This is a bizarre week of scheduling. Only a handful of teams are playing seven games this week, with nearly as many playing just five games. That’s frustrating from a fantasy perspective and picking streamers, but we still have some teams with some brilliant matchups. There’s one team that has the best week of scheduling all season, so let’s start by looking at who that is!
Favorable Team Matchups
7 Games
Minnesota Twins (vs. COL, vs. OAK) ***
New York Yankees (at KC, at BOS)
Seattle Mariners (vs. CWS, vs. TEX)
6 Games
Arizona Diamondbacks (vs. LAA, vs. CWS)
Colorado Rockies (at MIN, vs. PIT)
Los Angeles Dodgers (vs. TEX, vs. KC)
Miami Marlins (at NYM, at WAS)
Milwaukee Brewers (vs. TOR, vs. CIN)
Pittsburgh Pirates (at STL, at COL)
San Diego Padres (vs. OAK, at NYM)
Pitching Streamers
Chris Paddack, MIN (vs. COL, vs. OAK)
If you asked me what the optimal two matchups would be for one of our streamers, I’d say home matchups with the Rockies and A’s would be near the top of the list! That’s exactly the scenario we have this week for Paddack, who is likely entering both of these games as a -200 favorite or higher. The season-long numbers from Paddack look pitiful on the surface but it was three starts against the Yankees and Orioles that did him in. If you take out those stinkers, Paddack has provided a 3.02 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and 8.9 K/9 rate in his other nine starts. He should be able to maintain comparable averages against these pitiful offenses, with Colorado ranked last in runs scored, OPS, and wOBA on the road in three of the last four years, while Oakland sits 29th in K rate and 28th in runs scored.
Streamonator Valuation: $83.3!!!
I’ve never seen one of our streamers above $50, let alone $80!
Mitchell Parker, WAS (at DET)
Parker has not gotten enough credit for what he’s doing in Washington. The lefty has allowed three runs or fewer in all 10 starts, generating a 3.47 ERA and 1.05 WHIP. He’s also recorded at least five Ks in three of his last four starts and should keep cruising in a road matchup against Detroit. Not only is Comerica Park one of the most pitcher-friendly environments in baseball, but the Motor City Kitties sit 23rd in K rate, 25th in wOBA, and 26th in OBP. Some might be worried about some negative regression, but a 3.44 FIP and 3.46 xFIP indicate that he’s actually pitching below expectations!
Streamonator Valuation: $-27.3
Tylor Megill, NYM (vs. MIA)
Megill was roughed up in his most recent start, but that was an outlier. The righty only allowed three total runs through his first three starts, providing a 1.69 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 11.3 K/9 rate in that span. Those numbers are less surprising when looking at his remarkable rehab assignment, registering a 0.64 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, and 14.8 K/9 rate before being reinstated off the IL. We love that since he faces a minor league lineup this week, with Miami ranked 29th in runs scored, OBP, wOBA, and OPS. It’s also a home start for Megill in one of the most spacious ballparks, with the righty throwing six scoreless innings in his last home start against Miami last year!
Streamonator Valuation: $19.4
Lance Lynn, STL (vs. PIT)
Lynn is not the most exciting option at the back end of his career, but this guy can still provide some value as one of our streamers. The veteran allowed two runs or fewer in six of his final 10 starts after being traded last season and has carried that over into this season behind his 3.58 ERA. That’s on par with the guy we saw in the past, with Lynn posting a 3.42 ERA and 1.12 WHIP between 2019 and 2022. That one nightmarish season with Chicago is the only thing that has hurt his averages, but a matchup with Pittsburgh should keep him on the right track. The Pirates are in the bottom five in OBP, runs scored, and wOBA since the opening month of the season!
Streamonator Valuation: $11.4
Spencer Arrighetti, HOU (at SF, vs. DET)
I never thought we would recommend Arrighetti as one of our streamers after his horrific start to the season, but he’s showing some encouraging signs. The righty has allowed just one run over his last two starts, registering a 3.55 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, and 10.7 K/9 rate across his last five starts. We saw this guy record 325 strikeouts across 253 innings in the minors, and that strikeout stuff makes him intriguing in this two-start week. Facing San Fran in ORACLE Park is beneficial for any pitcher, while Detroit has some disastrous averages mentioned in the Parker write-up!
Streamonator Valuation: $6.9
Hitting Streamers
Max Kepler/Alex Kiriloff/Trevor Larnach, MIN (vs. COL, vs. OAK)
We almost never do this, but we had to include all of these Minnesota bats. It’s easy to understand why when looking at these matchups because the Twins should go nuts with this sensational schedule. Having seven home games is one thing, but all of them against Colorado and Oakland is simply ridiculous. The Rockies rank last in ERA and WHIP, while the A’s are 19th in ERA and 21st in WHIP. The reason we’re reccomending the three lefty bats for Minnesota is that they’re projected to face five righties this week!
Facing five bad righties should make all of these guys enticing streamers, with Kepler looking like the best option of the bunch. He had an OPS above .900 before struggling the last three weeks and has a career OPS just below .800 against right-handers. That’s why he always bats cleanup in these circumstances! We like Larnach as the second-best option, hitting leadoff against righties. He’s earned that prominent lineup spot behind his .795 OPS against right-handers. Kiriloff is the risky one with how poor he’s been hitting but he had a .373 OBP and .858 OPS against righties last year.
Joc Pederson, ARI (vs. LAA, vs. CWS)
Pederson has been one of our streamers numerous times throughout his career simply because he’s developed into a platoon player. That leaves him on most waiver wires, but we love to use Joc when he faces a bunch of righties. That’s what we have this week, with Arizona projected to face five righties in this six-game week! It’s no scary group of right-handers, matching up with guys like Jose Soriano, Griffin Canning, Chris Flexen, John Woodford, and Erick Fedde. That’s why Chicago sits 29th in ERA and WHIP while LA ranks 24th in wOBA and 27th in ERA. We haven’t even talked about Pederson, providing a .383 OBP and .875 OPS with the platoon advantage in his favor this season. That’s why he bats third for the D’Backs, and he should be in line for 25 at-bats this week against such poor pitching.
SAGNOF (Saves/Steals Ain’t Got No Face)
Steals Specialists
Jake McCarthy (ARI)
McCarthy has been playing nearly every day recently, picking up six steals over his last 12 games. This guy has at least 23 steals in back-to-back years despite playing fewer than 100 games in both of those. He also benefits from the matchups mentioned in the Pederson write-up!
Johan Rojas (PHI)
Rojas doesn’t do anything outside of stealing bases but that’s all that really matters when we’re talking about a SAGNOF guy! The everyday centerfielder is up to 14 steals this season, recording five of those over his last 13 games.
Saves Specialists
Yimi Garcia (TOR)
This is really the only viable option sitting on waiver wires right now, with Yimi filling in for the injured Jordan Romano. He’s picked up the last two saves for Toronto over his last three outings, tallying a 2.16 ERA, 0.72 WHIP, and 11.9 K/9 rate. This is only a two-week fill-in but Garcia is a great option for saves.
Feel free to comment here or reach me on Twitter @Bartilottajoel if you have any questions!
