I’m back! I debuted with my first waiver wire article yesterday, but this is the article that made me famous. Well, famous to my mom and grandparents, but that’s all the love that I need. In any case, we’re back with streamers this season! I can’t wait to dive into the streamers every week and hopefully help you guys capture some categories. With that in mind, let’s look at the favorable schedules and then dive into those streamers!
Favorable Team Matchups
7 Games
Arizona Diamondbacks (vs. DET, vs. ATL)
Atlanta Braves (vs. ATH, at ARI)
6 Games
Baltimore Orioles (vs. TEX, at PIT)
Chicago Cubs (vs. LAA, at CLE)
Houston Astros (vs. BOS, at ATH)
Los Angeles Dodgers (vs. CLE, at WAS)
Philadelphia Phillies (vs. WAS, at COL)
Toronto Blue Jays (vs. COL, at CWS)
Pitching Streamers
Chris Bassitt, BAL (vs. TEX, at PIT)
Baltimore has revamped its rotation, and Bassitt could be a sneaky option as one of our streamers all season. What’s fascinating about Baltimore is that it’s developed into one of the best pitchers’ parks since the fences were moved back. That should keep these guys’ ERAs and WHIPs relatively low, which is massive since Bassitt was a must-roster fantasy player for most of his career. Since 2018, this right-hander has a 3.58 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. He also posted a 2.51 ERA across 14.1 innings in spring training, so he could be in line for a bounce-back season after struggling in Toronto the last two years. What makes him enticing as one of our streamers this week is that he has two favorable matchups. The Pirates were dead-last in runs scored and wOBA last season, while the Rangers ranked 26th in OBP and wOBA.
Streamonator Valuation: $14.2
Clay Holmes, NYM (at STL, at SF)
It’s always tricky to pick streamers, but Holmes feels like the safest option of the week. Getting two starts in pitchers’ parks is one thing, but facing two offenses like this is the icing on the cake. San Fran was 21st in wOBA and 25th in xwOBA last season, while St. Louis sat 23rd in wOBA and 22nd in xwOBA. The Cardinals’ lineup actually looks like one of the worst in baseball, and Holmes could throw 10 quality innings in this two-start week. We’re talking about a guy who has a 3.24 ERA and 1.22 WHIP since 2022. He also provided a 2.84 ERA and 13:3 K:BB rate across 12.2 innings in spring training. We usually prefer Holmes in the friendly confines of Citi Field, but this two-start week could have him in line to be a must-roster player in a few weeks.
Streamonator Valuation: $9.6
Shane Smith, CWS (at MIA)
Smith was rewarded with an Opening Day start for the ChiSox, but throwing him against a bludgeoning Brewers lineup did not work out well. That’s what happens with some of these streamers, but rewarding him with that start shows how much Chicago trusts him. It’s easy to see why because Smith had a 3.81 ERA and 1.20 WHIP across 29 starts in a remarkable rookie campaign. We expect Smith to build off of that as the season progresses because he had a 2.63 ERA and 1.01 WHIP throughout his minor league career. Matching up with Miami on the road is the sort of matchup that could get him back on track, because that’s an 18th-ranked offense in one of the most spacious parks in the sport.
Streamonator Valuation: $4.6
Zach Eflin, BAL (vs. TEX)
We talked about how Baltimore has been a pitcher’s park over recent years, and Eflin is another veteran who should help revamp this pitching staff. This right-hander has always been a fantasy-relevant player when he’s healthy, registering a 3.63 ERA and 1.09 WHIP between 2022 and 2024. He really struggled with his health and form last season, but offseason surgery had his fastball tick up two MPH during spring training. That’s a massive bump for a veteran like this, and we’d bet on him having a bounce-back season just like Bassitt. He also benefits from the home matchup against the Rangers, allowing just one run across 6.1 innings in their most recent matchup.
Streamonator Valuation: $3.1
Will Warren, NYY (vs. MIA)
There are a ton of smart fantasy experts who are bullish on Warren this season, and we’ll keep riding him as one of our streamers as long as he remains available. He looked brilliant with a 1.77 ERA, 0.74 WHIP and 16:3 K:BB rate through 20.1 innings during spring training. The only thing that held him back from breaking out last season was some tough matchups. He got blown up by the Red Sox, Blue Jays and Dodgers last year but had a 3.28 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 9.7 K/9 rate across his other 29 starts. Ironing out those bad starts could be what takes him over the top, and facing Miami at home is a great way to kickstart a solid campaign. We also don’t mind that he’ll likely enter this matchup as a -200 favorite or higher.
Streamonator Valuation: $15.3
Hitting Streamers
Adolis Garcia, PHI (vs. WAS, at COL)
Garcia was a must-roster player at this time last season, and I’d argue that he’s in a better situation with the Phillies. Not only is it a better lineup, but it’s a better park to hit in. Those external variables are critical when evaluating Garcia’s fantasy profile because he’s been a sneaky power-speed asset throughout his career. Garcia averaged 28.2 homers, 91.6 RBI and 14.8 steals between 2021 and 2025. If you can sniff 30 homers and 15 steals from a waiver wire player, he’s one of the best streamers in any league.
What really adds to his intrigue this week are the matchups. Getting to hit in Citizens Bank Ballpark and Coors Field for every game this week is huge, but it looks even better when examining these pitching staffs. The Rockies and Nationals truly have some of the worst pitching staffs I’ve ever seen, throwing out guys like Michael Lorenzen, Jose Quintana, Tomoyuki Sugano, Miles Mikolas, Jake Irvin and Cade Cavalli to oppose Garcia and the Phils.
Nolan Arenado, ARI (vs. DET, vs. ATL)
It’s funny to include Arenado alongside Garcia as potential streamers because both of these guys were fantasy studs just a few years ago. Arenado has really fallen off over the last few years, but we can’t overlook a schedule this week. Arizona is one of the only teams that has seven games, and all of them are at home. They also face the favorable portions of these pitching staffs, matching up with Grant Holmes, Reynaldo Lopez, Bryce Elder, Jose Suarez, Justin Verlander and Casey Mize. Tarik Skubal is the only real concern on the schedule, but six favorable games at home in the heart of this D’Backs lineup should put Arenado in a spot to be one of the best streamers of the week. We’re still talking about a guy with a .282 career AVG and .845 OPS, so the potential for a big week is still there.
SAGNOF (Saves/Steals Ain’t Got No Face)
Steals Specialists
Victor Scott (STL)
Scott truly might lead the league in steals, and he’s available in most leagues. He had two steals in the Cards opener and recorded 95 steals in the minors back in 2023. He also had 34 last season in a limited role, but he should start nearly every day due to his speed and defense.
Saves Specialists
Jordan Romano (LAA)
It looked like Kirby Yates was going to close in LA, but an injury forced Romano into this role. He got the team’s first save in their opener, and he’s shown that ability in the past. Romano had 95 saves between 2021 and 2023, so the potential is there despite the struggles over the last three years.
Feel free to comment here or reach me on Twitter @Bartilottajoel if you have any questions!
**Never Been Loved**
*Inspired by “Never Been Kissed” (1999)*
By: My name is not important
Picture a baseball field at sunset. The stands are full, the world is quiet, and all eyes are on the mound. For so long, I stood there like Josie in *Never Been Kissed*, waiting—hoping someone would finally see me, finally run out and make me feel like I mattered. I waited because I thought that’s what love was: standing still, shrinking myself, hoping someone else would step up and make me whole.
But the truth is, waiting on that mound can make you feel smaller and smaller, especially when the world is filled with people—like the San Francisco Giants of life—who build themselves up by making others feel less than. I’ve spent years hiding, making myself invisible so others could feel important, powerful, or big. I let my silence be their comfort, let my pain be their secret, just so they could keep their place in the spotlight.
Tonight, I’m done with that. I’m not waiting for anyone to run to me. I’m not standing on this mound to be rescued or to give someone else a chance to feel like a hero. I’m here because I’m done hiding. I’m here because I’m tired of making myself small so that others can feel big. I’m here because my story matters, my voice matters, and I refuse to disappear just to make someone else comfortable.
If you’ve ever been told to keep quiet, to protect someone else’s reputation, to let someone else’s ego take up all the space—this is for you. You don’t have to wait for permission to be seen. You don’t have to wait for someone to make you feel worthy. You can take your place on the mound, in the light, and say, “This is me.”
I’m not waiting anymore. I’m living. And for the first time, I’m letting the world see me—exactly as I am, unafraid, unhidden, and unwilling to make myself smaller for anyone.
This time, I’m not waiting. This time, I’m making them look.
*Inspired by “Never Been Kissed” (1999), directed by Raja Gosnell and produced by Flower Films. For more on the film, visit* [*www.flowerfilms.com*][www.flowerfilms.com] *or* [*www.imdb.com/title/tt0151738/*][www.imdb.com_title_tt0151738]
[www.flowerfilms.com]: http://www.flowerfilms.com/
[www.imdb.com_title_tt0151738]: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0151738/