Fantasy Baseball H2H Streamers – Week 2

We kicked off the season with a solid opening week of streamers. Almost all of our pitchers performed well, but the hitters were all over the map. That tends to be the most likely outcome when providing streamers because predicting pitchers is much easier than predicting hitters. It feels strange to say that since the bats tend to have larger sample sizes, but matchups play an essential role when it comes to the arms. With that in mind, let’s start by looking at the favorable schedules for next week!

Favorable Team Matchups

7 Games

Boston Red Sox (vs. TOR, at CWS)

Toronto Blue Jays (at BOS, at BAL)

6 Games

Cleveland Guardians (vs. CWS, vs. KC)

Los Angeles Dodgers (at WAS, vs. CHC)

Milwaukee Brewers (at COL, at ARI)

New York Mets (vs. MIA, at ATH)

Philadelphia Phillies (at ATL, at STL)

San Diego Padres (at ATH, vs. COL)

Pitching Streamers

Brady Singer, CIN (vs. PIT)

Singer was sensational in his first start of the season, and we’ve seen this guy go on some crazy runs in the past. The righty had a 2.88 ERA and 1.16 WHIP through the opening four months of last season. That’s on par with the 3.23 ERA and 1.14 WHIP we saw in 2022, and a fresh start in Cincy could get him back to that form. Seven scoreless innings in his Reds debut is an encouraging start, and he should be able to build off that against the Pirates. Pittsburgh ranked 24th in runs scored, 26th in OBP, 27th in OPS and 28th in wOBA last season. One more big start from Singer, and he might get picked up in every league.

Streamonator Valuation: $29.1

Zack Littell, TB (vs. LAA)

Littell has been in this article as much as anyone over the last two seasons, and it’s hard to understand why the fantasy community is sleeping on this guy. The Rays righty has a 3.80 ERA and 1.22 WHIP over the last two seasons. He’s carried that form over in the opening weeks, with Littell posting a 4.15 ERA and 0.92 WHIP through two starts. You can’t ask for much from one of your streamers, and a home matchup with the Angels should keep Littell heading in the right direction. Los Angeles was 27th or 28th in OBP, runs scored, OPS and xwOBA last season. We also don’t mind that Littell has a 2.79 ERA and 1.06 WHIP at home since the start of last season.

Streamonator Valuation: $-0.3

Ben Lively, CLE (vs. CWS)

Lively was one of our favorite streamers at times last season, and it’s hard to believe he’s still so widely available. The right-hander allowed three runs or fewer in 24 of 29 starts last year, posting a 3.81 ERA and 1.25 WHIP. That’s what we’ve become accustomed to from all the Cleveland starters, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Lively become a must-roster player. The best part of this is a home matchup with Chicago. The White Sox were the worst offense in baseball last season, ranked last in runs scored, OBP, OPS, wOBA and xwOBA.

Streamonator Valuation: $9.6

Jose Soriano, LAA (at TB)

Soriano is swiftly going from one of our streamers to a must-roster player. The Angels righty opened fantasy managers’ eyes when he posted a 3.42 ERA and 1.20 WHIP last season. He also allowed four runs or fewer in all 20 starts and has carried that into this season behind his 3.65 ERA and 0.97 WHIP through two starts. Two dingers from Jose Ramirez is the only reason that ERA isn’t below 2.00, but this Tampa lineup has no one like J-Ram. In fact, the Rays ranked 24th in runs scored, 28th in xwOBA, 25th in K rate and 29th in wOBA last season. In his most recent start against the Rays, Soriano surrendered just one hit across five one-run innings.

Streamonator Valuation: $4.8

Tylor Megill, NYM (vs. MIA)

Megill can be a difficult pitcher to gauge, but he might become one of our favorite streamers if he can just stay healthy. That’s been the one issue over recent years, but allowing five hits and one run across his first two starts is a really promising beginning to the season. He ended last year with a similar form, allowing three runs or fewer in his final six starts en route to a 2.32 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 10.5 K/9 rate. Megill has also been much better at home over recent years, totaling a 3.34 ERA and 1.27 WHIP at the pitcher-friendly Citi Field. That’s bad news for Miami’s horrible offense, with the Marlins ranked 28th or 29th in runs scored, OBP, OPS and xWOBA last season.

Streamonator Valuation: $16.5

Hitting Streamers

Trevor Story, BOS (vs. TOR, at CWS)

Story has been a must-roster player in the past, but injuries have forced him to the waiver wire in most leagues. The good news is that the former All-Star is fully healthy and is playing some of his best baseball in years. Story kickstarted the season with a steal in his first two games and then has gone on to homer in two of his last three outings. That’s the skillset that made him a 25-25 threat in the past, and we love that he’s in the heart of this dangerous Boston lineup. Getting seven games against Toronto and Chicago is simply a bonus because the White Sox were 28th in ERA and 29th in WHIP last season, while the Blue Jays were 22nd in ERA.

Jake Cronenworth, SD (at ATH, vs. COL)

Much like Story, Cronenworth was a must-roster player just a few years ago. He’s showing why over the last week, posting a .480 OBP and 1.059 OPS since going hitless in the opener. That’s no surprise with the way Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis are performing, making him an elite threat for RBI as well. The best part about this is that he gets to face “Sacramento” and Colorado. The Rockies ranked last in ERA and WHIP last season, while the A’s were 24th in WHIP and 25th in ERA. We didn’t even mention that most of these pitchers are righties, which is awesome since Cronenworth has the platoon advantage against them.

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

Steals Specialists

Victor Scott II (STL)

It was unclear what sort of role Scott would play this season, but he will be one of the best steals specialists as an everyday player. He’s already picked up four steals this season and had 138 across 244 minor league games.

Maikel Garcia (KC)

Garcia has yet to record a steal this season, but he’s played all but one game. We’re talking about a guy who has 60 steals over the last two seasons, and an everyday role will inevitably lead to some swipes.

Saves Specialists

Tommy Kanhle (DET)

Guessing who will be Detroit’s closer is like going to the dentist, but we must ride Kahnle after picking up the team’s most recent save. He has a 2.44 ERA and 1.06 WHIP over the last two years and could become an elite closing option if he keeps this role.

Dennis Santana (PIT)

With David Bednar getting demoted, this looks like Santana’s gig. He’s only allowed one run through four innings and picked up Pittsburgh’s most recent save.

Emilio Pagan (CIN)

We had Pagan in last week’s article, and we’re going right back to him. He’s yet to allow a run in three appearances and has been featured as the ninth inning guy in the two most recent outings.

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