Fantasy Baseball Streamers - Waiver Wire Picks for Thursday 9/2

September 2, 2021

Top daily fantasy baseball streamers and waiver wire adds for 9/2/21. Dave Swan identifies MLB hitters and starting pitchers to stream based on matchups.

Sadly, baseball is nearing an end, and fantasy managers in daily leagues, no doubt, already have holes to fill with streamers. Fortunately, RotoBaller has you covered with daily fantasy baseball streaming picks.

Each day, RotoBaller will provide you with some of the best streaming options to consider in fantasy baseball daily leagues. Additionally, these recommendations can be helpful for fantasy managers setting MLB DFS lineups. 

We have an 8-game slate Thursday, with some weather concerns. Fortunately, there are quite a few streamable players, with 16 teams taking the field. This article will use rostered percentages and position eligibility from Yahoo! leagues.

Hitter Streamers for 9/2 - Shallow Leagues

Travis d'Arnaud (C, ATL) - 44% rostered

Matchup: at RHP Chi Chi Gonzalez

Alert! Alert! We have a catcher available for streaming inside of Coors Field. While typically that means grab whoever it is, we get a huge bonus today. d'Arnaud is not just any old catcher; he is a former All-Star with the ability to take one deep in any park. Additionally, he is going to bat in the heart of the potent Atlanta offense.

Frank Schwindel (1B/OF, CHC) - 36% rostered

Matchup: vs. RHP Mitch Keller

The Cubs decided to part ways with many of their championship nuclei and promoted unknown players like Schwindel. However, his .306/.349/.595 slash line with .944 OPS is undoubtedly making him a household name. Even if you dive past the surface stats, a sub-20% K-rate with 8% barrel and .383 xwOBA isn't too shabby. Lastly, a matchup against a flawed SP like Mitch Keller gives him an additional boost.

Joc Pederson (1B/OF, ATL) - 25% rostered

Matchup: at RHP Chi Chi Gonzalez

This is an excellent spot for a profile like Joc Peterson. Notably, he hits the ball quite hard(47% hard-hit rate, 113.6 MPH max exit velocity, and 10% barrel rate). Furthermore, in 257 ABs vs. RHP, Joc's success is supported by .200 ISO with 12 HRs. He would be a solid stream before playing in Coors Field.

Nicky Lopez (2B/SS, KC) - 47% rostered

Matchup: vs. RHP Zach Thompson

I seem to keep writing about Nicky in the streamer section, and why not? Lopez is sporting a newfound ability to swipe bags, as he has 18 on the season. Additionally, he's been tremendous at the top of the Royals' lineup by walking a ton without striking out. This has helped bolster his stout .363 OBP. While he won't provide any power, any manager looking for SBs runs and AVG/OBP can rest easy by streaming Lopez.

Hitter Streamers for 9/2 - Deeper Leagues

Brendan Rodgers (2B/SS, COL) - 20% rostered

Matchup: vs. RHP Touki Toussaint

Are we targeting another bat in Coors Field? You bet! This one is the Rockies' prospect with a .807 OPS. He is working through a 4-f0r-21 slump that's keeping his roster% relatively low. Although, Rodgers has flourished against MLB-level talent this season. He maintains a near 42% hard-hit rate while striking out less than 20% of the time. Lastly, Toussaint has electric breaking balls, but those could be mitigated in the thin Colorado air today.

Wilmer Flores (1B/2B/3B, SF) - 10% rostered

Matchup: vs. LHP Eric Lauer

Flores has forever been a platoon bat only implemented against southpaws. However, the Giants organization has done a terrific job developing their players. Take Flores is a perfect example. This season Flores is hitting for a high average against LHP, but his SLG% is nearly identical vs. pitcher of either handedness. For today's streaming purpose, Flores gets another southpaw, where he showcases a 117 wRC+ throughout his career.

Pitcher Streamers for 9/2 - Shallow Leagues

Mike Minor (SP, KC) - 24% rostered

Matchup: vs. Cleveland

Did you know Mike Minor is a top-30 SP in terms of strikeouts? Well, it's true! His 142 Ks on the season slots him in at number 29. The obvious flaw in his game is he gives up far too many runs, which is why the ERA is north of 5.00-yikes! However, he's been a little unlucky because the xFIP is 4.37, and his SIERA is 4.17. Both aren't ace-level stat lines but show there is room for statistical regression.

Also, when looking for a streamer at this point in the season, consider the number of innings they will pitch. And that my friend is another one of Minor's top traits-he pitches deep into games. His 147.2 innings pitched put him again inside the top-3o SPs. Furthermore, he has gone five innings or more in every start since mid-July.

Lastly, the Cleveland offense is a subpar squad. For the season, they showcase an 80 wRC+ with a K% a tick over 22%. Now, they've had slightly more success in the previous two weeks(106 wRC+ and 21% K-rate) but not enough to make them a team we avoid. Start Minor with confidence and hope the Royals offense does their part for a late-season W.

Pitcher Streamers for 9/2 - Deeper Leagues

Mitch Keller (SP, PIT) - 3% rostered

Matchup: at Chicago Cubs

Yikes! The options for deep league streamers are scary. Except, Mitch Keller is the least scary of them all. His surface stats are grotesque. But those are mainly driven by problematic walk issues and the occasional HRs. Okay, if I haven't scared you off, stay with me.

He matches up against the Chicago Cubs, who is likely worse than the Pirates at this point in the season. Over the past month, the Cubs have a 30% K-rate(no, I am not joking) and a .135 ISO. In summation, the Cubs are an utter shelf of their opening day form and limping into the offseason.

Point blank, Keller is not a stud, but the Cubs aren't excellent. However, if Keller can give you five innings of work and keep the basepaths clean, maybe he picks up the win. Stream at your own risk!

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