RADIO
Michael Grennell analyzes under-the-radar starting pitchers (SP) making two starts in Week 22 as possible streamers and waiver wire adds or targets for fantasy baseball.
Prepare yourself for a rookie heavy column this week, as three of the five starters listed here still have rookie eligibility.
But first a quick recap. I managed to have the absolute worst luck in Week 20, as every single pitcher in that column had their starts moved around and as a result had only one start in that week. That being said, Ivan Nova was the clear frontrunner from the bunch after tossing a complete-game shutout against the Astros. As for Week 21, Dakota Hudson is out in front now after throwing 6 2/3 scoreless innings against the Brewers with seven strikeouts.
Now that that's out of the way, let's take a look at this week's streaming options.
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Week 22 Streamers - Under 50% Owned
Cal Quantrill, SDP - 51% owned
Probable opponents: vs LAD, @ SFG
Quantrill has been riding a hot streak over his last seven games, going 4-2 in that span with a 1.79 ERA and 34 strikeouts over 40 1/3 innings. In his last outing against Cincinnati, Quantrill allowed three runs over six innings while tying his career-high with nine strikeouts.
He'll open up the week at home against the Dodgers, as he faces off against Los Angeles for the second time this year. Earlier this month Quantrill earned the loss after allowing four runs — two earned — with three strikeouts over five innings against the Dodgers. He's likely in for another challenging start, as the Dodgers are averaging 5.5 runs per game and hitting .254 over their last 10 games. Despite that, Quantrill could still be in for decent value as the Dodgers are averaging 9.5 strikeouts over their last 10 games and they are also hitting slightly worse on the road (.252 average, .808 OPS) than at home (.266, .824). After Los Angeles, Quantrill will travel up the California coast to take on the Giants for the third time this season. In his first two starts against San Francisco, Quantrill is 1-0 with a 3.72 ERA and eight strikeouts over 9 2/3 innings. That being said, the Giants have also been on a tear on offense as they are averaging 6.1 runs while hitting .281 over their last 10 games, but they are also averaging 8.7 strikeouts per game in that span. And on top of that, the Giants are actually hitting worse at home (.228 average, .658 OPS) than on the road (.255, .763).
This will be a tough week for Quantrill as he faces a couple of high-scoring offenses. He should be able to provide solid strikeout potential however, and if he can keep the Dodgers and Giants' offenses in check he could end up as one of the better streaming options in Week 22.
Dustin May, LAD - 28% owned
Probable opponents: @ SDP, @ ARI
Three starts into his major league career and May has already shown he can be an effective streaming option in fantasy. May is 1-1 with a 2.65 ERA and 15 strikeouts over 17 innings against the Padres, Cardinals and Marlins, but he earned a loss in his last appearance out of the bullpen where he allowed four runs over two innings against the Braves.
May's first start of the week will come against the Padres, against whom he earned his first loss in his first career start after allowing four runs — three earned — over 5 2/3 innings. He should fare better in this rematch though, as the Padres are averaging 3.5 runs and 10.1 strikeouts while hitting .222 over their last 10 games. After San Diego, May will head on the road once again to take on the Diamondbacks for the first time in his career. This has the potential to be another good start for May, as Arizona is averaging 4.3 runs and 7.4 strikeouts over their last 10 games while hitting .219. On top of that, the Diamondbacks are hitting significantly worse against right-handed starters (.248 average, .753 OPS) than against left-handers (.276, .816).
While he has fewer starts under his belt than Quantrill, May could end up outperforming him in Week 22 going up against a pair of weaker offenses. Quantrill has the slight edge on strikeout potential, but May should be the safer bet for ERA.
Week 22 Streamers - Under 25% Owned
Anthony DeSclafani, CIN - 24% owned
Probable opponents: @ MIA, @ STL
While DeSclafani has been inconsistent in the ERA department this season, he has been providing plenty of strikeout value with a 9.2 K/9 over 128 2/3 innings. He'll start off the week in Miami, as he comes off back-to-back outings allowing just one run over five or more innings against the Pirates and the Cardinals. The Marlins should provide a good matchup for DeSclafani, because despite the fact they are averaging 4.9 runs per game over their last 10 games, Miami is also averaging 9.1 strikeouts in that span and they are hitting worse against right-handed starters (.237 average, .657 OPS) than left-handers (.257, .699). After Miami, DeSclafani will take on the Cardinals for the sixth time this year in what should be another good start for him. Over five starts against St. Louis, DeSclafani is 2-1 with a 2.42 ERA and 31 strikeouts over 26 innings.
Out of the three guys in the "Under 25%" section this week, DeSclafani might be the best of the bunch for Week 22. He's got solid strikeout potential, and with his success against St. Louis this season he might be the safest bet out of the entire column this week.
Sandy Alcantara, MIA - 10% owned
Probable opponents: vs CIN, @ WAS
After a rough stretch of starts in July, Alcantara has settled down and has put together his best month of the season. Over four starts in August, Alcantara has posted a 2.36 ERA with 19 strikeouts over 26 2/3 innings of work against Atlanta, New York and Colorado. He'll start off Week 22 against the Reds, who are averaging 3.4 runs and 9.3 strikeouts per game while hitting .252 over their last 10 games. While Alcantara will likely have a good outing against Cincinnati, it's his start against Washington that will be cause for some concern for owners. Over their last 10 games, the Nationals are averaging an absurd 9.7 runs per game while hitting .331 in that span. Not only that, but Alcantara has already faced them three times this year and has gone 0-3 with a 6.48 ERA against Washington.
Alcantara is this week's "One good start, one bad start" choice. That start against the Reds should be a good fantasy outing for him, but the combination of the Nationals' red-hot offense plus Alcantara's poor performance against them will give owners some pause. If you're willing to risk the hit to your ERA, Alcantara should be a good strikeout potential only choice for Week 22.
Steven Brault, PIT - 6% owned
Probable opponents: @ PHI, @ COL
Despite the recent struggles Pittsburgh has gone through, Brault has been one of the better pitchers in the Pirates' rotation over the last month. Over his last four starts, Brault has posted a 3.52 ERA and 8.2 K/9 over 23 innings despite going 0-2 in that span. He'll start off Week 22 against the Phillies, who have averaged 6.3 runs and 9.8 strikeouts over their last 10 games to go 7-3 in that span. Brault should get a slight benefit from Philadelphia's batting splits though, as the Phillies are hitting slightly worse against left-handed starters than right-handed starters (.244 vs .247) and they are striking out at a slightly higher rate against southpaws (23.5 percent vs 22.5 percent). In his second start of the week, Brault will face a Colorado offense which is averaging 5.3 runs and 7.7 strikeouts over their last 10 games. He should once again benefit from the Rockies splits, as they are hitting worse against left-handed starters than right-handers (.264 vs .270) and striking out at a significantly higher rate against lefties than righties (26.4 percent vs 21.8 percent).
Owners should look for another solid week of value from Brault against the Phillies and the Rockies. DeSclafani still stands out as the best choice from this section, but Brault should absolutely be the second choice from this group, and conveniently he's available in virtually every league.
