X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

H2H Category Streamers - Week 4 Waiver Wire

Players to target or add from the waiver wire in Week 4 for fantasy baseball H2H (head-to-head) leagues. Zach Alexander identifies the top pickups of the week based on rising fantasy value.

There are plenty of strategies that fantasy managers explore in hopes to get an advantage over their opponent. Heavy lineup, heavy starting pitchers, no catcher, all (or mostly) reliever staff, no reliever staff, etc. Even if you play a balanced lineup, injuries can cause holes. A few weeks without a key player won’t kill a season, but why accept losing when you can stream?

Streaming can be a risky business. If you do it right and check the necessary boxes, you can win the week. This column will do most of the work for you. It’ll cover weekly recommendations for when you need: steals, home runs, average, strikeouts, wins, and/or ratios (ERA/WHIP).

All position eligibility and ownership percentages are based on Yahoo! Fantasy leagues.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Steals - Head-to-Head Category Streamers

Delino DeShields (OF, TEX) - 7% Owned

DeShields is always a threat to steal, and he has a .357 on-base percentage so far this year. Getting on base is half the battle. If he can do that against the A's and Mariners this week he should put up at least one stolen base. He's grabbed four in his last five games. He hasn't shown a difference in splits between righty and lefty this year, however, in 2018, he hit lefties (.248/.336/.327) better than righties (.199/.296/.258).

Kevin Pillar (OF, SF) - 12% Owned

Pillar has notched at least one hit in ten of his last 13 games. As I said before, getting on base is half the battle. He also has three stolen bases in just about the same amount of games. He'll get to face his former team, the Toronto Blue Jays at the beginning of the week and a familiar foe, the New York Yankees at the end. Believe he will be in the zone for those two series. There wasn't much of a split when he faced left or right-handed pitchers in 2018.

 

Home Runs - Head-to-Head Category Streamers

Christian Walker (1B, Ari) - 22% Owned

The Arizona Diamondbacks posted some interesting stats on their Instagram account on Thursday. Per the post, Walker is hitting .619 with six homers, 11 RBI, and a 2.224 OPS in the seventh inning or later this season. Talk about eating up relief pitching. He's also homered in three of his last four games. He'll see the Pirates and Cubs this week, which the latter are a significantly weaker group thus far. The splits say to start him against righties (.351/.400/.838 with five homers), although he's clearly a candidate to smack one once the starter gets chased.

Clint Frazier (OF, NYY) - 30% Owned

Frazier has been waiting to get his shot with the Yankees for a while and has a chance to stick when Giancarlo Stanton returns. Mainly because he's making the best of his opportunity, hitting .347/.358/.612 with four home runs in 49 at-bats. The Yankees will see the Giants and Angels this week. San Francisco has been pitching very well (3.10 team ERA), but the Angels have holes and are more middle-of-the-pack (4.47 team ERA). Like Walker, Frazier also enjoys right-handed matchups, slashing .385/.381/.641 with three homers against them and only .200/.273/.500 against lefties this season.

 

Batting Average - Head-to-Head Category Streamers

Jorge Polanco (SS, MIN) - 39% Owned

Still criminally under-owned Polanco is slashing .400/.464/.717 with three homers this year. He's currently second in batting average for qualified shortstops, and top ten in both home runs and runs scored. Despite the shortstop position being deeper than it has been in prior years, how can one pass up that production?

His .276 career batting average shows that this is no fluke. No, he won't continue to hit .400 but let's stream him while he's hot. The Twins have a six-game slate this upcoming week against the Astros and Orioles. The O's are clearly the better matchup, but those in need should feel comfortable slotting him in against Houston considering how well he's seeing the ball right now.

Scott Kingery (3B/SS/OF, PHI) - 28% Owned

Keep an eye on Jean Segura's hamstring injury before adding Kingery. He has been getting starts at shortstop and batting in the two-hole while Segura is nursing his injury. Kingery is known mainly for being a highly touted prospect, but failing to do much at the plate in 2018. Although the sample is small (29 at-bats), he's showing why he was once a top prospect, slashing .414/.469/.759. He may not get a full week of starts, but he's playable when he's in the lineup. Expect the Phillies to be careful with their newly acquired shortstop (Segura). Kingery is in play especially against righties, with a .476/.542/.762 slash against them this season.

 

Strikeouts - Head-to-Head Category Streamers

Pablo Lopez (SP, MIA) - 5% Owned

The appeal here is that if you're streaming pitchers, your mouth should water when you see the Indians coming up. Cleveland has hit a miserable .196/.277/.325 against right-handed pitchers this year. Through four starts, Lopez has a 26.4 percent strikeout rate. He's gotten hit hard in a few starts but managed to throw five innings of two-run ball against the Cubs his last time out. The Indians are just the team he needs to face to keep the momentum going.

Spencer Turnbull (SP, DET) - 4% Owned

Turnbull will face the Red Sox early in the week, and while they're hitting a pretty dismal .223/.300/.363 against righties, they can explode at any time. We're aiming for the start over the weekend against the White Sox who have actually hit righties better than the Red Sox, but don't quite have that explosive aspect. They also strike out a bit more which is what we're looking for. Turnbull has posted a strikeout rate of 26.7 percent so far and has had better results than Lopez with a 3.43 ERA.

 

ERA/WHIP - Head-to-Head Category Streamers

Jake Odorizzi (SP, MIN) - 12% Owned

No, not against the Astros on Monday. Let's tee Odorizzi up against the Orioles later in the week at Target Field. Owners that have tested the Odorizzi waters in recent years probably will roll their eyes when they see his name here. But wait! He has actually been useful in favorable matchups. He got rocked against the Phillies and Mets this year (unfavorable matchups) and had two nice starts against the Indians and Blue Jays (favorable matchups). This time out he'll get the O's (favorable matchup) who hit .220/.299/.367 against righties. It's a solid bet for 12 percent ownership.

 Mike Soroka (SP, ATL) - 24% Owned

Soroka is coming off his first start of the season in which he threw five innings of one-run ball against the Diamondbacks on Thursday. He managed to get out of a few jams that boosted his pitch count, otherwise, he was cruising to a quality start. He should see a Cincinnati lineup that is second to last in batting average against righties this season. They do have some threats, but until they show they're more than just threats we'll stream against them. The big righty should take another step forward in his next start.

 

Wins - Head-to-Head Category Streamers

Frankie Montas (SP, OAK) - 33% Owned

I certainly did not see it coming, but Montas threw an absolute gem against the Astros on Wednesday night. He went 6 1/3 innings, letting up three hits, one earned run, and striking out six improving his 2019 ERA to 2.70. Though the Rangers have hit righties well this season (.262/.348/.460), their pitching staff holds a combined ERA of 5.12. Montas should be able to carry over enough momentum from his brilliance against Houston to limit the Rangers and allow his bats to pick him up a win.

Yonny Chirinos (SP/RP, TB) - 36% Owned

Chirinos has bounced from starter to reliever, following the opener for the Rays. It's not such a bad deal if we're looking for a win. He's 3-0 on the season and has pitched well other than a blip against the Blue Jays (3.26 ERA). The upside is that at the least, he won't face the top three hitters until a few innings into the game. With the Rays on an absolute tear and boasting a league-best record, a matchup with Royals seems like an almost automatic win.

More Streamers and Head-to-Head League Columns




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS


Seahawks Draft Elijah Arroyo 50th Overall
Carolina Panthers

Panthers Acquire 51st Pick From Broncos
Arizona Cardinals

Cardinals Snag Will Johnson At No. 47

Jets Add A Pass-Catcher With Mason Taylor At No. 42

Rams Select Terrance Ferguson With 46th Pick
Houston Texans

Texans Acquire 48th Pick From Raiders, Draft Aireontae Ersery

Saints Snag Tyler Shough At No. 40
Brenton Doyle

Out For Personal Reasons On Friday

Bears Draft Luther Burden In Round 2
Buffalo Bills

Bills Move Up To 41st Pick In Trade With Bears

Patriots Add TreVeyon Henderson To The Backfield At Pick No. 38
Miami Dolphins

Dolphins Acquire 37th Pick From Raiders, Draft Jonah Savaiinaea

Browns Add Quinshon Judkins To Backfield With 36th Pick
Seattle Seahawks

Seahawks Acquire 35th Pick From Titans, Select Nick Emmanwori

Texans Select Jayden Higgins 34th Overall
Brandin Podziemski

Not On Injury Report For Game 3
Jimmy Butler III

Warriors Optimistic About Jimmy Butler III Playing Saturday
Jae'Sean Tate

To Remain Out Saturday
Jock Landale

Unavailable For Game 3

Tyler Shough Could Come Off The Board Before Shedeur Sanders
Terry Rozier

Out On Saturday
Jrue Holiday

Ruled Out For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Orlando
Kevin Love

To Miss Saturday's Game
Jaylen Brown

Available For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Magic
Gary Payton II

Iffy For Saturday's Action
Jayson Tatum

Officially Available On Friday For Game 3 Against Magic
Will Smith

Back From Injury On Friday
Luke Kennard

Questionable For Game 4 On Saturday
Darius Garland

Listed As Questionable For Game 3
Ja Morant

To Miss Game 4 On Saturday
Rui Hachimura

Available For Game 3 In Minnesota
Aaron Ekblad

Available To Return Saturday
Erik Swanson

Ryan Burr Progressing
Daulton Varsho

To Return On Tuesday At The Latest
Max Scherzer

Takes Positive Step On Friday
Aleksander Barkov

Questionable For Saturday
Isaiah Spiller

Raiders Waive Isaiah Spiller
Gabriel Landeskog

Set For Larger Role In Game 4
Calvin Pickard

To Start Game 3 For Oilers
Randy Arozarena

Resting For First Time This Year
Jonas Siegenthaler

To Play Limited Minutes In Game 3
MLB

Red Sox-Guardians Game Postponed On Friday
Luke Hughes

Remains Out On Friday
MLB

Tigers-Orioles Postponed On Friday
Patrik Laine

A Game-Time Decision Friday
NFL

Several Teams Trying To Trade Up Early In Round 2

Bhayshul Tuten Could Be A Third-Round Pick
Yainer Diaz

Out On Friday Against Royals
Iván Herrera

Ivan Herrera Hopes To Start Rehab Assignment Next Week
Salvador Perez

Sitting Out For First Time This Season
Cleveland Browns

Browns Fielding Calls For First Pick In Round 2
Jaylen Brown

Questionable For Game 3 On Friday
Brendan Donovan

Back In Action On Friday
Jimmy Butler III

Could Miss Game 3 On Saturday
Coby Mayo

Getting On A Roll At Triple-A
George Pickens

Steelers Receiving Calls About George Pickens
Moises Ballesteros

Riding An 11-Game Hit Streak
Victor Mesa Jr.

Starting Rehab Assignment On Saturday
Ryan Weathers

To Begin Rehab Assignment On Sunday
Colby Thomas

Heating Up At Triple-A
Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys Don't Feel Forced To Draft A Running Back
Emmanuel Rodriguez

Has Quiet Start To 2025
Jeff McNeil

Hitting Eighth In Season Debut
Brandon Sproat

Coughs Up Six Earned Runs In Latest Start
Eury Pérez

Eury Perez To Start Rehab Assignment On Saturday
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Cade Cunningham

Collects Double-Double In Loss
Jalen Brunson

Drops 30 Points In Game 3
Karl-Anthony Towns

Leads All Scorers In Game 3 Victory
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
Nicolas Dalby

An Underdog At UFC Kansas City
Randy Brown

A Favorite At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Set To Open Up UFC Kansas City Main Card
Ikram Aliskerov

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Sergei Bobrovsky

Shuts Out Lightning In Game 2
Cam Fowler

Finishes Thursday's Win With Five Points
Robert Thomas

Posts Four Assists In Game 3 Win
Pavel Buchnevich

Celebrates Hat Trick During Four-Point Performance
Dylan DeMelo

Battling An Illness
Marcus Johansson

Exits Early Thursday
Aleksander Barkov

Hurt In Game 2
Jrue Holiday

Tagged As Questionable For Friday
Jayson Tatum

Likely Out Again On Friday
Anthony Cirelli

Good To Go Thursday
Andrei Vasilevskiy

Looks To Bounce Back In Game 2
Rasmus Ristolainen

To Miss Training Camp
Jonas Siegenthaler

Returns To Practice
Aliaksei Protas

Traveling With Capitals
Gabriel Vilardi

Still Out On Thursday
Max Pacioretty

Set To Join Maple Leafs Lineup For Game 3
Cam Davis

Looking For Better Fortunes At TPC Louisiana
Adam Svensson

Making Third Apperence At Zurich Classic
Max Greyserman

Aiming For Similar Success At TPC Louisiana
Lee Hodges

A High-Upside Player In New Orleans
PGA

Nico Echavarria Looks To Ride Off Of Elite Putting In New Orleans
Gary Woodland

A Player Worth Watching In New Orleans
Max McGreevy

Returns To The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Rasmus Hojgaard

In Search Of Consistency Ahead Of Zurich Classic
Sam Stevens

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate In New Orleans
Nicolai Hojgaard

Looking To Turn Season Around At Zurich Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks To Sway A Hot Putter In Teams Favor At Zurich Classic
Akshay Bhatia

Looking To Bounce Back At TPC Louisiana
Carson Young

Looks To Turn Things Around At TPC Louisiana
Erik Van Rooyen

Looking For Momentum In Louisiana
Andrew Novak

Making Start At TPC Louisiana After Near Miss At Harbour Town
Ben Griffin

Making Third Career Start At Zurich Classic
Taylor Moore

Competing With A New Teammate In New Orleans
Wyndham Clark

Making Return To New Orleans
Kurt Kitayama

Teeing It Up Again In New Orleans
Collin Morikawa

Back At Zurich Classic For Fifth Time
Thomas Detry

Making Third Appearance At New Orleans Team Event
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF