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
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Streaming Wars: Waiver Wire Targets for May 17

By dbking on Flickr (Originally posted to Flickr as "_MG_9144") [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Brad Johnson's fantasy baseball daily streaming picks for May 17th. Pitcher and hitter streamers for MLB DFS games, and head-to-head (H2H) waiver wire targets.

Welcome to Streaming Wars, your one-stop resource for streaming the waiver wire. Use this column to bolster your neediest categories.

Below are your pitcher and hitter streaming targets for Wednesday, May 17th.

Let's get to it.

 

Agenda

  1. Danger!
  2. Today's Weather and Updates
  3. Tomorrow's Picks

 

1. Danger!

This is your periodic warning that streaming pitchers is a dangerous and risky activity. Brandon McCarthy had a very favorable pairing against the Giants last night at AT&T Park. He allowed six runs in 5.2 innings. Interestingly, he had a 1.78 FIP and 2.67 xFIP for the evening. In other words, the poor results didn't really match the inputs.

The danger of using pitchers is not limited to waiver wire streamers. Chris Archer and Carlos Carrasco are top 10 starters - even after last night when they combined to allow 12 runs in 8.2 innings. Welcome to baseball.

 

2. Today's Weather and Updates

Minnesota may see passing storms today and tomorrow. They'll probably play. Much of the Midwest is supposed to be very windy on Wednesday. Keep an eye on directionality.

 

3. Tomorrow's Picks - Wednesday, May 17th

Pitchers to Use

Matt Garza is back? Nah, can't be. While his results through four starts pass a smell test - 7.23 K/9, 1.90 BB/9, 2.66 ERA, and 3.69 FIP - his velocity is down and his stuff is mediocre. He's never posted a sub-2.00 BB/9 either. Once the walks return, so too will his over-4.00 ERA. Despite the pending regression, Garza has a solid matchup at pitcher friendly Petco Park versus the third-most strikeout prone offense.

Joe Biagini is stretched out enough to toss a full outing. In two starts, he's allowed just one unearned run in nine innings. Biagini isn't Alex Wood. He won't suddenly transform from good bullpen guy to must-roster semi-ace. His numbers will decline as a result of these longer outings. Hitters will figure out how best to exploit his tendency to fill the strike zone. However, the Braves make for a soft target so long as he avoids Freddie Freeman. His opponent, Mike Foltynewicz, is also usable against a shattered Blue Jays roster.

My standard operating procedure for German Marquez is to use him on the road where Coors Field can't ruin his day. He's coming off a dominant eight-inning, three-hit start versus the Cubs at Coors. He tallied eight strike outs and allowed no runs. So much for SOPs. Like the Rockies most successful pitchers, Marquez piles up ground balls while limiting hard contact. He'll face the Twins in Minnesota. Keep an eye on the weather in case it pushes back his start.

Other Targets: Miguel Gonzalez, Matt Shoemaker

 

Pitchers to Exploit

Jose Urena is one of those guys with a shiny ERA and bad results. He's basically the poor man's version of J.C. Ramirez. Urena throws a 96 mph fastball. It's a surprisingly terrible pitch. He also throws a slider and change, and he's gaining confidence in those offerings. His success to date - a 1.98 ERA (4.30 FIP) with 4.61 K/9 and 2.30 BB/9 - can be traced to using the offspeed stuff over 40 percent of the time. Unfortunately, they're merely average pitches with low whiff rates.

Matt Harvey is visiting Chase Field where ground ball pitchers go to die. The Mets' Dark Knight is in free fall without a utility belt. His command has taken a step back, and he's no longer inducing whiffs. On the plus side, he's still generating a lot of soft contact. Strangely, he's also allowed a career worst hard contact rate. Hitters are either miss-hitting or hammering the baseball. This shows up in his .244 BABIP and 2.25 HR/9. In Arizona, grounders tend to convert to hits and home runs fly.

Other Targets: Josh Tomlin, Ubaldo Jimenez, Christian Bergman, Jhoulys Chacin

 

Homers on the Wire

A few days ago, I wrote that Hunter Renfroe would join the homer barrage before long. He's hammered a pair of homers in his last two games. He also has two doubles in his last four games. The bat may be waking up. He'll face Garza. Consider Ryan Schimpf as an all-or-nothing alternative. If you prefer a high floor, Yangervis Solarte usually does something.

Lately, the Phillies have been turning to Tommy Joseph as their cleanup hitter. This might strike you as surprising if you haven't paid attention to his recent results. Since the start of May, he's slashing .400/.512/.886. I like to compare Joseph to Jay Bruce. He's a volatile hitter capable of carrying an offense over a brief hot streak. He's also prone to some icy slumps. Stick with him in deeper formats. He's opposed by Martin Perez.

I'll be honest, I kinda forgot Justin Bour existed for a few weeks there. His recent hot streak is worth a mention here even if I wouldn't snag him for a start versus Lance McCullers and the Astros bullpen.

Other Targets: Domingo Santana, Nick Franklin, Matt Joyce, Jed Lowrie, Luis Valbuena, Brandon Moss, Kennys Vargas, Max Kepler, Scott Schebler, Ian Happ, Jeimer Candelario, Shin-Soo Choo, Mitch Moreland, Justin Smoak, Wilmer Flores, T.J. Rivera, Neil Walker, Josh Reddick, Nori Aoki, Yuli Gurriel, Logan Morrison, Colby Rasmus

 

Steals on the Wire

Hernan Perez and Kevin Pillar are finally over 50 percent owned. That's roughly all the speed threats I actually like.

With Carlos Gomez landing on the disabled list for the next one or two months, Delino DeShields' job security is rock solid - even when visiting a National League park. His role atop the lineup is less certain. The Rangers have realized Choo's high OBP trumps DeShields' blazing speed.

Kevin Kiermaier isn't delivering on his offensive potential. He's even struggling in the field (-1.2 UZR). Smells like he's hurt to me. Kiermaier is still stealing bases at a 25 swipe pace. He also has a hint of power and a career best 10.6 percent walk rate.

Other Targets: Jarrod Dyson, Ben Gamel, Taylor Motter, Kolten Wong, Michael Taylor, Jose Reyes

 

Skill Positions

It's probably a Jett Bandy day. Both Brewers catchers have lost offensive momentum in recent weeks.

 

More Lineups Advice

 

Premium Tools & DFS Research

Get a free trial of our powerful MLB Premium Tools. Our famous DFS Optimizer & Lineup Generator, daily Matchup Ratings, expert DFS Lineups/Cheat Sheets, and more.

Sign Up Now!




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Daz Cameron45 mins ago

Brewers Acquire Daz Cameron From Orioles
Max Scherzer49 mins ago

Throws On Monday
Jorge Polanco55 mins ago

Returns To Mariners Lineup
George Kirby1 hour ago

Could Return In May
Blake Snell1 hour ago

No Structural Damage For Blake Snell
Ronald Acuña Jr.1 hour ago

Ronald Acuna Jr. To Meet With Doctors Soon For A Checkup
Victor Robles1 hour ago

Heading To Injured List
DJ LeMahieu2 hours ago

Could Start Rehab Assignment On Friday
Tyler O'Neill2 hours ago

On The Bench On Monday
Iván Herrera2 hours ago

Ivan Herrera To Miss At Least Four Weeks With Bone Bruise
Nolan Arenado2 hours ago

Scratched On Monday With Illness, Soreness
Nico Hoerner2 hours ago

Sitting Against Rangers
Valente Bellozo2 hours ago

Called Up And Starting On Monday Against Mets
Xavier Edwards2 hours ago

Returns For Series Opener Against Mets
George Springer2 hours ago

Returns From Back Spasms
José Berríos3 hours ago

Jose Berrios Moved Up To Start Series Opener On Monday
Hunter Dobbins3 hours ago

Sent Back To Triple-A
Kristian Campbell3 hours ago

Getting His First Day Off Of The Season
CJ Abrams3 hours ago

Out With Thigh Tightness
Jared Triolo3 hours ago

Goes On Injured List, Tsung-Che Cheng Being Promoted
Bryan Reynolds3 hours ago

Out Against Left-Hander
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP
10
10
11
11
12
19
13
22
14
24
15
25
16
29
17
39
18
40
19
41

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
1
1
2
3
3
7
4
11
6
14
7
15
8
18
9
19
10
20

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Tyler Soderstrom - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, MLB Injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Baseball Risers, Fallers and Buys/Sells - Chris Clegg's Outlooks for Week 2

Welcome back RotoBallers to my dynasty fantasy baseball risers, fallers and buys/sells for Week 2 of the 2025 MLB season. We are just one week into the MLB season and three games into most minor league levels, but there is still plenty of baseball to talk about. I mean, we have already had some prospects […]


Jordan Lawlar - Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Draft Sleepers, MLB Rookies

Top 25 Fantasy Baseball Prospects to Stash (Redraft): Eric Cross' Rookie Rankings for Week 2

With Low-A, High-A, and Double-A starting this past Friday, we now have all four minor league levels in full swing as thousands of players aim to become fantasy-relevant players. Or just reaching the Majors in general. Same thing. We had several notable prospect promotions last week, including Chase Dollander and Zac Veen getting the call […]


Kodai Senga - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Draft Sleepers, MLB Injury News

Starts and Sits - All Starting Pitcher Matchups for Fantasy Baseball (April 7 - April 13)

The MLB season is off and running, and so are we with our starting pitcher starts/sits for fantasy baseball Week 2- Monday, April 7 through Sunday, April 13. We've gotten a couple of looks at most pitchers by now, but the sample size remains small, which means we remain diligent! Bookmark us for every start/sit option […]


Corbin Carroll - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, MLB News, Draft Kit

MLB DFS: DraftKings, FanDuel Expert Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks For Today (4/7/25)

Welcome back, RotoBallers! My name is Brandon, and this is my debut with the MLB team! You can find me and my work with the NHL and Soccer teams, respectively! Tonight, we have a seven-game slate, and the currently live top-three highest implied team totals are: San Diego with 4.7, Arizona with 4.5, and New […]


Riley Greene - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Draft Sleepers, MLB News

Fantasy Baseball Players To Watch For The Week Ahead (April 7 - April 13)

With the first week in the books, welcome back to my weekly Players to Watch for the Week Ahead series for 2025 as we look ahead to the week of April 7 - April 13. In this article, I'll look at players like Logan O'Hoppe, Riley Greene, Spencer Schwellenbach, and others. For those who are not […]


Felix Bautista - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, MLB Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Well-Known Fantasy Baseball Players - Drop, Hold, or Sell Low for Week 2? (2025)

Welcome, RotoBallers, to our weekly article about well-known fantasy baseball players. During each week of the fantasy season, we will identify which big-time players are in a slump and determine what we should do with them in fantasy (drop, hold, or sell low). These difficult decisions could be the difference in winning your matchups every […]


Quinn Mathews - Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Draft Sleepers, MLB Rookie Rankings

Top-5 MLB Pitching Prospects To Stash For Fantasy Baseball Redraft Leagues - Week 2 (2025)

Welcome back to our top starting pitcher fantasy baseball prospects to stash for Week 2 of the 2025 MLB season. Even though the regular season has just started, there is no better time to look ahead and identify high-upside stashes. Last season, we saw several prospect pitchers become league-winners as soon as they reached the […]


Ben Rice - Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Waiver Wire Pickups, Draft Sleepers

Fantasy Baseball Frauds? Buy/Sell On Standout Performers Including Chris Bassitt, Ben Rice, Kris Bubic, Carson Kelly, more

Welcome, RotoBallers, to our weekly fantasy baseball frauds and buys/sells article. Each Monday, we go through several players coming off a solid week in fantasy. Then, we'll determine if we should be buying or selling these players heading into the following week. The first edition of this article saw several players get off to fast starts, including Wilyer Abreu, Spencer […]


Tommy Edman - MLB DFS, Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Waiver Wire

8 Fantasy Baseball Risers and Fallers - Tommy Edman, Triston Casas, Luke Jackson, Justin Steele, more

Welcome, everyone, to another edition of RotoBaller’s Fantasy Baseball Risers and Fallers article series for Week 2 of the 2025 season! Today, I'll be taking a look at names like Tommy Edman, Triston Casas, Luke Jackson, Justin Steele, and more. Keeping up with the latest hitter and pitcher trends is a key component for a […]


Jhoan Duran fantasy baseball rankings closers saves draft sleepers

Fantasy Baseball Closer Depth Charts - MLB Bullpens and Saves

Saves are an important component for many fantasy baseball leagues. Closers are one of the most volatile positions in fantasy baseball, and one of the highest turnover positions in MLB. Each year, closers drop like flies and many MLB teams make in-season changes due to injuries or poor performance. Relief pitchers are becoming increasingly important for […]


Luis Garcia - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Draft Sleepers, MLB Injury News

The Cut List - Time to Let Go? Who To Consider Dropping for Fantasy Baseball (Week 2)

Welcome back to a new season of The Cut List as we head into Week 2 of the 2025 season. For every add, there is usually also a drop. For those who are not familiar, this is our weekly article looking at players whom fantasy managers might be considering cutting from their teams and struggling […]


Kris Bubic - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

FAAB Waiver Wire Bidding - Fantasy Baseball Pickups to Target for Week 2 (April 7 - April 13)

The baseball season is officially underway, and there is no better time to look to the waiver wire to improve your team. Our series about FAAB fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups continues as we head into Week 2 of the 2025 MLB season -- April 7th through April 13th. This waiver wire article will recommend free […]


Tylor Megill fantasy baseball rankings waiver wire pickups draft sleepers

Week 2 Waiver Wire Rankings - Fantasy Baseball Pickups Include Zac Veen, Jordan Walker, Sean Murphy, Jonathan Aranda, Michael Conforto, more

Fantasy baseball is off to a fast start, and we are already on to Week 2 of the MLB season -- April 7th - April 13th. At RotoBaller HQ, we are back with more waiver wire advice to help your fantasy teams. Today, we review the updated waiver wire rankings for Week 2 of the […]