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

Streaming Wars: Waiver Wire Targets for May 1

Brad Johnson's fantasy baseball daily streaming picks for May 1st. Pitcher and hitter streamers for MLB DFS games, and head-to-head (H2H) waiver wire targets.

Welcome back to Streaming Wars, your one-stop guide for streaming and waiver wire advice. Use this column to address your problem categories.

Below are your pitcher and hitter streaming targets for Monday, May 1st.

Let's get to it.

Editor's Note: Our friends at Fantrax have even more fantasy baseball advice columns and videos to help improve your teams. Be sure to also check them out!

 

Agenda

  1. A Reminder of FIP
  2. Today's Weather and Updates
  3. Tomorrow's Picks

 

1. A Reminder of FIP

I'm going to assume you're familiar with Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP). This is meant simply as a reminder that strikeout, walk, and home run rates are a quick and dirty way of estimating how a pitcher should have performed. You'll notice I recommend using several pitchers with bad ERAs and vice versa. That's because their run totals don't quite match the peripherals.

Remember, FIP focuses on the past. It does nothing to predict if a pitcher can maintain his current strikeout, walk, and home run rates. If you expect those to change, then your estimation of future ERA should change accordingly.

Here's an example: a pitcher has a 3.00 FIP, 4.00 ERA, 9.00 K/9, 3.00 BB/9, and 1.00 HR/9. However, the pitcher doesn't induce many swinging strikes so his future strikeout rate may be closer to 7.00 K/9. While he was apparently unfortunate to this point, he'll probably have something like a 4.00 FIP and 4.00 ERA going forward.

 

2. Today's Weather and Updates

Detroit, Cleveland, and St. Louis are all rain risks on Sunday. There's no sign of impending weather conflicts on Monday.

 

3. Tomorrow's Picks - Monday, May 1st

We've yet to have one of those painful four game slates. Tomorrow is another 11-game Meager Monday. A little streaming should help you to start a full lineup.

Pitchers to Use

You'll need antacids if you want to stream a pitcher tomorrow...

Amir Garrett began his major league career on a high note, tossing three straight solid outings. He even struck out 12 Orioles over seven innings in his third start. The fourth start though, that ruined everything. He was helpless against the Brewers. Garrett allowed 10 runs (nine earned), on eight hits, four walks, and three home runs in 3.1 innings. The strikeout prone Brewers went down swinging just once. Garrett's ability to rebound will be tested against a diminished Pirates offense. Most of their hitters aren't very threatening versus southpaws.

Mets starter Robert Gsellman was a trendy sleeper pick entering the season. A 6.23 ERA has kicked him back to the waiver wire. Despite a 1.5 mph loss of velocity, Gsellman still has a solid 9.14 K/9, 3.74 BB/9, and a 3.69 FIP. He's a ground ball pitcher who should develop into a quality start machine going forward. The strikeout rate will probably decline, although the walks may too. He'll face an unintimidating Braves offense.

Over the offseason, Zach Davies showed up on a Statcast spin rate leaderboard. It helped to explain his sub-4.00 ERA despite visually mediocre stuff and a hitter friendly home park. Davies hasn't really discovered how to best use his high spin rates, but he has improved in each outing this season. If you can overlook a 6.57 ERA, there's a decent chance he'll go six innings with three or fewer runs allowed at St. Louis.

Other Targets: n/a

 

Pitchers to Exploit

I've been recommending Daniel Norris based on gains he made in the second half of 2016. Unfortunately, those seem to have vanished. The southpaw isn't getting the most out of his command, and it's hurting both his strikeout and walk totals. Norris has one option left and could benefit from a quick confidence boost at Triple-A. He has a tough matchup versus the Indians. The other side of this one features homer prone Trevor Bauer. The righty has 10.96 K/9. It'll regress. His stuff and usage are the same as past seasons.

Dylan Covey is pitching like a Rule 5 pick. Probably because he's a Rule 5 pick. Through three starts, he's posted a luck neutral 6.91 ERA with 3.77 K/9 and 5.02 BB/9. If the Sox even want to bother keeping him, he desperately needs a switch to mop up relief.

Andrew Cashner has a solid 2.93 ERA. Look past the surface. His velocity is down another two mph from the career low he posted last season. He has 4.70 K/9, 7.63 BB/9, and a 6.19 FIP. The luck will end - probably tomorrow versus the Astros.

Other Targets: Nope

 

Homers on the Wire

The Phillies face Brett Anderson. His ground ball tendencies are perfect for Tommy Joseph. The righty mashes low pitches. Even with the slow start to the season, I'd strongly consider using him on Monday. Aaron Altherr still isn't quite playing every day despite doing just about everything possible to earn a regular job. He hits too many ground balls to be a good play against Anderson.

Michael Conforto remains under 50 percent owned even though he bats leadoff for the Mets. With Yoenis Cespedes and Lucas Duda sidelined, Conforto is in for plenty of playing time. He'll face Julio Teheran. Try Neil Walker too while you're at it.

With the Pirates lineup falling apart, Josh Bell has a chance to earn a steady role in the middle of the order. Bell has enough power and plate discipline to be interesting with the right job. The club has been using him more and more as the second hitter. A switch-hitter, Bell hasn't experienced much success against southpaws in a tiny sample.

Other Targets: Jedd Gyorko, Domingo Santana, Brandon Moss, Alex Gordon, Matt Davidson, Josh Reddick, Rickie Weeks, Scott Schebler, Brandon Guyer, Seth Smith, Hyun-Soo Kim

 

Steals on the Wire

People still say it's easy to find stolen bases on the waiver wire. It's been awhile since that was true.

Hernan Perez is playing every day in a utility role for the Brewers. And he's finally starting to hit too. He'll face Michael Wacha. Yadier Molina throws a wrench into the running game. Keon Broxton is also a stolen base threat, but some of Perez's playing time is at Broxton's expense.

Speaking of hitters finally hitting, Jose Reyes is alive. Over the last four days, he's 7-for-17 with two home runs, a double, and two stolen bases. A few more days like that and he'll return to the top of the order. He's suffering from a .190 BABIP on the season.

Inciarte remains the most talented rabbit on the wire. The early season power numbers will melt into distant memory. He's likely to readopt the habits that made him a solid core asset in past years.

Other Targets: Kolten Wong, Alcides Escobar, Ender Inciarte, Peter Bourjos

 

Skill Positions

My best guess is that Jett Bandy will start on Sunday. That probably puts Manny Pina behind the dish on Monday. They're both hitting like top 12 catchers.

 

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Adds




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

Sauce Gardner

Agrees to $120.4 Million Contract Extension
Marvin Mims Jr.

Could be on Track for First 1,000-Yard Season
Jaylen Johnson

Chargers Place Jaylen Johnson on PUP List
Dereck Lively II

Undergoes Right-Foot Surgery Tuesday
Kendrick Bourne

Kayshon Boutte Fighting for Final Spots
Isaiah Collier

Logs a Double-Double in Summer League Action on Monday
DeMario Douglas

Kyle Williams "Locks" for Receiving Corps
Trey Smith

Chiefs, Trey Smith Finalizing Massive Extension
Anthony Richardson Sr.

Colts Expected to Ease Anthony Richardson Sr. Back in
Devin Carter

Posts 17 Points Versus Suns
Bronny James Jr.

Scores 17 Points in Summer League Loss
Terry McLaurin

Undecided on Whether he Will Report to Training Camp
Colston Loveland

Says his Shoulder is 100 Percent
Harrison Ingram

has Impressive Outing Against Jazz
Sam Williams

has Potential to be Elite Edge Rusher
Shemar Stewart

Considering Going Back to College?
Jahmyr Gibbs

Lions Want Jahmyr Gibbs "More Involved" in Passing Game
Jordan Addison

Could be Facing Three-Game Suspension
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Kyle Filipowski

Records 35-Point Double-Double Against Spurs
Kel'el Ware

Dominates Against Celtics
Kon Knueppel

Gets Going Monday
Matas Buzelis

Puts Up 28 Points in Win Over Pacers
Reed Sheppard

Shut Down for Rest of Summer League
Paul George

Undergoes Arthroscopic Knee Surgery
Oneil Cruz

Ties Home Run Derby Distance Record
Cal Raleigh

Wins 2025 Home Run Derby
Najee Harris

Likely to Miss Time at Start of Training Camp
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Collin Morikawa

Misses The Cut at Genesis Scottish Open
Hideki Matsuyama

Finishes Tied For 13th at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Brooks Koepka

Finishes Tied For 32nd at LIV Andalucia
Tommy Fleetwood

Finishes Tied For 34th at Genesis Scottish Open
Jason Day

Misses The Cut at John Deere Classic
Ludvig Aberg

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Cam Taylor-Britt

has Benefited From Addition of Al Golden
Rome Odunze

Could Take Off in Year 2
RJ Harvey

to Get "Significant" Work in Broncos' Passing Game
Jackson Powers-Johnson

More Comfortable Heading into Year 2
Luke McCaffrey

In Line for Larger Role?
Braelon Allen

Jets Viewing Braelon Allen as Long-Term Starter?
Joel Embiid

Participating in Partial Basketball Activities
Victor Wembanyama

Officially Cleared to Return After Blood-Clot Recovery
Mike Williams

Heading to PUP List
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Michael Lorenzen

Royals Put Michael Lorenzen on Injured List With Oblique Strain
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Kel'el Ware

Collects 21 Points in Summer League Loss on Sunday
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Cam Spencer

Contract Being Restructured
Drew Timme

Scores 30 Points in Summer League Loss to Wizards
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Alexandre Sarr

Logs Impressive Outing in Summer League Action on Sunday
Junior Tafa

Unsuccessful in his Light-Heavyweight Debut
Kyle Filipowski

Scores 21 Points in Summer League Loss to Warriors
Cody Williams

Collects 22 Points in Summer League Loss on Sunday
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Tosses Gem Against Giants
Shota Imanaga

Shuts Down Yankees on Sunday
Nathan Eovaldi

Dominant Again in Seventh Win
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Chicago White Sox

Billy Carlson Goes 10th Overall to White Sox
Cincinnati Reds

Steele Hall Selected Ninth by Cincinnati
Toronto Blue Jays

Blue Jays Select JoJo Parker with Eighth Overall Pick
Boston Celtics

Damian Lillard Drawing Interest from the Celtics
Miami Marlins

Marlins Select Aiva Arquette With Seventh Overall Pick
Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates Select Seth Hernandez with Sixth Overall Pick
Kyle Stowers

Punishes Former Team with Three-Homer Game
St. Louis Cardinals

Cardinals Select Liam Doyle with Fifth Overall Pick
Daniel Gafford

Agrees to Contract Extension with Dallas
Colorado Rockies

Rockies Select Ethan Holliday Fourth Overall
Seattle Mariners

Kade Anderson Selected Third Overall by Seattle
Ha-Seong Kim

X-rays on Ha-Seong Kim's Foot Come Back Negative
Los Angeles Angels

Tyler Bremner Selected Second Overall by Angels in 2025 MLB Draft
Washington Nationals

Nationals Select Eli Willits First Overall
Jake Meyers

to Miss More Than Three Weeks With Calf Injury
Edward Cabrera

Hopeful to Avoid Injured List
Oneil Cruz

Absent on Sunday
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
Erik Karlsson

Open to Move Away From Pittsburgh
Zach Hyman

Hopes to be Ready for Start of Next Season
SJ

Jeff Skinner Joins Sharks on One-Year Contract
Ryan Reaves

Traded to Sharks
Vladislav Kolyachonok

Moves to Dallas
Matt Dumba

Lands in Pittsburgh
Mackie Samoskevich

Re-Signs with Panthers on One-Year Deal
Josh Manson

Inks Two-Year Extension with Avalanche
EDM

Isaac Howard Signs Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract With Oilers
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF