If you are reading this, it most likely means you made it through another matchup and are in the semi-finals or championship. No time to celebrate though, as we must focus on bringing home the hardware. A wise man once said streaming pitchers is like playing with fire. If that is the case, streaming pitchers in the playoffs is like playing with fire in a suit soaked in gasoline and gunpowder. But you gotta risk it for the biscuit!
Below are my favorite streamers for each remaining day of the week that are 40% owned or less on ESPN:
Wednesday 9/11
Zach Davies (29% owned) @ Miami
You gotta love a nice matchup against the Marlins in Miami! The only bone I have to pick with Davies is that he does not go deep into games. He has not pitched more than 5 innings in a game since July 18th, or 8 starts ago. So if you are in need of a quality start, Davies might not be your guy. However, Davies should be in a great position to pick up a win against the Marlins. They are dead last in team wOBA (.287), and are 2nd to last in runs scored per game with 3.75. Meanwhile, the Brewers have won 7 of their last 10 games. He had a much tougher test his last time out, throwing 5 innings while allowing just 1 run against the Cubs in Miller Park. He struck out 4, while walking 1 and allowing 3 hits.
Last 4 starts: 1-2 with a 3.38 ERA and 13 K:5 BB in 18.2 IP
Thursday 9/12
Alex Young (12% owned) @ New York (Mets)
Alright I’m facing Young tomorrow in the championship round in my main league tomorrow so he’s primed to blow the Mets out of the water. Bet the house on it. Joking aside, Young has been pretty hot lately and is coming off the best start of his career. He twirled a gem against the Reds, striking out 12 batters through 8 scoreless frames. He will look to take that momentum into his start against the Mets. They are no chumps though, and are actually tied for the 6th most runs scored since September started. On the flip side, Young has picked up wins in 3 of his past 4 starts and the DBacks have won 7 of their last 10.
Last 4 starts: 3-0 (2 QS) with a 2.28 ERA and 25 K:4 BB in 23.2 IP
Friday 9/13
Sandy Alcantara (11% owned) @ San Francisco
Of all the names on this list so far, I am the most confident in Alcantara this week. So naturally he will likely have the worst performance out of all of them! I am shocked his ownership is still so low considering how great he has been the past month or so. The Marlins don’t give him the opportunity to rack up lots of wins, but he has been a reliable source of QS and modest ratios and K’s. After a couple of less than stellar performances, Alcantara bounced back in a huge way his past outing. Facing the Royals at home, Sandy threw a complete game shutout while striking out 8 and allowing just 6 base runners. He faces another favorable matchup this week as he takes on the Giants in San Fran. The Giants are 26th in runs per game this year (4.3), and their .298 team wOBA ranks 28th. Add in the fact that Oracle Park is the most pitcher friendly ballpark in the league and we are looking at juicy matchup.
Last 7 starts: 1-2 (4 QS) with a 2.77 ERA and 42:18 BB in 48.2 IP
Saturday 9/14
Anthony DeSclafani (21% owned) @ Arizona
You probably could have seen this one coming from a mile away. I’ve been really high on Desclafani in the 2nd half, and will be recommending him once more. Arizona is actually a pretty tough matchup though, as they rank 10th in runs per game (5.1) and 13th in team wOBA with a .323 mark. However, DeSclafani fared well against them in his most recent start. He pitched 6 strong, allowing 2 earned runs while striking out 3 and allowing 6 total base runners. While it is true the DBacks have now gotten a little taste of him, it goes both ways. Though he has just 1 win in his past 4 starts, he has been able to pick up a QS in 3 of those games. He is now 9-8 on the season, while picking up 9 quality starts along the way.
Last 5 starts: 2-1 (3 QS) with a 2.32 ERA and 27 K:11 BB in 31 IP
Sunday 9/15
Zac Gallen (31% owned) home vs Cincinnati
Okay this one almost feels like cheating since Gallen should be MUCH higher than 31% owned. Through his 13 starts this season, Gallen has gone 3-4 with a 2.50 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and 82 K:32 BB across 68.1 IP. Gallen has allowed 2 runs or fewer in 11 of his 13 starts thus far. The only knock I have against Gallen is that he does not go very deep into most games. Of those 13 starts, he has only pitched 6+ innings in 4 of them. While his control could certainly use some more work (4.21 BB/9), his strikeout upside (10.8 K/9) has been pleasant. Though they have been better offensively in the second half, the Reds team he will face Sunday has been underwhelming (22nd in runs) on the season.
Again, I feel as though Gallen may be an easy answer here and has much higher ownership on other platforms. So my other recommendation will be Chase Anderson. He doesn’t go awfully deep into games and faces a hot Cardinals team, but it is slim picking on the Sunday slates. While Anibal Sanchez is better talent-wise, there is no way I’m streaming against the Braves.
Gallen’s 6 starts since being traded to Arizona: 2-1 (2 QS) with a 2.25 ERA and 39 K:14 BB in 32 IP
