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Welcome to RotoBaller's weekly article of two-start pitcher streamers for 2020! Successfully streaming pitchers can literally be a game-changer when it comes to fantasy baseball. When it comes to daily leagues, two-start streams aren't that important, since you can stream every day. But when it comes to weekly leagues, two-start streams become exponentially more important.
With that said, what do we look for when it comes to streaming pitchers? Well, there are a lot of aspects. When looking at the actual pitcher, how have they performed lately? Have they made a pitch-mix change? Have they had a recent velocity bump? Reviewing pitchers every day on your own time will be very useful.
You also want to play matchups by looking at recent trends of the pitcher's opponent. How does their lineup perform when at home versus away? What has their wRC+ been in the last week or two? Have they been striking out a lot? Matchups are key when it comes to streaming. With all of that said, let's take a look at our picks, which we are going to rank in order with corresponding tiers.
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Stream With Confidence
Tyler Mahle, CIN (5% rostered)
vs KCR, vs PIT
Analysis: Tyler Mahle has been really solid through his two starts this season. Mahle has shown glimpses before so the question here is, is it legit? Well, Mahle has been implementing a slider (which looks good so far) and using his cutter more. The issue with Mahle has always been the need for a secondary pitch. Whether the cutter or slider is the answer remains to be seen. The best thing about Mahle is his command. He was top five in the league in Command+ last year and good command means fewer blow-ups. Now Mahle draws two very weak offenses, both have been struggling early on.
Stream With Some Risk
Kyle Gibson, TEX (9% rostered)
vs SEA, @COL
Analysis: Kyle Gibson is still so under rostered and it doesn't make any sense to me. So far this season in two starts he sports a 2.45 ERA and 17.4 K-BB%. Not only that but he has made a solid pitch mix change by lowering his fastball usage and upping those amazing breaking balls of his. In this two-start week, he first draws the Mariners who are a free-swinging team and you can expect Gibson to generate a ton of strikeouts. The start in Colorado isn't ideal but hey if Kyle Freeland can throw a good game there so can Gibson.
Sean Newcomb, ATL (10% rostered)
@PHI, @MIA
Analysis: The Atlanta Braves starting rotation is literally in shambles and that is the only reason Newcomb is still starting games. So far through three starts, he has a 6.57 ERA and a torrid 7.1 SwStr%. That being said if you look at his game logs a lot of his earned runs came in on start against the Mets. While the matchup in Philadelphia could be a rough one, he draws the Marlins who essentially have a AAA lineup. Look for Newcomb to provide at least one good start this week.
Steven Matz, NYM (43% rostered)
vs WSN, @PHI
Analysis: Looking at these two matchups you might be wondering why we are even considering Steven Matz. First off, Matz has a new curveball this year and it has produced some pretty good results. The movement on it has increased and hitters seem to struggle to make solid contact. Also, Matz has never been a really bad pitcher, it has always been about health with him. The start in Philadelphia is definitely scary but if he can escape with only letting up two to three runs this stream will work out well. What about at home against the Nationals? Oh well Matz is straight-up dominant when pitching at home. His career ERA at home is an awesome 3.46!
Randy Dobnak, MIN (22% rostered)
@MIL, vs KCR
Analysis: Randy Dobnak, or as I like to call him Dobby, just dominated his last start against the Pirates. He pitched six innings without letting in a run and only giving up three hits! The drawback with Dobby is that he doesn't have strikeout upside. That means if you need ratios this is the guy for you! The Brewers have been average and we all know the Royals can't really hit thus leaving Dobnak as a decent streaming option.
Kwang Hyun Kim, STL (33% rostered)
vs PIT, @CHW
Analysis: Wow Kim has really bounced around so far. He was going to be a starter, then turned closer, and now is back to being a starter again. In relief, Kim's fastball looked really good and it produced a ton of swings and misses. His skill set should transfer over nicely and in his first start, he pitches at home against the Pirates. Pitching at home is always a big advantage for pitchers, especially the not so great ones.
Do Not Stream
Trevor Williams, PIT (2% rostered)
@STL, @CIN
Analysis: Trevor Williams has been weirdly decent so far, although his 4.47 FIP says otherwise. The groundball pitcher gets two starts on the road against two potent offenses. Williams pitching in Cincinnati is especially scary. He might give up a ton of home runs.
Justin Dunn, SEA (2% rostered)
@TEX, @HOU
Analysis: Justin Dunn draws two tough starts on the road, especially with Houston. Dunn is a raw pitcher who needs some work but definitely sports potential. He has a solid slider with a four-seam fastball that needs some work.
Rick Porcello, NYM (18% rostered)
vs WSN, @PHI
Analysis: I do not and never will trust Porcello. You want no part of this! Remember he has had three sub-three ERA seasons in the 11 years he has pitched!
Josh Lindblom, MIL (7% rostered)
vs MIN, @CHC
Analysis: After his first start was cut short due to an injury, Lindblom rebounded nicely facing the White Sox in Chicago. He pitched five innings giving up two runs while racking up seven strikeouts. His changeup has looked good so far but I am afraid he lacks a pitch that can get hitters to chase. Going forward Lindblom is a good option but this week we will have to skip. The Twins and Cubs have been an absolute force so far and you don't want to stand in their way.
Garrett Richards SDP (35% rostered)
@LAD, @ARI
Analysis: Richards 3.61 FIP shows better days are ahead, especially for a pitcher who a dominant starter just a few years back. The reason you shouldn't stream him is because of his matchup with the Dodgers. He just pitched against them at home and gave up four runs in four innings. Now imagine when he pitches in LA? He did dominate the Diamondbacks in his first start but that Dodgers start might not be worth the stream.
