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Below are some of my Week 11 picks for starting pitchers to consider streaming off the waiver wire. Some of the 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. If you do plan on streaming starters this week, Monday and Wednesday allow for better matchups than does Tuesday.
Monday SP Streamers
Charlie Morton (PIT vs. CHC)
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He may have a 2-7 record, but Charlie Morton has actually pitched well this season. With ownership numbers at 10% in Yahoo! and 5% in ESPN leagues, Morton should be an easy pickup off most waiver wires if you are looking to stream.
Morton doesn’t own a great strikeout-to-walk ratio, but he is inducing a ton of ground balls this season. Against right handers, the Cubbies own the fifth highest K rate, the second worst OPS and are last in BA.
MATCHUP RATING: Solid Stream
Jason Vargas (KC vs. NYY)
Ownership: 30% Yahoo!, 29% ESPN. Vargas is beginning to regress a bit, but he just may take advantage of pitching at Kaufman Stadium. The Yanks only own a 7.0% HR/FB rate against lefties- a rather pedantic number considering the friendly confines of Yankee Stadium.
MATCHUP RATING: Solid Stream
Josh Collmenter (ARI vs. HOU)
Ownership: 9% Yahoo, 3% ESPN. Collmenter is coming off a tough outing in Pitcher Purgatory- otherwise known as Coors Field. Normally fantasy owners would feel comfortable with a right hander against the Houston lineup, however the Astros’ bats have been white hot lately and Collmenter gives up at least one home run at home per start.
MATCHUP RATING: Risky Stream
Tuesday SP Streamers
Mike Leake (CIN vs. LAD)
Ownership: 42% Yahoo!, 28% ESPN. Every now and then offenses take a [bite out of] Leake- including last week against the Giants. Leake is still a ground-ball-inducing machine but the Dodgers have been mashing right handed pitching. Owners need to be double scared if Andre Ethier, who is 5-for-12 with 2 HR against Leake, is in the lineup.
MATCHUP RATING: Desperate Stream
Bronson Arroyo (ARI vs. HOU)
Ownership: 15% Yahoo!, 5% ESPN. One week he’s outdueling Stephen Strasburg and the next week he’s giving up 5 earned. Although Arroyo is inconsistent, it’s hard not to go against the terrible-versus-righties matchup the Astros offense gives. Much like Collmenter, there’s definite risk involved as Arroyo is a fly ball pitcher and the Astros have been hot.
MATHUP RATING: Risky Stream
Wednesday SP Streamers
Rubby De La Rosa (BOS at BAL)
The Rubby de la Rosa-Baltimore Oriole lineup matchup is the most intriguing of the early week. Fantasy owners are beginning to take notice of de la Rosa as his ownership numbers have climbed to 13% in Yahoo! and 7 % in ESPN leagues. De la Rosa has been striking out his fair share of batters (26.0% K rate, 6.50 K/BB ratio) but he’s also been scorched on the road (6.35 ERA, .375 BAA). Baltimore’s offense appears to be unforgiving against right handers but they are swinging at pitches outside the zone at an absurd rate. If de la Rosa can force the O’s to continue that torrid pace he could flirt with double digit strikeouts.
MATCHUP RATING: Risky Stream
Chase Whitley (NYY at SEA)
It’s a small sample size, but Whitley is beginning to have Yankees fans saying, “C.C. who?” Okay, not really. With ownership numbers at 4% in Yahoo! and 2% in ESPN leagues, Whitley should be an easy pickup whatever type of league you’re in. Whitley’s slider has been nearly unhittable this season. Right on cue, the Mariners have been sub-par against the slider this season as they’ve seen it only 12.5% of the time for a wSL (a statistical analysis of linear weight on a pitch or “pitch value”) value of -4.6. Add that it’s in an extreme pitcher’s park and Whitley could have himself another quality start.
MATCHUP RATING: Solid Stream
