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A wise fantasy baseball manager never rests. He is never satisfied with his team and is always on the hunt for the player that can help in both the present and future. For this article, we’ll focus on the present, as we present the top pitcher streamers who’ll be making two outings this week.
We do this every week, because deep down we all know those last two or three guys taken in drafts won’t be with us the whole way through. Mix and match is the name of the game and maximizing these players’ values is the goal. Here are the top five two-start pitching streamers for week 11. NOTE: these are expected starts.
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Going Twice, Roll The Dice
Brandon Finnegan, CIN
@ ATL 6/14, @ HOU 6/19
Owned In: 16% of Fleaflicker Leagues
Arriving in Cincinnati last year as part of the Johnny Cueto trade to Kansas City, 23-year-old Brandon Finnegan is blossoming as a starting pitcher. He’s made 13 starts and sports a 2-3 record with a 3.77 ERA. Of his 13 outings, seven have been quality starts, clearly showing his record doesn’t tell the whole story. Finnegan has been severely hampered by the weak Cincinnati offense, but prospective owners shouldn’t be dismayed. While he doesn’t strike out as much batters as he did as a reliever, his opposing BABIP is holding steadily under .250.
This week, Finnegan will make his first of two starts in Atlanta against the Braves. Atlanta is clearly the worst team in the National League. Additionally, Julio Teheran, the opposing pitcher on the date, has some of the worst run support in the league, sporting a 2-6 record despite a strong, 2.85 ERA. His second start of the week will be against the Houston Astros, who started the year slow and still haven’t seemed to turn the corner. Additionally, Finnegan will be facing Dallas Keuchel, who’s been significantly worse than last year, when he won the AL Cy Young award. Finnegan will have two solid chances at victory if his offense can perform. If not, you’ll still be looking at two good chances at quality starts.
Matt Boyd, DET
@ CHW 6/13, @ KC 6/18
Owned In: 3% of Fleaflicker Leagues
Like Brandon Finnegan, 25-year-old Matt Boyd arrived at his current team in a trade for an ace. The former Blue Jays pitcher landed in Detroit in the David Price trade and has been bouncing between Triple-A and the majors this season as a relief pitcher. With Anibal Sanchez’s banishment to the bullpen, Boyd was thrusted into the rotation and has performed serviceably in three starts. While his strikeouts and walks have trended in negative directions, his opposing BABIP is a strong .237, his LOB% is at 82.6% and if we’re being frank, his matches this week look encouraging. In his first of two starts, he’s scheduled to face James Shields and the Chicago White Sox.
The Sox have been dwindling, now at fourth place, while Shields has to adjust to pitching in Cellular Field instead of Petco. With his recent struggles, you’d almost take anybody over the pitcher once dubbed “Big Game” James. In his second start of the week, Boyd is scheduled to face the Royals, with the opposing pitcher not yet known. It was scheduled to be Yordano Ventura, but with a suspension on deck, there will probably be an alternative. Regardless, Boyd seems to be the logical choice in both match-ups, making him an attractive two-start streamer option.
Wei Yin Chen, MIA
vs SD 6/13, vs COL 6/19
Owned In: 52% of Fleaflicker Leagues
Our highest owned streamer is Wei-Yin Chen, the Taiwanese left-hander who just can’t seem to get enough strong starts in a row. Of his 12 outings this season, he’s had seven quality starts, but no more than three consecutively at any point. Chen is a frustrating pitcher, because just when it looks like he’d gotten it together, he has one bad outing to raise doubt. Once again, he’s coming off one of those frustrating starts as he surrendered five runs in five innings against the lowly Minnesota Twins.
This week, however, he has a chance to redeem himself in two manageable starts. The first will be a home outing against the San Diego Padres, who have been improving offensively but still remain one of baseball’s worst. His second start of the week will be against the Colorado Rockies, who will probably be happy to be away from Coors Field. The Rockies hold a better road record, but their pitcher on this particular day will be Eddie Butler, who’s already given up five runs on the road against the aforementioned Padres. Chen is a tricky option, but a strong start against the Padres should reinforce confidence in a positive week.
Albert Suarez, SF
vs MIL 6/13, @ TB 6/19
Owned In: 2% of Fleaflicker Leagues
26-year-old Albert Suarez is easily the biggest risk of the week for these two-start streamers. Pitching in his first professional season, Suarez has served as a swingman for the Giants, coming out of the bullpen and now starting. After a pair of starts that saw him surrender three runs in five innings, he finally had his first quality start and it came against the high powered offense of the Boston Red Sox. Suarez has been excellent at keeping the walks low, but he also doesn’t strike out much batters, instead inducing plenty of ground balls to help his cause.
This week he’ll make his first start at home against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brew Crew own one of the worst road records in the National League. Their scheduled starter on that day, Chase Anderson, is also 1-4 on the road with a 4.68 ERA. Look for Suarez to build on his first quality starts and put forth another strong outing. His second start of the week comes with another important advantage, as he’ll take the mound at Tropicana Field against the Rays. Tampa Bay holds a .500 record on the road, but is four games below the mark at home. With a weak home field advantage and clear preference for playing on the road, expect them to struggle at home. The key for Suarez will be to capitalize on his low walks allowed and the Rays’ low amount of walks earned, which should make for a positive result. It’s unclear how long he’ll remain in the rotation, but expect two more encouraging outings this season.
Drew Pomeranz, SD
vs MIA 6/14, vs WSH 6/19
Owned In: 50% of Fleaflicker Leagues
Drew Pomeranz continues to be a strong starter, despite his team’s offensive woes. While his 5-6 record stands out like a sore thumb, his 2.44 ERA is more indicative of the year he’s having. He’s recorded seven quality starts in 12 outings, but has only won three of them. His K/9 rate continues to be impressive, at a career-high 10.67, while he’s only allowed four home runs in 70 innings of work. Pomeranz is also stranding runners at a strong, 78.7%, demonstrating his ability to limit damage.
This week, he’ll make his first start on Tuesday at Petco Park against the Marlins. Pomeranz’s biggest challenge will be inducing strikeouts, as Miami doesn’t do so very often. A strong factor in his favor will be the opposing pitcher’s 4.35 ERA, compared to Pomeranz’s 1.52 home ERA. He’ll need that number to work in his favor in his second start of the week, when he’ll take on the Washington Nationals. The Nationals are superb on the road, although this will be their first west coast series. Perhaps the most encouraging thing to take into this game is Pomeranz’s strong record against other NL contenders, holding quality starts against the Cubs, Giants and Mets.
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