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Now that we’ve all finished filing our taxes for the year, we can turn our attention to the next big baseball story. And there is no bigger story that what will probably happen in the friendly confines of Wrigley Field on Friday. With an injury to infielder Tommy La Stella, it appears that Cubs are heading in the direction of calling up their phenom Kris Bryant. Friday is the first day in which Bryant can be called up and, provided that he stays with the club the remainder of the season, ensures that he will not play a full season in the majors. Meaning he will stay under team control until 2021.
After an amazing spring in which Bryant hit .425 with 9 HR and 15 RBI, the Cubs’ phenom continued his torrid pace at Triple-A Iowa. Through five games he owns a .381 AVG and has slammed 2 HR and 7 RBI. This should surprise no one as he has been routinely touted as a top prospect in the game. Any chance the bleachers will be done at Wrigley Field before first pitch at 1:20 CST on Friday?
Below are some of my starting pitcher streamer sleepers for the second half of Week 2 to consider adding off your league’s waiver wire. Some of these SP options can be considered sleepers for your team depending on the league format and depth, including NL-Only, AL-Only and head-to-head formats.
Thursday Starting Pitcher Streamers
Tommy Milone (MIN vs. KC)
Ownership: 10% Yahoo!, 11% Fleaflicker
It seems risky to go against the norm and pick against a team that is clearly hot in the Royals. But Milone has quietly put up a solid streaming fantasy value over his last 23 games. As a lefty, he should stymie the big name left handed hitters for Kansas City. It would be a lot to ask of him to garner a W for his fantasy owners, but low ERA and WHIP numbers aren’t out of the question.
Matchup Rating: Risky Stream
Jarred Cosart (MIA at NYM)
Ownership: 7% Yahoo!, 7% Fleaflicker
Cosart offers sneaky value. He is not a bad pitcher for a solid team and he will be squaring off against what should be an inferior lineup. That being said, the Mets have had a strong week and a half to start the season most due to their pitching. If fantasy owners are wanting to double down on their streaming chances, Cosart’s counterpart Dillon Gee also offers an intriguing matchup.
Matchup Rating: Solid Stream
Friday Starting Pitcher Streamers
Jimmy Nelson (MIL at PIT)
Ownership: 26% Yahoo!, 14% Fleaflicker
If “Nelson versus Pittsburgh” looks familiar, it’s because this matchup was just last weekend. Nelson looked terrific against the Pirates as he went seven innings and struck out nine to record the win in his first start. It would not be wise to assume he can match those numbers again. Still, Nelson is almost too good to pass up on any of his starts.
Matchup Rating: Risky Stream
Bartolo Colon (NYM vs. MIA)
Ownership: 50% Yahoo!, 32% Fleaflicker
After driving his first RBI single in nearly 10 seasons, word on the street is that Colon will be leading batting practice for the Mets prior to Friday’s game. Okay, maybe that part was made up. What isn’t made up is Colon’s ridiculous splits this season. He is holding hitters to a .184 AVG with a 0.77 WHIP while posting a 26.0% K rate. Ride the hot hand while you can.
Matchup Rating: Solid Stream
Nate Karns (TB vs. NYY)
Ownership: 3% Yahoo!, 6% Fleaflicker
The season started on a rough note for Karns. The Orioles touched him up early and often and he couldn’t get out of the sixth inning. He bounced back nicely in his second start against the Marlins. Though the Yankees have shown some pop on the young season, there aren’t enough guys on the roster that should scare Karns’ owners.
Matchup Rating: Risky Stream
Saturday Starting Pitcher Streamers
Aaron Harang (PHI at WAS)
Ownership: 20% Yahoo!, 27% Fleaflicker
Once again the crafty veteran makes this list. The Nationals finally showed they are capable of putting up some runs, albeit against inadequate pitching. Harang has shown that he is anything but inadequate, at least in the early parts of the season.
Matchup Rating: Solid Stream
Carlos Martinez (STL vs. CIN)
Ownership: 42% Yahoo!, 27% Fleaflicker
The best pitcher many fantasy owners have never heard of, Martinez should be added to most rosters or at least strongly considered for addition. The Cardinals appear to finally be happy with the progress that Martinez has shown over the last year. The one cause for concern is his rising walk rate. Eventually that may catch up to him.
Matchup Rating: Must Stream
Jordan Lyles (COL at LAD)
Ownership: 3% Yahoo!, 7% Fleaflicker
With a 10.4% K rate and an 8.3% BB rate, Lyles is the proud owner of most of the worst advanced stats on this list. That being said, he has been forcing a lot of ground balls and a lot of infield pop-ups. That stubbornness is just the kind of thing you look for in a pitcher that starts half his games at Coors Field. As an added bonus, his next start is not in thin air.
Matchup Rating: Risky Stream
Sunday Starting Pitcher Streamers
Daniel Norris (TOR vs. ATL)
Ownership: 25% Yahoo!, 16% Fleaflicker
Such high hopes on the season for Norris. He should deal against a Braves squad that most likely will not sustain their early season success. Norris cannot continue to give up runs at home at the current pace if he wishes to stay in the rotation. Look for him to get back on track on Sunday.
Matchup Rating: Risky Stream
Danny Duffy (KC vs. OAK)
Ownership: 49% Yahoo!, 20% Fleaflicker
Duff-Man appears to be thrusting in the positive direction. Ohh yea! Oakland loves to platoon but most of their best hitters swing from the left side of the plate. This matchup plays in the left-handers favor.
Matchup Rating: Solid Stream
Mike Leake (CIN at STL)
Ownership: 39% Yahoo!, 16% Fleaflicker
If you absolutely, desperately need help on Sunday, then you could also go with Leake. Overall, he is a good pitcher that is pitching in a pitcher’s park. However, a lot of Cardinals have his number over the last few years. He could get touched up.
Matchup Rating: Desperate Stream
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