It would be an understatement to call this week’s two-game pitching group a weak group. There is one player who will be coveted in fantasy baseball leagues; others are just desperate options. Managers who are unable to sign Paul Blackburn may want to move on to the top options on the initial list.
On the hitting side, players from the D-backs and Red Sox must provide instant offense.
Two-game pitchers (listed in order of preference)
Paul Blackburn, 26% (vs. OAK, vs. MIA)
Blackburn was effective this season (3.86 ERA, 1.17 WHIP) but didn’t gain fantasy attention until he was traded at the MLB trade deadline from the lowly A’s to the postseason-contending Mets. The right-hander allowed just two earned runs in two starts with his new team, which is especially impressive when you consider that the only start came at Coors Field. Blackburn will face two offenses that are in the bottom six in runs scored, making them a worthy option across all leagues.
Tyler Mahle, 21% (@BOS, vs. MIN)
The good news is that Mahle held Houston to one run in five innings in his first start after spending the season on the IL. The bad news is he only struck out two batters. Those who are optimistic (or desperate) can add Mahle based on his successful start, but should be aware that the Red Sox are fifth in runs scored and the Twins are 10th.
Brayan Bello, 48% (against TEX, @BAL)
Bello has shown few signs of growth lately as he continues to struggle through a disappointing season (5.16 ERA, 1.45 WHIP). The positive from a fantasy perspective is that he posted a solid 8.8 K/9 rate and managed to win 10 games with the support of a productive Boston offense. Those looking for 10-12 hits this week in point leagues or deep rot formats can add Bello (and cross their fingers regarding his proportions).
Taijuan Walker, 6% (vs. MIA, vs. WSH)
hiker will make your return from a June 23 IL stint on Tuesday, and he should benefit from facing two of the weakest lineups in baseball this week. That said, the right-hander has really struggled this year (5.60 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 2.0 K/BB rate) and may not even be up to the task of handling these bad offenses.
Marco Gonzales, 2% (@SD, vs. SEA)
Gonzales has made just seven starts this year, but maintained a 2.70 ERA in five starts before allowing nine runs in seven frames in his final two starts. With poor swing-and-miss skills (6.2 K/9 rate), he limited the upside for a week with a challenging matchup against the Padres and a favorable matchup against the Mariners. Seattle rebounds more often than any other team, which is something for point league officials to hang their hats on.
Bowden Francis, 7% (@LAA, @CHC)
Francis has been more effective as a reliever (4.39 ERA) than as a starter (6.65 ERA) this season. He got off to his best start of the campaign when he struck out seven Orioles in five two-run innings, but it would take a huge leap of faith to expect him to have two respectable starts this week. Francis is a desperate play in points leagues.
Trevor Rogers, 7% (vs. WSH, vs. BOS)
Rogers struggled with the Marlins (4.53 ERA, 1.53 WHIP) and has fared even worse since joining the Orioles (6.75 ERA, 1.93 WHIP). Managers would have to be desperate to move Rogers next week, but there’s at least a path to relevance in the points leagues if the Orioles’ high-scoring offense can lead the lefty to victory.
Single Start Streamers
In order, here are the week’s best streamers, with start date and Yahoo! escalation rate in parentheses.
-
Spencer Arrighetti x CWS (Friday the 35th)
-
José Quintana x OAK (Thursday, 31)
-
Tyler Phillips x MIA (Wednesday, 19)
-
José Soriano x ATL (Friday, 30)
-
Eduardo Rodríguez x COL (Tuesday, 50th)
-
Ryne Nelson @TB (Friday the 26th)
-
David Peterson x OAK (Wednesday, 18)
-
Andrew Heaney x MIN (Saturday 20)
-
David Festa @TEX (Friday, 21)
-
Yariel Rodríguez @CHC (Friday, 14)
-
Hayden Birdsong @OAK (Saturday 30)
-
Carson Spiers x STL (Wednesday, 10)
-
Jordan Montgomery x COL (Wednesday, 45)
-
Simeon Woods Richardson @TEX (Thursday 18)
-
Grant Holmes @SF (Wednesday 6)
-
Kyle Gibson @CIN (Wednesday 33)
-
Michael Lorenzen @CIN (Friday the 18th)
-
Edward Cabrera @NYM (Friday the 19th)
Favorable matches from Monday to Thursday
D-backs vs. Rocky Mountains
The highest scoring lineup in baseball meets the worst pitching staff. Josh Bell (52%) is an excellent addition, while Joc Pederson (49%) makes sense in both games started by righties. Geraldo Perdomo (24%) and Jake McCarthy (28%) are also strong options.
Red Sox vs Rangers, @Orioles
Boston is a good volume game for streamers as they will play four games with reasonable matchups and offer plenty of options. Connor Wong (48%), Wilyer Abreu (44%) and David Hamilton (20%) are great options, while Dominic Smith (1%) could be considered in deep leagues.
