X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Two-Start Pitcher Streamers for Week 4

Michael Grennell analyzes under-the-radar starting pitchers (SP) making two starts in Week 4 as possible streamers and waiver wire adds or targets for fantasy baseball.

We're four weeks into the season and the search for good pitching in Boston continues. Being a White Sox fan, I know I don't have much room to speak about bad pitching, but you have to look at the silver linings every now and then. Silver linings like how Chicago only has the fourth-worst ERA in the league compared to Boston's second-worst ranking.

Now that I have cemented my persona non grata status within the state of Massachusetts, let's look at how a couple of last week's two-start pitchers have done so far. Brandon Woodruff had a solid outing this week, allowing just two runs and falling one out short of a quality start. He did, however, earn the win while striking out six. Mike Minor put together a seven-strikeout, complete-game shutout against the Angels, but his start came one day later than expected and he wound up being a one-start pitcher for Week 3. Looking back at the final outcome of Week 2's list, the best performances came from Carlos Rodon (1-1, six earned runs, 14 strikeouts) and Derek Holland (1-1, five earned runs, 15 strikeouts).

Now that we've recapped the last two weeks, let's start getting ready for Week 4.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Week 4 Streamers - Under 50% Owned

Sonny Gray, CIN - 45% owned

Probable opponents: vs ATL, @ STL

Let's get one thing straight about Gray right off the bat: he has had some awful luck to start this season. Gray is 0-3 right now despite owning a 2.79 ERA, 0.931 WHIP and a 10.2 K/9. The most earned runs that Gray has allowed in a start so far is three — that coming in his most recent start against the Dodgers. You want to know how much run support Gray has gotten? Zero. Technically the Reds scored once while he was still in the game, but he was already out after taking a hit to his leg in the top of the inning, he just hadn't been officially replaced on the mound yet. Nitpicking aside, Gray has been pitching well this year and shouldn't be 0-3.

One can argue that Gray has been doing well against poor offenses, which is somewhat true. Gray has made two starts against Pittsburgh (3.69 runs per game, .235 team average) and one start against Miami (MLB-worst 2.53 runs per game, .216 team average). Now Gray will be facing Atlanta and St. Louis this week — the ninth and tenth-highest scoring teams in the majors. What should give owners some confidence in Gray this week is his last outing against the Dodgers. Los Angeles is second in the league averaging 6.1 runs per game while leading MLB with a .277 team average. Pitching against the Dodgers on Wednesday, Gray recorded a quality start with three runs allowed over six innings while striking out a season-high nine. Gray took the loss though because — once again — the Reds were unable to score while he was on the mound.

Atlanta poses a difficult match-up for Gray, but he could provide some nice value with his start against St. Louis as the Cardinals currently are tied for sixth-most batting strikeouts in the league with 174. Gray should be a nice streaming option in most leagues for Week 4, with a boost in his value in leagues that count quality starts instead of wins.

Mike Minor, TEX - 42% owned

Probable opponents: @ OAK, @ SEA

Let's try this again. Last week Minor made this list with what looked like a couple of good starts projected for him. Well he definitely delivered against the Angels, but that start came a day later than originally projected so owners only got the benefit of one outing from him. Whoops. Cut to one week later, and his ownership has jumped from 13 percent to 42 percent and he is back on this list. Over his last three starts, Minor has posted a minuscule 0.78 ERA with a 22.6 percent strikeout rate while opponents are batting just .167 against him.

One of the points in favor of Minor last week was that both of his starts would have been at home, with last year's splits showing he pitched better at home than on the road. This week Minor gets two road starts, including a start against current MLB-leader Seattle which has averaged 6.29 runs per game this season. Despite that, owners should still look to pick up Minor. Oakland will most likely end up being his most difficult start this week, as they have heated up to average six runs per game while hitting .262 over their last six games. Meanwhile, Seattle is in the midst of a six-game losing streak in which they're averaging 2.5 runs per game while hitting .175. On top of all this, both Seattle and Oakland are averaging at least 7.5 strikeouts per game in this span.

Oakland will likely be Minor's toughest start since his first start of the year against Chicago. But in spite of that he should be a strong play in most leagues this week. In fact, if Minor pitches well against Oakland, owners might want to consider keeping him around for a while instead of just dropping him back on waivers. Like I said last week, ride this hot streak while it lasts.

 

Week 4 Streamers - Under 25% Owned

Luke Weaver, ARI - 24% owned

Probable opponents: @ PIT, vs CHC

Weaver was saddled with the loss in his last week against San Diego despite recording his first quality start of 2019. Over 6 1/3 innings, Weaver allowed just two runs while striking out a season-high eight. How did he follow that up? Well on Thursday night Weaver earned win No. 1 of 2019 with five shutout innings against Atlanta while striking out nine. That's five shutout innings against a Braves team that had been averaging 5.8 runs per game over their previous eight games. So after posting a 6.75 ERA in his first two starts, Weaver has a 1.59 ERA over his last two starts to bring his season mark down to 3.92.

Looking to build off these last two starts, Weaver will take the mound against Pittsburgh in his next start. Despite holding a 5-3 record over their last eight games, the Pirates have struggled on offense with a .220 average while scoring 3.1 runs per game. Meanwhile, it's a similar story with the following start for Weaver, as he faces a Cubs team that — while 5-2 over their last seven games — have averaged 4.4 runs per game while hitting .237. Weaver should be a high-risk, high-reward play this week, as he could either put up another pair of low-scoring, high-strikeout outings, or he could end up being a slump-buster for Chicago and Pittsburgh.

Spencer Turnbull, DET - 4% owned

Probable opponents: @ BOS, @ CHW

If you decide to go with Turnbull in Week 4, don't expect to get any wins out of him. Turnbull is receiving no help from his team on offense, as the Tigers' 2.65 runs per game is the worst average in the American League, and their .203 team average is third-worst in the majors. If you're in a quality start league however, you might want to look at Turnbull as he has recorded quality starts in two of his four outings this year. In his last start on Wednesday, Turnbull allowed one unearned run over six innings while striking out five against Pittsburgh.

Sorry for yet another dig Boston fans, but who would have ever thought that we'd be looking at a pitcher owned in four percent of leagues as a viable streaming option against the defending World Series champs? Over their last seven games, Boston is averaging just 3.7 runs per game while batting .214 with a .646 OPS. Meanwhile, the White Sox are averaging four runs per game while hitting .242 over their last seven games. Turnbull might not end up with the top performance out of this week's list, but he should still provide above-average value and he is available in nearly every league. In particular, look to add Turnbull in quality start leagues.

Erik Swanson, SEA - 1% owned

Probable opponents: @ SDP, vs TEX

OK, Swanson may end up being the riskiest play this week. He just made his first career start on Wednesday, and while he took the loss against Cleveland he finished with one run allowed over six innings for a quality start. Swanson also struck out five in that start, to move his strikeout rate to 29 percent over two appearances this season. Looking at his work in the minors, Swanson seems like he could be a good boost in the strikeout department, as he posted a 10.3 K/9 over 121 2/3 innings in the minors in 2018, and in one start at Triple-A this season he tossed five shutout innings while striking out eight. 

In his second career start, Swanson is projected to take on the Padres who are currently hitting .220 while averaging 3.6 runs per game over their last seven games. San Diego is currently 13th in the majors in team strikeouts, and Swanson could get a slight boost pitching at Petco Park. He'll face a tougher challenge going toe-to-toe with Minor and the Rangers in his second start of the week. Texas is hitting .266 while averaging 6.4 runs per game amidst a seven-game stretch that has seen the team post a 5-2 record. If you're looking for another high-risk, high-reward pitcher this week and Weaver has already been picked up, then Swanson might be the guy for you.

More Streamers and Head-to-Head League Columns




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Cal Raleigh

Continues Historic Homer Pace Tuesday
Jacob Wilson

Exits Early On Tuesday With Left Hand Contusion
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
NASCAR

Sepp Straka Not Likely to Find Momentum at Scottish Open
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
Laken Tomlinson

Confident in Texans Offensive Line
J.K. Dobbins

the Starter in Denver?
JT Woods

Seahawks Release JT Woods
Darren Waller

Trade to Miami Becomes Official
Asante Samuel Jr.

Dolphins Interested in Asante Samuel Jr.
Nyheim Hines

Seeking Return to NFL
Dak Prescott

Expects to be Full-Go for Training Camp
Ajay Mitchell

Posts 16 Points in Summer League Win on Monday
Milwaukee Bucks

Vasilije Micic Waived by Bucks
Brice Sensabaugh

Logs 37 points in Summer League Win on Monday
Luis Garcia

Fans Four in Rehab Outing
GG Jackson II

Collects 27 Points in Summer League Loss
Ace Bailey

Scores 18 Points in Summer League Victory
NHL

Tyler Johnson Retires After 13 NHL Seasons
Jack McBain

Inks New Five-Year Deal with Mammoth
Cam York

Re-Signs with Flyers for Five Years
Kobe Bufkin

Cleared for Summer League Action
Jake Knapp

Fits the Mold for Success at The Renaissance Club
Milwaukee Bucks

Vasilije Micic Agrees to Contract Buyout with Bucks
PGA

Sungjae Im Still a Liability at Scottish Open
James Wiseman

Pacers Bring Back James Wiseman
Ludvig Aberg

is a Solid Option at Scottish Open
Tyrese Haliburton

to Miss Entire 2025-26 Campaign
Paolo Banchero

Signs Historic Five-Year Extension with Magic
Anthony Santander

Hoping to Hit Soon
Luis Robert Jr.

Returning in Short Order
Alex Bregman

Could Return Later This Week
Ketel Marte

Day-to-Day with Groin Tightness
Ty Gibbs

Finishes Second at Chicago and Advances in In-Season Challenge
Alex Bowman

Defeats Bubba Wallace in In-Season Challenge, but Not Without Controversy
Alex Bowman

Bubba Wallace Wrecked by Alex Bowman Again, Putting Playoffs in Doubt
Michael McDowell

Throttle Failure Ends Michael McDowell's Chances to Win at Chicago
Austin Hill

Earns First NASCAR Cup Series Top Ten at Chicago
Tyler Reddick

Scores a Strong Third-Place Run at Chicago
Kyle Busch

Matches his Best Career Finish At Chicago on Sunday
Denny Hamlin

Fights his Way to a Top-5 Finish at Chicago
William Byron

has his Worst Weekend of the Season at Chicago
Hunter Greene

Suffers Setback on Monday
Kyle Lowry

Staying With 76ers
Kyle Anderson

Lands in Utah
Kevin Love

Traded to Jazz in 3-Team Swap
Norman Powell

Traded to Miami
John Collins

Dealt to Clippers
J.J. Spaun

Finishes Tied For 14 at Travelers Championship
Xander Schauffele

Finishes Tied For 61 at Travelers Championship
Collin Morikawa

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Robert MacIntyre

Finishes Tied For 17 at Travelers Championship
Si Woo Kim

Finishes Tied For 11 at John Deere Classic
Viktor Hovland

Withdraws From Travelers Championship
Tommy Fleetwood

Finishes Tied For Second at Travelers Championship
Brian Campbell

Wins John Deere Classic
Bronny James Jr.

Scores 10 Points
Harrison Ingram

Limited on Sunday
Golden State Warriors

Isaiah Mobley Drops 16 Points
Ryan Rollins

Staying with Bucks
T.J. Watt

Pittsburgh Still Not Close on New Contract
Terry McLaurin

Still Not Pleased with Contract Situation
Sonny Milano

on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Yu Darvish

to Make Season Debut on Monday
MLB

Nationals Fire Dave Martinez, Mike Rizzo
Jakub Dobes

Signs Two-Year Deal with Canadiens
KaVontae Turpin

Arrested on Two Charges
Cole Ragans

to Begin Throwing on Monday
Theo Johnson

Prioritizing his Health this Offseason
Andrés Giménez

Andres Gimenez Hits 10-Day Injured List
Jermaine Burton

Continues to Show Growth
NHL

Hendrix Lapierre Signs One-Year Deal with Capitals
Carson Hocevar

Should DFS Players Consider Carson Hocevar for Chicago Lineups?
Tye Kartye

Kraken Re-Sign Tye Kartye for Two Years
Ross Chastain

May be A Decent DFS Option for Chicago Lineups
Dmitri Voronkov

Signs Two-Year, $8.35 Million Extension with Blue Jackets
Ryan Preece

Should DFS Players Roster Ryan Preece at Chicago?
Austin Dillon

Is Too Great of A Risk to Add to Chicago Lineups
Zane Smith

Is A Value Play Worth Rostering At Chicago
Austin Hill

is A Favorable Value Option for Chicago DFS Lineups
Ty Dillon

Is Ty Dillon A Decent Driver to Add For NASCAR DFS At Chicago?
William Byron

Qualifying Crash Makes William Byron a Likely DFS Must-Have
Alex Bowman

Should Finish Well, but Probably Costs Too Much for Serious DFS Consideration
Joey Logano

Has Been Relatively Mediocre on Road Courses Lately
Ryan Blaney

Doesn't Really Fit Neatly into Optimal DFS Lineups
Cam Ward

"Not Expecting" to be handed Starting Job
Chase Claypool

Eager to Get Back on the Field
Wyatt Langford

Activated, Playing on Saturday
Jay Huff

on the Move to Indiana
Cam Whitmore

Wizards Acquire Cam Whitmore from the Rockets
LaJohntay Wester

Stands out on Special Teams
Clarke Schmidt

Likely to Undergo Tommy John Surgery
Nolan Arenado

Scratched from Saturday's Lineup
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Starting on Saturday
Corbin Carroll

Activated from 10-Day Injured List
Cincinnati Bengals

Shemar Stewart, Bengals Continue Contract Talks, No Progress Made
Ha-Seong Kim

Removed Early During Season Debut
ARI

Christian Fischer Retires From NHL at 28
NHL

Spencer Martin Moves to Russia
WAS

Anthony Beauvillier Re-Signs With Capitals for Two Years
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Sitting Out With Foot Issue
Isaiah Neyor

Impresses at Minicamp
Bo Bichette

Back in Blue Jays Lineup
Miles Sanders

Works With Starters During Mandatory Minicamp
Chimere Dike

Titans Could Move Chimere Dike Inside
Keandre Lambert-Smith

KeAndre Lambert-Smith not Guaranteed Roster Spot
Anthony Bradford

Working Hard to Win Back Starting Job
Clarke Schmidt

Placed on Injured List
SJ

Sharks Claim Nick Leddy Off Waivers
SJ

Sharks Sign Dmitry Orlov to Two-Year, $13 Million Contract
CAR

Nikolaj Ehlers Joins Hurricanes on Six-Year Contract
COL

Brent Burns Inks One-Year Deal with Avalanche
STL

Blues Land Pius Suter on Two-Year Deal
Morgan Frost

Agrees to Two-Year Extension with Flames
WPG

Gustav Nyquist Moves to Winnipeg
Cody Glass

Devils Re-Sign Cody Glass to Two-Year Deal
PIT

Anthony Mantha Joins Penguins
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF