Wise fantasy baseball managers never rest. They’re never satisfied with their team and are always on the hunt for the player that can help them in the present and future. For this article, we’ll focus on the present, as we present the top pitcher streamers who’ll be making two outings this week.
We do this every week, because deep down we all know those last two or three guys taken in drafts won’t be with us the whole way through. Mix and match is the name of the game and maximizing these players’ values is the goal. As we focus on pitchers owned in 50% or fewer leagues on Fleaflicker, here are the top five for week four.
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Top 5 Two-Start Pitcher Streamers
Ross Stripling, LAD
vs Miami (4/25), vs San Diego (4/30)
Ross Stripling garnered much attention after taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning of his professional debut. Pitching against the hated San Francisco Giants, Stripling provided the Dodgers with a start that surely exceeded their expectations. Now, after two additional starts with some troubles, Stripling is getting more accustomed to life in the big leagues. With a 2.65 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 17 innings, the 26-year-old faces his first two-start week of the year. Owned in just 15% of Fleaflicker leagues, he’s an ideal streamer option for the week ahead. His first start of the week will be at home against the Marlins, one of the worst teams in the National League. His second start of the week will be against the Padres, a team which the Dodgers shut out over a three-game sweep at the beginning of the year. Additionally, opposing pitcher Colin Rea has a 5.51 ERA so far this season. Look for Stripling to deliver quality as a two-start streamer this week.
Ian Kennedy, KC
@ L.A. Angels (4/25), @ Seattle (5/1)
Coming off a 9-15 year with the San Diego Padres, Ian Kennedy has been a revelation early on for the Kansas City Royals. Through three starts and 20 innings pitched this season, Kennedy has 21 strikeouts, just three earned runs and two victories. After the Royals entered the season with numerous questions over the rotation, the 31-year-old right-hander has been one of the key reasons for the club's first-place start. Entering his first two-start week of the season, he’s owned in 48% of Fleaflicker leagues, still available to more than half of all owners. Beginning his week in Anaheim, he’ll take on of the weakest offenses in the league. The Angels currently rank in the bottom 10 of every major hitting category and have a losing record at home. His second start of the week should be a tougher one, as the Royals will travel to Seattle. With Kennedy rolling, however, the least you should expect of him is a quality start - something he’s done in each of his three starts thus far.
Joe Ross, WSH
vs Philadelphia (4/26), @ St. Louis (5/1)
Joe Ross has been one of the more impressive fifth starters in the league thus far. In his first two starts of the campaign, he allowed just one run in 14.2 IP. Once he exited his most recent start after two innings, however, there were some worries. Ultimately, the cause of his early departure was revealed to be a blister, meaning the 22-year-old should be good to go for this upcoming week. Owned in just 34% of Fleaflicker leagues, he could be the strongest two-start streamer for the upcoming week. On Monday, he’ll begin his week at home against the Phillies, a team which he shut out across seven innings and two-thirds earlier this season. His second start of the week will come on Sunday at Busch Stadium against the Cardinals. While the Cards have been one of the better offensive teams in the league, they’ve been inconsistent at home. Have confidence in Ross as a two-start streamer, because he’s got a strong chance of walking away with two victories this week.
Ubaldo Jimenez, BAL
@ Tampa Bay (4/26), vs White Sox (5/1)
32-year-old Ubaldo Jimenez has made three starts this season, impressing at home and struggling in his lone road outing. While that may not seem to bode well for his first start of the week, he’ll be taking on the Tampa Bay Rays. At the time of this writing, the Rays are dead last in hits and runs. Five days later, Jimenez will close out the week at home against the Chicago White Sox, another team facing serious offensive issues early on. The opposing pitcher, John Danks, has lost all three of his starts so far and boasts a 6.23 ERA. With Jimenez being owned in a mere 21% of Fleaflicker leagues, he looks to be another strong option for two-start streamer.
Jimmy Nelson, MIL
@ Cubs (4/26), vs Miami (5/1)
After a 2015 that lacked stability and consistency, Jimmy Nelson remains a tough puzzle to solve. He began his season with what has been his best start of the year, although ironically it was his only loss in four outings. Since then he has won three starts in a row, but after three consecutive quality starts he had his worst start of the year on Wednesday night. He’ll begin his week at Wrigley Field, taking on the first-place Chicago Cubs. While it looks like a daunting task, Nelson actually pitched quite well against the Cubs last year. In three starts he gave up six total runs, striking out an impressive 25 batters in 20 innings. Expect a respectable performance at worst for Nelson. His second start will be back at home against the Miami Marlins and Tom Koehler. With his offense providing him with a team-best 5.50 runs per start, fantasy managers can feel comfortable rolling the dice on this erratic 26-year-old, currently owned in just 28% of Fleaflicker leagues.
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