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RotoBaller analyzes all of Week 21's fantasy baseball starting pitcher (SP) sleepers and streamers who may be available to pick up on your league's waiver wire.
This season could present one of the best finishes in recent memory. As far as division winners, it’s becoming clear that Washington and Baltimore will more than likely take theirs, but every other division race could come down to the final days.
As for the wild card chases, it appears the frontrunners are set for the first wild card slot but both leagues have several teams jockeying for that second spot. Even my weekly punching bag Yankees are making things interesting in a crowded AL Wild Card race. Please keep your hands and feet inside the cart and enjoy the ride.
Below are some of my Week 21 picks for starting pitchers to consider streaming off the waiver wire. Some of these pitchers may be two-start pitchers, and all of these SP options can be considered sleepers for your team depending on the league format and depth including NL-Only, AL-Only and head-to-head formats. As always, I categorize each of the streaming options as either Desperate, Risky, Solid or Must-Stream.
Monday SP Streamers
Vance Worley (PIT vs. ATL)
Ownership: 29% Yahoo!, 14% Fleaflicker
Worley had a tough last outing against a due Tigers team. His start against Atlanta provides a juicier matchup. Worley has been an animal Vanimal at home and the Braves are least effective against RHPs on the road. I like Worley to go six strong with eight strikeouts.
MATCHUP RATING: Solid Stream
Roenis Elias (SEA at PHI)
Ownership: 10% Yahoo!, 11% Fleaflicker
Seattle’s young lefty has been spotty since the start of the second half, but Philadelphia has been consistently poor against lefties. Expect the newly-recalled-from-Triple-A Elias to allow some baserunners and three or four runs. The good news is Seattle is facing a pitcher that owns a 6.43 ERA, which you can properly translate into a heap of run support for Elias.
MATCHUP RATING: Risky Stream
Tuesday SP Streamers
Jarred Cosart (MIA vs. TEX)
Ownership: 8% Yahoo!, 7% Fleaflicker
Miami’s newest pitcher has seemed to make it a point to confuse and titillate fantasy owners. When Cosart is on, he’s on. But when he’s off, look out. Perhaps the one thing Cosart has been consistent at is failing to produce high strikeout numbers, win or lose. In any event, he’s facing a freefalling Rangers team in a pitcher's park in front of a Marlins team that has a lot of grit and resolve. He won’t get you the strikeout numbers, but he can surely provide some much needed help in every other fantasy category.
MATCHUP RATING: Solid Stream
Ryan Vogelsong (SF at CHC)
Ownership: 20% Yahoo!, 21% Fleaflicker
Considering Vogelsong’s success as a Giants pitcher, it’s rather odd to see his ownership numbers so low. Nonetheless, a smart owner should take advantage of other owners’ mistakes. His numbers aren’t overly attractive, but Vogelsong has improved his production every month since June. Ride his current streak against the Cubs, who are last in weighted run creation against RHPs.
MATCHUP RATING: Must Stream
Wednesday SP Streamers
Nathan Eovaldi (MIA vs. TEX)
Ownership: 20% Yahoo!, 16% Fleaflicker
Our good friend TBD is starting for a lot of teams on Wednesday, so it’s almost as if Eovaldi makes this list by default. Default-- the two sweetest words in the English language, as Homer Simpson would say.
It’s a good thing Eovaldi for the Rangers that they face Eovaldi in Miami, because the young right-hander has been much more hittable when pitching on his home turf.
MATCHUP RATING: Risky Stream
T.J. House (CLE at MIN)
Ownership: 0% Yahoo!, 2% Fleaflicker
The good news is that House should be available in your league if you absolutely need a streamer. The bad news is that the lefty is yielding a .301 BAA and 1.51 WHIP. For obvious reasons, House wins the “Riskiest Stream of the Week” award that I just invented right now. Interestingly, the Twins are among the worst five teams in weighted run creation. Things could get pretty dicey in Minnesota.
MATCHUP RATING: Desperate Stream
