RADIO
As a new week is upon us, it's time to get rid of that bench bat or middle reliever you have hanging around. Instead, maximize your roster slots with some pitchers who have two starts this week and are probably still available in your league.
Here are the top two-start pitchers to stream for Week 14 of the fantasy baseball season. This can be especially helpful for head-to-head (H2H) leagues, where every start can be that much more valuable. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to hit me up on Twitter @TroyKlauder.
As always, I will be selecting starting pitchers who are owned in 50% or less of ESPN leagues.
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Under the Radar Two-Start SP Streamers - Week 14
Aaron Nola, Philadelphia Phillies – owned in 44.5% of ESPN leagues
Projected starts: vs. PIT, vs. SD
If he's still available in your league, Aaron Nola is a must-add. While his 4.13 ERA on the season isn't ideal, he's been much better as of late, striking out 35 batters in his last 33 1/3 innings with a 3.24 ERA. Furthermore, his 3.14 Deserved Run Average, or DRA, this year suggests that he's been a much better pitcher than his ERA would give him credit for. The talented 24-year-old gets two fantastic matchups in Week 14 against the Pirates and the Padres. The Pirates have just a .311 wOBA against righties, which ranks them 22nd in the league. The Padres, meanwhile, are even worse with their .300 mark. The Padres also strike out more than any team in baseball against right-handers, with a 25.7% K-rate. This gives Nola lots of upside in the strikeout department alongside an opportunity for plenty of scoreless innings. Nola should be owned long-term in most formats, but he's at the very least worth a stream in Week 14.
Jerad Eickhoff, Philadelphia Phillies – owned in 6.3% of ESPN leagues
Projected starts: vs. PIT, vs. PIT
It's a double feature! Jerad Eickhoff gets the same matchups as his teammate Aaron Nola in Week 14, so he's worth a pickup as well, especially if Nola isn't available in your league. Eickhoff should be ready to go Tuesday as he returns from the disabled list. He's not the same quality of pitcher that Nola is, but with the same easy opponents, Eickhoff is streamer material.
Trevor Bauer, Cleveland Indians – owned in 31.2% of ESPN leagues
Projected starts: vs. SD, vs. DET
Trevor Bauer is another great streaming candidate for Week 14. Don't be scared off by his 5.24 ERA, as in his last 30 days, Bauer is rocking a much better 3.82 ERA. Bauer has loads of strikeout capability with his 25.7% K-rate, and his 3.71 xFIP is a more accurate representation of his true talent level. His first matchup is against the aforementioned Padres, who are just 28th in wOBA against righties. Bauer should rack up tons of strikeouts against them, before then taking on the Tigers. The Tigers lineup isn't nearly as frightening as you might imagine, as they are just 18th in wOBA versus righties at .319. They also have the ninth highest strikeout rate, fanning 22.8% of the time against righties. Streaming Bauer can get you the win in your strikeouts category while providing valuable innings.
Adalberto Mejia, Minnesota Twins – owned in 1.2% of ESPN leagues
Projected starts: vs. LAA, vs. BAL
It hasn't been all that pretty, but Adalberto Mejia has been effective over his last three starts, allowing just two earned runs in 15 1/3 innings. He's certainly not the safest streaming option, but especially in deeper leagues, Mejia can be a worthwhile pickup with his matchups in Week 14. In his first start, Mejia takes on the Angels, one of the worst lineups in the league against lefties. They have just a .293 wOBA against southpaws, which is 28th in the league. Mejia then gets the Orioles, who are 17th with their .312 wOBA. Fortunately, Mejia will be at home for both starts, away from the dangerous hitter's park in Baltimore. Mejia is nearly unowned across the board, so you can almost definitely get him in your league and take advantage of these matchups.
David Paulino, Houston Astros – owned in 4.6% of ESPN leagues
Projected starts: @ATL, @TOR
If you're looking strictly for strikeouts in Week 14, David Paulino is your guy. In his six starts, Paulino has a monster 26.6% K-rate. However, he's been bit by the home run bug, so Paulino is going to have to work on keeping the ball down. Neither lineup he's facing is actually all that tough, though - the Braves have a .313 wOBA versus righties, while the Blue Jays are at .311. That puts them at 20th and 23rd, respectively. If he can allow less hard contact, Paulino can be incredibly valuable, but even with just the strikeouts, he's worth a shot in deeper formats.
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