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Welcome to RotoBaller's first installment of two-start pitcher streamers for 2020! Successful streaming pitchers can literally be a game-changer when it comes to fantasy baseball. When it comes to daily leagues, two-start streams aren't that important, since you can stream every day. But when it comes to weekly leagues, two-start streams become exponentially more important.
With that said, what do we look for when it comes to streaming pitchers? Well, there are a lot of aspects. When looking at the actual pitcher, how have they performed lately? Have they made a pitch mix change? Have they had a recent velocity bump? Reviewing pitchers every day on your own time will be very useful.
You also want to play matchups by looking at recent trends of the pitcher's opponent. How does their lineup perform when at home versus away? What has their wRC+ been in the last week or two? Have they been striking out a lot? Matchups are key when it comes to streaming. With all of that said, let's take a look at our picks, which we are going to rank in order with corresponding tiers.
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Stream With Confidence
Kyle Gibson, TEX (6% ownership)
vs ARI, @SF
Analysis: Gibson is severely under-owned. He had some bad luck last year, but now has a new home in Texas, where the new Globe Life Field is expected to be pitcher-friendly. Gibson has a very underrated arsenal and could generate a lot of strikeouts this year. While Arizona's offense isn't weak, Gibson will be pitching at home, so you can expect decent results there. Then he heads over to another pitcher-friendly ballpark (Oracle Park) against a very weak offense. Expect good results from Gibson in the first full week of baseball.
Chris Bassitt, OAK (12% ownership)
vs LAA, @SEA
Analysis: Bassitt enjoyed a decent season in 2019 and with A.J. Puk getting injured and Jesus Luzardo not ready to go, Bassitt has solidified a role in the rotation. He made some key pitch mix changes in the second half last year leading us to believe that he holds some value. In his first start versus the Angels, they come to town with a banged-up Anthony Rendon leaving their lineup with a big gap in it. The Angels don't strike out much, so don't expect a high strikeout total for this game, but certainly expect good ratios. The Mariners are still a work in progress as they are trying to rebuild. Last year, they struck out a ton, and this should be a decent matchup for Bassitt.
Stream With Some Risk
Wade Miley, CIN (4% ownership)
vs CHC, @DET
Analysis: Miley seems to have flown under the radar as recency bias has hit him in a bad way. In September last season, he put up a 16.68 ERA; every month before that, he had a sub-four ERA. Miley is a good pitcher and the staff in Cincinnati are doing some interesting things. At home against the Cubs is a little iffy of a matchup due to the serious weapons at the top of that lineup. Then, we grab this juicy matchup in Detroit. While not the best ballpark to pitch in, the Tigers are fielding an offense that you should stream against all year long.
Pablo Lopez, MIA (10% ownership)
vs BAL, vs WSH
Analysis: Lopez was pitching really well before his injury last year that cost him over two months, having one of the better changeups in the league. Much like Detroit, the Orioles have an offense that owners can exploit. This is a great matchup for Lopez to get on the right track to begin the year. The Nationals will be a very tough challenge for Lopez, but he was stellar at home last year as he posted a 3.39 ERA and 3.23 FIP.
Elieser Hernandez, MIA (1% ownership)
vs BAL, vs WSN
Analysis: Hernandez is an extremely raw pitcher who certainly has a long way to go. He has decent stuff though, and his slider can be extremely lethal at times. Much in the same way as Lopez, the Orioles make for a favorable opponent. The matchup with the Nationals should make owners nervous, but don't be shocked if Hernandez holds his own at home.
Do Not Stream
Wade LeBlanc, BAL (0% ownership)
@MIA, vs TB
Analysis: LeBlanc had some decent starts last year, but that should not earn him trust to begin 2020. The Marlins could be a very scrappy team this year, and I am waiting to see how they perform before really targeting their offense as one to stream against. The Rays' offense remains potent.
Jon Lester, CHC (18% ownership)
@CIN, vs PIT
Analysis: Lester has been trending in the wrong direction and that matchup with the Reds in their hitter-friendly ballpark screams disaster.
Griffin Canning, LAA (20% ownership)
@OAK, vs HOU
Analysis: This one hurts. You have to love the skill and talent with Canning as he has looked great this summer and his slider is filthy. But, these matchups are just too tough.
Merrill Kelly, ARI (4% ownership)
@TEX, vs LAD
Analysis: This one hurts too. Kelly upped his velocity at the end of last year and went on a ridiculous stretch in September with a 2.18 ERA and 3.37 FIP. These matchups are very tough though and we need to see if his fastball velocity is still at 93 MPH.
Jake Arrieta, PHI (8% ownership)
vs NYY, @TOR
Analysis: No, thank you. I couldn't be more wary of Arrieta in these matchups, especially against the Yankees.
Kendall Graveman, SEA (0% ownership)
@HOU, vs OAK
Analysis: Much like Canning's in case, this combination of offenses make me want to stay far away.
Justus Sheffield, SEA (6% ownership)
@LAA, vs OAK
Analysis: While Sheffield has a very good breaking pitch, and apparently added a two-seam fastball, these matchups could overwhelm him. The start in Anaheim could very well work out, but I want nothing to do with him against Oakland. That lineup is going to be very tough this year, especially if Khris Davis rebounds.
