6, 2020
Risky Two-Start Pitcher Streamer Picks
Alex Wood, San Francisco Giants - 49% rostered
Scheduled starts: @ARI, @SD
Wood had been cruising along with decent numbers as a back-end starter until his recent stretch. Over the last three games, his ERA has risen almost a full run up to 5.03 along with a 1.36 WHIP. That veteran voodoo for San Fran pitchers hasn't rubbed off on him apparently. It hasn't been an issue with health, which has plagued him in the past, or velocity. His command has been fine too - he's just keeping his sinker a little too high in the zone and generating fewer whiffs with his slider, becoming a hit-or-miss streaming option rather than a reliable starter.
Arizona isn't a terrible place to stream him or any pitcher, especially in Chase Field. San Diego is sporting the sixth-lowest OPS vs sinkers and they've been struggling to score recently, averaging less than three runs per game over the past week. Wood hasn't looked good but this might be a decent week to bounce back.
Hunter Greene, Cincinnati Reds - 43% rostered
Scheduled starts: vs NYM, vs TB
So much talent but so hard to figure out for fantasy purposes. Hitters have figured out how to turn on his fastball, that's for sure. On the year, batters are hitting .333 and slugging .710 on his four-seam fastball with 15 HR.
In his last three starts, he's allowed 13 earned runs including five homers. When he's good, he's dominant. When he's bad, he's a disaster. That's why his game chart looks like a schizophrenic Dow Jones report. 
He definitely has the stuff to be a great pitcher in real-life and fantasy but it's going to take time. For now, he's a huge risk each time out. In terms of Week 13, he has the misfortune of pitching at GABP twice. First up is the Mets, who have been one of the better offensive teams all year long. The Tampa matchup is an intriguing one since their lineup is full of rookies and as a team they own the third-lowest OPS against four-seamers. He could potentially be in store for a strong start, if not a gem, in the second leg of his schedule.
Kyle Hendricks, Chicago Cubs - 42% rostered
Scheduled starts: @MIL, @LAD
Just as Hendricks was proving to be a liability to fantasy teams, he recaptured some old magic on June 24 when he spun seven 1/3 scoreless innings against the Cardinals. He followed up with another solid outing and second consecutive win, this time over the Reds. Somehow he is now a strikeout pitcher too; he's whiffed at least six batters in four straight starts.
While Hendricks has looked like his old self for much of June, there is no chance I would trust him in two road matchups with two of the top 12 offenses in the league. He's still the owner of a 4.76 ERA on the year and has a low chance to earn a win unless he is dominant because of the lack of run support. Hendricks has looked brilliant in spurts this season, only to fall back down hard soon thereafter. In his fourth game of 2022, he blanked Pittsburgh for seven innings and then got rocked by the Brewers the next time out for six ER. The same Brew Crew that just put up 19 runs in one game. There are worse options out there but this clearly feels like a trap week for Hendricks' owners.
Zack Greinke, Kansas City Royals - 30% rostered
Scheduled starts: @HOU, vs CLE
If you pair Greinke with Greene, does each pitcher cancel the other out? One gets you strikeouts but is a threat to kill your ratios. The other, namely Greinke, has a K-rate in the bottom 1% of the league but is coming off two strong starts in which he went six innings and gave up one run each time. The underlying peripherals are worrisome, as he owns a .305 xBA and 5.33 xERA, meaning his outcomes could be worse. Much of that came in three horrendous starts through the middle of May.
In reality, he's been good more than bad this season, albeit without any strikeouts. I'd be extremely hesitant to trust him on the road in Houston no matter how well he knows his former team, but he's already faced Cleveland once with good results and should do so again. That makes him a strong one-start streamer.
Johnny Cueto, Chicago White Sox - 24% rostered
Scheduled starts: vs MIN, vs DET
Cueto has fared decently well since joining the pale hose, spinning six quality starts in eight tries. The home run ball has become an issue lately, especially when the Angels took him deep three times. He's never been a fly ball pitcher as it appears he is right now with his 32.5% FB%. Minnesota is a fairly homer-happy team and has been heating up lately. Detroit is the polar opposite. Stream Cueto at your own risk vs the Twins but roll him out with confidence vs the Tigers.
Dakota Hudson, St. Louis Cardinals - 22% rostered
Scheduled starts: @ATL, vs PHI
Another reminder that Hudson will not net you many strikeouts so you're depending on a good pair of matchups when streaming him. This isn't the week to do that. Atlanta is always dangerous and the Phillies are suddenly unstoppable without Bryce Harper in the lineup (thanks to Darick Hall of course).
Yusei Kikuchi, Toronto Blue Jays - 22% rostered
Scheduled starts: @OAK, @SEA
Kikuchi had arguably his best start as a Blue Jay his last time out when he beat the Rays, allowing one run on four hits with eight Ks over six innings. It was only the third time this season that he lasted that long, however, and the only time in six June starts that he made it to the fifth inning. His season-long Statcast numbers still dwell within the bottom-fifth percentile for xwOBA, xSLG, Hard-Hit%, and xERA. He gets two good matchups on paper but that doesn't seem to matter much with Kikuchi so only roll him out if desperate.
Madison Bumgarner, Arizona Diamondbacks - 20% rostered
Scheduled starts: vs SF, vs COL
Bumgarner will surprisingly be squaring off against his former team, the Giants, and division rival Colorado for the first time this season. He was inconsistent against both squads last season, looking sharp in his first go against San Fran before letting down in his final start of 2021. Similar results ensued against Colorado in three tries last year. Bumgarner has pretty much been that way most of this year as well, alternating good and bad outings while delivering a subpar 16.5% K%.
Nick Lodolo, Cincinnati Reds - 16% rostered
Scheduled starts: vs NYM, vs TB
The rookie is set to return to the hill after an IL stint lasting more than two months. Expect him to be on a pitch count early on, limiting his upside. His win potential is already as low as possible considering the Reds are tied for the fewest victories in the majors. Lodolo did flash K upside by striking out 19 batters in his first 14 2/3 innings this year. The Mets strike out at the third-lowest clip (20%), however, so between the innings limit and plate discipline of the Mets, he's best avoided in start one of the week. The Rays own the eighth-highest K-rate (23.5%) and that figure has gone up in the past couple of weeks based on their youth movement on offense. Lodolo might be worth the risk in his second start but isn't the best choice if you need to employ him all week long.
Chris Flexen, Seattle Mariners - 15% rostered
Scheduled starts: @SD, vs TOR
Flexen has settled down after a rough patch, not allowing more than three ER in a start since May 21. He has a 27-14 K-BB rate in that span, however, and will never be a high strikeout pitcher. He projects as a fairly low-risk/low-reward option if there is nothing better on the wire.
Dylan Bundy, Minnesota Twins - 13% rostered
Scheduled starts: @CWS, @TEX
Cue Admiral Akbar. The recent three-game stretch by Bundy in which he's given up a total of four ER over 19 innings while walking only three is likely to lure fantasy managers back in. Remember, he was off to a great start after his first three games of 2022 before obliterating ratios for those unfortunate enough to add him. The specter of two road starts against improving offenses doesn't make me any more confident. Stream if you dare.
Andre Pallante, St. Louis Cardinals - 8% rostered
Scheduled starts: @ATL, vs PHI
The young pitcher has done his best impression of teammate Dakota Hudson, limiting hard contact and keeping his ratios low without worrying about strikeouts. Pallante has a shiny 2.10 ERA but it comes with a 1.31 WHIP and less-impressive 3.65 xERA. His 14.6% K% is only better than Greinke among streaming options. The fact he faces two potent offenses like his pal Hudson is a reason to be very wary.
Justin Steele, Chicago Cubs - 7% rostered
Scheduled starts: @MIL, @LAD
One thing Steele brings to the table is the ability to eat innings. Other than a disastrous turn against the Reds back in late May, Steele has gone at least five frames in eight of his last nine starts. Walks are an issue at times, as he handed out at least three free passes in five of those contests. If Steele is on his game, he ranks among the better options out there. The schedule does him no favors this week with two tough road matchups.
Mitch White, Los Angeles Dodgers - 6% rostered
Scheduled starts: vs COL, vs CHC
As a starter, White hasn't been pushed beyond five innings in a start yet. That doesn't seem likely to happen unless he really gets in a groove one game which could very well happen against the Cubs. It goes without saying that he's a strong option in that outing. Whether he can keep the Rockies at bay is another question. There's questionable upside here based on recent performance in the rotation.
Kyle Freeland, Colorado Rockies - 6% rostered
Scheduled starts: @LAD, @ARI
Freeland just turned in a quality start vs the Dodgers and earlier this year he held the D-Backs scoreless over six innings. He has proven he can be really good at times but there's always that blowup game waiting to haunt you and you never know when it'll come. He was mostly effective in June, posting a 3.27 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. Whether he keeps the good times rolling or is due to get rocked is a coin flip.
Rony Garcia, Detroit Tigers - 3% rostered
Scheduled starts: vs CLE, @CWS
Expected stats that Garcia ranks in the 1st percentile (nobody does it worse): ERA, slugging, wOBA, Barrel%. Yet, he has managed to win three games in a row and has posted an ERA under 4.00 over the past month. He could be figuring things out as he gets used to being in the rotation. He's been using his effective curveball more lately and that could be the key.
This makes for two interesting matchups. Cleveland is no fearsome offense and they've performed second-worst in terms of OPS against curveballs this year but they rarely strikeout against it either (21.1%). The White Sox are a threat, however, and could spell trouble for Garcia.
Braxton Garrett, Miami Marlins - 1% rostered
Scheduled starts: @WAS, @NYM
Given the depth of talent in Miami's farm system as far as starting pitchers, Garrett has been overlooked despite being a former top-10 draft pick. He's getting his shot this year due to numerous injuries but he doesn't look ready for primetime just yet. Garrett has struck out five batters in four of his five starts compared to just six walks but he's been hit hard at times, leading to a 5.24 ERA.
Neither team he'll face this week particularly struggles vs lefties and he won't get the comfort of Marlins Park. Garrett is not a complete stay-away for me but he's at the highest end of the risk spectrum this week.
Stay Away from these Two-Start Pitchers
German Marquez, Colorado Rockies - 29% rostered
Scheduled starts: @LAD, @ARI
Marquez just finished a bullpen session with no issues after developing a cut on his right thumb last time out against the Dodgers. The reward is a trip to L.A. to face the same team which tagged him for five runs in less than four innings. It's not the thumb that worries me, it's the fact that outside of one shining moment the other day in Minnesota, Marquez has been bad all year. He's the owner of a 5.89 ERA and 18.9% K%. Avoid.
Cole Irvin, Oakland A's - 13% rostered
Scheduled starts: vs TOR, vs HOU
Irvin has a .554 xSLG in the bottom 5% of the league. The long ball hadn't been a problem until recently when he gave up two homers in each of the last two starts. If there are two teams capable of taking him deep multiple times again, it's the Jays and Astros. His complete lack of strikeout potential (career 16.5% K%) eliminates any upside to counteract the massive risk.
Patrick Corbin, Washington Nationals - 8% rostered
Scheduled starts: vs MIA, @ATL
Nothing needs to be said here that hasn't been stated multiple times throughout the season in this column. Corbin is lucky to have a spot in a Major League rotation and absolutely doesn't belong on fantasy rosters.
Mitch Keller, Pittsburgh Pirates - 5% rostered
Scheduled starts: vs NYY, @MIL
Anyone who took the bait on Keller this season at any point has to admit his increased velocity is not the solution. He hasn't been as god awful as last year but this isn't the stuff of champions either.
His most recent start led to an ERA that has jumped to 5.14 along with a 1.53 WHIP. The schedule doesn't have a lot to do with Start/Sit decisions for Keller these days but the prospect of facing the Yankees followed by Milwaukee on the road should cement his "avoid" stats.
Paolo Espino, Washington Nationals - 3% rostered
Scheduled starts: @PHI, @ATL
Espino is a soft-tossing 35-year-old who is vastly outperforming his expected stats, so don't let the 2.80 ERA fool you. He sports a 4.06 SIERA and his 84.5% strand rate is very high for someone who strikes out fewer than 20% of hitters. With two road trips to face big-slugging teams, I'd look the other way.
Jonathan Heasley, Kansas City Royals - 2% rostered
Scheduled starts: @HOU, vs CLE
At one point, it appeared that Heasley might have something worth monitoring in fantasy. That time has passed, especially since his past two outings where he struggled to get the ball across the plate.
Jonathan Heasley's final line: 3 2/3 IP, 9 H, 7 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 1 HR. 85 pitches, 47 strikes. #Royals
— Anne Rogers (@anne__rogers) June 29, 2022
It might not be long before a demotion is in store but for now, simply ignore his name on the waiver wire.
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