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Welcome back to Streaming Wars, your one-stop shop for streaming the waiver wire all season long. This article, now in its second year, runs seven days a week.
For those who are newcomers to this feature - use this column on a daily basis to improve upon your neediest categories, and target players who may be available on your waiver wire.
Below are your pitcher and hitter streaming targets for Sunday, May 6. Let's get to it.
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Agenda
- Walking Wounded
- Today's Weather and Updates
- Tomorrow's Picks
1. Walking Wounded
Corey Seager, Johnny Cueto, and Miguel Cabrera all hit the disabled list this week. I had multiple shares of each, including all of them on one roster already missing Rougned Odor, Adrian Beltre, and Justin Turner. Fortunately for me, this league features a decent-sized bench and five DL slots. Not every league is so generous. If yours doesn't have a minimum of three, you should be rioting. It's 2018, for crying out loud. Any fewer qualifies as a violation of human rights.
2. Today's Weather and Updates
There's a chance that both Marlins-Reds and Dodgers-Padres (being played in Monterrey, Mexico) are delayed by rain, but they should be able to get those games in anyway. Inclement weather won't be a problem elsewhere.
3. Streamer Picks - Sunday, May 6
Pitchers to Use
Mike Soroka is a coin flip as to whether or not he's available in your league, but the 20-year-old earned another start for the Braves after limiting the Mets to one run in his six-inning debut. He'll take on a punchless Giants lineup that ranks among the top 10 teams in strikeout rate. Looking ahead, his next scheduled start would be against Miami. There's no guarantee he'll remain with the big club, of course, but something to keep in mind.
Is Kyle Gibson good now? In his last 18 starts dating back to last July, the big righty is 8-3 with a 3.51 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 8.8 K/9. Even if you're still skeptical, he's got a nice matchup on Sunday against the White Sox, who are among the worst teams in baseball in both runs scored and whiff rate.
Other Targets: Matt Boyd
Pitchers to Exploit
Alex Cobb had his best start of the season his last time out against a potent Angels lineup. That's the good news. The bad news is he still allowed nine baserunners and a homer in his six innings, while striking out just two batters. The Athletics will present a tough test.
Marco Estrada's extreme fly ball tendencies have been killing him so far this season. He's allowed nine home runs already, six of them coming in his last three turns. He's allowed fewer than three runs just one in six starts thus far. While a road start with the Rays seems like an appealing matchup, Tampa has averaged over six runs per game over the last two weeks.
Other Targets: Chad Kuhl, Matt Koch, Dan Straily, Brandon Finnegan, James Shields
Homers on the Wire
Matt Adams is red-hot, entering Saturday's action with four home runs in his last four games. That's how you stay in the lineup despite...let's call it "adventurous" defensive work in left field.
Straily vs. Finnegan in Great American Ball Park should see some fireworks. You can probably grab Adam Duvall, Scott Schebler, or Lewis Brinson in your league to get a piece of that action.
Other Targets: C.J. Cron, Yonder Alonso, Jeimer Candelario, Dexter Fowler, Max Kepler, Yuli Gurriel, Mark Canha, Aledmys Diaz, Pedro Alvarez, Ryon Healy
Steals on the Wire
Delino DeShields has swiped four bags in five tries over 11 games since returning from the disabled list. That hamate bone fracture hasn't seemed to impact him much at the plate either, as he's collected multiple hits in five of his last six games.
Other Targets: Bradley Zimmer, JaCoby Jones, Mallex Smith, Manuel Margot, Franchy Cordero
Skill Positions
Robinson Chirinos and James McCann are both among the top 10 fantasy catchers over the last two weeks, and both are under 15% owned on Yahoo at the moment.
With Keynan Middleton sidelined comes the return of "The Mike Scioscia Closer Carousel." Cam Bedrosian got the first opportunity earlier last week and blew it. Middleton is supposedly due back as soon as his minimum DL stint is up, but I can't shake the feeling that no matter what happens, Jim Johnson will wind up closing a bunch of games for the Angels.
