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Baseball is back, and fantasy managers in daily leagues no doubt already have holes to fill. The easiest way to do that is with streamers. Fortunately, RotoBaller has you covered with daily streaming picks.
Each day, RotoBaller will provide you with some of the best fantasy baseball streaming picks - options to consider in fantasy baseball daily leagues. Additionally, these recommendations can be useful for fantasy managers setting DFS lineups.
We have another monumental Wednesday slate this week, as the Rays and Indians kick things off with the first of two bright and early (by MLB standards) at 12:10pm ET, which spearheads what is an eight-game afternoon slate overall. That's followed by a nine-game evening ledger that features an interesting mix of vulnerable pitchers, some of which I'll naturally target with my streaming hitter suggestions.
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Hitter Streamers for 7/7 - Shallow Leagues
Tucker Barnhart (C, CIN) - 20% rostered
Matchup: @ KC RHP Brady Singer
Barnhart is putting together the best offensive season of his career, and although he’s certainly cooled off after a red-hot start, he still carried a solid .269/.354/.419 slash line into Tuesday’s action. The veteran backstop has unsurprisingly had plenty of success in opposite-handed matchups, posting a .288 average, .360 wOBA and 7.2 wRAA against righties. The matchup lines up well for him in that regard Wednesday, as Singer has given up a .279 average to lefty bats at home, and a .347 wOBA and 1.2 HR/9 to that handedness of hitter overall. Barnhart will remain in a good spot when Singer exits as well, as Royals relievers have pitched to a 6.41 ERA and .369 wOBA when facing left-handed hitters in the last month.
Kike Hernandez (2B/SS/OF, BOS) - 34% rostered
Matchup: @ LAA LHP Andrew Heaney
Hernandez is one of two Red Sox bats I’ll be suggesting against Heaney, who’s allowed a massive 2.2 HR/9 to right-handed hitters, along with a .324 wOBA. The veteran left-hander is also coming off a rough June where he forged a 5.67 ERA, .284 BAA and .343 wOBA across 27 innings. Hernandez has been a notoriously successful lefty masher throughout his career, and although he hasn’t been quite as prolific against southpaws thus far this season, he still boasts a .283 average, .354 wOBA, .217 ISO and 121 wRC+ when facing them on the road. Hernandez also went into Tuesday’s action wielding a hot bat, as he owned a .353/.476/.735 slash line with four homers and a tiny 11.9 percent strikeout rate over his previous nine games.
Steven Duggar (OF, SFG) - 29% rostered
Matchup: vs. STL RHP Johan Oviedo
Targeting Oviedo with left-handed hitters has largely been a recipe for success this season, and Duggar makes for an excellent streaming option in that regard Wednesday. Oviedo checks in having given up a .372 average, .453 wOBA, 1.049 OPS and 7.45 xFIP to the 53 lefty bats he’s faced on the road. Oviedo also has an absurdly low 1.9 percent strikeout rate in that split, while Duggar owns a .354 average, 1.082 OPS, .452 wOBA and .292 ISO against righties in his home park, lacing nine of his 17 hits during that sample for extra bases. Cardinals relievers will make for nice targets for Duggar as well, as they’ve generated a 4.95 ERA, .279 BAA and .359 wOBA against left-handed hitters in the last month.
Amed Rosario (SS/OF, CLE) - 32% rostered
Matchup: @ TAM RHP Michael Wacha (Game 1)/ @ TAM LHP Josh Fleming (Game 2)
With Hurricane Elsa forcing a Rays/Indians doubleheader Wednesday, it’s prudent to try and jump on a low-rostered player from those contests that have a solid chance of playing both games of the twin bill. One such player could well be Rosario, who’s enjoying a rock-solid campaign at the plate and has had about equal success against either handedness of pitcher. The young veteran has been particularly good against lefties on the road, furnishing a .319 average and .359 wOBA in that split. Meanwhile, Wacha has pitched to a .272 BAA and .345 wOBA against right-handed hitters, while Fleming has seemingly been a bit fortunate against righties at home, as evidenced by his mediocre 5.4 K/9, .182 BABIP and elevated 4.50 xFIP in that split.
ALSO CONSIDER: Tyler Naquin (OF, CIN) - 46% rostered
Hitter Streamers for 7/7 - Deeper Leagues
Guillermo Heredia (OF, ATL) - 2% rostered
Matchup: @ PIT RHP Wil Crowe
Heredia is extremely low-rostered for a player boasting a .274 average and .810 OPS heading into Tuesday’s action. The veteran outfielder has already laced a career-high 18 doubles, and seven of the 12 hits he’s managed in same-handed matchups on the road have gone for extra bases. That’s led to a .358 wOBA and .250 ISO in that split, while Crowe has allowed a 3.5 HR/9, a .333 average, .434 wOBA and massive 29.7 percent line-drive rate to the 50 right-handed hitters he’s faced at home.
Jose Iglesias (SS, LAA) - 4% rostered
Matchup: vs. BOS LHP Eduardo Rodriguez
Rodriguez sports a solid 6-4 record, but it’s accompanied by a 5.42 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 1.3 HR/9. The left-hander has an even more elevated 5.56 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP in his road split, along with a .299 BAA and .350 wOBA. He’s had plenty of trouble in opposite-handed matchups when traveling as well, as righty bats have touched him up for a .313 average and .365 wOBA in that split. Then, Iglesias happens to be an absolute terror versus southpaws at home, where he owns a .351 average and .406 wOBA.
Christian Arroyo (2B/3B, BOS) - 2% rostered
Matchup: @ LAA LHP Andrew Heaney
Arroyo is that second right-handed Red Sox bat I’m recommending against Heaney, whose troubles versus right-handed hitters at home were already covered earlier in Hernandez’s entry. Arroyo makes for another viable option to target him with, as he owns a .304 average and .342 wOBA against left-handers, including a .370 average, .426 wOBA and .259 ISO over a sample of 28 plate appearances versus southpaws on the road.
Yandy Diaz (1B/3B, TAM) - 4% rostered
Matchup: vs. CLE LHP Sam Hentges (Game 1)
Diaz is the second of three streaming options from the Rays-Indians doubleheader that I like, especially for Game 1 purposes. The veteran infielder will check into Wednesday’s twin bill with a .288 average, elite .440 OBP and .370 wOBA at Tropicana Field, along with a .372 average and .440 wOBA against lefties there. That certainly could spell trouble for Hentges in Game 1, especially since he’s given up a .388 average, .459 wOBA, 6.5 BB/9 and 1.8 HR/9 to righty bats when traveling.
Ji-Man Choi (1B, TAM) – 2% rostered
Matchup: vs. CLE RHP J.C. Mejia (Game 2)
Choi makes for a particularly attractive option in the nightcap of the twin bill, as Mejia has allowed a .375 wOBA to left-handed hitters, including a .343 average, 2.3 HR/9 and a .423 wOBA to that handedness on the road. Choi heads into Wednesday with a .375 average and 1.028 OPS over the last seven games, a .391 wOBA at home overall, and a .290 average and .340 wOBA specifically against righties there.
ALSO CONSIDER: Harold Ramirez (OF, CLE) - 5% rostered
Pitcher Streamers for 7/7 - Shallow Leagues
Drew Smyly (SP, ATL) - 37% rostered
Matchup: @ PIT RHP Wil Crowe
Smyly has had a quite a rollercoaster season, but he’ll enter Wednesday on an upswing. The veteran southpaw ran his record to 6-3 with his fourth straight win his last time out against the Marlins, and he now owns a 1.21 ERA and 0.99 WHIP over the 22.1 innings covering his last four turns, a span during which he hasn’t allowed a home run. Smyly already owns a quality start (6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 7 K) against the Pirates this season, and Pittsburgh checks in with just a .230 average, .291 OBP, -3.7 wRAA and .288 wOBA against lefties at home over the last month.
Pitcher Streamers for 7/7 - Deeper Leagues
Josh Fleming (SP, CLE) - 15% rostered
Matchup: vs. CLE RHP J.C. Mejia
While I did suggest Rosario and also have Harold Ramirez as an “Also Consider” candidate for Wednesday’s doubleheader, I like the prospects of both players a bit more against Michael Wacha in Game 1 than versus Fleming, who is the only pitcher going on the slate that’s likely to be available in deep leagues and that I’m comfortable enough recommending. The young lefty has a fantastic .163 BAA and .215 wOBA allowed at Tropicana Field across 36.2 innings, leading to a 1.96 ERA in his home park. Fleming has also been good about limiting the long ball there (2 HRs allowed), and although Cleveland has been good against lefties when traveling, the fact Fleming has mostly tamed both the Blue Jays and Astros lineups at the Trop (3.48 ERA and no homers allowed over a combined 10.1 innings against both clubs) gives me reason for optimism.
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