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 17 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 17
Luis Castillo, Cincinnati Reds – owned in 18.7% of ESPN leagues
Projected starts: @NYY, @MIA
Reds rookie Luis Castillo has had an outstanding first six starts of his career, posting a 29.5% K-rate with a 3.86 ERA. This is especially impressive when you look at the matchups he's had, facing some of the toughest lineups in baseball: the Nationals, Brewers, Rockies, and Diamondbacks. Castillo can hit 100 with his fastball and has a nasty changeup/slider combo that gets lots of whiffs. His first start of the week will be another tough one against the Yankees, but he has proven that he can hang around against tough teams. His second start against the Marlins is where most of his value this week comes from. Miami has just a .319 wOBA against righties this year, ranking them 19th in the league, and Castillo gets to face them at Marlins Park, a great environment for pitchers. Castillo can provide you with plenty of strikeouts and solid ratio stats in Week 17, and in most leagues, he's worth hanging on to long-term.
Jordan Montgomery, New York Yankees – owned in 36.6% of ESPN leagues
Projected starts: vs. CIN, vs. TB
Yankees lefty Jordan Montgomery is a nice buy low candidate, as the 24-year-old has been roughed up lately, but has an easy week in front of him. Montgomery first faces off against the Reds, who are 14th in the league against left-handed pitching with their .320 wOBA. He then gets the Rays, who crush righties, but struggle against lefties. Their .306 wOBA versus southpaws ranks them at 20th in the league. The Rays are an especially good matchup because of their 26.5% strikeout rate against lefties, the highest mark in all of baseball. Montgomery was likely dropped in many leagues due to his recent performance, but now is the perfect time to be grabbing him, with two favorable matchups in Week 17.
Hyun-Jin Ryu, Los Angeles Dodgers – owned in 4.6% of ESPN leagues
Projected starts: vs. MIN, vs. SF
Hyun-Jin Ryu will be activated from the disabled list on Monday, and has an opportunity for a very productive two-start week. Ryu was on a roll in his three starts before hurting his foot, striking out 18 batters in 15 2/3 innings with a 3.45 ERA. He is ready to go against a Twins team whose weak-spot is their inability to hit lefties. The Twins have just a .303 wOBA against lefties, which puts them 21st in the league. Ryu then faces the Giants, who are even worse at .295, placing them 26th. Ryu faces two bottom-third teams in Week 17, and both are at home, in a pitcher's park at Dodger Stadium. Ryu is widely available and can prove to be quite useful.
Seth Lugo, New York Mets – owned in 14.3% of ESPN leagues
Projected starts: @SD, @SEA
Mets starter Seth Lugo has had two strong starts since joining the Mets rotation, throwing 13 1/3 innings with a 2.70 ERA. This gives him plenty of momentum rolling into Week 17, where he gets two good matchups. Facing the Padres at Petco Park is one of the best starts a fantasy owner can ask for. The Padres have a .306 wOBA against righties, ranking them 26th, while they strike out more than any team against righties at 25.6%. And of course, Petco is one of the best pitcher's parks in the game. He then faces the Mariners, who are 14th in the league with their .322 wOBA against righties. Grab Lugo while he's still available in your league.
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