As we enter the final month of the fantasy baseball season, it’s crucial to adjust our strategy when it comes to managing starting pitchers. With most starters only set to make four or five more starts in the 2024 season, it’s time to shift our focus to a week-to-week mindset rather than a Rest of Season outlook. To help guide you through this transition, I will be ranking and breaking down my favorite streaming matchups each week from now until the end of the year.
Before diving into the rankings, it’s important to identify the offenses we want to target when streaming starting pitchers. Using Fangraphs team stats over the last month, we can pinpoint teams that have struggled in key offensive metrics such as wRC+, strikeout rate, and OPS. These „Highway Offenses“ include the White Sox, Angels, Marlins, Pirates, Mariners, Rays, and Rockies on the road. Additionally, we can consider „Green Light Offenses“ like the Tigers, Giants, Cardinals, Nationals, and Reds when they are on the road. Lastly, there are „Yellow Light Offenses“ such as the Cubs, Athletics, Blue Jays, and Mets, which may pose some hesitation but are still viable targets for streaming.
Moving on to the rankings for the week of 9/2, we have a tier of pitchers that I have a strong preference for. Brayan Bello, Cody Bradford, Albert Suarez, Simeon Woods-Richardson, Zebby Matthews, Andrew Heaney, and Martin Perez are all solid streaming options with favorable matchups. Bello, in particular, has shown improvement in recent starts and has the potential for two wins in the upcoming week. Bradford and Heaney also present strong cases for streaming based on their recent performances and matchups against the Angels.
In the next tier, we have pitchers that I am fairly confident in for the upcoming week. David Festa, Bobby Miller, JP Sears, DJ Herz, Osvaldo Bido, Jeffrey Springs, Frankie Montas, and Dean Kremer all have solid matchups and have been performing well recently. Festa, in particular, has been impressive with a low ERA and high strikeout rate since July 15th. Miller, Sears, and Herz also have shown consistency and potential for strong outings.
In the tier with some hesitation, we find pitchers like Patrick Corbin, Cade Povich, Bailey Falter, Mitch Spence, David Peterson, MacKenzie Gore, Jake Irvin, Luis L. Ortiz, Joey Estes, and Mitchell Parker. While these pitchers have favorable matchups, they have been inconsistent or underperforming recently, leading to some doubts about their streaming potential. Corbin, for example, has struggled with his ERA and WHIP but has underlying metrics that suggest improvement could be on the horizon.
Lastly, in the tier for desperate situations, we have pitchers like Jordan Wicks, Tylor Megill, Valente Bellozo, and Joe Boyle. These pitchers may be options in deeper leagues but come with higher risk due to their lack of consistency or recent performance issues.
In conclusion, as we approach the final stretch of the fantasy baseball season, it’s important to be strategic and proactive in managing your starting pitchers. By targeting favorable matchups and adjusting your approach on a week-to-week basis, you can maximize your team’s potential and secure crucial wins down the stretch. Keep an eye on the recommended streaming options and adjust your roster accordingly to stay ahead in the fantasy baseball race.