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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
Griffin Canning, LAA (28% rostered)
vs SFG, @OAK
Analysis: Griffin Canning has been rather frustrating. He has been pretty erratic and I am sure frustrating for fantasy owners. But he still has what it takes and he certainly is getting close to putting it together. His slider still has above average movement and when it's working well it becomes unstoppable. As for the matchups, he first draws the Giants who are bottom ten in the league in terms of hitting. The Athletics are a little scary but I am willing to bet on skill with Canning. He has the best skill set of any pitcher here and that definitely means something.
David Peterson, NYM (7% rostered)
@MIA, vs NYY
Analysis: As a Mets fan I have watched every single one of Peterson's starts. While he does struggle to command his fastball at times, he usually can rebound nicely and get the job done. Peterson has a high floor and you know when he is on the mound he won't kill your ratios. Drawing Miami is a nice first matchup because the Marlins really have half of a lineup. The Yankees of course are no joke, but Peterson has some grit. When his back is against the wall he turns it up and has what it takes. Expect a decent start at home versus the Yankees.
Stream With Some Risk
Elieser Hernandez, MIA (5% rostered)
vs NYM, @WSN
Analysis: Mr. Hernandez is a pitcher I can't seem to quit. If you haven't watched his slider do yourself a favor and watch one of these starts. Sometimes his slider looks just as crazy as Dustin May's sinker. Elieser is usually good at home and while the Mets offense is no joke this year they tend to struggle against the slider. The Nationals can be pretty explosive as well but a lot of pitchers have shut them down this year. Aside from Soto and Turner that lineup isn't very scary.
Gio Gonzalez, CHW (3% rostered)
vs DET, @CHC
Analysis: Gio just faced the Detroit Tigers and put up a solid start pitching 4.2 innings while allowing two runs. He has been building up his arm strength and should start going deep into the game. Gio is a perfect match for the Tigers because they rely on hitting home runs and Gio is very good at inducing weak contact. Going into Wrigley is what worries me about his two-start week. Here's to hoping that wind is blowing in.
Zach Davies, SDP (24% rostered)
@TEX, vs HOU
Analysis: How about Zach Davies putting up a 2.78 ERA four starts into the 2020 season! Davies won't give you strikeouts but he will provide you with great ratios. The Rangers offense is very very bad. They are right down there with the Mariners as the worst offenses in the league. Combine a horrible offense with a hot pitcher in a pitchers ballpark and you should have a great start here. Shockingly the Astros offense hasn't been very good this year. They are average in just about every offensive category, making Davies a decent streaming option overall.
Brandon Bielak, HOU (16% rostered)
vs COL, @SDP
Analysis: Bielak has been rather impressive so far. He throws a really good four-seam changeup combination that often leaves hitters confused at the plate. The only issue with Bielak is that he won't get you the strikeouts, which isn't the end of the world when it comes to streamers. We all know the Rockies aren't the same on the road but still a viable offense. This start certainly won't be easy and I am sure Blackmon will get a hit but I think pitchers who induce weak contact have a slight edge against this Rockies offense. Unfortunately, he moves on to the red hot Padres and that is what makes this stream playable but risky at the same time.
Justin Dunn, SEA (2% rostered)
@LAD, vs TEX
Analysis: Justin Dunn is getting closer and closer to becoming a viable starter. Everything looks terrible on the surface K-BB%, ERA, and SwStr% are all brutal. He has a good slider though and it seems to be coming around. In his last start, he had his highest pVAL off of the pitch and also had his highest O-Swing%. He is a very raw pitcher and will take this season and next season to provide any kind of value. The Dodgers start will be tough to take in, but then he draws one of the worst offenses in the league and in their stadium.
Zach Eflin, PHI (17% rostered)
@BOS, @ATL
Analysis: While I do think Eflin's recent ten strikeout performance is an aberration, I do think he provides some upside. We have seen Eflin go on these great runs before and this might be a sign that he is about to create something beautiful. He goes into Boston against a lineup that has been struggling and then moves to Atlanta who is missing Ronald Acuna and Ozzie Albeis at the moment. Taking on two injury-riddled lineups and pairing it with a pitcher who is catching fire seems to be a good mix.
Brad Keller, KCR (15% rostered)
vs CIN, vs MIN
Analysis: Did you know that Brad Keller has had an above-average ERA in the last two seasons? Did you also know that Keller is only 25? Keller is a good pitcher and has a good four-seam slider combination. He has a good skill set and he also has the tendency of having a high floor. So far in this short season, the Twins and Reds have been hot and cold. Actually, as of right now in the past week the Twins have been barely an average offense. Keller could certainly see two decent starts in this two-start week, one that most people wouldn't look at.
Dylan Cease, CHW (24% rostered)
vs DET, @CHC
Analysis: Dylan Cease has been slightly improving as the season goes on. He still has the major issue of fastball command, he constantly tries to put it up in the zone but often goes above it. Drawing the Tigers at home works especially since he just handled them pretty well. He pitched six innings and only gave up one run in his start against them in Detroit. Now he gets them at home in a ballpark that isn't as hitter-friendly. As for the Cubs, yea that could be a rough outing. You never know with Cease's awesome slide though, maybe he can pull it out.
Do Not Stream
Wade LeBlanc, BAL (2% rostered)
vs TOR, vs BOS
Analysis: Nothing to see here with this 36-year-old pitcher who has a combined 5.89 ERA in the last two seasons.
Zack Godley, BOS (2% rostered)
@NYY, @BAL
Analysis: I like to think of Godley as a ticking time bomb. You never know what you are going to get but he can easily explode. For instance in his first appearance this year he pitched four innings while tallying seven strikeouts! So what does Boston do? They make him a starter. Well, then he goes out there and throws three innings while letting up five runs. You don't want any part of this roller coaster.
Anibal Sanchez, WSN (11% rostered)
@ATL, vs MIA
Analysis: At age 36 is seems like father time is finally catching up with Anibal Sanchez. He has been a great pitcher in the last two seasons putting up a 3.39 ERA. He just seems lost right now and it doesn't look like he is worth rostering at all.
Tyler Alexander, DET (10% rostered)
@CHW, @CLE
Analysis: There was a lot of hype behind Alexander after he struck out 10 batters in only 3.2 innings against the Reds. Unfortunately, the Tigers let him grab a start and he only went 3.2 innings while allowing five earned runs. Taking a glance at Alexander, he has a good swing and miss pitch with his curveball but when it does get hit, it gets hit hard. The rest of his offerings aren't much to mull over either. Don't trust him moving forward!
Kris Bubic, KCR (4% rostered)
@MIN, vs MIN
Analysis: Bubic doesn't look like he belongs at the major league level. He really only has one developed pitch and drawing two starts against the Twins is a recipe for disaster.
Mike Fiers, OAK (25% rostered)
@ARI, vs LAA
Analysis: It seems like Fiers 4.97 FIP and 5.19 xFIP from last year are finally catching up to him. Through four starts he has a torrid 6.86 ERA and you don't want to be streaming that.
Trevor Cahill, SFG (1% rostered)
@LAA, vs ARI
Analysis: Cahill will definitely still be on a pitch limit and won't reach five innings.
Jordan Lyles, TEX (4% rostered)
vs SDP, @SEA
Analysis: Lyles was an interesting pitcher coming into this year. He moves to a pitcher-friendly ballpark and had a much better second half in 2019. Those results have not transitioned over and his 6.06 ERA is very telling. Streaming him against the red hot Padres is not a good idea.
Trevor Williams, PIT (5% rostered)
vs CLE, vs MIL
Analysis: Trevor Williams is just flat out bad. Even when he is pitching well he is a heavy ground ball pitcher limiting any strikeout upside. Williams is not a streamable pitcher.
Jordan Yamamoto, MIA (4% rostered)
vs NYM, @WSN
Analysis: Yamamoto came up last year and impressed early on as he put up a 1.57 ERA in June. But teams started to figure him out and he finished with a 4.46 ERA on the year. Yamamoto is definitely streamable but it has to be the perfect matchup. The Mets and Nationals aren't it.
Tom Eshelman, BAL (1% rostered)
vs TOR, vs BOS
Analysis: Eshelman was impressive pitching against the Phillies as he lasted five innings while allowing only two runs. The question is, is he for real? His most thrown pitch is his sinker and it is a lethal pitch. So far this year it has a -24 wRC+ and .116 wOBA against. His four-seam isn't good with minimal rise and velocity and his slider seems to be over performing. There isn't much there and you definitely aren't going to get any strikeouts. Stream him only in a perfect situation.
Wade Miley, CIN (5% rostered)
@KCR, @STL
Analysis: Miley just doesn't look right this year and injuries are clearly bothering him. Until he proves otherwise you want no part of Miley and his 16.20 ERA.
Eric Lauer, MIL (2% rostered)
@MIN, @PIT
Analysis: Lauer has been beyond disappointing. He was a decent pitcher last year (4.45 ERA) and always pitched extremely well at home. He was a nice streaming option in 2019. 2020 seems to be different, I am not sure if maybe there is an underlying injury but his 12.54 ERA is abysmal. Leave Lauer on the wire until he can prove himself.
