May 1, 2016

Ricky Delgado analyzes the top two-start fantasy baseball starting pitcher (SP) streamers on the Week 5 waiver wire to consider adding and streaming this week.

A wise fantasy baseball player never rests. They’re never satisfied with their team and are always on the hunt for the player that can help them in 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. As we focus on pitchers owned in 50% or fewer leagues on Fleaflicker, here are the top five for week five.

Editor’s Note: RotoBaller’s fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups list is updated every single day. Our awesome writers bring you analysis on hot or emerging starting pitchers, and also all other fantasy positions. You can also download our waiver wire iPhone app for free, and easily stay updated.

Top 5 Two-Start Pitcher Streamers

Brandon Finnegan, CIN

vs San Francisco (5/2), vs Milwaukee (5/7)

The 23-year-old left-hander is entering his first full season as a starter after being traded from Kansas City last year. In five starts this year, he’s struck out 23 batters in 28 innings, going 1-1. He’s also made three quality starts, two of them being on the road against championship contenders in the Cubs and the Mets. In his first start of the week, he’ll take the mound as the Reds host the San Francisco Giants, another title contender. Opposing Finnegan will be Johnny Cueto, the man Kansas City traded him for.

While the Giants are one of the best hitting teams in the league, Finnegan has already proved himself against teams of their caliber. His second start of the week will be on Saturday against the Milwaukee Brewers. They’ll be a stark contrast to the Giants, as Milwaukee is one of the worst hitting teams in the league. The most important factor for Finnegan will be the walks, being tied for the third most allowed in the league at 15. In his last two starts however, he’s been keeping them down. If the positive trend continues, you’re looking at a solid pair of starts this week from the man owned in only 23% of Fleaflicker leagues.

Josh Tomlin, CLE

vs Detroit (5/3), vs Kansas City (5/8)

Josh Tomlin has made three starts thus far in 2016, and while his last start was a rough one, he’s still managed to go 3-0. With excellent control, he’s only given up two walks in 17 innings, striking out 11 in the process. The 31-year-old veteran has only had one quality start so far, but has been exiting games with low pitch counts, throwing 85 pitches or fewer in each of his starts. The good news is that his lone quality start came against the Tigers, one of the teams he’ll face this week.

Aside from the Tigers, Tomlin will face the Kansas City Royals on Sunday. Tomlin’s sample size this year has been brief, but a starting pitcher that keeps the walks and home runs low is always worth consideration. Additionally, his HR/FB ratio is down considerably from the last number of seasons. Owned in just 18% of Fleaflicker leagues, Tomlin is a strong option for two-start streamer.

Chris Tillman, BAL

vs Yankees (5/3), vs Oakland (5/8)

Baltimore’s opening day starter Chris Tillman is striking out batters at career-high rates and walking batters at career-low rates. Aside from one bad start in Texas, the right-hander has struck out 23 batters in 19.2 IP, giving up just three runs in the process. He’s also given up just one home run and is coming off a pair of quality starts. Tillman’s week begins on Tuesday, when he takes on the Yankees at Camden Yards. The Yankees are one of the worst offenses in the league, ranking near the bottom in nearly every offensive statistic this year.

Additionally, Tillman will probably have some room for error. Luis Severino, the opposing pitcher, hasn’t won a game yet this year and is carrying a 6.86 ERA. His second start of the week looks a bit more challenging, as he’s scheduled to take on Sonny Gray and the Oakland A’s. With Gray dealing with control issues, however, and Oakland having lost five of their last six road games, this appears to be another good situation. Owned in a measly 17% of Fleaflicker leagues, Tillman could very well be the best two-start streamer option of the week.

Steven Wright, BOS

@ White Sox (5/3), @ Yankees (5/8)

Owned in 15% of Fleaflicker leagues, 31-year-old Steven Wright has been a pleasant surprise for the Boston Red Sox thus far. Delivering four quality starts, the right-hander has struck out 25 batters in 26 innings, giving up just four earned runs and 19 hits along the way. He appears to be getting better with each start, having thrown a season-high seven innings and struck out a season-high eight batters on Wednesday night. Even when putting runners on, Wright is making the necessary pitches to escape trouble, recording a career-high 82.3 LOB% thus far.

On Tuesday he’ll have a big test as he takes on the first place Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular. The White Sox rank in the bottom 10 teams in OBP, perhaps assuring Wright won’t deal with as many runners on base. Chicago is also hitting .240, one of the worst team averages in the league. His second start of the week is scheduled for Sunday Night Baseball in the Bronx against the Yankees. As previously mentioned, the Yanks are one of the worst offensive teams in baseball. It would be unwise to expect a complete season of this magnitude for Wright, but in his current form, he’s a solid streamer option for the coming week.

Bartolo Colon, NYM

vs Atlanta (5/2), @ San Diego (5/7)

At 19% Fleaflicker ownership, the final two-pitch streamer of the week is the ageless wonder himself, Bartolo Colon. The soon-to-be 43-year-old continues to remain relevant, even in the electric pitching rotation of the New York Mets. After making a relief appearance on opening night, Colon has made four starts, with two of them being quality outings. His current K/9 rate of 7.99 is his highest since — you guessed it — 2001. Of course, the emphasis there is “current” as it’s not a safe bet that he'll continue at that pace. Colon is still keeping the home runs and walks low however, and can be still be relied on for quality.

His first opponent this week will be the Atlanta Braves. By now most of us are aware of the troubles the Braves have faced on offense. They’re ranked last in the league in home runs and total bases while ranking in the bottom 10 in runs, hits and average. At this point, any respectable pitcher should be expected to deliver quality against them. His second start of the week will come on the road against the Padres. San Diego has improved upon their early season offensive woes, but continue to be one of the least effective offenses in the National League. Having only had one start in his career at PetCo Park, it’s not clear how he’ll fare there. Still, the Padres strike out more than any team in the National League and are among the worst in drawing walks. That’s right up Colon’s alley, so expect quality once again.

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