Fantasy Baseball H2H Streamers – Week 25

I can’t believe we’re down to the final week of the regular season. This is always one of the saddest times of the year because I truly love the grind of the fantasy baseball season. Playoffs are great and all, but there’s something special about monitoring these teams every day and trying to understand the nuances throughout a baseball season.

I actually believe we should reward the team with the best record with something, because to sustain success like that throughout a 162-game schedule is far more impressive than winning 10 or so games in the postseason. That’s just a silly thought of mine, but I figured I’d throw it out there! This is closing out my sixth year at Razzball, and I can’t wait to be back with more streamers next season! With that in mind, let’s look at this week’s schedule and then dive into our final streamers of the year!

Favorable Team Matchups

7 Games

NONE

6 Games

Athletics (vs. HOU, vs. KC)

Atlanta Braves (vs. WAS, vs. PIT)

Houston Astros (at ATH, at LAA)

Kansas City Royals (at LAA, at ATH)

New York Yankees (vs. CWS, vs. BAL)

Philadelphia Phillies (vs. MIA, vs. MIN)

San Francisco Giants (vs. STL, vs. COL)

Seattle Mariners (vs. COL, vs. LAD)

Pitching Streamers

Luis Gil, NYY (vs. CWS, vs. BAL)

Gil struggled in his most recent start, but he’s nearly impossible to fade with these two matchups. Let’s start there because the White Sox rank 26th in runs scored, 28th in OPS, and 27th in xwOBA, while the Orioles sit 23rd in runs scored, 20th in wOBA and 21st in OPS. That’s particularly scary with the way those teams have been free-falling in the standings, with Gil likely entering both of these home games as a -200 favorite or higher.

He’s earned that massive money line with his pristine pitching, posting a 3.46 ERA and 1.20 WHIP over the last two years. He also allowed two runs or fewer in six straight starts before his most recent dud, generating a 1.89 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in that span. There’s also a lower likelihood of Gil being rested for playoff purposes because the Yanks know who will pitch the first few games during their postseason push, and it’s not Gil.

Streamonator Valuation: $30

Bryce Miller, SEA (vs. COL)

Miller can be a tricky pitcher to figure out, but the injuries clearly hurt him through the opening months. We’re talking about a guy who had a 2.94 ERA and 0.98 WHIP in a breakout campaign last year, and he’s slowly getting back to that form. Over his last four starts, Miller has a 4.50 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and an 8.6 K/9 rate. That ERA is nothing special, but the advanced metrics tell us he’s been a bit unlucky as well. Our favorite variable when picking Miller as one of our streamers is this home matchup with Colorado. The Rockies rank 29th in runs scored, xwOBA, and K rate while posting even crappier numbers on the road. Don’t be surprised to see Miller as a -300 favorite as well because these are two clubs going in opposite directions.

Streamonator Valuation: $54.7

Hurston Waldrep, ATL (vs. WAS)

If it weren’t for one ugly shelling against the Stros, we’d be talking about how Waldrep has been one of the best pitchers over the final two months. He’s allowed one run or fewer in six of his other eight starts, posting a 1.77 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 9.1 K/9 rate in those eight outings. We’re willing to cherry-pick because of how scary the Stros have been, especially since Waldrep has a matchup with Washington’s woeful offense. The Nationals rank 24th in runs scored, 25th in OPS, and 26th in wOBA. He actually faced them in his most recent outing, allowing five baserunners across five innings while striking out eight batters!

Streamonator Valuation: $0.3

Cade Cavalli, WAS (vs. CWS)

Cavalli was one of our streamers last week when he faced the Marlins and Pirates, showcasing some quality stuff in those outings. Just like Waldrep, it’s one outing in Yankee Stadium that has fans overlooking a solid run. If you remove that one eight-run shelling, Cavalli has collected a 3.38 ERA and 1.31 WHIP across his other seven starts. That WHIP is nothing to write home about, but to do that in two matchups with Philly is impressive. Our favorite part about using Cavalli is that he has a home matchup with the White Sox. Chicago sits 26th in runs scored, 28th in OPS, and 27th in xwOBA. This isn’t one of our most exciting streamers with the lack of strikeout stuff, but there aren’t many better bets for five quality innings in what’s going to be a volatile week.

Streamonator Valuation: $10.6

Joey Cantillo, CLE (vs. TEX)

I don’t know how Cleveland churns out random starters every season, but they’ve become one of those teams. Cantillo has been one of those finds this year, allowing one run or fewer in five straight starts. He has a 1.21 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in that stupendous stretch, surrendering seven hits or fewer in every outing this season. That’s quite the floor from a widely available player, especially since he has one of the best possible matchups. Not only is Texas missing its two best bats (Corey Seager/Marcus Semien), but the Rangers also rank 24th in OPS and 25th in wOBA. There’s also a chance that the Rangers’ playoff hopes are over when this game is played, while the Guardians are fighting for their lives as the hottest team in the league.

Streamonator Valuation: $12.5

Hitting Streamers

Trent Grisham/Giancarlo Stanton, NYY (vs. CWS, vs. BAL)

These two are more for shallow leagues, but both of these guys are available in about half the leagues on Yahoo. That’s a crime when looking at this schedule because the Yankees could go crazy with six games at home against these pitching staffs. The White Sox rank 20th in ERA, 26th in WHIP, and 28th in xwOBA, while the Orioles sit 26th in wOBA, 25th in ERA, and 27th in WHIP. That won’t bode well against this Top 5 offense in one of the smallest ballparks in baseball.

Now that we’ve got the matchups out of the way, let’s discuss these hitting streamers. Grisham is having a career year as the Yankees leadoff hitter, generating a .348 OBP and .825 OPS. He’s also up to a career-high 33 dingers while posting a .368 OBP and .894 OPS against righties. The Yanks are projected to face five righties this week, with Grisham totaling a .362 OBP and .980 OPS across his last 22 outings. Stanton has been even hotter than that, sporting a .286 AVG and 1.001 OPS across his last 52 fixtures.

Jorge Polanco, SEA (vs. COL, vs. LAD)

Polanco was a must-roster player in his time with Minnesota, and he’s returned to that guy this season. This multi-position player has a .266 AVG and .820 OPS in a bounebcack campaign. A ton of that damage has happened over this closing month, with Polanco providing a .308 OBP, .727 SLG, and 1.135 OPS across his last 25 outings. That makes Polanco quietly one of the hottest hitters in baseball, and hitting around guys like Julio Rodriguez, Cal Raleigh, Eugenio Suarez, and Josh Naylor has done wonders for his pitch selection. We love that since he faces a Rockies team that ranks last in ERA, WHIP, and xwOBA while facing a Dodgers rotation that might be resting starters in the final weekend of the regular season.

Harrison Bader, PHI (vs. MIA, vs. MIN)

I didn’t fully understand the Bader trade, but the Phillies clearly know baseball better than I do. He’s been one of their best bats since that acquisition, accruing a .396 AVG, .440 OBP, and 1.034 OPS across his last 27 outings. That’s a full month of raking, and it’s cushioned by the fact that he’s been hitting leadoff for the Phillies. There aren’t many better lineup spots in baseball ahead of Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber, particularly since the Phillies play all six games at home this week. Citizens Bank has always been a hitter’s haven, and there should be a ton of runs scored there against these subpar pitching staffs. The Marlins rank 22nd in wOBA, 27th in xwOBA, and 26th in ERA, while the Twins sit 22nd in xwOBA, 25th in wOBA, and 24th in WHIP.

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

Steals Specialists

Jose Caballero (NYY)

With the Yankees having the best schedule of the week, Caballero should get some chances to run. He’s been starting semi-regularly over the last week, and is just two steals shy of 50 for the season.

Caleb Durbin (MIL)

Dorbin has been an everyday player for the Brewers over the last month, recording five steals since September 1.

Saves Specialists

Riley O’Brien (STL)

It was unclear who the closer would be after the Ryan Helsley trade, but O’Brien has taken over. He has a 2.08 ERA and 1.15 WHIP while recording four saves and two wins across his last nine outings.

Brad Keller (CHC)

Danny Palencia’s injury was unfortunate, but it has allowed Keller to showcase his stuff. He has the two most recent saves for the Cubbies while compiling a 2.16 ERA and 0.96 WHIP for the season.

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