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 2

Brad Johnson's fantasy baseball daily streaming picks for May 2nd. Pitcher and hitter streamers for MLB DFS games, and head-to-head (H2H) waiver wire targets.

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

Below are your pitcher and hitter streaming targets for Tuesday, May 2nd.

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. When My Opponents Know Too Much
  2. Today's Weather and Updates
  3. Tomorrow's Picks

 

1. When My Opponents Know Too Much

As a fantasy baseball analyst, my personal opinions are often a matter of public record. For example, everybody knows I'm not a big Amir Garrett believer even though I own him on multiple teams. I didn't believe in Rich Hill at first either, and I had shares of him too. Part of diversifying my rosters is acquiring players with mysteriously good results.

Since I don't believe in Garrett, I'm rather keen to trade him for something I do like. I tried to deal for Scott Schebler yesterday. I received the following in response.

This isn't bad. If I didn't think you'll eventually drop Garrett if you don't find a taker, I might would take it. I can see how putting your thoughts about players into publication can be a detriment to competitive advantage.

This is from a new owner who doesn't know my playing style. He wasn't around for when I refused to trade an unkeepable Aroldis Chapman off a last place roster because my leaguemates were low balling me. He doesn't realize I'll stubbornly hold Garrett until he proves he's real or fake. I responded by re-offering the trade with a note about my stubbornosity.

My leaguemates can exploit my tendencies in another way. By refusing to make a fair trade for Garrett, they know I'll continue to double down on him until I'm either proven right or he lights on fire. One of my roster spots has been committed.

 

2. Today's Weather and Updates

New York and Chicago have a low risk of storms tonight. Monitor accordingly. Detroit could be in for a soaking tomorrow. At least I think that's what the cloud with the blue streaks means.

 

3. Tomorrow's Picks - Tuesday, May 2nd

Pitchers to Use

Sonny Gray is back, but he was stashed in 65 percent of leagues. I wouldn't start him versus the Twins. He's a stash option who could rapidly gain trade value.

Alex Wood is far and away the best streaming option on the docket. The southpaw already handled the Giants last week with a one hit, one walk, five strikeout shutout over six innings. His velocity is up two mph, and he's recording more grounders than ever. The latter part is luck - he won't maintain an 11 percent line drive rate. Wood does have a long history of limiting hard contact. The only issue is that he's not fully stretched out. It's too bad he'll probably be bumped back to the bullpen when Rich Hill returns - unless they decide Kenta Maeda needs a stint on the shelf.

At some point in the near future, Scott Feldman will be a regular fixture in the "to exploit" section. For now, he's keeping hitters off balance enough to consider using. He'll face a mediocre Pirates offense. More importantly, Tyler Glasnow will probably spot the Reds an early lead. This is a great situation to pile up steals. It's too bad Jose Peraza's owners aren't fed up yet.

Alex Cobb is visiting the National League. I fear Giancarlo and Friends will drop the hammer on Cobb. He tends to work low in the zone, and the Marlins mostly feast on low pitches. However, Cobb probably has the best quality start odds of anybody on the waiver wire. Just remember that three runs and nine base runners over six innings aren't good fantasy stats.

Other Targets: R.A. Dickey

 

Pitchers to Exploit

Glasnow walks everybody. Both he and catcher Francisco Cervelli are extremely stolen base prone. And we all know how much the Reds love to run. It's been a long time since I've seen such a highly touted prospect who can't pretend to throw strikes. It's a matter of time until he's put in a Chris Devenski role.

Mat Latos's 3.27 ERA belies a 4.09 K/9 and 5.73 BB/9. Pitchers who walk more than they strike out are not major leaguers. The Yankees shall benefit accordingly.

Chances are you don't know much about Alec Asher. The soft tossing righty was cut loose by the Phillies despite solid results over 27.2 innings in 2016. He's a pitch-to-contact command and control guy. This profile usually takes a couple years to click - and often doesn't at all. The upside is something like Kyle Hendricks. The downside includes many dozens of nobodies. Asher doesn't appear to have the elite command necessary to make his middling stuff work. There's a reason the lowly Phillies said buhbye. The Red Sox should feast.

Trevor Cahill and Tyler Chatwood face each other at Petco Park. At least it's not Coors? Chatwood could be a sneaky play for a quality start. The Padres lineup is rather feeble even if most of the individuals have interesting traits. Cahill has a weird 11.25 K/9 with a big swinging strike rate and 60 percent ground balls. He's worth monitoring too, although I expect instant regression.

Other Targets: Mike Fiers, Wily Peralta, Taijuan Walker

 

Homers on the Wire

When healthy, Jed Lowrie is a legitimately good hitter. He's healthy! Nothing about his .292/.354/.438 triple slash is fluky. His plate discipline matches his career norms, and he's even popped a couple home runs. While he isn't a multi-homer threat, he could pick up a couple RBI while batting second or fifth in the Athletics lineup. Yonder Alonso and Matt Joyce are better bets for home runs. They're all very widely available.

Max Kepler, Joe Mauer, and Kennys Vargas will probably bat second, fourth, and fifth versus Sonny Gray. The former A's ace experienced a spectacular decline in 2016. Whether he recover his past tendency to induce soft contact remains an open question. At the very least, he'll probably be shaking off some rust.

I made a mistake not recommending Scott Schebler earlier. His newfound penchant for hard fly balls makes him a true 30 home run threat, especially with Great American Ballpark providing an assist. I'm less enthused about his matchup against Glasnow.

In other must-add player news, Michael Conforto has finally crept over 50 percent owned. He's still available in 48 percent of leagues despite batting leadoff with a 1.055 OPS.

Other Targets: Ryan Schimpf, Yangervis Solarte, Hunter Renfroe, Randal Grichuk, Neil Walker, David Peralta

 

Steals on the Wire

Ben Gamel isn't especially speedy, but his stolen base total will probably exceed his home runs. With the Mariners drowning in injuries and underperformance, Gamel is batting second versus right-handed pitching. The Mariners face Matt Shoemaker and his occasionally hanging splitters.

Delino DeShields has quietly ousted Shin-Soo Choo as the Rangers leadoff man. The speedster combines minimal power with way too many strikeouts, making him an unusual fit atop a lineup. There is optimism that the 24-year-old could be poised for a breakout. He'll face Fiers.

Freddy Galvis and Aaron Altherr could swipe a base versus Jon Lester. Because, you know.

If he reaches base, Jose Reyes will probably run against R.A. Dickey. Because, knuckleballs.

Other Targets: Manuel Margot, Kolten Wong, Rajai Davis, Brett Gardner

 

Skill Positions

Austin Hedges could take advantage of Chatwood's sinker. Hedges has transformed himself into a low ball masher.

 

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

Jamal Murray

Explodes For 43 Points In Game 5
Jayson Tatum

Fires In 35 Points In Series-Clincher
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Logs Massive Triple-Double In Game 5
Maxi Kleber

Listed As Questionable For Game 5
Rob Dillingham

Out On Wednesday
Jae'Sean Tate

Still Out On Wednesday
Jimmy Butler III

Listed As Probable For Wednesday
Jack Eichel

Notches Two Assists In Game 5 Victory
Sebastian Aho

Sends Hurricanes To Round 2
Jake Knapp

Looking For More Success At TPC Craig Ranch
Linus Ullmark

Records Shutout In Elimination Game
Brady Tkachuk

Extends Point Streak To Four Games
Mackenzie Hughes

Is An Interesting Option At CJ Cup
Pavel Dorofeyev

Doesn't Finish Game 5
Filip Gustavsson

Exits Early Due To Illness
Aaron Ekblad

Slapped With Two-Game Suspension
Aldrich Potgieter

Trending Downward For CJ Cup
Taylor Pendrith

Played Well In Houston Recently
PGA

Niklas Norgaard May Not Be Cut Out For Texas
Rasmus Hojgaard

Could Be Up Or Down In Texas
Ben Rice

Smacks Two Homers To End Slump
Jorge Polanco

Hits Two More Homers, Drives In Five
Scottie Scheffler

The Untouchable Favorite At CJ Cup
Tom Kim

A Popular Name To Avoid At TPC Craig Ranch
Austin Eckroat

Looking To Find Success Again At TPC Craig Ranch
Cristopher Sánchez

Cristopher Sanchez Set To Start Wednesday
Shota Imanaga

Exits With Leg Cramps
Ben Kohles

Finishes Tied For 59th At Corales Puntacana Championship
Joel Dahmen

Finishes Tied For Second At Corales Puntacana Championship
Beau Hossler

Finishes Tied For 60th At Valero Texas Open
Doug Ghim

Finishes Tied For 18th At the Valero Texas Open
Jordan Spieth

Finishes Tied For 18th At RBC Heritage
Kurt Kitayama

Misses The Cut At Valero Texas Open
Si Woo Kim

Finishes Tied For Eighth At RBC Heritage
George Kirby

"Feeling Great," Could Throw Again On Sunday
Tyler Fitzgerald

Returning To Starting Nine
Josh Lowe

Progressing Well, Could Play In Rehab Games On Saturday
Shane McClanahan

Begins "Throwing-Like" Activities
Patrik Laine

Remains Day-To-Day
Gabriel Vilardi

On Track To Return Wednesday
Brandon Hagel

Ruled Out For Game 5
Marcus Johansson

Returns To Action Tuesday
Cole Ragans

Won't Start On Wednesday
Dylan Moore

Placed On 10-Day Injured List With Hip Inflammation
Jonas Siegenthaler

Considered A Game-Time Decision Tuesday
Brett Pesce

A Game-Time Call Tuesday
Yordan Alvarez

Back In Tuesday's Lineup
Frederik Andersen

Unavailable Tuesday
Aaron Nesmith

Upgraded To Available
Las Vegas Raiders

Jack Bech A Strong Candidate To Be An Immediate Starter
Las Vegas Raiders

Zamir White Competing For Depth Role
New York Jets

Mason Taylor To Immediately Be Atop Jets Tight End Depth Chart
Bennedict Mathurin

Cleared For Game 5
Buffalo Bills

Dalton Kincaid Setting Up As Post-Hype Sleeper In 2025?
Denver Broncos

Dre Greenlaw Expected To Be Ready For Training Camp
Seattle Seahawks

Sam Darnold To Take Over 90% Of The Snaps
Tennessee Titans

Titans In No Rush To Trade Will Levis
Daulton Varsho

Reinstated From Injured List And Starting On Tuesday
Minnesota Vikings

J.J. McCarthy Says He Knows He's Ready To Start For Vikings
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Picking Up Fifth-Year Option On Dax Hill
Los Angeles Chargers

Chargers Apply Unrestricted Free-Agent Tender To J.K. Dobbins
Seattle Seahawks

Jaren Hall Cut Loose By Seahawks
Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs Compare Josh Simmons To Christian Darrisaw, Rashawn Slater
Denver Broncos

Pat Bryant Compared To Michael Thomas
Denver Broncos

RJ Harvey Could Do It All For Broncos
Carolina Panthers

Tetairoa McMillan Likely To Man The X Spot For Panthers
Green Bay Packers

Packers, Jaire Alexander Continue To Discuss Potential Reunion
Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys Discussed George Pickens With Steelers
Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs To Pick Up Fifth-Year Option On Trent McDuffie, George Karlaftis
Washington Commanders

Matt Gays Signs One-Year Deal With Commanders
San Francisco 49ers

George Kittle Signs Four-Year Extension With 49ers
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Records Third Consecutive Double-Double
Brandin Podziemski

Hits Six Treys During 26-Point Performance
Jimmy Butler III

Leads Warriors In Scoring Monday Night
Jarrett Allen

Has Double-Double, Six Steals In Blowout Win
Brandon Boston Jr.

Recovering From Ankle Surgery
Kelly Olynyk

Undergoes Heel Procedure
Aaron Nesmith

Probable For Tuesday's Action
Nathan MacKinnon

Has Two Points In Losing Effort
Martin Necas

Records Two Assists In Game 5 Loss
Mikko Rantanen

Tallies Three Points In Monday's Win
Wyatt Johnston

Leads Stars To Game 5 Victory
Sergei Bobrovsky

Returns To Winning Ways
Anton Lundell

Earns Two Points Monday
Ryan Gerard

Going For A Texas Trifecta Of Sorts
Brandon Hagel

Departs Loss Early
Joe Highsmith

Hoping To Make More Putts In Texas
Eric Cole

Expecting Big Things In Texas
Brian Campbell

May Go Under The Radar At CJ Cup
Riley Greene

Homers Twice On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

Exits Monday's Win Early
Los Angeles Chargers

Tre Harris Expected To Fill X Role For Chargers
Jimmy Butler III

Officially Active For Game 4
Isaiah Stewart

Uncertain For Game 5
Michael Porter Jr.

Expected To Play In Game 5
Brandon Nimmo

Has Career Game
Russell Westbrook

Questionable For Tuesday Night
Tyler Glasnow

Going On The Injured List
Jaylen Brown

Back On The Injury Report
Luis Arraez

Expected To Return On Tuesday
Jordan Westburg

Placed On Injured List
William Byron

Ends With A Strong Top-Five Finish At Talladega
Ryan Blaney

Bad Luck Continues With Talladega Crash
Kyle Larson

Has A Career-Best Performance At Talladega
Ian Machado Garry

Gets Back On Track With UFC Kansas City Win
Brad Keselowski

Talladega Run Ends Early After Crashing
Carlos Prates

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Zhang Mingyang

Still Undefeated In The UFC
Anthony Smith

Retires After UFC Kansas City Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous Decision Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous-Decision Loss
David Onama

Extends Win Streak At UFC Kansas City
Michel Pereira

Drops Decision At UFC Kansas City
Abus Magomedov

Extends His Win Streak
Nicolas Dalby

Gets Finished For The First Time
Randy Brown

Gets Back In The Win Column
Ikram Aliskerov

Gets First-Round TKO Finish At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Gets TKO'd At UFC Kansas City
Chase Elliott

Recovers from Speeding Penalty to Finish Fifth
Joey Logano

Finishes Last at Talladega After Disqualification for Missing Spoiler Brace
Ryan Preece

Loses Talladega Race First in Photo Finish Then in Post-Race Inspection
NASCAR

Poor Toyota Strategy Arguably Cost Bubba Wallace Winning Chances at Talladega
Christopher Bell

Unhurt After Hard Contact with Inside Retaining Wall
Joe Ryan

Posts Stellar Outing
Nick Lodolo

Throws Seven Scoreless Innings
Tyler Glasnow

Removed Early On Sunday
Chase Elliott

Is One OF The Top Overall DFS Picks Of The Week
Joey Logano

Could Joey Logano Finish A Race With A Top Finish At Talladega?
NASCAR

DFS Players Should Like Bubba Wallace For Talladega This Week
Christopher Bell

Should DFS Players Roster Christopher Bell At Talladega?
Austin Cindric

Is Austin Cindric Worth Rostering For Talladega DFS Lineups?
Shane Van Gisbergen

Is A Solid, Safe, DFS Choice For Talladega Lineups
Austin Dillon

Is Austin Dillon A Viable DFS Play At Talladega This Week?
Josh Berry

Qualifies Too High At Talladega To Be Worth Rostering In DFS
Michael McDowell

Should DFS Players Take A Shot On Michael McDowell At Talladega?
Noah Gragson

Could Be A Sneaky DFS Play For Talladega
Denny Hamlin

Probably Qualified Too Well for DFS Consideration
Kyle Larson

Increasingly Undervalued Due to His Crashing, but Still a Great DFS Option
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF