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 15

Brad Johnson's fantasy baseball daily streaming picks for May 15th. Pitcher and hitter streamers for MLB DFS games, and head-to-head (H2H) waiver wire targets.

Welcome to Streaming Wars, your one-stop shop for streaming the waiver wire. Use this column to bolster your neediest categories.

Below are your pitcher and hitter streaming targets for Monday, May 15th.

Let's get to it.

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

 

Agenda

  1. Bad Trade Offers - In Retrospect
  2. Today's Weather and Updates
  3. Tomorrow's Picks

 

1. Bad Trade Offers - In Retrospect

I play in a lot of leagues which means I make a lot of trade offers. And I tend to start with ideas and frameworks rather than making a taut offer. Why pay Clayton Kershaw for Mookie Betts if Jake Arrieta and Tony Watson can get the job done? Some fantasy players want their trades to be cut and dried, but I skew in the other direction - we usually have a nice long chat before it's time to press accept. It might have something to do with being a professional fantasy baseball writer...

I searched my inbox for rejected trade offers which I initiated. You'll find a sampling below. Notice a theme?

March 20: I get Travis Jankowski, he gets Matt Harvey
March 28: I get Greg Bird, he gets Tony Watson
March 31: I get Jonathan Villar/Chris Owings, he gets Ryon Healy/Justin Upton/Michael Pineda
April 19: I get Greg Bird, he gets Jose Reyes
April 20: I get Matt Carpenter/Villar, he gets Upton/Kyle Hendricks
April 21: I get Villar, he gets Upton/Jordan Montgomery
April 28: I get James Paxton, he gets Eugenio Suarez

These are all examples of trades in which my offer seemed weak at the time. In retrospect, they all look like really good trades for the other guy. Most of these are attempts to buy low on Villar or Bird. Maybe they rebound or maybe they continue to scuffle. Bird had a Ryan Howard-sized hole in the upper quadrant of the strike zone. I'm as confused as the next guy about Villar. He's gone back to pulling a billion crappy ground balls. He was a spray hitter last season.

At the time of the Paxton offer, he was healthy. His owner is trotting Alex Bregman out at third base. Now Paxton is on TJS watch and my Suarez has continued to rake. Suarez is one of the most underappreciated assets in fantasy baseball.

This is not to say that all of my trade offers turn out this way. I tried to acquire Keon Broxton and Charlie Morton in all of my leagues. Some of the buy-low offers I sent involve waiver wire fodder like Joe Musgrove. The point is that you should take a moment before feeling insulted about a trade offer. Baseball has a way of humbling us all.

 

2. Today's Weather and Updates

The Boston game is looking doubtful. The Astros-Yankees doubleheader in New York is also under threat of rain.

 

3. Tomorrow's Picks - Monday, May 15th

Meager Monday is actually meager this week. We have just eight games to peddle.

 

Pitchers to Use

Surprisingly, there are quite a few pitchers to try. None of them are must-roster types like an Alex Wood, but they all have quality start upside.

Luis Perdomo may be my favorite of the bunch versus a volatile Brewers lineup. Milwaukee hitters have the second highest strikeout rate in the majors, but they also have an above average offense (104 wRC+). Perdomo is in the process of developing swing-and-miss stuff and currently leads the league with a tiny 20.7 percent hard contact rate. His curve ball is elite, but his pitch-to-contact sinker doesn't exactly compliment it. The sinker does generate a ton of ground ball contact. Unfortunately, it's quite hittable. Perdomo is working on discovering a third weapon. Personally, I think he should emphasize a high four seam fastball so his curve can play up. He's a work in progress.

Perdomo is opposed by Chase Anderson. Despite a shiny 2.97 ERA, the Brewer doesn't appear to be any different from the guy who posted a 4.30 ERA in 2015 and a 4.39 ERA in 2016. Perhaps he's sequencing slightly better. Expect over a 4.00 ERA going forward, starting tomorrow. The Padres narrowly trail the Brewers in strikeout rate, and their offense is much less dangerous.

Brandon McCarthy is a cerebral pitcher who knows how to get the most out of his stuff. Apparently healthy, he's thrived through five starts by limiting hard contact. He's visiting pitcher friendly AT&T Park. Although the Giants are not strikeout prone, they also aren't a threatening opponent.

Other Targets: Joe Musgrove, Dan Straily, Zack Godley, Jesse Chavez

 

Pitchers to Exploit

Is it truly necessary to explain why Mike Pelfrey is a bad pitcher? He's never been worse - 2.84 K/9, 3.32 BB/9, and a 5.21 ERA. I'll give him this, he isn't homer prone.

Shockingly, Matt Cain has six solid starts compared to just one disaster. More disasters are on the horizon, starting with the righty mashing Dodgers. His home park could gift him with some outs on should-be homers.

Sadly, Bartolo Colon's goose looks cooked. Better times could be ahead if he can figure out how to strand runners on base. His 55.8 percent LOB% is among the worst in the league. We usually consider LOB% to be a "luck" stat, meaning the pitcher doesn't have much influence over it. There are exceptions, although Colon has a very long track record as a luck neutral pitcher. He's opposed by Mike Bolsinger and the Blue Jays. Bolsinger tends to be  extremely hittable any time he makes a spot appearance in the majors.

Other Targets: Yovani Gallardo

 

Homers on the Wire

I know I said good things about Perdomo, but the Brewers also have some of my favorite hitters tomorrow. Domingo Santana is one of the best sluggers on the block. Do note, he's a ground ball hitter which isn't a good formula for beating a ground ball pitcher. If he does get under one though, it'll fly.

Sean Manaea is back from the disabled list. If there's any rust, look for Danny Valencia and Taylor Motter to post big games. Valencia bats fifth for the Mariners. After an icy start, he's recovered his power stroke. Over his last 61 plate appearances, he has a .357/.410/.625 slash (.410 BABIP). I still prefer Motter and his blend of hard contact and pulled fly balls. He's also a stolen base threat.

If Colon continues to struggle, look for Steve Pearce and Justin Smoak to provide fireworks. May has been kind to Pearce with four home runs in 32 plate appearances. Meanwhile, Smoak may be experiencing a mini-breakout. He's cut his strikeout rate to 20.9 percent - down from 32.8 percent last season. The change looks real. He's continued to produce line drives and hard contact at above average rates. He's quietly emerged as yet another 20 home run threat.

Other Targets: Chris Taylor, Christian Arroyo, Yangervis Solarte, Ryan Schimpf, Hunter Renfroe, Matt Joyce, Jed Lowrie, Luis Valbuena, Asdrubal Cabrera, Lucas Duda, Neil Walker, Curtis Granderson, David Peralta, Steve Pearce, Justin Smoak, Josh Reddick, Derek Dietrich

 

Steals on the Wire

Oh, the power of cold starts. Hernan Perez remains available in the majority of leagues despite a .277/.327/.535 slash - better than he achieved last season. Ignore the first half of April, and he's slashing .333/.386/.667 in his last 83 plate appearances with all kinds of extra base contact. He's even batting third in Ryan Braun's absence. Roster him. Permanently.

Kevin Pillar, leadoff extraordinaire, is probably the next player to climb above 50 percent owned. His power, speed, and average should be owned in every league. While RBI production is typically scarce for leadoff hitters, Pillar is a solid four-category asset. Few of those offer stolen bases.

I've been giving firm recommendations for Jose Reyes. Now I get to back off. With Duda and Cabrera back, Reyes has ceded playing time to T.J. Rivera. It doesn't erase that Reyes has played well lately, and Rivera will eventually be overexposed in the majors. I'd bet on Reyes starting - and thriving - at Chase Field versus Godley.

Snag a share of Cameron Maybin in time to prey upon Pelfrey and the Pale Hose. Maybin is suffering from a .232 BABIP, but he's already stolen six bases despite a pitiful .293 OBP. BABIP regression is imminent.

Other Targets: Denard Span, Manuel Margot, Rajai Davis

 

Skill Positions

It's probably Jett Bandy's turn tomorrow. He's turned into quite the home run threat. Bandy won't maintain a 130 wRC+, but he shouldn't have any problems pummeling deep flies. He's an extreme pull hitter. Petco Park may limit his value on Monday. Austin Hedges is available on the other end of this matchup.

Aroldis Chapman is on the disabled list with rotator cuff inflammation. Regrettably, Dellin Betances is only available in 18 percent of leagues.

 

More Lineups Advice

 

Premium Tools & DFS Research

Get a free trial of our powerful MLB Premium Tools. Our famous DFS Optimizer & Lineup Generator, daily Matchup Ratings, expert DFS Lineups/Cheat Sheets, and more.

Sign Up Now!




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

P.J. Washington

Active Against the Trail Blazers
Anthony Davis

Won't Play on Sunday Night
Kenneth Gainwell

Catches Two Touchdown Passes in Elevated Role
Zion Williamson

Remains Sidelined on Sunday
Bijan Robinson

Scores Twice in Overtime Loss to Panthers
Jrue Holiday

Won't Play Sunday
Dillon Gabriel

Ruled Out With a Concussion Against Ravens
Kristaps Porzingis

to Miss Another Game on Sunday
Bam Adebayo

Not Ready to Return Monday
Josh Jacobs

Not Believed to Have Season-Ending Knee Injury
Jalen Brunson

Unavailable Monday
OG Anunoby

to Sit Out at Least Two Weeks
Bilal Coulibaly

Back in Action Sunday
Tetairoa McMillan

Sets New Career-Highs in Overtime Win
Scott Mayfield

Available Sunday
Stephon Castle

Won't Return on Sunday Night
Sean Tucker

Scores Three Times in Lead-Back Role
Josh Allen

Scores Six Touchdowns in Thrilling Victory
NYI

Max Shabanov Returns From 12-Game Absence Sunday
Derrick Jones Jr.

Won't Return on Sunday
Samuel Honzek

Out Week-to-Week
Emari Demercado

Injures Ankle, Questionable to Return in Week 11
Kirby Dach

Sidelined for 4-6 Weeks
Kristaps Porzingis

Questionable for Sunday's Meeting with Phoenix
Chimere Dike

Suffers Chest Injury in Addition to Concussion
Thatcher Demko

Considered Week-to-Week
Michael Penix Jr.

Had Chance to Return Sunday, Diagnosis Remains Unclear
Filip Hronek

Good to Go Sunday
Drake London

Too Soon for Falcons to Provide Updates on Drake London's Injury
Quinn Hughes

Back in Action Sunday
Josh Jacobs

Packers Have No Updates on Josh Jacobs' Knee Injury
Bryce Young

Career-Best Outing Fuels Overtime Win
Aaron Rodgers

has Left-Wrist Injury, Due for More Testing Monday
Drake London

Exits With Knee Injury, Won't Return in Week 11
Calvin Ridley

Done for Season with Broken Fibula
Bhayshul Tuten

Questionable to Return With Ankle Injury
Kirk Cousins

Michael Penix Jr. Questionable to Return With Knee Injury
Aaron Rodgers

Injures Left Hand, Questionable to Return Against Bengals
Josh Jacobs

Won't Return Against Giants on Sunday
Chimere Dike

Ruled Out with Concussion
CFB

Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate Not Dealing With Long-Term Injuries
Grayson Allen

Sidelined With Quad Contusion
Viktor Arvidsson

Injured in Saturday's Win
Jonathan Kuminga

Knee Issue Keeps Him Out of Weekend Action
Nick Foligno

Ruled Out for Four Weeks
Bilal Coulibaly

Questionable With Calf Issue Against Nets
Samuel Honzek

Hurt in Collision With Teammate
Precious Achiuwa

Questionable With Illness For Sunday
Drew Doughty

Exits With Lower-Body Injury
P.J. Washington

Expected Back From Shoulder Issue Sunday
Charlie McAvoy

Sustains Upper-Body Injury Against Canadiens
Tre Jones

Uncertain for Sunday With Minutes Set to Tighten
Thomas Harley

Out Week-to-Week
CFB

Virginia Tech Close To Naming James Franklin As Head Coach
Coby White

Could Make Season Debut Sunday
Josh Giddey

Set to Return Sunday
Zion Williamson

Tagged as Questionable for Sunday
Jeff Skinner

Placed on Injured Reserve
Matt Duchene

Continues to Sit Saturday
Thomas Harley

a Game-Time Call Saturday
Kaapo Kakko

Out Week-to-Week
Joseph Woll

Starts on Saturday
John Carlson

Out on Saturday
Rasmus Dahlin

Rejoins Sabres Lineup Saturday
Jack Hughes

to Miss Eight Weeks After Finger Surgery
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Doubtful vs. Arkansas On Saturday
Edwin Díaz

Blue Jays Interested in Signing Edwin Diaz?
Jacob deGrom

Named AL Comeback Player of the Year
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Wins NL Comeback Player of the Year Award
Aroldis Chapman

Named AL Reliever of the Year
Edwin Díaz

Edwin Diaz Named NL Reliever of the Year
Justin Thomas

Will Miss Start Of 2026 After Undergoing Back Surgery
Islam Makhachev

Set For UFC 322 Main Event
Jack Della Maddalena

Set For His First Title Defense
Zhang Weili

Can Become The New Women's Flyweight Champion
Valentina Shevchenko

Set For UFC 322 Co-Main Event
Michael Morales

Looks To Remain Undefeated
CFB

Mario Craver a Game-Time Decision for Week 12
Sean Brady

Set For Title Eliminator Bout
Carlos Prates

A Favorite At UFC 322
Leon Edwards

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Benoît Saint Denis

Benoit Saint Denis Set To Open Up UFC 322 Main Card
Beneil Dariush

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
CFB

Virginia's Chandler Morris Trending Toward Facing Duke on Saturday
Edwin Díaz

Edwin Diaz Says There's a "50-50" Chance he Returns to Mets
Shohei Ohtani

Wins his Fourth MVP Award
Aaron Judge

Wins AL MVP Award Again
Raisel Iglesias

Dodgers Interested in Signing Raisel Iglesias
Pete Alonso

Orioles Could be in the Mix to Sign Pete Alonso
Félix Bautista

Felix Bautista Could Return in Second Half in 2026
Kodai Senga

Attracting Trade Interest, Will the Mets Move him?
Yordan Alvarez

Expected to be Ready for Spring Training
Byron Buxton

Could Waive his No-Trade Clause
Paul Skenes

the Unanimous NL Cy Young Winner
Tarik Skubal

Wins AL Cy Young for Second Straight Year
CFB

Still No Update on Jermod McCoy's Return Timeline
Sami Valimaki

Riding Momentum Into Bermuda
Matthieu Pavon

Struggling Through a Rough Season
Taylor Montgomery

Hopes to Get Back on Track at Port Royal
Ben Martin

a Risky Play at Bermuda Championship
Mark Hubbard

Primed for a Bounce-Back Week in Bermuda
Lee Hodges

Searching for a Spark in Bermuda
Stephen Vogt

Wins Back-to-Back AL Manager of the Year Honors
Milwaukee Brewers

Pat Murphy Named NL Manager of the Year Again
Patrick Fishburn

Looking to Bounce Back in Bermuda
Eric Cole

Carrying Momentum into Bermuda
Tommy Edman

to Have Ankle Surgery Next Week
Ketel Marte

Diamondbacks Unlikely to Trade Ketel Marte
Roman Anthony

to Have a Normal Offseason
Sahith Theegala

Finishes Tied for 27th at Bank of Utah Championship
Sam Stevens

Finishes Tied for 36th at Baycurrent Classic
Patrick Rodgers

Finishes Tied For Sixth at World Wide Technology Championship
Luke List

Finishes 75th at World Wide Technology Championship
Ben Kohles

Finishes Tied for 63rd at World Wide Technology Championship
PGA

Nico Echavarria Finishes Tied for 14th at World Wide Technology Championship
Luke Clanton

Finishes Tied for 46th at World Wide Technology Championship
Blades Brown

Finishes Tied for 18th at Korn Ferry Tour Championship

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP