Fantasy Baseball H2H Streamers – Week 17: I Mead Some Jameson And Mahle

After a week off from streamers, we’re back in action. It was actually funny to put together this streamers list because it’s a bunch of guys who have been regulars in this article for years. I’ve always been the type of fantasy player who leans towards veterans rather than unknown talents, and that couldn’t be more evident in these picks this week. Maybe I’m just stubborn, but who knows? In any case, let’s get the second half started with the favorable matchups and then dive into those streamers!

Favorable Team Matchups

7 Games

Arizona Diamondbacks (va. ATH, at WAS)

Atlanta Braves (vs. SD, at BAL)

Minnesota Twins (at CLE, vs. ATH)

San Diego Padres (at ATL, at MIA)

Tampa Bay Rays (at TOR, vs. CLE)

6 Games

Boston Red Sox (vs. BAL, vs. TOR)

Chicago White Sox (at TEX, vs. HOU)

Colorado Rockies (vs. WAS, at MIL)

Houston Astros (vs. MIA, at CWS)

Milwaukee Brewers (vs. NYM, vs. COL)

Washington Nationals (at COL, vs. ARI)

Pitching Streamers

Michael Wacha, KC (vs. SF, at DET)

Wacha was actually one of the first streamers I ever wrote up, but he’s quietly had a nice career over the last decade. After failing to live up to phenom status in St. Louis, he’s become a reliable veteran in KC. Wacha has a 3.77 ERA and 1.19 WHIP this year, while generating a 3.51 ERA and 1.18 WHIP over the last five seasons. His ERA has never reached 4.00 in that span, and his WHIP has never been above 1.22 either. That’s about as reliable as one of your streamers can get, and we love his two matchups this week. San Fran sits 21st in wOBA and 22nd in runs scored, while Detroit ranks 19th in wOBA, 21st in runs scored and 23rd in K rate.

Streamonator Valuation: $-5.7

Jameson Taillon, CHC (vs. DET, at PIT)

It’s funny how similar Taillon and Wacha’s careers have been. Both of these guys have been solid pitchers over the last decade, but neither has ascended towards ace territory despite some moments of brilliance. This righty for the Cubs is expected to return from the IL on Monday, maintaining a 3.45 ERA and 1.15 WHIP over the last two seasons. It’s only two duds this year that have kept Taillon from matching those averages because he has a 3.97 ERA and 1.15 WHIP if you take out those duds against two of the best offenses in baseball. It’s always risky to pick streamers coming off the IL, but this two-start week is a nice landing spot. We already discussed how soft the Motor City Kitties have been, but we also like that Taillon has a 3.59 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in his last five starts against the Pirates.

Streamonator Valuation: $NA

Bailey Ober, MIN (at CLE)

Don’t look at Ober’s velocity if you want to pick him as one of your streamers. This guy is throwing meatballs right now, but it seems like batters can’t pick it up. This right-hander has allowed four runs or fewer in 12 of 14 starts, with the two stinkers happening against the two highest-scoring teams in baseball. It’s funny how that happens, but Ober has a 3.34 ERA and 1.05 WHIP across those other 12 starts. The good news is that Cleveland is nowhere near those elite offenses, with the Guardians ranked 29th or 30th in runs scored, OPS, wOBA and xwOBA. Those numbers have fallen even further with Jose Ramirez and Angel Martinez sidelined, with Ober totaling a 3.06 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in 13 career starts against them.

Streamonator Valuation: $12.5

Tyler Mahle, SF (at KC, vs. LAA)

This is probably the riskiest pick of our streamers, but I believe in Mahle. This guy was a hero for me last season, generating a 2.18 ERA and 1.13 WHIP across 13 starts. That had me excited to see him sign with San Fran due to their ballpark, but it’s been rough for this righty. The good news is that he’s starting to find something, posting a 3.76 ERA and 1.25 WHIP across his last five starts. That culminated in a seven-run gem in his most recent outing, and we can’t overlook the fact that he has a 2.11 ERA and 1.13 WHIP at home over the last three years. A home start against an Angels team is awesome since they have the worst K rate in baseball, but the road start doesn’t worry us either. The Royals rank 20th in runs scored and 18th in wOBA.

Streamonator Valuation: $-9.5

Brady Singer, CIN (at SEA)

Singer has been one of our streamers numerous times since I started writing these articles a handful of years ago. The reason for that is his inconsistency, but we always like Singer whenever he gets hot. That’s what we’re seeing right now, with Singer sporting a 2.76 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 9.1 K/9 rate across his last eight starts. He also surrendered two runs or fewer in seven of those and should benefit from this ballpark switch. Cincy has one of the most hitter-friendly parks, while Seattle possesses one of the best pitcher’s parks. The Mariners also rank 22nd in K rate, 25th in wOBA and 28th in runs scored.

Streamonator Valuation: $6.6

Hitting Streamers

Curtis Mead, WAS (at COL, vs. ARI)

If we didn’t even look at the numbers and exclusively looked at the eternal variables, Mead would seemingly be rostered in every league. We’re talking about a guy who hits second or third every day for the highest-scoring team in baseball. That’s one major asset, but Mead is also eligible at nearly every infield position. That’s a ton in Mead’s favor, and we haven’t even discussed the statistics. This guy has a .348 OBP, .517 SLG, and .867 OPS in a breakout campaign. The averages have been even more absurd recently, with Mead maintaining a .500 OBP and 1.329 OPS across the last two weeks. That has him being picked up everywhere, and he needs to be rostered since he has a series in Coors Field this week against the worst pitching staff in baseball.

Trevor Larnach, MIN (at CLE, vs. ATH)

This is one of the most bizarre roster percentages I’ve seen all season. Larnach is still below 10 percent on Yahoo, and he deserves to be more than one of our streamers. This guy has become the everyday leadoff hitter for the Twins, tallying a .289 AVG, .381 OBP and .830 OPS this year. It’s the promotion to the leadoff spot that’s really changed Larnach’s season, posting a .375 AVG and 1.057 OPS since June 16. That’s a month of All-Star averages, and it seems like fantasy managers don’t even care. Having seven games against these pitching staffs is the icing on the cake because the A’s are 29th in ERA and WHIP, while Cleveland doesn’t necessarily concern us.

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

Steals Specialists

Kahlil Watson (CLE)

Watson has been in the heart of Cleveland’s lineup since they lost Ramirez and Martinez, recording six steals over his last eight outings.

Jasson Dominguez (NYY)

Dominguez has also been in the heart of NY’s lineup, picking up six steals over his last 23 fixtures.

Saves Specialists

Jacob Webb (CHC)

With Danny Palencia looking far from a return, Webb has three saves over his last five appearances and was the setup man before that injury.

Tyler Wells (BAL)

Wells has taken over this gig since Ryan Helseley landed on the IL, recording three saves over his last six outings. He’s also got a 0.98 ERA, 0.78 WHIP and 10.3 K/9 rate since June 1.

Grant Taylor (CWS)

Seranthony Dominguez has blown his opportunity to be Chicago’s closer, with Taylor picking up two saves over his last three outings. He also has some of the nastiest stuff in baseball, sporting a 12.5 K/9 rate.

Feel free to comment here or reach me on Twitter @Bartilottajoel if you have any questions! Also, feel free to check out my Waiver Wire article from yesterday!