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Welcome back to Streaming Wars, your one-stop shop for streaming the waiver wire all season long. This article, now in its second year, runs seven days a week. It may only be April, but it's never too early to start streaming.
For those who are newcomers to this feature - use this column on a daily basis to improve upon your neediest categories, and target players who may be available on your waiver wire.
Below are your pitcher and hitter streaming targets for Monday, April 16. Let's get to it.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:- BvP matchups data (Batter vs. Pitcher)
- PvB matchups data (Pitcher vs. Batter)
- Who should I start? Fantasy baseball comparisons
- Who should I pickup? Fantasy baseball comparisons
- Fantasy baseball trade analyzer
- MLB Props finder tool
- Fantasy baseball closer depth charts
Agenda
- Greetings
- Today's Weather and Updates
- Tomorrow's Picks
1. Greetings
Hello! This is my first Streaming Wars column, and I'll be with you for Monday waiver wire targets from here on out. Monday is an interesting day to stream, as the typically shorter slates leave you with fewer players to choose from but more roster spots open. Get it right, and you could gain a nice competitive advantage. Get it wrong, and... well we're here to prevent that from happening, yes?
2. Today's Weather and Updates
Mother Nature hates baseball today. The games in Detroit, Minnesota, and Cleveland look unlikely at press time, while precipitation could impact contests in Chicago, Kansas City, Washington, Cincinnati, New York, and Boston as well. Yuck! It's not feasible to avoid all of these games, so try to get an updated weather forecast before setting your lineups.
3. Streamer Picks - Monday, April 16
Pitchers to Use
Most of the day's usable pitching is owned in too many leagues to stream, but you could roll the dice on Mike Foltynewicz continuing his hot start. His 2.93 ERA and 3.47 xFIP suggest that he's putting it all together this year. Notably, his K% has spiked to 26.9% thanks to an uptick in changeup usage (5.7% last year, 11.3% this). Aaron Nola and the Phillies offense might make a win tough to come by tomorrow, but Foltynewicz is still intriguing.
Other Targets: None
Pitchers to Exploit
You're spoiled for choice looking for terrible pitchers taking the mound on Monday. Andrew Cashner's 2.50 ERA is masking a 4.73 xFIP. It says here that his luck runs out at Fenway Park. Brian Johnson, a lefty who hasn't started a game since April 2, is on the other side of the contest. A short start seems likely, giving Baltimore's bats plenty of exposure to Boston's bullpen and its collective 4.68 ERA.
Other Targets: Adam Wainwright, Brent Suter, Martin Perez, Danny Duffy
Homers on the Wire
The game in Boston has the potential to be a very high-scoring affair. Jackie Bradley Jr. and Mitch Moreland are the most available Boston bats, while the Baltimore side is best represented by Chris Davis. Davis is exactly 50% owned, so he somehow qualifies for this column.
Other Targets: Dexter Fowler, Jed Lowrie, Marcus Semien, C.J. Cron, Ben Zobrist, Matt Kemp, Randal Grichuk, Yangervis Solarte, Steve Pearce
Steals on the Wire
Texas catcher Robinson Chirinos has allowed all eight SB attempts against him to succeed in 2018. Texas starter Martin Perez's 11.88 ERA on the season suggests that plenty of Rays will reach against him, and several (Mallex Smith, Kevin Kiermaier, Carlos Gomez, Denard Span) are likely to have their running shoes on.
Other Targets: Amed Rosario, Jose Peraza, Kevin Pillar
Skill Positions
Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart is an elite defender with virtually assured playing time and the ability to pop the occasional homer, so he should command more fantasy attention than he has. A matchup against Brent Suter's 86mph fastball may be the perfect time to try him out.
