RADIO
Quality over quantity. Every fantasy owner knows this. But when looking at the starting pitcher free agent waiver wire for the coming week, ideally you would like to have a guy that is going to be on the mound more than once. Most teams are going to have a couple of starters pitching twice in a given week, which in turn raises their value as a streaming option and weekly sleepers. In this weekly column, I’ll be looking at my top five two-start pitchers that you should consider streaming for your fantasy teams for the approaching week.
Of note, these players are selected based off pitchers who are projected to pitch twice in the coming week and are owned in less than 50% of Fleaflicker and Yahoo leagues.
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.
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Two-Start Pitchers to Consider Streaming
Brett Anderson, SP, LAD
@SF on 4/21, @SD on 4/26
Brett Anderson is my biggest add for you this week. Owned in only 7% of Fleaflicker leagues, everybody should be adding him for his two starts this week. He might not be the best pitcher on waivers, but he does have value at two pitcher friendly parks in San Francisco and San Diego. In 11 innings of work so far this season, Anderson has seven K’s and just two walks, picking up a win his last time out against the Mariners. In his two starts so far, Anderson has a 3.27 ERA with a 1.18 WHIP.
While those aren’t exactly All-Star caliber numbers, it is a great sign for Anderson. Coming off an injury plagued 2014 with the Rockies that ended with back surgery, he still had an impressive 2.91 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, a 29:13 K:BB rate, and five quality starts in eight chances. When Anderson is healthy, he shows he is still capable of pitching at the high level from earlier in his career. He is still only 27 years old, and after essentially shutting down the M’s offense minus a Nelson Cruz home run, I have confidence in him this week to continue his productivity.
Drew Pomeranz, SP, OAK
@LAA on 4/21, vs HOU on 4/26
Transitioning from Brett Anderson to the pitcher who was traded for him, we are at Drew Pomeranz. His weekend start against Houston is better for him than Tuesday’s in Los Angeles against the high-powered Angels offense. In his last start versus the Astros, he gave up four runs in five innings and took the loss. Yet in his first start, he went seven scoreless innings against the Mariners, giving up just two hits. In those 12 combined innings, Pomeranz has a 11:1 K:BB rate, picking up from his 2014 season where he ended the year with a 64:26 rate. In 2014, he also had a 2.35 ERA in 20 starts, making him one of my favorite waiver wire pickups.
Pomeranz is available in 63% of Fleaflicker leagues, so it is likely he is available for you this week. Much like his trade partner Anderson, Pomeranz is not a fantasy stud by any means. However, if he keeps the walks down like he has, he is valuable to any owner looking for quality innings on the waiver wire.
Anthony DeSclafini, SP, CIN
@MIL on 4/20, vs CHC on 4/25
Heading into last week, I did not really believe in Anthony DeSclafini. He proved me wrong with a two-hit shutout performance, striking out five and walking two while picking up the win at Wrigley Field. This marked back-to-back quality starts, as he gave up his only two runs of the season against the Pirates in a no decision. Heading into this week, he is holding a 1.38 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and an 11:3 K:BB rate in 13 innings.
Facing the Brewers in Milwaukee might seem like a challenge, but the loss of Carlos Gomez makes DeSclafini that much more viable for Monday. He has also proved he can beat the Cubs. DeSclafini, who just celebrated his 25th birthday on Saturday, could very well be a solid fantasy option all season long. While that might be the case, my job is to look at him for the coming week, and I’m giving DeSclafini the green light this week for you waiver wire streamers out there.
Edinson Volquez, SP, KC
vs MIN on 4/20, @CHW on 4/25
Finally an option who I not only like, but also has two plus matchups. Edinson Volquez has already faced both of these teams in his first two starts this season. Starting the year against the Sox, he went eight innings, giving up just one run on four hits, while striking out five and walking one. More recently in Minnesota, Volquez had another quality start against the Twins. He went seven and two thirds, giving up three runs on four hits, seven K’s and one BB.
Volquez, 31, has a career 4.41 ERA along with 947 K and 522 BB. However in 2013 with the Pirates, he went 13-7 with a career low 3.04, while throwing 140 K and 71 BB. Now in his 11th major league season, Volquez won’t be surprising anybody with his stuff. He does seem to have picked up where he left off in 2014. While facing the White Sox at U.S. Cellular does have a risk to it, plugging him early this week against the Twins is a must.
Alfredo Simon, SP, DET
vs NYY on 4/20, vs CLE on 4/25
Alfredo Simon is appropriately my last streaming option on this list. I see him as the biggest risk of the group while still having the potential to have a great week. Having already faced the Indians in his first start of the year, he gave up three runs in five and a third innings while still getting a win thanks to the Tigers’ offense. His next time against the Pirates, he was stellar, going eight scoreless innings giving up just two hits. One downside to this was in both games, Simon had a combined five strikeouts.
Much like Volquez, I love Simon for one start, while not so much for the other. The Yankees are only 5-6, in last place in the AL East, but are also averaging over 4.5 runs a game this year. Similarly, the Indians are at the bottom of the AL Central, while their offense has suffered due to injuries to Michael Brantley and Yan Gomes. While I am still starting Simon against the Yankees, I am much more confident in him later in the week.
Those are my top five streaming options for the upcoming week. I would add that if you have a chance to add a pitcher such as Wily Peralta or Matt Shoemaker, they are also quality streaming options just as the starters listed. They just didn’t meet the ownership requirements for this column. As always, feel free to ping me on Twitter @JustBerglund with questions.
