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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 18. NOTE: these are expected starts.
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Going Twice, Roll The Dice
Danny Duffy, KC
@ TB 8/1, vs TOR 8/6
Owned In: 35% of Fleaflicker Leagues
After entering the Kansas City rotation due to necessity and lack of healthy starters, 27-year-old Danny Duffy has developed into the team’s best starter. Since reverting back to a starter in mid-May, Duffy’s recorded six wins to just one loss and eight quality starts. He’s striking out 9.83 batters per nine innings, walking less than two and stranding 81.8 percent of batters that get on base. It’s truly incredible that he’s still available in 65 percent of Fleaflicker leagues, but that makes him a streamer favorite.
His first start this week will come against the Tampa Bay Rays on the road. This will be Duffy’s second start against the Rays this year, having previously defeated them last month. The Rays are just one of two teams in baseball to be at least 10 games under .500 both at home and on the road. Additionally, they have the second most strikeouts in the American League, which bodes well for Duffy and his strong K rate. Look for this to be a great chance for Duffy to begin another month with as strong performance. His second start of the week presents a tougher challenge in the Toronto Blue Jays, albeit at Kauffman Stadium. The Blue Jays once again have a potent offense and are challenging for the American League East division title. Just like the Rays, however, they rank in the top five for strikeouts in the AL. When you also take into consideration that the opposing starter, Marcus Stroman, has been a disappointment, Duffy is facing two solid shots at victory.
Michael Fulmer, DET
vs CHW 8/2, vs NYM 8/7
Owned In: 54% of Fleaflicker Leagues
23-year-old Michael Fulmer continues to have an outstanding rookie season with the Detroit Tigers. The young right-hander, who was the centerpiece in the package the Tigers received from the Mets for Yoenis Cespedes, is 9-2 with a cool, 2.50 ERA. This month he’s made five starts and has posted four quality starts against the likes of Cleveland and Boston. Like Danny Duffy, he’s exceptional at stranding runners on base, holding an 82.3 LOB%.
This week he’ll make a pair of starts, first against the White Sox. While Fulmer had his worst start in months this month against the Sox, this upcoming start will be at home, where Fulmer has allowed four runs all season. Combined with Chicago’s sub-.500 road record and terrible RBI numbers (12th out of 15 American League teams), the start looks ripe for Fulmer. His second start of the week will be a more meaningful one, as he’ll take on the Mets, his former team. While that scenario might play a role in Fulmer’s demeanor on the mound, he should absolutely take advantage of the incredibly poor Mets offense. The Mets rank dead last in hits and batting average, while ranking in the bottom three for runs and RBI. Fulmer should be able to take advantage of this and record another pair of quality starts.
Lance McCullers, HOU
vs TOR 8/2, vs TEX 8/7
Owned In: 41% of Fleaflicker Leagues
Ever since making his season debut in May, 23-year-old Lance McCullers has been progressively getting better throughout the campaign. After failing to accomplish the feat in his first start, the right-hander has struck out at least six batters in each of his ensuing 12 starts. He’s also made six quality starts and has recorded a strikeout total that equaled or surpassed the number of hits allowed in 10 of his 13 starts. Although he arrived a little late, the struggles of the other members of Houston’s rotation has catapulted him to best starter in the rotation.
This week, he’ll take on a pair of strong American League teams in the Blue Jays and Rangers. The good news for those looking for streamers, however, is that the starts are at home. McCullers has been superior at Minute Maid than on the road, posting a 5-2 record with a 2.28 ERA. The Blue Jays will present a considerable challenge, but McCullers’ dominant home numbers give him a strong chance at victory. As for the second start, the Rangers have been putrid in July and struggle on the road. Combined with the fact that McCullers has already recorded a quality start against them this year, look for another strong week from the youngster.
Matt Moore, TB
vs KC 8/2, vs MIN 8/7
Owned In: 26% of Fleaflicker Leagues
As most of you know by now, this next streamer’s chances at success hinge upon what happens this weekend. At the time of this writing, 27-year-old Matt Moore is a member of the Tampa Bay Rays, making this a solid streamer option. Moore was okay in April, struggled in May and is now pitching much better. Beginning with his last start of June, he’s recorded six consecutive quality starts. His improvement has caught the eye of a number of contending teams and rampant rumors swirl of a possible trade. If that doesn’t happen, Moore will be making a pair of home starts this upcoming week.
Apart from the fact that he’ll be facing two of the weaker American League teams, Moore is a superior pitcher at home, holding a 5-3 home record, while his road record is 2-4. While his home numbers are encouraging, the greatest factor is Kansas City and Minnesota’s road records, both at 17-32 at the time of this writing. One final factor working in Moore’s favor is his strong 76.1 LOB% combined with the RBI failures of the Twins and Royals, both ranking in the bottom half of the American League in the category. As previously mentioned, this hinges on Tampa Bay’s willingness to trade Matt Moore.
Jon Gray, COL
vs LAD 8/2, vs MIA 8/7
Owned In: 27% of Fleaflicker Leagues
After struggling in nine starts for the Colorado Rockies last year, Jon Gray has vastly improved in his second season in the majors. Like many young pitchers, this improvement has been sequential. The 24-year-old wasn’t particularly impressive in April, but he improved in May. Once the summer months arrived, however, Gray became a new pitcher. Over his past 16 outings, he’s recorded 13 quality starts, while allowing more than four runs in a start just once. His strikeout rate is strong at 9.36 Ks per nine innings, he walks few batters, and to round out our continuing theme, he strands 71.9% of baserunners. His performances have been so encouraging that the talk in Denver is that he could turn out to be the best starter in franchise history.
This week he’ll make a pair of home starts against wild card contenders. Unlike his fellow starter Tyler Chatwood, Gray actually pitches well at home. This vital propensity to win at Coors Field (4-0 record) helps his cause as a streamer of the week. His first opponents this week are the Dodgers, whom he has already faced twice this year. Gray has already recorded a quality start against the Dodgers and considering their mediocre road record, this looks like a solid chance at victory. His second start will be against the fledgling Miami Marlins, in serious playoff contention for the first time in years. Like the Dodgers, Miami has also seen Gray already, as he recorded a quality start against them last month. Now at home, where he’s undefeated, look for more quality from the young right-hander.
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