Starting Pitcher Streamers for Week 9 (Part 2)

May 29, 2014

Sam Nedimyer analyzes some MLB starting pitcher (SP) streamer options for week 9. These fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups are sleepers for head to head leagues.

Below are some of the starting pitcher streaming sleepers for the second half of week 9 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.  The pickings are slim on Saturday but Sunday allows some great matchups for you to take advantage and steal a win in those head to head leagues on the last day of the week.

Thursday Starting Pitcher Streamers

Ryan Vogelsong (SF at STL)

Ownership: 30% Yahoo!, 31% ESPN.  Vogelsong makes this list because his numbers are still solid (3.20 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 19.5% K rate, .239 BAA) but owners should view those numbers with an asterisk.

Of all batted balls against him, 24.5% have gone for line drives - an alarmingly high number which normally translates to hits allowed.  The Cards have been hot as of late and may touch Vogelsong up a bit.

Matchup Rating: Desperate Stream

Jaime Garcia (STL vs. SF)

In as best of a Wizard of Oz voice as possible, “Pay no attention to the man behind the 4.26 ERA!”  Really, don’t put much stock into Garcia’s production based on his seemingly high ERA.  Owned in 19% of Yahoo! and 13% of ESPN leagues, he still owns a 0.87 WHIP, 25% K rate, .234 BAA and he’s got a big fat doughnut in the walk column.  Though the Giants have been hot over the last week, they own the second highest swinging strike rate as well as the third worst strike zone contact percentage (meaning the hitters are whiffing on pitches in the strike zone) during that time.  Expect Garcia to boost numbers in IP, K, WHIP and ERA which improves his (and your) chances of a W.

Matchup Rating: Must Stream

Josh Collmenter (CIN vs. ARI)

Ownership: 3% Yahoo, 0% ESPN.  Collmenter won’t wow anyone and he’s been particularly bad at home as a fly ball pitcher.  The home run has been plaguing him at home.  Fortunately, he’ll go against the Reds, who are 22^nd in the league in home runs against righties and last in home runs on the road.  You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure this one out.

Matchup Rating: Solid Stream

Friday Starting Pitcher Streamers

Jason Vargas (KC at TOR)

Ownership: 27% Yahoo!, 32% ESPN.  Toronto isn’t Denver, but the Blue Jays offense has developed a Rockie-like home field advantage which makes starting Vargas risky.

There are some holes to give Vargas’s owners some hope. The Blue Jays are worse hitting lefties as opposed to right handers and Vargas has been excellent on the road to the tune of a 1.62 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, .190 BAA and a higher K rate.

Matchup Rating: Risky Stream

Mike Leake (CIN at ARI)

Congratulations readers! We’ve officially reached the Mike Leake section.  Though some of you are probably sick of consistently seeing Leake in this article, you’ll be even sicker to continue to ignore his production when you had the chance to capitalize by streaming him.  His ownership numbers continue to grow- 45% in Yahoo! and 35% in ESPN leagues- and at this rate he will soon no longer be qualified as a “streamer.”  Until then, he remains a valuable streamer off the waiver wire with his 2.92 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and ridiculous 56.5% GB (ground ball) rate.  The Diamondbacks are hitting a mere .225 as a unit on all groundballs.  Leake will help in IP, ERA and WHIP.

Matchup Rating: Solid Stream

Saturday Starting Pitcher Streamers

Scott Feldman (HOU vs. BAL)

Ownership: 16% Yahoo!, 7% ESPN.  Feldman has been making his living this season inducing ground balls but opponents have been swinging the bat well against him.  The Orioles are notoriously swinging outside the zone a ton this season (third highest in the league at 33.4%) which should help Feldman’s chances however Baltimore’s offense has been hot since Crush Davis returned.  The O's are also own the second highest BA on the road.

Matchup Rating: Risky Stream

Sunday Starting Pitcher Streamers

Nathan Eovaldi (MIA vs. ATL)

With Jose Fernandez out for the year, Eovaldi appears to be stepping into the number one starter role nicely and with his ownership numbers at 45% in Yahoo! and 41% in ESPN leagues, fantasy owners are taking notice.  On Sunday he’ll have the advantage of pitching in friendly Marlins Park as well as start against one of the worst hitting teams in baseball.

Atlanta owns the highest swinging strike percentage, the lowest strike zone contact percentage and the second lowest total contact percentage.  Furthermore, the Braves that will face Eovaldi on Sunday are 26-for-121 (.215 AVG) with 1 HR and 7 RBI.  Eovaldi could pile up double-digit strikeouts on Sunday.

Matchup Rating: Must Stream

Tanner Roark (WAS vs. TEX)

Ownership: 30% Yahoo!, 14% ESPN. Normally Roark pitching at home is a good bet, but he’s been a little inconsistent in his own confines of late.  Furthermore, the Rangers are the best hitting team on the road this year and have been white hot over the last week.  Still, you can’t ignore Roark’s 1.60 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and .205 BAA at home.

Matchup Rating: Risky Stream

Jose Quintana (CHW vs. SD)

This article had to end with another regular streamer, didn’t it?  Quintana is owned in 37% of Yahoo! and 10% ESPN leagues so owners are kind of confused by him so far.  Don’t be.  Quintana is making base runners earn their way on base and striking out his fair share of hitters as his 3.00 K/BB rate exemplifies.  He’ll square off against San Diego on Sunday.  The Padres are cellar dwellers in AVG, OBP and BABIP as well as leading the majors in ground balls.  Quintana should help in IP, ERA and WHIP and might even get you that much needed W.

Matchup Rating: Solid Stream