RADIO
With the fantasy baseball playoffs right around the corner, every game you get out of your starting pitchers becomes more and more important. While it's always smart to look at the waiver wire to try and find pitching sleepers and pad stats during the weekend, not every guy is worth picking up. With that in mind, here are the guys that I think you should and shouldn't add for this weekend's spot starts.
Best Starting Pitcher Streamers
Danny Duffy vs San Francisco
With a 1.19 ERA over his last 5 starts to go with a 2.17 K/BB rate, Duffy headlines the list of starting pitcher streaming options. He has been greatly consistent on the year and should be the same on Sunday, even against an opponent like the Giants. He might not be one to pitch a complete game (94 pitches through 5 IP in his last start) but is likely your best option to boost some stats on the average waiver wire if he's still available.
Erasmo Ramirez vs Chicago White Sox
Being recalled to start Sunday against the Sox, Ramirez has thrown 8 straight quality starts in AAA. His last major league outing he went 7 IP giving up 2 Runs with 10 Ks. He also beat out Taijuan Walker for the start on Sunday, meaning Seattle is showing confidence in him. You should too.
Jorge De La Rosa vs Arizona
He did not have the best outing his last time out, giving up 4 runs in 6 2/3 innings. Yet he still has a 2.81 ERA over the last 30 days with 29 Ks in 32 innings. With a favorable matchup against Arizona, I'd roll the dice with De La Rosa on this one.
Brandon McCarthy vs Cleveland
I know this seems like a no brainer considering his hot streak since joining the Yankees, yet with him only being owned in 36% of leagues, there are still a lot of doubters. Since joining the Evil Empire, McCarthy has a 4-0 record with a 2.28 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 25 Ks in 23.2 IP. I'd say he's worth the add until he cools off or gets hurt again.
Worst Starting Pitcher Streamers
Dillon Gee vs Philadelphia
Gee was alright against the Giants his last time out, but has been up and down recently since coming off the DL. After a great start to the season, he has a 6.85 ERA over his last 22.1 IP. I'm not saying that he can't have another nice outing, he just doesn't seem to be worth the risk that comes with starting him today.
Clay Buchholz vs Los Angeles Angels
I love the guy, but let's run through the list of reasons not to start him. 1) 6.20 ERA & 1.61 WHIP on the year. 2) Manager John Farrell has said Buchholz's lack of production is not due to an injury, meaning he has been pitching poorly out of a lack of stuff. 3) He's opposing Garrett Richards. 4) He faces a very potent Angels offense. Leave this one alone boys and girls.
Jason Hammel vs Minnesota
He did pitch well in his last start with 5 2/3 of shutout ball, but the rest of his time in Oakland has been horrible. He has a 8.15 ERA since being traded and really can't be trusted right now. If you already have him in a deeper league, he shouldn't be outright dropped. I would just like more of a positive sample from Hammel pitching in the AL before I play him on my team.
Kevin Gausman vs St. Louis
Despite getting the start on Sunday, Gausman is expected to either be demoted back to AAA or moved to the bullpen after the game. While the move has more to do with the activation of Ubaldo Jimenez from the DL and less to do with his performance, Gausman is still a risky start against the Cards. With just 16 Ks over his last 28 IP, and an average 4.08 ERA, there isn't much to gain from adding Gausman for this start.
What do you guys think? Should I do this feature more often along with the 2 start pitchers every week? I feel like the closer we get to the fantasy playoffs the more each start matters.
