Fantasy Baseball H2H Streamers – Week 9

I can’t complain about the results in Week 8. Most of our starters performed well, and the hitting streamers were also solid. We’re actually going to ride one of the same hitting steamers from last week, and it’s hard to believe some of these guys are still sitting on the waiver wires with how hot they are. With that in mind, let’s dive into this week’s favor

 

ble matchups and then look at those streamers!

Favorable Team Matchups

7 Games

Tampa Bay Rays (vs. MIN, at HOU)

Toronto Blue Jays (at TEX, vs. ATH)

6 Games

Arizona Diamondbacks (vs. PIT, vs. WAS)

Baltimore Orioles (vs. STL, vs. CWS)

Chicago Cubs (vs. COL, vs. CIN)

New York Mets (vs. CWS, vs. COL)

St. Louis Cardinals (at BAL, at TEX)

San Diego Padres (vs. MIA, vs. PIT)

Pitching Streamers

Luis Ortiz, CLE (vs. LAA)

Ortiz was obliterated in his debut against the Padres, but we’ve learned a ton since then. Not only have we learned that San Diego is a stingy offense, but we’ve also learned that Ortiz is better than that start would indicate. Over his last seven starts, Ortiz has a 3.58 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 11.2 K/9 rate. His home splits are even better, sporting a 2.42 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 12.9 K/9 rate in Cleveland this season. We’d be excited to use him against anyone with those impressive strikeout numbers, but LA is one of the best matchups in baseball right now. The Angels rank 21st in wOBA while posting the lowest OBP and highest K rate in the league (28 percent).

Streamonator Valuation: $15.2

Hayden Birdsong, SF (vs. DET, at MIA)

Birdsong was one of our streamers at times last season, and we’re excited that he’s stepping into this San Fran rotation. The righty has been unstoppable out of the bullpen this year, posting a 1.91 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 9.3 K/9 rate. He’s also got a 1.29 ERA and 1.10 WHIP, while throwing five scoreless innings in his first start of the season a few days ago. Birdsong allowed three runs or fewer in 13 of his 16 starts last season, posting a sensational 11.0 K/9 rate. That’s why Birdsong might not be on the waiver wire much longer, especially since he has a two-start week in two of the most spacious ballparks in the sport. The Detroit matchup can be daunting, but we’ll discuss the Miami matchup in the next write-up.

Streamonator Valuation: $-24.3

Randy Vasquez, SD (vs. MIA, vs. PIT)

I hate to say this, but I don’t even think Vasquez is a good pitcher. That’s a good indicator of how much we value these two matchups, with Vasquez getting two home games against two of the worst offenses in the league. Let’s start there, with Miami ranked 23rd in runs scored while Pittsburgh sits 29th or 30th in runs scored, OPS and wOBA. That’s scary in a park like San Diego, especially with how much better Vasquez has looked recently. The righty has allowed two runs or fewer in eight of 10 starts, registering a 2.13 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in those outings. Some of those were against some of the best offenses in baseball, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Vasquez enter these magical matchups as a -200 favorite!

Streamonator Valuation: $-28.7

Dean Kremer, BAL (vs. CWS)

We had Kremer as one of our streamers a few weeks ago when he had a great home matchup, and that might be a recipe we ride all season. Camden Yards has developed into one of the most pitcher-friendly environments in MLB, with Kremer compiling a 2.50 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in four starts there this season. That’s closer to the guy we’ve seen over recent years, collecting a 3.85 ERA and 1.27 WHIP over the last three seasons. While we’re talking about a league-average pitcher, anyone like this can be successful in a home matchup with the White Sox. Chicago sits last in runs scored, OBP, OPS and wOBA since the start of last season. Don’t be surprised to see Kremer as a -250 favorite as well!

Streamonator Valuation: $12.9

Jameson Taillon/Cade Horton, CHC (vs. COL)

Taillon was one of our streamers last week, and we’re going right back to the well. The righty is having a renaissance in Chicago, tallying a 3.44 ERA and 1.01 WHIP since the opener. That’s on par with the 3.27 ERA and 1.13 WHIP he had last year, making him one of the most underrated pitchers in the league. Not to mention, Taillon has totaled a 2.29 ERA and 1.03 WHIP at home in that same span.

As for Horton, he’s allowed three runs or fewer in all three starts and is coming off a one-run gem in his most recent outing. That’s the stud who had a 1.24 ERA and 0.86 WHIP across six starts at Triple-A this season. The best part about this is a home matchup with the Rockies, who rank 29th in runs scored and K rate while posting the worst xwOBA in MLB. They’re also traditionally much worse outside of Coors Field and could make both of these guys -300 favorites!

Streamonator Valuation: $58/$32.5

Hitting Streamers

Daulton Varsho, TOR (at TEX, vs. ATH)

I used to love drafting Varsho when he was catcher-eligible in fantasy, but he hasn’t really been relevant since then. The good news is that something has changed this season, with Varsho hitting cleanup in Toronto. He’s earned that prominent lineup spot with some splendid play, sporting a .235 AVG, .706 SLG and .934 OPS across his last eight games. That power potential has been there all season, with Varsho amassing a .606 SLG in 18 games since his season debut. The best part about this is that he’s on one of only two games with seven games this week, and it’s the better matchups of those two clubs.

Matt Shaw, CHC (vs. COL, vs. CIN)

A nightmarish start to the season sent Shaw back to the minors, but this top prospect looks much better in his return to this level. While it’s a small sample size, Shaw has doubled in three of his first four games since being recalled. That shows the sort of potential this kid has, with Shaw providing a .391 OBP, .532 SLG and .923 OPS across 186 minor league games. He also had 36 homers and 53 steals, showcasing why many believe he has the ability to be a 20-30 player in the majors. The best part of this is the matchups because he gets six home games against Colorado and Cincinnati. The Rockies rank 29th or 30th in ERA, WHIP and wOBA while avoiding Hunter Greene in the Reds rotation.

Ryan O’Hearn, BAL (vs. STL, vs. CWS)

There were some comments about O’Hearn in last week’s article because he plays for the O’s, but he provided us with another solid week as one of our streamers. The righty masher has been in the heart of Baltimore’s lineups every day, generating a .317 AVG, .403 OBP,  .511 SLG and .914 OPS in a breakout season. He’s also got a multi-hit game in five of his last eight outings, obtaining a .500 OBP and .984 OPS in that outstanding stretch. We’d be happy to use him against anyone, but O’Hearn faces six righties this week! This lefty has a .408 OBP and .948 OPS with the platoon advantage in his favor this season, and also has an OPS above .800 against righties since 2023.

SAGNOF (Saves/Steals Ain’t Got No Face)

Steals Specialists

Jose Caballero (TB)

Caballero was one of the league leaders in steals last season, swiping 44. He quietly has 15 steals as a reserve player this year, but he’s been playing nearly every day over the last week, leading to six steals over Caballero’s last seven games!

Chase Meidroth (CWS)

It’s rare to find a leadoff hitter on the waiver wire, but that’s the nature of the White Sox. In any case, steals are steals, with Meidroth recording a steal in five of his last seven outings while tallying a .465 OBP across his last 10 games.

Saves Specialists

Daniel Palencia (CHC)

Who knows who will close with Ryan Pressly in the doghouse, but Palencia looks like the best bet. He’s picked up scoreless outings in 11 of his last 12 appearances, harvesting Chicago’s most recent save a few days ago.

Shawn Armstrong (TEX)

Part of me believes that Luke Jackson is still this team’s closer, but Armstrong is definitely worth a speculative add. Jackson has three losses over his last nine outings, posting a 9.53 ERA and 2.47 WHIP in that span. That led to Armstrong picking up two saves when Jackson was injured, and he looks like the preferred option if Luke loses his job.

Feel free to comment here or reach me on Twitter @Bartilottajoel if you have any questions!