RADIO
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 12. NOTE: these are expected starts.
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Going Twice, Roll The Dice
Josh Tomlin, CLE
vs TB 6/20, @ DET 6/26
Owned In: 43% of Fleaflicker Leagues
31-year-old Josh Tomlin was one of our five streamers back at the end of May and beginning of June and he’s back again for week 12. The seven-year veteran has already won eight games, the second-most he’s ever won in a season. He isn’t striking out many guys, but his control remains impeccable, having only walked seven batters in 74 innings of work. His greatest strength has been the continued run support his offense has given him. At 5.25 runs per game, he ranks 11th among AL starting pitchers.
This week, he’ll take on the Tampa Bay Rays at home. While the Rays are one of the highest scoring teams in the American League, they’ve been doing the majority of it via the home run. Tomlin’s HR/9 rate is at its lowest since 2011, boding well for this matchup. His second start of the week will come on the road against the Tigers. While the Tigers have found their way back into contention for the division, Tomlin has already recorded two quality starts and win against Detroit, one at home and one on the road. Expect consistency with Tomlin as he looks to reach 10 wins on the season.
Doug Fister, HOU
vs LAA 6/20, @ KC 6/26
Owned In: 34% of Fleaflicker Leagues
Eight-year veteran Doug Fister appears to have regained his game this year with the Houston Astros. After going 5-7 with a 4.19 ERA last season with the Nationals, the California native is off to an exceptional start in 2016. Joining the Astros on a one-year deal this offseason, the 32-year-old is 7-3 on the season with a 3.26 ERA. Foster didn’t initially appear to be headed for this kind of year, posting a 1-3 record and a 5.56 ERA in April. Since then, however, he put forth a 2.84 ERA in May and a 1.40 ERA in June, going 6-0 during that span.
This week, he’ll make his first start against the Angels in Houston. The Angels are relatively mediocre in the RBI department, which works well with Fister’s impressive 81.8 LOB%. Combined with Anaheim’s recent form, Fister appears to be catching them at the right time. His second start of the week will be a tougher one at Kansas City. While the Royals dealt Fister his worst start of the year, Fister is much better on the road, posting a 5-2 record with a 2.92 ERA away from home. As the Astros make a push to reach .500, look for Fister to give two worthy performances this week.
James Paxton, SEA
@ DET 6/21, vs STL 6/26
Owned In: 39% of Fleaflicker Leagues
Canadian product James Paxton has always appeared to have what it takes to succeed in the major leagues. This season, he’s continued to show his progress, albeit in a small sample size. After getting the call from Triple-A Tacoma, Paxton has started four games this month, going 1-2 with a solid 2.86 ERA. The most impressive trait he’s shown thus far, however, is the ability to strike out batters. Through 22 innings of work, he’s punched out 29, leading to a career-best 13.50 K/9 rate. He’s also walking less batters and stranding a healthy amount of runners on base.
As a two-start streamer this week, Paxton will face two different offensive teams this wee and will have to use two separate strengths to prevail. First, he’ll hit the road for a start in Detroit. While he hasn’t been particularly well on the road, the Tigers have the fourth most strikeouts in the American League. Paxton will needed his elevated velocity to be at its best if he will earn a victory. His second start of the week will be at home against the Cardinals. His early numbers show he’s clearly more comfortable at home, but he’ll have to keep the ball low if he’ll be successful. With a 50% ground ball rate, he’ll look to feed on St. Louis’ high rate of ground balls to prevent much damage. If he can limit the long ball, Paxton will be successful.
Anthony DeSclafani, CIN
@ TEX 6/21, vs SD 6/26
Owned In: 22% of Fleaflicker Leagues
26-year-old Anthony DeSclafani is one of the most frustrating pitchers in baseball, especially in the fantasy department. He never manages to get on a roll, only showing effectiveness in random spurts. After missing the first two months of the season recovering from an injury, he made his 2016 debut on June 10th, going six innings against the Athletics and surrendering just one run. It was an encouraging debut, which he followed up with a performance that saw him fail to make it through three innings. While he was shelled for five runs during the outing, only one was earned. DeSclafani relies heavily on stranding runners, and while early results don’t show this, he has the ability to strike batters out.
This week, he’ll have one daunting start and another more manageable one. His first start in Texas will be quite difficult, given how explosive the Rangers offense can be. If DeSclafani is to have a chance, he’ll have to rely on the grounder like James Paxton. His 40.6 GB% will have to be at a season best for him to limit Texas’ potent offense. HIs second start of the week will be a more comfortable one, as he’ll face the San Diego Padres back at home. San Diego has not improved on their putrid away record and lowly offensive stats. If DeSclafani is going to right his ship, a positive start against the lowly Padres will be an indicator.
Archie Bradley, ARI
@ PHI 6/20, @COL 6/25
Owned In: 19% of Fleaflicker Leagues
Archie Bradley’s 2015 campaign was off to a fabulous start, as he went 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in April. Unfortunately, he was hit in the face by a line drive in late April and he was never able to recover. While he’s never quite reached that form again, he’s shown periods of effectiveness. After a strong performance against the Padres at the end of May, Bradley produced a quality start at Wrigley Field against the potent Cubs, allowing just one run across six but still losing, Since then he’s lost twice more, but has continued to show signs. In his most recent start, he took a no-hitter into the fifth, but one hit unraveled him. While his strikeouts appear to still be strong, the walks appear to be his biggest issue. Like Anthony DeSclafani, Bradley will have two very different opponents, but his first should be his best chance for victory.
While he’ll be on the road, Bradley will take on the National League’s worst offensive team in the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies’ encouraging season start is long gone, and they now have records under .500 both at home and on the road. Fresh off getting shelled three straight times by the Blue Jays, expect the Phillies to be ripe for the taking. Bradley’s second start will be a tough affair, as he’ll pitch in the unfriendly pitcher’s park that is Coors Field. Bradley has already pitched in Colorado earlier, however, picking up a victory with six innings of work back in May. If Bradley is to succeed, he’ll have to replicate that performance and count on Colorado’s struggles at home to work in his advantage. If he can adjust to this and also expose the Rockies’ inability to draw walks, he’ll prevail at Coors once again.
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