Unbalanced schedules are the theme this week, as 11 teams will play seven games, while five teams will only play five games. Smart managers will look for hitting depth in the coming days, with the Royals, Giants, Rangers and Rockies providing good sources of offense. And with many teams playing light schedules, the list of two attractive starting pitchers is shorter than usual. Managers should try to secure the services of the top four men on this list as soon as possible.
2 starting pitchers (listed in order of preference, including two shallow league options)
Jack Flaherty, 62% (@CLE, vs. HOU)
Flaherty has a mediocre 4.00 ERA and has yet to register a win, which is terrible luck for a player who pitched well in his first six games (50:5 K:BB ratio, 1.03 WHIP). The right-handed pitcher's FIP of 2.71 is a good indicator that he should be enrolled in more leagues, especially if he is in his second starting week.
Triston McKenzie, 63% (vs. DET, @CWS)
After disappointing his managers in his first three starts, McKenzie has posted a solid 19:6 K:BB ratio in 20 innings over his past three starts. I remain skeptical that the right-handed pitcher can be a long-term asset this season, but he should start anywhere this week against two offenses that rank in the bottom six in OPS.
Lewis Gil, 38% (vs. HOU, @TB)
Gill's performance has been stable so far (3.19 ERA, 1.19 WHIP) and his strikeout rate (11.6 K/9) has been controversial, but his 20 walks rank 4th among all pitchers. Ranked. Still, his control skills have gotten better recently, enough to get him into most lineups due to the strength of his swing-and-miss ability.
Simeon Woods-Richardson, 7% (vs. SEA, @TOR)
Woods-Richardson showed some interesting skills with a 13:4 K:BB ratio and 2.45 ERA in three starts. And with the Mariners ranking 22nd in OPS and the Blue Jays 20th, this week's matchup will be fascinating. He's a solid one-week streamer and has the potential to remain on the roster long-term in deeper formats.
Logan Allen, 22% (vs. DET, @CWS)
Allen has a respectable K:BB ratio of 31:12 in 37 innings, but struggles with the long ball (7 HR), which contributes to his 5.11 ERA and 1.41 WHIP. Normally, the southpaw would be easy to leave on the waiver wire, but the upcoming matchups are so enticing that he should be utilized in a 12-team league.
Tyler Anderson, 42% (@PIT, vs. KC)
Anderson continues to put up strong numbers (2.23 ERA, 1.07 WHIP) despite poor skill (27:15 K:BB) in six starts. Southpaws are great options in head-to-head leagues, but with a luck fix coming soon, they become dangerous streamers in lottery formats.
Patrick Sandoval, 4% (@PIT, vs. KC)
Sandoval (5.91 ERA, 1.69 WHIP) is too risky in the ratio category to find a spot in the lottery lineup for the second starting week. However, he has struck out 38 batters in 32 innings and has 12 possible whiffs, making him a strong streamer in points leagues.
one start streamer
Below, we've listed the week's best streamers in order. The start date and his Yahoo registration rate are shown in parentheses.
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Christian Scott vs. ATL (Friday, 33)
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Ben Lively @CWS (Thursday, 18)
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Javier Asad @PIT (Saturday, 60)
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Jameson Taillon @PIT (Friday, 42)
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Michael Lorenzen @OAK (Wednesday, 16)
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Paul Blackburn @SEA (Friday, 40)
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Reese Olson @CLE (Wednesday 20th)
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Jose Butt @STL (Tuesday, 25)
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Cole Irvin vs. ARI (Friday 18th)
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John Means vs. ARI (Saturday, 53)
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Dean Kramer vs. ARI (31st (Sunday))
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Clark Schmidt @TB (Friday, 40)
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Zach Littell vs. NYY (Friday, 38)
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Eric Fedde vs. CLE (Thursday, 42)
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Mitchell Parker vs. BAL (Wednesday 31st)
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Jose Soriano @PIT (Wednesday, 5)
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Cooper Criswell vs. WSH (Saturday, 14)
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Ben Brown vs. SD (Wednesday 4th)
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Martin Perez vs. LAA (Wednesday, 25)
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Tobias Myers vs. STL (Thursday, 1)
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Jose Quintana @STL (Wednesday, 10)
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Lance Lynn @MIL (Thursday, 35)
Advantageous Monday-Thursday batting match
Royals vs. Brewers, Angels: The Royals open this week against a trio of mediocre right-handers from Milwaukee, then take on a more difficult assignment Thursday against Angels southpaw Reid Detmers. Vinny Pasquantino is already on many rosters, but now is a good time to add him to the lineup in a shallow league on the edge of the roster. In deeper formats, you can stream Michael Massey (2%) off the waiver wire.
Giants @ Phillies, Rockies: The Giants will face four right-handers from now until Thursday, three of which will be played at Coors Field. It's a great time to stream the team's left-handed hitters, including Michael Conforto (48%), Jung Hoo Lee (51%), LaMonte Wade Jr. (7%), and Mike Yastrzemski (2%).
Rangers@A's: Thanks to Wednesday's doubleheader, the Rangers will face four of Oakland's mediocre starting pitchers over the next three days. The pitching staff is evenly balanced between right-handed and left-handed pitchers, and all of Texas' top batters are widely rostered. Still, Josh H. Smith (42%) and Leody Taveras (4%) can stream in his 12-team league.
