Fantasy Baseball Streamers, Week 22: Ride the Wave

Last week was full of mixed results. We got some great performances from Ranger Suarez, Reynaldo Lopez, and Tarik Skubal, but we also got a serious dud from Vladimir Gutierrez. That’s just how this racket goes, though, and it’s almost impossible to be perfect. What’s important is that you maximize your moves and use as many of these streamers as possible. That should help the volatility of a random blow-up and help you gain an edge in some of the counting categories. I’m actually tied for first place in my Razzball commenter league, and you better believe I’ll pivot to some of these guys to try to break that tie!

Two-Start Streamers

Tyler Gilbert, ARI (vs. SD, vs. SEA)

They’re going to make movies about Tyler Gilbert if he keeps this going. Since becoming a regular in this rotation three weeks back, Gilbert has gobbled up a 2.84 ERA and 1.00 WHIP. He’s done that damage despite pitching in Coors Field and facing a tricky Padres lineup, showing just how much potential he possesses. He showed just that in the minors, generating a 3.19 ERA and 1.10 WHIP since 2018. That makes it hard to believe that he was sitting down there for so long, but it’s clear that he’s motivated to make the most of his opportunity.

We believe he can maintain those averages in matchups like these, making him one of the best streamers of the week. The first one against San Diego is the tougher of the two, but they’ve lost 12 of their last 15 games, scoring just 2.5 runs per game in those 12 losses. That clearly makes them a good matchup, but Seattle is the main reason we want to ride him. The Mariners currently rank 28th in K rate, 29th in OBP, 27th in wOBA, and dead-last in BA.

Edward Cabrera, MIA (at NYM, vs. PHI)

I honestly didn’t know much about this kid before last week, but I’m impressed with a lot of the things I’ve read. You’d think the second-coming of Pedro Martinez was getting called up if you went on Twitter, and a quality start in his debut is a good way to kick things off. He was actually cruising through six innings in that debut, allowing two homers in the seventh to sour it a bit. The Minor League numbers would indicate that we have a stud in the making, though, amassing a 2.51 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 32 percent K rate between 2019-21. Those absurd averages are no surprise when you see his stuff, mixing a 97 MPH fastball with a nasty curveball and devastating change-up.

While we don’t believe that Cabrera will be in for the long haul this season, he should be good to go for these two starts. The first one in New York is a fantastic spot, with Citi Field being one of the most pitcher-friendly ballparks in baseball. That’s on full display when you see that NY ranks 20th in K rate, 25th in wOBA, and 29th in runs scored. Philly is definitely the tougher matchup of the two but getting another start in Marlins Park is a huge boost. That’s also a spacious ballpark that limits runs, and we don’t mind that the Phils rank middle of the pack in most offensive categories, losing Rhys Hoskins over the weekend.

One-Start Streamers

Steven Brault, PIT (at CHC)

Pittsburgh is having another nightmarish season, but it’s certainly no fault of Brault’s. The sneaky southpaw has only made four starts this year, but he’s cruised his way to a 1.93 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. That might look a bit fluky on the surface, but a 3.30 ERA and 1.20 WHIP last season might tell us that he’s starting to break out. What makes that even more impressive is that he’s faced the Brewers, Dodgers, and Cardinals in his starts this year. That’s certainly not an easy run of matchups, and it’s obviously much more difficult than the matchup he has here. Brault faces a Cubs team without Javy Baez, Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, and Willson Contreras, making this arguably the worst lineup in baseball behind their 30th-ranked K rate.

Ranger Suarez, PHI (at MIA)

We’re going right back to the well with our favorite Power Ranger! Suarez was actually on all of my teams when he was closer to the Phils, but a move to the rotation has not hurt him one bit. In fact, Suarez is slinging a 1.46 ERA and 1.02 WHIP this season, getting all the way up to 6.2 innings in his most recent outing. That means the shackles are loose, and Ranger can throw as many pitches as he can handle.  We absolutely love that against the Marlins, with Miami ranked 28th in OBP, 29th in K rate, and dead-last in xwOBA. We also don’t mind that Suarez shifts from Citizens Bank Park to the spacious Marlins Park for this outing, too.

Steven Matz, TOR (vs. BAL)

It makes me nervous using Matz as one of our streamers, but it’s hard to overlook when a pitcher is hot. Matz is just that, maintaining a 2.16 ERA and 1.22 WHIP over his last eight starts. That even includes one dud against the Red Sox, with Matz allowing one run or fewer in three straight starts. That’s the stud we saw in New York, and one has to believe that he’s finally found a home in Toronto. We obviously love that sparkling form in a matchup like this, with Baltimore winning just one game over the last three weeks. It’s easy to see why they can’t win, with the O’s ranked 23rd in wOBA, 25th in runs scored, and 21st in xwOBA. The Streamonator agrees with our assessment, projecting Matz to provide $9.3 worth of value.

Nestor Cortes, NYY (vs. BAL)

Cortes isn’t being talked about enough in fantasy circles. This guy has done nothing but perform for the Yanks since his call-up, and he’s a major reason why they’re winning every day. The crafty lefty has a 2.56 ERA and 1.07 WHIP for the season, striking out seven batters in each of his last two starts. That makes it hard to believe that they sent him down at one point, with Cortes collecting a 1.20 ERA and 0.60 WHIP at Triple-A this year. All of that makes him very enticing against the Orioles, likely making Nestor a -300 favorite in this game as well.

Streamers to Consider

Alec Mills, CHC (vs. PIT)

Mills was bombarded in his most recent outing, but a 3.10 ERA over his previous 10 starts is better indicates how good this guy can be. We certainly want to exploit that against a 29th-ranked Pirates offense.

Brady Singer, KC (vs. CLE)

Singer has been all over the map, but he could be singing smooth tunes against a 24th-ranked Indians lineup.

Tyler Anderson, SEA (at ARI)

Anderson has allowed three runs or fewer in 21 of his 24 starts and should continue that against one of the worst teams in baseball. He’s been one of our most reliable streamers all season!

Erick Fedde, WAS (at NYM)

Fedde just had 10 Ks in his most recent outing, and we’re certainly not worried about a Mets team that scores the second-fewest runs in baseball.

Rich Hill, NYM (vs. MIA)

Hill has been a fantasy monster for a few years now, and he should be able to hold down this Marlins lineup at ease as long as he gets the pitch count we need.