SP Streamers for today's, tomorrow's and the day after tomorrow's games for fantasy baseball.
Every day of the 2025 baseball season, I'll be looking at today's and tomorrow's slate of scheduled starting pitchers and ranking their matchups for your fantasy baseball streams.
There's a lot that goes into this and you can hang out with me on Playback.tv/pitcherlist to talk about the specific ranks as I make them every weekday morning from 10am - 12pm ET. If you have questions about these ranks, please ask during the morning Playback AMA. Those are my office hours as I generally don't answer comments on the site.
There are four tiers to these rankings with 12-teamers in mind:
Auto-Start - Just do it. Don't overthink this, start the man. This includes "if I have them rostered, I'm starting them" pitchers.
Probably Start - I'm likely starting these arms, though I recognize there is more risk than we'd like there to be. Either it's a tough matchup for a good-not-elite pitcher or a weak lineup for a volatile arm. These pitchers have a 50% or greater chance of performing well in my view and I'm starting them in the majority of situations.
Questionable Start - Think of this tier as "I don't want to start these pitchers in a vacuum, but you could do worse." Streamers found in this tier are not pitchers I'm targeting and are only if you are in dire need of one. To play it safe with streaming, just start the Probably Start streamers.
Do Not Start - The reward is not worth the risk. Don't do it. Seriously, these pitchers have a very slim chance of success or sometimes none at all.
Obviously, there will be circumstances where pitchers should move between teams for your situation specifically and these new tiers should act as a little more help than the straight table from last year.
Please keep in mind that streaming is far from a perfect play. In fact, if they work out over half the time, I'd consider it a success. These matchup rankings & streamer picks are going to be wildly different than the actual results throughout the year, so please, have sympathy before the scathing comments and tweets. I'm only trying to help!
Make sure to read the notes if you're wondering why I'm favoring certain pitchers over others - I won't get to everyone and hopefully I answer what questions you will have.
There is a second table for tomorrow's starting pitcher matchups as well, helping everyone get a jump on their nightly pickups. Please note that these matchups are subject to change, though, and there will be times when I have the incorrect pitcher going. I thank you for your future understanding.
Finally, there are my streaming picks of the day, and please keep in mind that I am forced to pick a streamer every day. Those highlighted in Green are that day's streaming pick in the second tier and I'd roll with them everywhere. Those in Yellow are in the third tier and should be okay if you're searching for something on a given day, but I don't recommend streaming unless you're in need. Finally, those are Red are those I really don't want to start (they are labeled as "Do Not Start", after all) but have no other choice. Don't stream these guys until you are truly desperate. A streaming pick is defined as "rostered in 20% or fewer leagues according to Fantasy Pros. This really emphasizes the point that I'd be happy if over 50% of these worked. I could do the whole sub 30/40% rostered, but there's no fun in that. You can use the rankings to realize who those picks would be instead.
(Opener) - Outlines that a pitcher is being opened for that day & the pitcher listed will follow the opener.
As I do my rankings, I thought it would be helpful to showcase a table of how we're ranking offenses, granted by our PLV powered Projections (in alphabetical order by tier):
I'm sure it'll change through the year + there are differences to be made about teams vs. LHP or RHP, but it works as a general table that y'all should keep in mind.
To spice up these streaming recommendations, I've included our new daily fantasy baseball projections powered by PLV, and I'll be competing against PL Bot to pick the best streaming option each day.
These projections are different from your typical projections as they incorporate our pitch quantifier, assessing pitcher and hitter skills at a much more granular level than your standard box score.
To get access to PL Bot's picks each day, sign up for PL Pro here.
The streaming record is determined by "Was this a productive game for 12-teamers if I started them?" Roughly a "PQS" with a Win and a strikeout per inning with a sub 1.20 WHIP, with a minimum of 5 IP. Close calls are decided by Playback chat.
Nick's 2025 Streamer Record: 18-6
My Pick yesterday: Landen Roupp @ LAA
My Pick today: Michael Wacha @ DET
PL Bot's 2025 Streamer Record: 18-6
PL Bot's Pick yesterday: Landen Roupp @ LAA
PL Bot's Pick today: Get our Daily & Weekly PLV Projections with PL Bot via PL Pro here.
Note: Names below in Italics are my streaming picks of the day.
Sunday 4/20 Starting Pitcher Streamer Rankings
Auto-Starts
Tarik Skubal vs. KCR - Aces gonna ace.
Tyler Glasnow @ TEX - Aces gonna ace.
Max Fried @ TBR - Aces gonna ace.
Dylan Cease @ HOU - Aces gonna ace.
Joe Ryan @ ATL - Aces gonna ace.
Sonny Gray @ NYM - The sweeper and four-seamer velocity are good enough.
Framber Valdez vs. SDP - Valdez is a "Cherry Bomb" we live with.
Jesús Luzardo vs. MIA - He's been so good and it's the Marlins.
Luis Castillo @ TOR - I'm a little worried about Castillo but not ready to bring the hook onstage.
Probably Starts
Grant Holmes vs. MIN - It's a great matchup and we're all wittness to The Real Estate Broker getting a long leash.
Jeffrey Springs @ MIL - If the changeup is cookin', this will be stellar. It usually is.
Michael Wacha @ DET - Wacha gets the Tigers and has the command and slowball you want to see.
Clay Holmes vs. STL - Just throw strikes and we're great. I think it'll get better in time.
Justin Verlander @ LAA - The slider and four-seamer are legit, despite the recent results. 20 Whiffs followed by an anomalous outing with terrible four-seamer control. I believe this start will illuminate Verlander's renewed ability.
Ryan Pepiot vs. NYY - That's a tough one. The Yankees aren't immortal and as long as Pepiot has his slider (or cutter!), the four-seamer will do the rest. Bonus points for having the changeup, too.
Yusei Kikuchi vs. SFG - It should work but Kikuchi's arsenal looks worse each time out.
Questionable Starts
Mitch Keller vs. CLE - Keller is outside the realm of a hold in a 12-teamer, though this could be QS in PNC park.
Merrill Kelly @ CHC - The volume is there, I wish it weren't the solid Cubs offense.
Tanner Houck vs. CHW - It's the White Sox...though we all know how rough Houck has been.
Logan Allen @ PIT - Great matchup, highly suspect skill set.
Jameson Taillon vs. ARI - Taillon survived the Padres, maybe the Sneks too?
Do Not Starts
Jake Irvin @ COL - Even though he's been better as of late, it's Coors. Too bad, really, as he looks to be starting a "Vargas Rule" run like last year. Maybe pick up after for the Mets...?
Charlie Morton vs. CIN - You're better off not going near Morton.
Easton Lucas vs. SEA - The four-seamer didn't dominate again and it's too risky.
Logan Henderson vs. ATH - An MLB debut! We don't start pitchers during those. I'm kinda excited...? Let's see what he brings, feel free to spec add if there isn't much else on the wire.
Tyler Mahle vs. LAD - I know he's done well, but it's the Dodgers and he's still at 92 mph without a fantastic set of secondaries. A heavily discounted Joe Ryan.
Sean Burke @ BOS - He's far from his September self.
Kyle Freeland vs. WSN - COOOOOOORS. Doubleheader, by the way.
Antonio Senzatela vs. WSN - Senz-A does what Senz-A does.
Connor Gillispie @ PHI - How did the Marlins get into this siutation?
Randy Wynne @ BAL - Spiers hit the IL and the Reds are asking Wynne to take the pearl. Let's not chance this.
Brad Lord @ COL - You don't know him and that's completely fine. Doubleheader, by the way.
Monday 4/21 Starting Pitcher Streamer Rankings
Auto-Starts
Spencer Schwellenbach vs. STL - It was a rough one last time out and let's get back on the horse to earn the AGA tag.
Jack Flaherty vs. SDP - His breakers are killing it like they did in the first half last year.
Nick Lodolo @ MIA - Lodolo against the Marlins away from GABP?! Sign me up with that improved changeup.
Hunter Brown vs. TOR - His heater is sitting 97+ mph and that's enough for me.
Probably Starts
Aaron Nola @ NYM - Nola is scaring us. I know. The velocity is down two ticks and the inevitable decline looks to be here. The command and curve are still stellar, though.
Max Meyer vs. CIN - Meyer's velocity returned last time out and we're feeling good about this away from GABP.
Robbie Ray vs. MIL - The walks have been far higher than expected and it's a product of his slider's ineffectiveness, changeup still developing, and disappearance of his curve. Fastball is elite, though, and the second it clicks, he's off the races.
Kevin Gausman @ HOU - It's Houston, but if you have Gausman, I know you're giving this a shot with his four-seamer's dominance lately.
Questionable Starts
Tylor Megill vs. PHI - Megill's command took a step back in his last start and I'm worried it won't come back right away. And, you know, the Phils.
Clarke Schmidt @ CLE - Schmidt isn't fully stretched out, nor is his ability that of a Top 40 SP.
Walker Buehler vs. CHW - I'm highly skeptical of Buehler, but it's the White Sox.
Erick Fedde @ ATL - He's vying for "Spider-Man" and Atlanta's offense has been weaker so far.
Gavin Williams vs. NYY - Gavin needs a secondary for strikes before I can trust him against the Yankees.
Quinn Priester @ SFG - Maybe the sinker is great and the breakers follow in a good matchup...?
Do Not Starts
Randy Vásquez @ DET - There's a chance he can squeeze out a Win or a QS, but that's not worth the risk.
Jonathan Cannon @ BOS - Absolutely not.
Tuesday 4/22 Starting Pitcher Streamer Rankings
New for PL Pro members - I am making the streaming table for an extra day out (no write-ups as these pitchers change often). I wanted to add a bonus for those who support us without taking anything away to everyone else and I thought this was a good compromise.
