Two-Start Pitcher Streamers for Fantasy Baseball - Week 18

We've finally seen Brady Singer, Johnny Cueto, and Cole Irvin graduate from this list with rostered rates of just over 50%. That leaves many familiar faces and iffy options but also some pitchers who have made their way down to streaming status after being fantasy rotation pieces much of the season. Let's investigate further.

This fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups column aims to identify starting pitchers expected to make two starts in the upcoming fantasy baseball week, ahead of the Sunday night waiver wire runs for leagues with weekly transactions.

This list will be limited to players under 50% rostered in Yahoo leagues and divided into three sections based on recommendation levels: solid starters, risky streamers, and must-avoids.

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Solid Two-Start Pitcher Streamers

Keegan Thompson, Chicago Cubs - 42% rostered

Scheduled starts: vs WAS, @CIN

Thompson was supposed to match up with rookie phenom Garrett (see below) for a second start last week but that didn't happen. Instead, he is slated to start twice this week with matchups against the Nats and Reds. Needless to say, that makes him an excellent option.

Last week's recommendation fell flat because he obviously didn't start twice and in his one outing against St. Louis, he wasn't very effective. It's hard to imagine he won't be dominant facing two of the biggest sellers from this year's midseason trade market, especially a Juan Soto-less Washington team.

Braxton Garrett, Miami Marlins - 39% rostered

Scheduled starts: @PHI, vs ATL

My previous breakdown of Garrett explained all the reasons to be excited about him in fantasy. He only made one start in Week 17 but he made it count by striking out 11 Reds in just under six innings. Garrett gets a tougher slate this coming week with his first time facing a pair of divisional rivals and homer-happy clubs. The Phillies are still struggling to put things together consistently, however, and continue to tinker with their roster. Atlanta will be a challenge but with the way Garrett has been pitching, his K upside outweighs the risk. He boasts a 31.8% CSW and 12.9% SwStr% that provides a fairly high fantasy floor.

Alex Cobb, San Francisco Giants - 32% rostered

Scheduled starts: @SD, vs ARI

Cobb was pegged as the "bad luck" pitcher for most of the first half of the season. Then he was just bad. A trip to the injured list put him out of the fantasy collective consciousness for a while but he's been quietly effective for the past few weeks and is starting to pile up strikeouts. In his last start, Cobb whiffed eight Dodgers in a quality start and that came on the heels of his 11 K performance against the Cubs.

Cobb still stands as an underachiever compared to his excellent expected stats, particularly in terms of ERA. His 2.79 xERA is far better than the 4.08 ERA he's stuck with and his .305 xSLG is in the 90th percentile. That said, it will be tricky to trust him against the new-look Padres with Juan Soto, Josh Bell, and Brandon Drury in tow before he gets the D-Backs. Cobb has allowed three ER or fewer in nine of his last 10 starts and has been solid all season, if unlucky at times, so I still consider him the top two-start streamer of the week.

Risky Two-Start Pitcher Streamer Picks

Yusei Kikuchi, Toronto Blue Jays - 22% rostered

Scheduled starts: @BAL, vs CLE

I'm bordering on fatigue writing about the risks of Kikuchi every couple of weeks. He hasn't been rocked lately but that's partly because he's only tallied 32 2/3 innings over his past nine starts. He'll flash with a nice outing every so often but not as often as he gets an early hook. If not for the favorable draw of a rebuilding Baltimore team in power-suppressing Camden Yards, great for left-handers, then I'd steer clear.

Jordan Lyles, Baltimore Orioles - 13% rostered

Scheduled starts: vs TOR, @TB

The 12-year veteran has looked more interesting as of late. Lyles has only given up one run over his last two starts, earning wins over the Rangers and Rays. I can't say I'm too optimistic of his chances to shut down Toronto. Earlier this year, they scored four runs on him and they've added pieces since then.

Lyles is a bit safer than some other options this week, I'll give him that, but the big fear fantasy managers should have is that he gets shelled early and is left hanging out to dry now that the O's have waved the white flag on this year. Best case, he consumes six-plus innings in each start and comes out relatively unscathed.

Graham Ashcraft, Cincinnati Reds - 10% rostered

Scheduled starts: @NYM, vs CHC

He knows who he is and that's a low-K, high-groundball pitcher. That did the trick in his latest start when he managed to pitch into the ninth inning and limit the Marlins to one unearned run on five hits. It should be noted, however, that it was the first scoreless outing he enjoyed since June 7 and it only lowered his ERA to 4.12 on the season. Rolling him out against the Mets is a huge risk. Whether a late-week tilt with the Cubs can offset it remains to be seen. Consider him a risky floor play but not one who can get you much in the way of counting stats. Which leads us to...

Kris Bubic, Kansas City Royals - 7% rostered

Scheduled starts: vs CHW, vs LAD

Bubic has been far better lately than in the early part of the season; he hasn't allowed more than three ER in any of his last seven starts. Like most low-owned streamers, any help in ratios will come at the cost of strikeouts and wins. Bubic owns an 18.8% K% and has only won twice in 17 starts. Something tells me the Royals will be underdogs when they take on the White Sox and Dodgers this week. That may mean that they lean on Bubic to eat as many innings as possible but it also suppresses his ceiling.

Kyle Bradish, Baltimore Orioles - 1% rostered

Scheduled starts: vs TOR, @TB

Which Bradish will we get? Across his first 10 starts, he pitched to a 7.38 ERA, 1.77 WHIP. Since returning from the IL due to shoulder inflammation, Bradish has allowed two ER on five hits and one ER on three hits, going five innings each time. He's managed to whiff 58 batters in 56 innings with 12 K in the past 10 innings.

It'll be a challenge but maybe he can keep it going as he goes through Toronto and Tampa. Homers have been problematic for Bradish and that's a problem as he faces a Blue Jay team that is fifth in total team HR this season. On the flip side, Tampa's lineup is mostly punchless these days outside of Brandon Lowe. I prefer Bradish as a one-start streamer late in the week but given the dearth of quality options in Week 18, he slots in fourth among those mentioned in this piece.

Tommy Henry, Arizona Diamondbacks - 0% rostered

Scheduled starts: vs PIT, @COL

Based on his first major league start, it might be wise to keep Henry in the bottom tier. He gave up four runs and four hits with three walks and three strikeouts. He gave the snakes a few innings at least.

Tommy Henry is the first #Dbacks pitcher since 2019 to throw 5 innings in his career debut.

Alex Young (5 IP) and Merrill Kelly (6 IP) both did it in 2019.

— D-backs facts & stats (@dbaxfax) August 3, 2022

I'll give him a shot in NL-Only leagues based on the fact he'll get the Bucs in his first tilt this week. The road trip to Coors is a big red flag but those looking this deep for a streamer can't be that picky.

Stay Away from these Two-Start Pitchers

Paul Blackburn, Oakland A's - 37% rostered

Scheduled starts: vs LAA, @TEX

It seems like forever ago that Blackburn was a hot commodity on the waiver wire. He hasn't just regressed since the beginning of the year, he's free-fallen. It hasn't stopped either.

His occasional good starts are now the exception. The rest of the time, he's not just bad but soul-crushing. In the month of July, Blackburn allowed 21 ER in 25 2/3 IP. He had gone seven straight starts without a win until he finally notched one in his first August start.

That shouldn't convince you of anything except that he's due to get obliterated this coming week. Actually, the Angels are a pretty easy matchup these days. I'd still steer clear unless absolutely desperate.

Rich Hill, Boston Red Sox - 5% rostered

Scheduled starts: vs ATL, vs NYY

Hill is back for another pair of cameo appearances, assuming he makes it through the week without hitting the IL again. He's made two appearances since the beginning of July and neither went particularly well (three ER, three hits, four walks in 4 2/3 IP vs Cubs; four ER, six hits in three IP vs Houston). The strikeout stuff isn't there anymore and the chances for a win are lower in Boston these days even if he does manage to last five frames. Pivot elsewhere.

Tyler Alexander, Detroit Tigers - 1% rostered

Scheduled starts: vs CLE, @ CHW

Another low-K pitcher on a terrible team. For those who missed last week's column, this sums up my thoughts on Alexander and why he remains in the Stay Away section: "Given how he's been used, we're likely looking at a low pitch count and low strikeout rate with almost no hope of a win. In other words, he's the left-handed version of Chris Archer." 'Nuff said.

Zach Thompson, Pittsburgh Pirates - 1% rostered

Scheduled starts: @ARI, @SF

It's not the schedule so much as the lack of strikeout or win upside that makes Thompson a bad pick. The terrible peripheral stats too. His .280 xBA is among the worst in the league and he's earned every bit of his 5.15 ERA.

Tyler Beede, Pittsburgh Pirates - 0% rostered

Scheduled starts: @ARI, @SF

Beede once looked like a promising prospect with the Giants but numerous injuries including UCL surgery and a back strain that cost him the last two seasons have ended the promise. He'll simply serve as an opener for the last-place Pirates; even then, he could damage your ratios in limited time on the mound.

Anibal Sanchez, Washington Nationals - 0% rostered

Scheduled starts: @CHC, vs SD

Props to Sanchez for continuing to trot out to the mound every few days at age 38 just to take a beating. He holds a 7.65 ERA, 1.50 WHIP after four starts for the rebuilding Nats. It would be a lot more satisfying to watch Cade Cavalli or Cole Henry pitch in DC but that's not the case just yet. As far as Sanchez, don't expect him to flash back to 2019 any time soon.

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