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A wise fantasy baseball player never rests. They’re never satisfied with their team and are always on the hunt for the player that can help them in 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. As we focus on pitchers owned in 50% or fewer leagues on Fleaflicker, here are the top five for week six.
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Top 5 Two-Start Pitcher Streamers
Chris Young, KC
@ Yankees 5/9, vs Atlanta 5/14
Gifted with one of the more common names the English language can provide, Chris Young somehow continues to remain a relevant starting pitcher. The 36-year-old journeyman has not gotten off to a stellar 2016, but could be looking at a solid bounce-back week. Scheduled to make two starts, Young’s week will begin on Monday when the defending champions take on the Yankees in the Bronx. While his numbers aren’t pretty, the 12-year veteran has been improving, giving up three runs or less in each of his last three starts. While it seems reasonable to believe the offense-starved Yanks will hit better at home, they’re sporting a losing home record this year, only averaging four runs per home game. With New York appearing to have the weakest offense in the American League, Young won’t get a much simpler match-up. Well, that’s not entire true, as his second start of the week will be at home against the Atlanta Braves. While the Yankees might have the weakest offense in the AL, the Braves rank dead last in runs, home runs and RBI. Currently owned in a measly 11% of Fleaflicker leagues, Young is a solid two-start streamer option, if only for his weak competition.
Tyler Wilson, BAL
@ Minnesota 5/9, vs Detroit 5/14
Into his first full season with the Orioles, 26-year-old Tyler Wilson appears to be turning it up a notch. Increasing his K% while lowing his BB% and opposing BABIP, he’s been getting stretched out. This culminated with his first quality start the last time out. On Monday, he’ll take on the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. As of Friday morning, the Twins were ranked fifth in team strikeouts, an aspect of the game in which Wilson has vastly improved. Coming off a poor record in their last 10 games, Wilson should be able to follow up his quality start with another strong performance. Joining the Twins in the top ten teams in strikeouts are the Detroit Tigers, whom Wilson is scheduled to face on Saturday. The Tigers are also struggling to get on base, ranking near the bottom 10 in OBP. Wilson has kept his LOB% at the same level he recorded last year, 74%. The combination of Detroit’s struggles to get on base and Wilson’s effectiveness of stranding them if they get there hints at positive results. Owned in only three percent of Fleaflicker leagues, he’s a promising two-start streamer option.
Aaron Sanchez, TOR
@ San Francisco 5/9, @ Texas 5/15
Earning a spot in the rotation out of spring training, 23-year-old Aaron Sanchez has been exceptional in 2016. Having quality starts in all but one of his outings so far, he’s posted a 2.82 ERA, stranded nearly 80% of runners on base and struck out 21.5% of the batters he’s faced. Owned in 41% of Fleaflicker leagues, he’s still largely available as a two-start week approaches. On Monday, Sanchez will take the mound in San Francisco against the Giants. While the Giants are one of the better hitting teams in the National League, they’re only 15-15 through 30 games. This is largely credited to their 153 runs allowed through that span, which is the fourth most in all of baseball. The Blue Jays remain one of the best offenses in the American League, and with Angel Pagan, Hunter Pence and Joe Panik ailing, the Giants could be at less than 100% on offense. Five days later, Sanchez will once again take the mound as a visitor, going against the Texas Rangers. While the Rangers boast a solid home record, their offense ranks relatively low. Sanchez is fresh off allowing just three runs across seven innings against them. The kid hasn’t shown many reasons to doubt him thus far, so have confidence as he has his first set of consecutive road starts.
Dan Straily, CIN
vs Pittsburgh 5/9, @ Philadelphia 5/15
After being claimed off waivers, Dan Straily has been more than serviceable for the Reds. Starting the season in the bullpen, injuries have forced him into the starting lineup. This has resulted in back-to-back quality starts with terrific numbers. Straily is striking out more batters, walking less batters, stranding 83.3% of baserunners and allowing a strong .197 BABIP. His first start of the week will come at home against the Pirates. Straily made his season debut against the Pirates, albeit as a reliever. With the Reds trailing by a run, Straily fired three shutout innings, recording three strikeouts. Last Friday, he pitched at PNC Park, striking out five and giving up two runs across six innings. He’s clearly had success against them and should be comfortable enough back at home to produce more positive results. His second start of the week is scheduled for Sunday in Philadelphia. While the Phillies are off to a surprisingly positive start, they rank dead last in batting average and near the bottom of virtually every other hitting statistic. Before he heads back to the bullpen, the seven percent-owned Straily should be in for a pair of solid starts as a two-start streamer.
Adam Conley, MIA
vs Milwaukee 5/10, @ Washington 5/15
Seriously, how did Don Mattingly not let the kid pitch until he gave up a hit? That was the question many asked after Adam Conley tossed 7.2 no-hit innings in Milwaukee last week. With 116 pitches on the night however, it was the smart thing to do. Conley followed that performance up with three more no-hit innings to begin his outing against the Diamondbacks, picking up a second consecutive victory. The 25-year-old is currently in one of the best forms of any pitcher in the sport, and now he’ll have a two-start week to prove he’s no fluke. His first start of the week will be against the Brewers, this time at Marlins Park. The Brewers rank fourth in strikeouts, a major reason for Conley’s success against them. If Conley can avoid walking multiple runners like he did last time, he should be in for another strong performance. His second start of the week will be a tougher one, coming on the road against the Nationals. While Washington has had success against Conley in 2016, they continue to rank in the bottom 10 in AVG. Considering he struggles with walks and the Nationals have an average rank in the category, Conley has a solid chance of keeping the number low. The man is hot, so take a shot.
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