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 25, 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

Kevin Gausman, BAL

vs BOS 9/20, vs ARI 9/25

Owned In: 62% of Fleaflicker Leagues

Overlooked the entire season, Kevin Gausman is making his two-start streamers of the week debut in our penultimate edition of the year. The 25-year-old struggled through the first three months of the season, but has really turned a corner since the beginning of August and is now pitching like an ace during the most important time. In nine starts over the past two months, he’s delivered seven quality starts and has recorded scoreless performances in four of his past five outings. Gausman has accomplished this by limiting home runs and averaging a healthy amount of strikeouts.

This week, he’ll make a pair of home starts against differing competition. His first start will be against the Red Sox, currently the leaders of the American League East. The Red Sox have been the highest scoring team in the league all year round, but not against Gausman. In his last start, he tossed eight shutout innings against them at Fenway Park. Considering he’s significantly better at home, expect another brilliant performance. His second start will come against the Arizona Diamondbacks, once again at Camden Yards. Arizona is one of the worst teams in baseball and shouldn’t pose a major threat. If you happen to be in one of the 38% of leagues where he’s available, look for Gausman to provide a major playoff performance.

 

Taijuan Walker, SEA

vs TOR 9/19, @ MIN 9/25

Owned In: 52% of Fleaflicker League

Another debuting streamer, Taijuan Walker has had his trials and tribulations in 2016. The 24-year-old had a strong first month, before struggling in the second and improving in June. In July, however, he went down with right foot tendinitis, missing an entire month. After a poor start to begin August, the Mariners optioned him to Triple-A Tacoma, and while he appeared to be the same pitcher in his ensuing starts, something has clicked recently. Walker and Mariners pitching coach Mel Stottlemyer Jr have been working on some mechanical changes that finally came to fruition his last time out. On the road in Anaheim, Walker tossed a complete game shutout, giving up just three hits and striking out 11. The start gives Seattle hope that Walker might just have finally figured things out as they hunt down a Wild Card spot. This week, however, things get dicey with his first start.

The Toronto Blue Jays will face off against Walker on Monday. While he hasn’t faced them this season, he’s faced each of Toronto’s divisional counterparts, surprisingly struggling against all except the Red Sox. The Blue Jays’ offense is without their best hitter in Josh Donaldson, and with a chance to move up the standings for the Wild Card, the Mariners figure to put up a worthy battle. Considering Toronto is a top ten team in the strikeouts department, Walker’s debilitating strikeout power should come into play here. His second start of the week will come on the road against Minnesota. While the Twins have been one of the better hitting teams since the All-Star break, they lead the American League in strikeouts, once again working to Walker’s advantage.

 

Carlos Rodon, CHW

vs KC 9/19, @ CLE 9/25

Owned In: 29% of Fleaflicker Leagues

23-year-old Carlos Rodon has regressed some in his second season in the majors. Heading into his most recent start against the Cleveland Indians, however, he had vastly improved. Rodon had recorded seven consecutive quality starts, going 5-0 across that period while averaging nearly six strikeouts per game and conceding just two home runs. While his last start against Cleveland could give you a reason to avoid Rodon, one blip on the radar shouldn’t kill all  the momentum he’s built up. White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper has said that Rodon’s fastball command has improved, while more frequent use of the changeup had paid off big time.

This makes him one of the top two-start streamer options of the week. In his first start, he’ll take on the Kansas City Royals at U.S. Cellular Field. Rodon faced the Royals earlier this month, surrendering just one earned run across six frames. His opponent that night was Yordano Ventura, who struggled and will face Rodon again on Monday. Ventura has been such an enigmatic player in his brief career, that a repeat performance wouldn’t be a shock. His second start will be against the very same Indians who knocked him out of his impressive streak. This one will be in Cleveland, however, and with Rodon being a better road pitcher, expect an improved performance.

 

Martin Perez, TEX

vs LAA 9/19, @ OAK 9/25

Owned In: 15% of Fleaflicker Leagues

Like his three fellow two-start streamers up above, Martin Perez has faced struggles throughout the season. Outside of May, when he posted a 2.23 ERA, the 25-year-old has posted an ERA of over 4 each month. That streak has grinded to a halt in September, with a pair of road quality starts to follow a scoreless outing at the end of August. Over his past three starts, he’s averaged six innings of work, giving up four runs overall while striking out 13. His performances on the road against division rivals who are chasing playoff berths are particularly encouraging heading into this week, when he faces two other division rivals already out of the race.

First, he’ll face the Angels in Arlington. While he’s struggled for most of the year, Perez has actually tossed a pair of quality starts against the Halos, making this a team he’s comfortable against. With the start coming at home, where he’s gone 8-2 with a 2.65 ERA this season, look for a third strong performance against a dwindling team. His second outing will come in Oakland against the Athletics. Perez had made two starts at the Coliseum, going seven innings and surrendering four runs each time. Last month, however, he gave up one run in seven against them, perhaps beginning this turnaround he’s enjoyed the past three starts. If he gets by Anaheim still in form, look for another worthy performance to close out the week.

 

Robert Gsellman, NYM

vs ATL 9/20, vs PHI 9/25

Owned In: 4% of Fleaflicker Leagues

Robert Gsellman entered the Mets rotation out of necessity due to the number of injured starters. The 23-year-old arrived in late August and has displayed mixed results in four starts. The results have been puzzling, as he’s struggled against the Phillies and Braves while performing well against the Washington Nationals. While that may bode well in the coming seasons, it does very little this week, when he faces the two aforementioned teams at home.

The Braves have proven to be quite pesky against the Mets all season, but with the games now shifting to Citi Field, the Mets will have the upper hand. Gsellman has already proven to be solid in the strikeout department against the Braves, so expect adjustments as he returns home. His second start will be against the Phillies, who like the Braves have been out of contention for some time. Gsellman faced Philadelphia in his first start, where there were surely nerves involved. Now with some more starts under his belt and flashes of what he’s capable of on his best night, look for the youngster to put another weak team away with just another week left in the season.

 

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