We had some mixed results last week, but this final month will be one of the most challenging periods of the season. We have more phantom injuries, rotational changes, and volatile starts than ever before, and it’ll surely lead to some chaos over the final 30 days. With that said, the results have been solid from our streamers, and we’ll try to keep that momentum rolling here!
One thing to consider is the weird schedule this week. We have the Guardians, Marlins, Pirates, Rays, and Blue Jays all playing eight games while the Reds get a rare nine-game week! That’ll surely cause disorder in fantasy baseball, but it also makes for some excellent hitting streamers!
Pitching Streamers
Hunter Brown, HOU (at DET, vs. OAK)
I didn’t even know who this was two weeks ago, but we’re going to ride Brown to some fantasy championships! This youngster made his debut on Monday, allowing just three hits across six scoreless innings. That’s typical for Astros pitchers because this is the best organization at churning out elite arms. He showed glimpses of that at Triple-A this season, totaling a 2.55 ERA and 1.08 WHIP while striking out 134 batters across 106 innings. Getting to face Detroit and Oakland is comparable to Triple-A lineups, with both of those clubs sitting bottom-three in runs scored, OBP, OPS, wOBA, and xwOBA. That has Brown in line for two quality starts and potentially two wins projected to provide $18.3 worth of value from The Streamonator.
Trevor Rogers, MIA (vs. TEX, at WAS)
It’s been a rough year for Rogers, but health can change everything for professional athletes. A trip to the IL is just what the doctor ordered for Mr. Rogers, registering a 3.00 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and 9.8 K/9 rate in his two starts since being reinstated. That’s the ace we saw last season, with Trevor totaling a 2.64 ERA and 1.15 WHIP.
If he can recapture that form for the final month, Rogers will be one of the best streamers of the season. He should keep that momentum going against these oppositions, with Texas ranked 22nd in K rate, 24th in OBP, and 19th in OPS, while Washington has been freefalling since the trades of Juan Soto and Josh Bell. The Streamonator certainly agrees, projecting Rogers to provide $17.9 worth of value in this two-start week.
Josiah Gray, WAS (vs. MIA)
The home runs have killed Gray’s season because he’s been good outside of that. The young righty has allowed at least six runs in four starts against the Dodgers, Mets, Phillies, and Astros, but most inexperienced pitchers will get blown up by those offenses. The advanced statistics tell us that he’s been better than the 5.06 ERA would indicate, with Gray generating a 4.29 xERA, 4.17 SIERA, and 25 percent K rate.
That means it’s just a matter of time before he starts throwing gems, and it could start here against Miami. The Marlins rank 27th in runs scored, OBP, OPS, and wOBA, struggling mightily without Jazz Chisholm and Jorge Soler. They also sit 25th in total homers, and that’s big news with Gray’s inability to keep the ball in the ballpark. He’s had mixed results in four matchups against them this year, but 39 Ks across 22 innings is difficult to overlook.
German Marquez, COL (at CHC)
As someone who lives in Colorado and watches way too much Rockies baseball, I truly believe this dude will be an ace when he eventually moves to a new team. Coors Field has wrecked numerous careers, and it’s doing its best to maul Marquez. That was on full display when he allowed nine runs in Coors on Friday, but we’re willing to overlook that.
German threw at least six innings in his previous 11 starts before that dud, totaling a 3.62 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in that span. That’s the stud we’ve seen on the road all year, with Marquez maintaining a 3.58 ERA and 1.18 WHIP outside Coors Field. He should keep those averages against this atrocious Chicago lineup, with the Cubs sitting 23rd in K rate, 22nd in runs scored and 24th in xwOBA.
Streamers to Consider
Reid Detmers, LAA (at CLE)
Detmers has shown flashes of brilliance at times this season and could slow down a Cleveland team that owns a 29th-ranked xwOBA.
Bailey Falter, PHI (at MIA)
Falter has a 2.73 ERA and 0.91 WHIP across his last five starts and should have no problem with this Marlins matchup.
David Peterson, NYM (vs. CHC)
Peterson is flirting with a 3.50 ERA and 1.10 WHIP as a starter this season. We’re also not concerned about him facing a subpar Chicago lineup.
Drew Smyly, CHC (vs. COL)
The Rockies always struggle on the road, and they’re likely to keep faltering in Wrigley Field. We say that because Smyly has been smashing recently, slinging a 2.29 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and 8.2 K/9 rate across his last seven starts,
Hitting Streamers
Jake Fraley, CIN (vs. PIT, at STL) 9 Games
Anytime you find a nine-game week from one of your streamers, you must take the leap. The Reds are full of available players, but Fraley is the best option of the bunch. This guy has been hitting in the three-hole for Cincinnati, compiling a .289 AVG, .393 OBP, .611 SLG, and 1.004 OPS across his last 27 games. That makes it hard to understand why he’s so widely available, especially since he faces seven righties in this nine-game week. In 150 at-bats against right-handers, Fraley has a .367 OBP, .535 SLG, and a .902 OPS. It’s not like he has too much tough opposition either, facing guys like Zach Thompson, Bryce Wilson, Johan Oviedo, a struggling Jack Flaherty, and a minor leaguer from the Cards.
Garrett Cooper, MIA (vs. TEX, vs. PHI, at WAS) 8 Games
Many players get lost in Miami because of how bad their offense has been, but Cooper has been incredible for them. The 31-year-old veteran has been raking since 2018, posting a .275 AVG, .351 OBP, and .794 OPS in that four-year span. Those are statistics you usually see from a player owned in every fantasy league, but people forget about Cooper for whatever reason.
Coop also comes into this matchup rolling, picking up four doubles, a homer, and five RBI across his last three games. He should be able to carry over that impetus in this enticing eight-game week, facing Glenn Otto and a TBD from Texas, Bailey Falter, Noah Syndergaard, and Kyle Gibson from the Phils, and then Gray, Patrick Corbin, and Erick Fedde from the Nats. Good luck finding better matchups than that!
Daniel Vogelbach, NYM (vs. CHC, vs. PIT) 7 Games
Vogelbach is strictly a platoon player for the Mets, but that makes him one of the best streamers this week. We say that because New York gets to face seven righties. That’s the perfect recipe for Vogelbach to eat this week, establishing a .369 OBP, .493 SLG, and .862 OPS with the platoon advantage in his favor this season. He also gets to hit in the middle of this menacing Mets lineup, batting right behind Pete Alonso in these circumstances. The seven righties are certainly not scary, with Pittsburgh ranked 26th in ERA and 27th in WHIP, while Chicago sits 23rd in ERA and 24th in WHIP. Just look at these names, with DV squaring off with Hayden Wesneski, Javier Assad, Adrian Sampson, Mitch Keller, Bryse Wilson, JT Brubaker, and Zach Thompson.
Hitting Streamers to Consider
Brendan Donovan, STL (vs. MIL, vs. CIN)
Donovan has been leading off for the Cards behind his .400 OBP and should thrive with five games against Cincy’s horrific rotation.
Yandy Diaz, TB (at TOR, vs. TEX) 8 Games
Diaz has a .399 OBP and .819 OPS this season, making him an enticing option with eight games against weak pitching.
Feel free to comment here or reach me on Twitter @Bartilottajoel if you have any questions!