One of my core philosophies when it came to drafts this spring was to invest in high-end starting pitching. Along with stolen bases, true aces are the most scarce resource in fantasy baseball these days. Therefore, I try to refrain from relying on streaming pitchers on the majority of my teams. The results so far this season have been pretty hit-and-miss (aside from Trevor Rogers types who become weekly starters).
Still, streaming is sometimes a necessity, especially in points leagues or H2H categories leagues with daily lineups. Plus, all things considered, this isn’t that bad of a week for streaming options.
Let’s dive in – and please feel free to reach out on Twitter with questions anytime @toomuchtuma
*Note streaming recommendations are made as of Friday, April 23rd*
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Monday, April 26th
Anthony DeSclafani (SF) vs COL
Prior to his most recent outing, DeSclafani had given up just two earned runs over 17 innings. Then he lasted just four innings against the Phillies while giving up three runs, but that isn’t a disaster of an outing by any means. We always want to attack the Rockies away from Coors, particularly when they’re coming off a long home stand. Therefore, DeSclafani is one of my favorite options of the week.
Others: Adam Wainwright vs PHI (preferably in a points league)
Tuesday, April 27th
Aaron Sanchez (SF) vs COL
The thought process here is the same as it is for DeSclafani. Sanchez has been fine so far this season. His xERA on Baseball Savant checks in at 3.62 through three starts. That’s good enough for me when combined with the Rockies-away-from-Coors matchup. I’d also note that Sanchez isn’t head and shoulder above the other options for Tuesday, so feel free to pick and choose here.
Others: Michael Wacha vs OAK, Jake Junis @PIT
Wednesday, April 28th
Alex Cobb (LAA) @TEX
I almost went with Wood to complete the San Francisco trifecta, but I wanted to highlight my enthusiasm for Cobb. As of this writing we haven’t seen how he performed against the Astros, however, through two starts his pitches are playing up in a big way. Thanks in part to the newfound emphasis on his splitter, Cobb’s chase rate is in the 99th percentile of MLB. This is leading to a fantastic strikeout rate. Perhaps the book on Cobb will soon be out for opposing offenses, but this wouldn’t be the first time a starter had success upon leaving the Orioles.
Others: Logan Allen vs MIN, Mitch Keller vs KC
Thursday, April 29th
Kyle Gibson (TEX) vs BOS
It’s admittedly pretty terrifying recommending him against Boston, but ever since the Opening Day disaster Gibson has been doing his best Kyle Hendricks impression. The 33-year-old has allowed just one earned run over his past 21 inning and hitters just aren’t having much success when they make contact against him. I’d prefer Gibson in a points league (as I would with most streaming considerations), but drawing the Red Sox away from Fenway certainly increases my willingness to roll with him.
Others: Luke Weaver vs COL
Friday, April 30th
Wade Miley (CIN) vs CHC
This is the second straight week where I’ve recommended Miley, as I’m pretty intrigued by what I’ve seen from “Spincinnati” this so far this season. It’s clear that the Reds have had some interesting results with developing pitchers as of late, and the 34-year-old journeyman owns a 2.25 ERA and a 0.75 WHIP through three starts. For most of April the Cubs’ offense has been cold.
Others: Michael Fulmer @NYY
Saturday, May 1st
Adam Wainwright (STL) @PIT
This is a much better matchup than Wainwright’s first start of the week against the Phillies. Somehow still going at 39 years young, Wainwright has a 23:5 K:BB ratio over his past three starts — a span in which he has given up five earned runs in 17 frames. The veteran starter is still susceptible to blowup outings, as evidenced by his first start of 2021, so tread carefully here. As mentioned above, Wainwright is a preferred option for points leagues.
Others: Griffin Canning @SEA (if available)
Sunday, May 2nd
Michael Wacha (TB) vs HOU
Honestly, this is a pretty uninspired recommendation. Wacha has been fine this year. The highlight came on April 16th when he spun six scoreless and struck out nine versus a struggling Yankee lineup. The fact that’s in Wacha’s range of outcomes, combined with any magical dust Tampa Bay is sharing with him, makes him Sunday’s best streaming option.
Others: Merrill Kelly vs COL (yikes)
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Brendan Tuma is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Brendan, check out his archive and follow him @toomuchtuma.