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Welcome back to Streaming Wars, your one-stop shop for streaming the waiver wire. This article, which began last season, runs seven days a week. Even with only a week and a half of the season in the books, we are always ready to stream.
For those who are newcomers to this feature - use this column on a daily basis to improve upon your neediest categories, and target players who may be available on your waiver wire.
Below are your pitcher and hitter streaming targets for Wednesday, April 11. Let's get to it.
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Agenda
- Mallexing
- Today's Weather and Updates
- Tomorrow's Picks
1. Mallexing
Rays fourth outfielder Mallex Smith went 4-for-4 yesterday with a pair of stolen bases. The game raised his average from .188 to .350. All of a sudden, he's in line for more opportunities. Kevin Kiermaier is currently banged up. He should return soon. Meanwhile, neither Denard Span nor Carlos Gomez will be around for the long haul. The rebuilding Rays are off to a 2-8 start. They have every reason to give Smith an extended look.
According to the horse himself (i.e. Smith), balance is the key to his success at the plate. This jibes with my longstanding scouting report of Smith - he can drift forward which exposes him to unnecessary swinging strikes and weak contact.
2. Today's Weather and Updates
It's cold in around half of venues. Otherwise, the weather is fine today.
3. Tomorrow's Picks - Wednesday, April 11
Pitchers to Use
Brandon McCarthy is visiting A.J. Cole in the deep league-only classic. While I'm a big fan of McCarthy as a streamer - I outright own him on six of eight rosters - I'd steer clear of the Nationals juggernaut offense. Cole is somebody I'd usually aim to exploit. If you're chasing a victory, he's a decent dice roll.
I'd rather gamble on Kyle Gibson versus the Astros. Which is not to say I'm enthused about using Gibson against the best offense in the league. I simply prefer him to Cole. He's maintained an elevated swinging strike rate through two starts, albeit with shaky command.
Other Targets: Brandon McCarthy, A.J. Cole, Kyle Gibson, Marco Estrada, Nick Pivetta, Zack Wheeler
Pitchers to Exploit
Jarlin Garcia is a classic-style swingman which is a fancy way to say he's basically the worst pitcher on the Marlins roster. There's nothing to see here except a bunch of Mets runs. This is also why I listed Wheeler as a guy to use - he'll probably earn a win.
Kevin Gausman followed a disaster against the Twins with a respectable outing against an impossible Yankees lineup. Which Gausman shows up tomorrow?
Other Targets: Adam Wainwright, James Shields, Luis Perdomo, German Marquez, Jordan Zimmermann, Jaime Barria, Matt Moore
Homers on the Wire
I'm still in on any and all Padres at Coors Field. That includes low-power leadoff man Carlos Asuaje, Christian Villanueva, Jose Pirela, Cory Spangenberg, Freddy Galvis, and Manuel Margot. Margot in particular has a well-rounded profile. Sadly, he's been demoted to the eight-spot.
The best parks for power are Coors, Citizen's Bank, Guaranteed Rate, and Camden Yards. For the most part, the matchups don't lend themselves to obviously exploitable pitchers. In the case of Chicago, it'll be so cold that power potential will be limited.
Other Targets: Howie Kendrick, Michael Taylor, Nick Markakis, Preston Tucker, Carlos Gomez, C.J. Cron, Jesse Winker, Todd Frazier, Asdrubal Cabrera, Brian Anderson, Lewis Brinson, Shin-Soo Choo, Drew Robinson, Yonder Alonso, Michael Brantley, Nicky Delmonico
Steals on the Wire
I'd usually list Dexter Fowler as a power play. His matchup against the Brewers has me leaning speed for tomorrow. I'll be making frequent recommendations of Fowler so long as he's available. Consider Kolten Wong for a swipe too.
Bradley Zimmer's slow start has pushed his ownership below 50 percent. If he reaches base versus Zimmermann, he's very likely to attempt a steal. The Zimmermann-McCann battery is particular poor at holding runnrs.
Other Targets: Mallex Smith, Jonathan Villar, Cesar Hernandez, Amed Rosario
Skill Positions
Austin Hedges is still at Coors Field.
I've noticed Jose Alvarado has emerged as a popular speculation target in case Alex Colome continues to scuffled. I'm... not enamored. I prefer betting on Sergio Romo.
