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Welcome to RotoBaller's weekly article of two-start pitcher streamers for 2020! Successfully streaming pitchers can literally be a game-changer when it comes to fantasy baseball. When it comes to daily leagues, two-start streams aren't that important, since you can stream every day. But when it comes to weekly leagues, two-start streams become exponentially more important.
With that said, what do we look for when it comes to streaming pitchers? Well, there are a lot of aspects. When looking at the actual pitcher, how have they performed lately? Have they made a pitch-mix change? Have they had a recent velocity bump? Reviewing pitchers every day on your own time will be very useful.
You also want to play matchups by looking at recent trends of the pitcher's opponent. How does their lineup perform when at home versus away? What has their wRC+ been in the last week or two? Have they been striking out a lot? Matchups are key when it comes to streaming. With all of that said, let's take a look at our picks, which we are going to rank in order with corresponding tiers. Also, note that all options below are under 30% rostered.
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Stream With Confidence
Michael Pineda, MIN (21% rostered)
vs DET, vs CLE
Analysis: Well that was quite the comeback start for Michael Pineda. Most shockingly they let him throw six innings which was interesting because most people thought he would be on a pitch count limit. Here is the thing about Pineda, he hasn't had a sub-four ERA in the last four seasons. Pineda has always had a home run problem and at age 31 I don't see him resolving that problem. Pineda is in fact a solid a streaming option though. He draws two good matchups in the Tigers and Indians. My worry with the Tigers is they do hit a lot of home runs, but they also swing a lot. Expect Pineda to get through both of these starts with ease.
Trevor Richards, TBR (2% rostered)
@WSN, vs BOS
Analysis: It has been a while since we saw Richards as a starter. Everyone should be happy as he has a lot of talent and a lethal changeup. In two starts this year he holds a 4.05 ERA and has only allowed two runs in each of those starts. Richards is a viable streamer moving forward and the Nationals aren't great against right-handed hitters and the Red Sox have been a bottom ten offense all year.
Stream With Some Risk
Michael Fulmer, DET (2% rostered)
@MIN, @CHW
Analysis: In his last two starts, Fulmer has produced a 3.00 ERA and 2.80 FIP. Shockingly these are two great matchups for Fulmer. The White Sox aren't great against right-handed pitching and the Twins have actually been bottom ten in the league in wRC+ in the last seven days. The caveat here is that this is strictly a ratios play. The Tigers aren't letting Fulmer go over three innings as they are trying to protect him and his arm. If you want to stream someone for good ratios and high strikeout upside, Fulmer is your man.
Kolby Allard, TX (2% rostered)
@SEA, vs OAK
Analysis: Allard holds a three-pitch mix with a solid four-seam, okay cutter, and decent changeup. The changeup has a -18 wRC+ against and holds a decent drop in velocity compared to his fastball. Overall Allard's ERA comes with a 3.78 FIP and 58.2 LOB% which screams positive regression. Basically Allard is a decent pitcher and a good one to stream. The Mariners swing and miss often and this should be a nice smooth and easy start for Allard. His matchup with the Athletics is a toss-up.
J.A. Happ, NYY (26% rostered)
@TOR, vs BAL
Analysis: Did you know in Happ's last three starts he holds a 2.50 ERA, 3.75 FIP, and 13.6 K-BB%? Those are pretty decent numbers plus he plays for a team that should give him run support. Now don't get me wrong Happ is nothing more than a streamer. The start in Toronto (really Buffalo) will worry you but that start against the Orioles is a great one. They have been really struggling as of late and are bottom ten in OPS and wRC+.
Tyler Mahle, CIN (22% rostered)
@CHC, @STL
Analysis: Mike these are two tough matchups why would I stream Tyler Mahle? Well here is why. Mahle is starting to go towards his slider more and that slider has been great. Add in his stellar fastball and elite command and we could potentially be seeing a Tyler Mahle breakout.
Logan Webb, SFG (5% rostered)
vs SEA, @SDP
Analysis: Webb has had a bad case of a tough schedule as of late. In his last two starts, he has faced the Dodgers and the Rockies in Colorado. In the six starts before that, he has a 3.29 ERA, 3.14 FIP, and 22.0 K%. Webb is another pitcher with a solid changeup but unfortunately, it stops there. He has an average curveball and a really bad fastball. His fastball has a .414 wOBA against this year, yikes. With all of that said Webb draws the Mariners which are a solid matchup for him. The Padres though, not so much.
Do Not Stream
Robbie Erlin, ATL (1% rostered)
vs MIA, @WSN
Analysis: How about this mess of a rotation for the Atlanta Braves huh? Robbie Erlin should not be a starter and his 6.95 ERA, 6.41 FIP, and 5.74 xFIP show that.
Johan Oviedo, STL (4% rostered)
@CHC, vs CIN
Analysis: Oviedo hasn't been half bad producing a 4.30 ERA but the main issue with him is his command. His command can be wacky and if he doesn't have his pitches under control he could be heading downhill. The Cubs have been great and the Reds can be explosive, but in the right situation, he's a viable streamer.
Matt Harvey, KCR (0% rostered)
@CLE, vs PIT
Analysis: The dark knight needs to be left in the dark. Harvey is rostered 0% for a reason.
Jakob Junis, KCR (2% rostered)
@CLE, PIT
Analysis: Junis has been known for his slider, a pitch that could dominate games at times. That slider has not been nearly as productive. It had a 14.5 pVAL last year and currently has a -3.0 pVAL. While Cleveland and Pittsburgh haven't been great it is hard to rely on a pitcher who literally has one pitch. And that one pitch has been anything but great this year.
John Means, BAL (6% rostered)
@NYM, @NYY
Analysis: Means fastball velocity is up and he is showing some signs of improvement. The issue with Means is his command. He places his fastball over the middle of the plate way too often. He is trying to place it up in the zone but fails way too often and hold an atrocious 3.60 HR/9.
Alec Mills, CHC (25% rostered)
vs CIN, @MIL
Analysis: Mills has fallen pretty hard and in his last start he couldn't handle the Pirates. But his defense did fail him in that start and an error got overturned while it really was an error. With that said Mills is a great streamer but the Reds and Brewers scare me. Both those teams can hit a lot of home runs and Mills relies on weak contact so this might not end well.
Michael Wacha, NYM (4% rostered)
vs PHI, @TOR
Analysis: Talk about changeups, Wacha has one of the best changeups in the league. Wacha hasn't been great since coming back from an injury but his FIP calls for positive regression. The key with Wacha is limiting the walks and the Mets defense behind him. As far as streaming goes you have to take him against the right opponents and the Phillies and Blue Jays aren't them.
