Fantasy Baseball Streamers, Week 26: Ride the Wave

Guys, we’ve made it! This is the final week of the season, and if you’re still using streamers, you’re probably in a great spot. With that said, picking streamers is tougher now more than ever, and you’re inevitably going to have some misses in the final week. I’m happy to announce that I’m in first place in my Razzball Commentor league, and I genuinely believe streaming is a significant reason why. I’ve had many hits and plenty of misses, but I love all the comments I’ve gotten throughout the year! I want to thank all of you and wish you good luck for the final week!

Two-Start Streamers

Joe Ryan, MIN (vs. DET, at KC)

It’s crazy that Ryan is available in over 50 percent of the leagues out there. The amount of fantasy owners who are out of the running has altered this ownership a bit, but it still makes Ryan one of the best streamers of the season. Ryan has registered a 2.45 ERA, 0.59 WHIP, and 10.2 K/9 rate in his first four starts. That 0.59 WHIP is absolutely absurd, but it’s no surprise when you see his 0.78 WHIP at the minors this year.

All of that has Ryan looking like one of the most dangerous pitchers in baseball right now, and he should continue that success in matchups like these. The first one against Detroit is dandy, with the Tigers ranked 22nd in OBP and 28th in K rate. Kansas City is equally as egregious, sitting 26th in OBP, 24th in wOBA, and 25th in runs scored. The Streamonator agrees with our assessment, projecting Ryan to provide $13.7 worth of value this week!

Cal Quantrill, CLE (vs. KC, at TEX)

Cal has been a regular in this article for weeks now, and it’s easy to see why when diving into his numbers. The right-hander has a 2.82 ERA and 1.18 WHIP for the season but has been even better recently. In fact, Quantrill has collected a 1.76 ERA and 1.04 WHIP over his last 13 starts, allowing three runs or fewer in 12 of those. That means Cal is in full-on breakout mode, and it’s far from surprising to see a Cleveland arm come out of nowhere to become a stud.

The best part about using Quantrill this week is his matchups. We already discussed the Kansas City one earlier on, with Cal allowing just three runs across 15 innings in his three outings against them this season. Texas very well might be the worst offense in baseball, ranked dead-last in wOBA, runs scored, and OBP. We expect Cal to cruise through 10-15 easy innings here and provide some elite peripherals.

One-Start Streamers

Brady Singer, KC (vs. CLE)

Singer has hit some high notes and some low ones this season, but his octaves are on point right now. He’s allowed two runs or fewer in five of his last six starts, tallying a 2.97 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, and 9.2 K/9 rate in that span. That’s quite the stretch from a guy with a 1.53 WHIP for the season, but he flashed moments of this new-look guy last season with a 4.06 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. Last season’s form paired with that recent six-start stretch makes him worth taking a shot in a matchup like this, with Cleveland ranked 28th in OBP, 21st in runs scored, and 22nd in OPS. He had one of his best starts against them last week, allowing just two runs across seven innings while recording seven Ks.

Michael Pineda, MIN (vs. DET)

Pine Tar Pineda has been in this article ever since I started a few years back, and it’s a wonder why he’s always so overlooked. This season, the right-hander has a 3.73 ERA and 1.23 WHIP and a 3.84 ERA and 1.19 WHIP since 2019. Those are numbers that should be owned in every fantasy league, but injuries have forced him to way too waiver wires. Those sort of averages looks even better when you see Pineda’s 1.93 ERA and 1.18 WHIP since coming off the IL. All of that makes him an easy streamer against the Motor City Kitties, with Pineda owning a 0.93 WHIP and 9.4 K/9 rate in his last two starts against them.

John Woodford, STL (vs. CHC)

It’s pretty crazy what the Cardinals are doing right now. They have 14 straight wins as of Saturday, and this resurgence from the rotation is a major reason why. Woodford has been a significant part of that run, pitching to a 1.47 ERA and 0.67 WHIP over his last four starts. That makes it hard to believe that he’s hovering around 10 percent ownership, especially with how hot St. Louis is right now. His form and streak will likely make him a -200 favorite in this spot, too, with the Cubs owning the worst K rate in baseball. They also rank near the bottom of every offensive category, trading off Javier Baez, Anthony Rizzo, and Kris Bryant at the trade deadline.

Rich Hill, NYM (vs. MIA)

It wouldn’t be the final article of the season if we didn’t get Dick Mountain in here! This guy has been in this article as much as anyone since his reemergence, and he’s quietly having another great year. A 3.87 ERA and 1.19 WHIP this season is pretty impressive, but it’s nothing like his 3.14 ERA and 1.09 WHIP dating back to 2015. That’s a huge sample size of success, and he’s always a treat whenever he’s healthy. That appears to be the case now, with Hill owning a 3.35 ERA and 1.12 WHIP since the end of July.

The best part about using the goofy southpaw is that he gets to face Miami, with the Marlins ranked 29th in runs scored and dead-last in xwOBA. In his last two starts against Miami, Rich has registered a 0.82 ERA and 0.82 WHIP, if you needed any more incentive to use him! The Streamonator loves him even more than I do, giving Hill a $22.4 value in this start.

Streamers to Consider

Tylor Megil, NYM (vs. MIA)

Megill has mixed gems and duds all year, but a matchup with Miami might land him one of the good ones!

Bailey Ober, MIN (vs. DET)

Ober has a 3,31 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 9.1 K/9 rate through his last 11 starts and gets all the same benefits as Pineda in this tempting Tigers matchup.

Adrian Houser, MIL (at STL)

Houser has allowed one run or fewer in nine of his last 12 starts and should not be available anywhere.

Carlos Hernandez, KC (vs. CLE)

Hernandez allowed seven runs just two starts ago but still has a 2.51 ERA and 1.10 WHIP since July 25.