September 3, 2016

Ricky Delgado analyzes the top two-start fantasy baseball starting pitcher (SP) streamers on the Week 23 waiver wire to consider adding and streaming this week.

A wise fantasy baseball manager never rests. He is never satisfied with his team and is always on the hunt for the player that can help in both the present and future. For this article, we’ll focus on the present, as we present the top pitcher streamers who’ll be making two outings this week.

We do this every week, because deep down we all know those last two or three guys taken in drafts won’t be with us the whole way through. Mix and match is the name of the game and maximizing these players’ values is the goal. Here are the top five two-start pitching streamers for week 23, as we reach the home stretch with the final month of the season. NOTE: these are expected starts.

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Going Twice, Roll The Dice

Gio Gonzalez, WSH

vs ATL 9/5, vs PHI 9/10

Owned In: 41% of Fleaflicker Leagues

30-year-old Gio Gonzalez is turning in the kind of season that’s been expected of him as of late. Ever since his 21-win campaign of 2012, he’s failed to win more than 11 games, and although he appears to be headed past that total this year, his ERA has elevated. While Gonzalez has posted an ERA in the mid-to-upper threes lately, the number has gone up past four to 4.14 this year. Still, his K/9, BB/9, HR/9 and LOB% numbers are all in the same territory. Gonzalez has shown flashes of effectiveness, but struggles with consistency.

Following a pair of quality starts, however, there's a real chance his consistency will extend through the first full week of September. On Monday, he’ll take on the Atlanta Braves at Nationals Park. Gonzalez has faced the Braves twice this season, faring much better in his home start. Considering the Braves are 1-6 this year in Washington, expect Gonzalez to deliver a victory. His second start of the week will also be at home, this time against the Phillies. While the Braves have a worse record than the Phillies, Gonzalez has been much better against the latter, delivering a pair of quality starts. Look for the Florida native to feed off two weaker opponents once again as he approaches his highest win total in a season in four years.

Matt Moore, SF

@ COL 9/5, @ ARI 9/11

Owned In: 36% of Fleaflicker Leagues

Matt Moore seems to be quieting critics and doubters by the start nowadays. The oft-injured left-hander is turning in his finest season in years, having been exceptional the past two months. After going 3-2 with a 2.41 ERA with the Rays in July, he landed with the Giants, a World Series contender. Since then he’s continued to be strong, but his finest performance came two Thursdays ago. Taking on the Dodgers at Chavez Ravine, he was starting a pivotal division matchup, and he fell one out shy of a no-hitter. The performance was met with some criticism, however, over the managerial decision to leave him in and throw a whopping 133 pitches.

This isn’t ideal for anyone in today’s game, but especially not for a pitcher who had Tommy John surgery. Regardless, the 27-year-old bounced back with another victory on Wednesday night, tossing five innings and a third with just one run surrendered en route to victory. This week won’t be easy for Moore, however, as he faces a pair of road starts in difficult ballparks. The first start comes at Coors Field, a dreaded place for pitchers. When it comes to park factor, the stadium in Denver ranks number one in runs and hits. Ranking second in hits and third in runs, however, is Fenway Park, where Moore has already pitched this year. Back on July 9th, he surrendered two earned runs across six innings. Facing a weaker lineup, he should be able to handle the stadium and pitch well.

His second start will be at Chase Field against the Diamondbacks. Considering he just beat them while not at his best, experience and familiarity should help him deliver another encouraging performance as he gears up for more pivotal starts down the stretch.

Bartolo Colon, NYM

@ CIN 9/5, @ ATL 9/11

Owned In: 33% of Fleaflicker Leagues

Still delivering at 43 years old, Bartolo Colon’s importance to the Mets remains high as the pitching staff’s health continues to remain a mystery. The tireless right-hander is 12-7 on the year with a 3.35 ERA, but is coming off an especially strong month. Through six starts in August, Colon went 3-1 with a 2.61 ERA, posting four quality starts. While he’s been good at home, he’s been better on the road, a fact that bodes well considering both of his starts this week will be away from Citi Field. His first will come at the Great American Ball Park against the hapless Cincinnati Reds.

While the Reds actually got to Colon in his start against them earlier this month, they continue to fade away quietly, having lost eight of their last 10 at the time of this writing. Look for Colon and an inspired Mets team to push towards a playoff spot. His second start will come against the Atlanta Braves, who’ve actually beaten the veteran this year. In his two starts against them, however, he’s surrendered just one run across 15 innings of work. Considering Colon’s best month historically has been September, expect more dominance versus the Braves in what should be a strong week for the experienced veteran.

Brandon Finnegan, CIN

vs NYM 9/6, @ PIT 9/11

Owned In: 24% of Fleaflicker Leagues

Brandon Finnegan’s topsy-turvy campaign continues to present highs and lows, but coming off his August performances, he has the chance to turn it into a success with a strong September. The 23-year-old is 8-10 on the season with a 4.19 ERA, but went 2-2 with a 2.65 ERA in his six starts last month. Four of those starts came against playoff contenders, making the month especially impressive. This week, Finnegan faces another pair of playoff contenders in what will be a challenging week. First up will be the Mets at the Great American Ballpark. The New Yorkers remain a playoff contender, despite boasting one of the worst offenses in baseball.

Making matters worse, their lineup is facing a litany of injuries, forcing them to field player they wouldn’t usually utilize. Finnegan’s biggest strength will be the strikeout, a part of the game in which he’s been dominant as of late. Over his last three starts, he’s averaging nearly 10 strikeouts per game. His second start will be on the road, but against a familiar fore in the Pittsburgh Pirates. While both teams reside in the same division, Finnegan has yet to face Pittsburgh this season. In his final start of last year, however, he recorded a quality start and victory against them. With quality starts in each of his past four road outings, look for Finnegan’s fine form to give him two excellent chances at victory.

Ryan Vogelsong, PIT

vs STL 9/6, vs CIN 9/11

Owned In: 9% of Fleaflicker Leagues

Journeyman Ryan Vogelsong is back with the Pittsburgh Pirates for the first time in ten years. The 29-year-old first arrived in Pittsburgh 15 years ago, spending six years there before leaving the majors for a five-year period. While initially a reliever this year, he was converted to a starter and after some injury obstacles finally had his first full month as a starter in August. Vogelsong went 2-3 in six starts, but posted a 3.44 ERA, producing three quality starts along the way. He even got the strikeouts going, posting at least five during four separate games. The strongest trait in his starts up to this point, however, has been the ability to avoid hits. In four of his six starts last month, he allowed four hits or less, an excellent ingredient for success.

His first start this week will be against the St. Louis Cardinals, a team he hasn’t seen since last year. During that start, when he was a member of the Giants, he tossed six shutout innings, again keeping the hit count low with just two allowed. The Cardinals offense has the tendency to go hot and cold, so their performance this weekend should be worth monitoring should you consider Vogelsong a streamer option. One last fact to consider is the veteran’s home numbers, where he’s gone 0-3 but posted a 2.55 ERA. PNC Park is the ideal place for Vogelsong to face a stiff challenge. His second start of the week will come against the Reds, also at home. Should Vogelsong perform well against the Cardinals, this outing against Cincinnati should follow the same path.

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