Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Streamers for Week 23 (Part 2)

September 4, 2014

RotoBaller analyzes all of Week 23's fantasy baseball starting pitcher (SP) sleepers and streamers for Thursday through Sunday matchups - pick these guys up off the waiver wire.

When I woke up Monday morning to tweak my fantasy squad I was confused to see that a bracket-style game was projecting from the computer screen into my mind.  At first I didn’t comprehend what was going on, but then I eventually put two and two together to realize that the playoffs had started.  Had there been an impromptu press conference called in my living room, I would’ve given a combination of Donovan McNabb when he didn’t realize ties existed in the NFL and Jim Mora’s “PLAYOFFS?!” rant.  I didn’t even mention the playoffs in part one of this article.  Real rookie move on my part.  These streamer selections are important now more than ever for me, so I’m assuming that your playoff squad is looking for any positive tweak it can find.

Below are some of my starting pitcher streamer sleepers for the second half of Week 23 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 SP Streamers

Trevor Bauer (CLE vs. DET)

Ownership: 15% Yahoo!, 9% Fleaflicker.  His counterpart is none other than Max Scherzer so Bauer’s win probability automatically goes south.  The Indians will need Trevor to be more like Jack Bauer in his pitching performance to give them a chance and the good news is that Bauer (Trevor, not Jack) has gone two straight starts without giving up a run.  Meanwhile, I’m not quite sure what to make of the Tigers.  They’re among the best in all of baseball in creating runs- see Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez- but that lineup isn’t too imposing from top to bottom.

MATCHUP RATING: Desperate Stream

Hector Santiago (LAA at MIN)

Ownership: 20% Yahoo!, 10% Fleaflicker.  Disregard his 4-7 record.  Santiago has been quite effective as a spot starter for the Angels but he’s surprisingly gotten little in the run support department. Meanwhile, if the Twins can get their pitching together, they should be a formidable opponent in 2015.  If there is a chink in the offensive armor for Minnesota, it’s left handed pitching.  Look for Santiago to give five solid innings.

MATCHUP RATING: Risky Stream
 

Friday SP Streamers

Vance Worley (PIT at CHC)

Ownership: 15% Yahoo!, 11% Fleaflicker.  The Vanimal has been quite the regular on this list over the last month and for good reason.  He’s maintained excellent command of the strike zone all season as he has yet to issue more than two walks in any of his starts.  If you believe in the power of statistics leveling out, then trust in Worley’s win probability as the Buccos have lost four straight while the Cubbies are coming off a sweep of the Brewers and those win-loss streak numbers are typically max outs.

MATCHUP RATING: Solid Stream

Drew Hutchison (TOR at BOS)

Ownership: 14% Yahoo!, 11% Fleaflicker.  Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hutch won’t necessarily put you in the driver’s seat with this one performance, but then again he is squaring off against a porous Sox squad.  Seriously though what to make of the Red Sox?  It’s bizarre the team was so awful under Bobby Valentine, then so amazing under John Farrell last year that they win the World Series, yet completely bomb this season so that management conducts a complete, but well done, fire sale of their top notch talent.  It’s literally nothing short of….well, is miraculous the word?  Something tells me it could make a good comedy movie one day wherein Dolph Lundgren plays a pivotal role.  As far as reality baseball, Boston has been quite awful against RHPs but has seen solid numbers in OBP, something that could not bode well for Hutchison.  My money is on Hutch though.

MATCHUP RATING: Risky Stream
 

Saturday SP Streamers

Dillon Gee (NYM at CIN)

Ownership: 22% Yahoo!, 38% Fleaflicker.  Gee’s numbers are worse on the road than at home but not by much.  In fact, he’s actually striking batters out at a higher rate and walking less batters.  If he can keep the hit numbers down he should do fine.  And since he’s facing a terrible Cincinnati offense he should be able to keep those hits down.  Honestly, the Reds’ offense is so bad right now that they should feel about as low as Madonna when she found out she missed Tailhook.  I hope Krusty the Clown doesn’t sue me over stealing his joke.

MATCHUP RATING: Solid Stream

Jose Quintana (CHW at CLE)

Ownership: 43% Yahoo!, 46% Fleaflicker.  Cleveland is certainly a team to be reckoned with in the last three weeks of the season, but they have struggled mightily against LHPs.  The Tribe is 26^th in both OPS and weighted run creation against lefties and Quintana has been exceptional against poor left-handed hitting batters all season.  I expect Quintana to deliver a QS and double digit K numbers.

MATCHUP RATING: Must Stream
 

Sunday SP Streamers

Travis Wood (CHC vs. PIT)

Ownership: 24% Yahoo!, 46% Fleaflicker.  I’m going to start off Wood’s commentary by trying to figure out the disparity in ownership numbers between Yahoo! and Fleaflicker.  Very odd.  Anyway, after his rough start to the season Wood has actually stabilized on the mound especially at home.  That doesn’t bode well for the Pirates as they’ve struggled on the road against LHPs.  Expect a QS from Wood and for him to go deep in the game.

MATCHUP RATING: Must Stream

James Paxton (SEA at TEX)

Ownership: 40% Yahoo!, 25% Fleaflicker.  Is James Paxton for real?  For a guy who was nothing more than average-to-above average in the minors, he sure is dealing with a capital d.  He’s been about as a big of a positive surprise as the movie Sack Lunch to Elaine.  There are some worries as he faces Texas on Sunday though.  Nearly a quarter (24.8%) of all batted balls against Paxton are going for line drives and his 11.1% HR/FB rate may hurt him in Arlington.  Of course, that is banking on a motivated Texas lineup and there’s been little evidence to support that over the last two months.

MATCHUP RATING: Risky Stream