Here are today and tomorrow’s daily SP Streamer rankings for fantasy baseball.
Every day of the 2024 baseball season, I’ll be looking at today 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 (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.
Alright, let’s get to it.
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 2024 Streamer Record: 62-47
My pick yesterday: Christian Scott vs. COL – L
PL Bot’s 2024 Streamer Record: 62-47
PL Bot’s Pick yesterday: Zack Littell vs. CLE – W
Want PL Bot’s pick today? Sign up for PL Pro here.
My streaming pick of the day is Underlined and Italicized.
Today’s Starting Pitcher Rankings
Auto Starts
Corbin Burnes @ TEX – Aces gonna ace.
Gerrit Cole vs. TBR – Aces gonna ace.
Aaron Nola @ PIT – Aces gonna ace.
Justin Steele vs. ARI – Aces gonna ace.
Luis Castillo vs. HOU – Aces gonna ace.
Sonny Gray @ ATL – Aces gonna ace.
UPDATE: Jack Flaherty @ TOR – His back is okay…right? He pitches like an ace otherwise.
UPDATE: Chris Bassitt vs. DET – The Tigers aren’t scary and Bassitt is good ole standard affair.
UPDATE: Nathan Eovaldi vs. BAL – It’s the Orioles, but Eovaldi has been too dang good to pass up.
Tanner Bibee vs. SDP – Bibee’s command is a little weird, but if you have him, you’re starting him.
Probably Starts
UPDATE: Hunter Brown @ SEA – It’s a fantastic matchup…but is Brown in a good enough spot with his arsenal?
Sean Manaea @ MIA – Manaea’s slider has worked well and it’s the Marlins.
Griffin Canning @ OAK – I dig the breaker/change-first approach and it’s Oakland.
Zach Eflin @ NYY – I trust Eflin less than Pivetta, but the Yankees are a little easier to wrangle than the Dodgers. Tough call between the two.
UPDATE: Gavin Stone vs. BOS – It’s a decent Win chance and as long as the changeup is fine, we’re good.
Nick Pivetta @ LAD – It’s the Dodgers, though I want to believe Pivetta’s sweeper is back on point.
Michael Wacha vs. CHW – Wacha isn’t at his peak, but surely the change is enough for the CrySox.
UPDATE: Spencer Schwellenbach vs. STL – I dig his kitchen-sink approach with 95 mph heaters on a winning team.
Edward Cabrera vs. NYM – A little risky, but his stuff is absurd right now. Four solo shots in Cin City messed up his last game.
Questionable Starts
Matt Waldron @ CLE – Will his knuckler be there? The other offerings haven’t been great over the last month.
UPDATE: Ryne Nelson @ CHC – He’s been on a roll by pounding his four-seamer into the zone without repercussions. I’m skeptical of it lasting and at least this is the Cubs.
UPDATE: Frankie Montas @ WSN – Montas has a chance for a Quality Start outside of Cin City.
JP Sears vs. LAA – He’s a high-risk/high-reward arm to the most extreme degree, even against the Angels.
Do Not Starts
Cal Quantrill vs. SFG – The splitter has been worse and he’s in Coors. Not worth it.
Chris Flexen @ KCR – Flexen isn’t the worst option out there, but you’re chasing an awfully low ceiling.
UPDATE: Kyle Harrison @ COL – It’s Coors and I’m not a believer in Harrison’s approach.
UPDATE: Martín Pérez vs. PHI – I’m glad he’s back and could be a potential streaming option in the second half…but not against the full-strength Phils.
UPDATE: Patrick Corbin vs. CIN – I really can’t wait to be the guy who actually believes in Corbin. GIVE ME SOMETHING.
Enjoy these rankings? Support my work and Pitcher List by getting PL+ or PL Pro! You’ll get an Ad-Free website, access to our incredible non-toxic baseball Discord community, my weekly PL Pro exclusive SP FAAB Forecast podcast, a full suite of fantasy baseball tools, and much more. Get 10% off yearly with code SPSTREAMERS here.
Tomorrow’s Starting Pitcher Rankings
Auto Starts
George Kirby vs. HOU – Aces gonna ace.
Grayson Rodriguez @ TEX – Aces gonna ace.
Freddy Peralta @ MIN – Please don’t be Professor Chaos. The Twins are without Royce and make for a decent matchup here.
Zac Gallen @ CHC – He’s slowed down in his last two games. I believe the break helped him reset.
Framber Valdez @ SEA – It’s the Mariners, even if I’m worried Valdez struggles with his curve and change constantly.
Dylan Cease @ CLE – Which Cease will we get? The HR threat of Cleveland’s park is a bit intimidating.
Yusei Kikuchi vs. DET – Kikuchi’s four-seamer + slider combo is back. I’m buying into Kikuchi for the second half.
Cristopher Sánchez @ PIT – It’s the Pirates and Sánchez has been reliable moreso than others.
Max Scherzer vs. BAL – It’s the Orioles, though Scherzer looks to be in a good enough place where you’re not benching him.
Pablo López vs. MIL – You’re not leaving López on the bench, even if Milwaukee is a little scary. Please find the changeup.
Tyler Anderson @ OAK – The change has been golden and the Athletics aren’t a deterrent.
Reese Olson @ TOR – The slider and change are looking lovely.
Taj Bradley @ NYY – It’s a little Cherry Bomb-esque, though Bradley has been on such a tear that you won’t find a manager benching him.
MacKenzie Gore vs. CIN – Gore is looking like a Cherry Bomb lately…and yet I believe in the stuff. Hopefully losing Senzel at third will help him escape his horrid .363 BABIP of the first half.
Probably Starts
Blake Snell @ COL – He was his best self last time out, but it was just one start + this is Coors, which diminishes both breaking ball movement (will this affect their strike rates?) and iVB (will his heater have less success in the zone?).
Nestor Cortes vs. TBR – He’s a Toby and it’s the Rays.
Brady Singer vs. CHW – Singer gets the CrySox, which should help limit the low floor we normally get.
Nick Lodolo @ WSN – Lodolo should be higher, but his last two starts since returning from his IL stint have been rough, making me wonder if his blister is actually healed.
Gavin Williams vs. SDP – Williams went changeups over cutters last time out and I’m curious if that will continue. His four-seamer/curve floor is solid enough to keep starting him.
Jose Quintana @ MIA – He had a major hiccup against Rockie Road. I’d give it one more shot against the Marlins and hope the stellar command returns.
Questionable Starts
Mitch Spence vs. LAA – Our streaming pick as he can hurl cutters and sliders over the plate and watch the Angels flounder as they swat pitches into gloves.
Kyle Gibson @ ATL – Gibson’s sweeper has been strong all year, but Atlanta is heating up. Be careful.
Jonathan Cannon @ KCR – Cannon can soar if his command is there, which we’ve seen about half the time on the bump.
Charlie Morton vs. STL – He’s a coin flip regardless of matchup.
Roddery Muñoz vs. NYM – Muñoz has proven his worth at times when he nails the edges and you can’t trust the Mets offense to come through.
Brayan Bello @ LAD – Bello is in a much better place than a month ago, but the Dodgers are the Dodgers and Bello still has a few kinks to iron out.
Do Not Starts
Justin Wrobleski vs. BOS – This could be a decent Win chance, I just don’t like his arsenal enough + he may not go a full five.
Luis Ortiz vs. PHI – I’m digging Ortiz, just not a start against the Phils.
Kyle Hendricks vs. ARI – Hendricks ain’t the guy.
Germán Márquez vs. SFG – Márquez is making his second start back from TJS and still has to endure Coors.
Enjoy these rankings? Support my work and Pitcher List by getting PL+ or PL Pro! You’ll get an Ad-Free website, access to our incredible non-toxic baseball Discord community, my weekly PL Pro exclusive SP FAAB Forecast podcast, a full suite of fantasy baseball tools, and much more. Get 10% off yearly with code SPSTREAMERS here.
Sunday’s Starting Pitcher Rankings
I’m giving you guys an extra day today as we come out of this wonky ASB situation where teams are reluctant to announce their weekend starters. THANKS BASEBALL.
Auto Starts
Max Fried vs. STL – Aces gonna ace.
Joe Ryan vs. MIL – Aces gonna ace.
Shota Imanaga vs. ARI – Aces gonna ace.
Seth Lugo vs. CHW – Lugo has been on fire (mostly) and it’s the White Sox.
Ronel Blanco @ SEA – The Mariners are a fantastic matchup and Blanco has been stellar.
Michael King @ CLE – I’m a huge fan of King, though I wish this wasn’t in Cleveland.
Kevin Gausman vs. DET – The splitter needs to return for Gausman to become the man we want him to be…but this is the Tigers. Well worth the risk.
Probably Starts
Jake Irvin vs. CIN – Irvin has lost his sheen lately, but I’ll give him a chance to showcase a rebound post-ASB.
Marcus Stroman vs. TBR – Stroman is Stroman. The Rays make this floor a little higher.
Kutter Crawford @ LAD – The Dodgers are terrifying, though Kutter is in as good of a place as we’ve seen all year.
Shane Baz @ NYY – I’m not sure what to make of this one. Baz’s four-seamer is looking great, while the slider doesn’t have the same bite as it did in 2021. The Yankees are also up-and-down offensively and I think if I have Baz, I’m going for this. I could see myself placing him lower if I valued Wins or IP over Strikeouts.
Ben Lively vs. SDP – Lively has taken advantage of poor lineups all season, but this may be a tougher ask.
Andrew Abbott @ WSN – Abbott. I don’t know what to do with you. I guess we just start him and hope for the best?
Luis Severino @ MIA – It’s the Marlins. We go with it.
Drew Thorpe @ KCR – I debated between Thorpe and Soriano for the streaming pick and landed on Thorpe – he’s a little more consistent for 5/6 frames and keeping runs off the board with his stellar changeup.
José Soriano @ OAK – Soriano has a touch more volatility than Thorpe given the reliance on sinker strikes, but this is Oakland.
Brandon Pfaadt @ CHC – I find it hard to lean heavily into Pfaadt without a complementary secondary pitch for his sweeper, though his sinker has helped his four-seamer this season. I’ll go with it against a middling Cubs offense, though I have my concerns for the second half.
Bryan Woo vs. HOU – How long will they let Woo go? Is it worth it against the Astros?
Aaron Civale @ MIN – Civale looked better in his first start with Milwaukee and the Twins aren’t a mighty crew. Let’s hope the curveball is back in action now that he has had more time to bond with his new team.
Questionable Starts
Andrew Heaney vs. BAL – The slider looks great, but I fear starting a LHP against the Orioles.
Joey Estes vs. LAA – Estes is awfully volatile. Take a shot if you want, the ceiling isn’t high enough for me.
Dean Kremer @ TEX – Will Kremer have his splitter? Or Cutter? Or Four-seamer? Or anything? You really don’t know with him.
James Paxton vs. BOS – If you’re chasing a Win, you do you. We all know the ghastly floor.
Keider Montero @ TOR – There is something in the tank here with Montero as he features mid-90s heat and a decent breaker, while the Jays aren’t a team to run away from. It’s a desperate Sunday play.
Do Not Starts
Trevor Rogers vs. NYM – His stuff just isn’t what it used to be. It’s hard to lean into Rogers if he’s sitting 91 mph and not 93-95 mph.
Jordan Hicks @ COL – Hicks has gotten progressively worse this year and now has to endure Coors.
Miles Mikolas @ ATL – Mikolas always has a chance as he’ll throw a ton of strikes. At least he has that going for him…?
Tyler Phillips @ PIT – It’s Pittsburgh, but Phillips is not a guy I’d go after. Maybe for a desperate Win chance?
Marco Gonzales vs. PHI – Gonzo could be a streaming option later in the summer, but not against Philly, obviously.
Austin Gomber vs. SFG – Gomber in Coors isn’t what you want.
Enjoy these rankings? Support my work and Pitcher List by getting PL+ or PL Pro! You’ll get an Ad-Free website, access to our incredible non-toxic baseball Discord community, my weekly PL Pro exclusive SP FAAB Forecast podcast, a full suite of fantasy baseball tools, and much more. Get 10% off yearly with code SPSTREAMERS here.
Photos Courtesy of IconSportswire | Adapted by Aaron Asbury (@aarongifs on Instagram)
With the Mets being moved down to the “average” tier, here’s a list of every team that has scored more runs than them since June 1:
And here’s a list of all teams with more wins than them since June 1:
Hey Nick,
Why are you so in the tank for Kikuchi?? He has been a model of inconsistency and heartache for fantasy owners since he started losing hard. He may have the tools and the stuff, but something is not translating into QS/WHIP needs.
Also, I wonder if you should downgrade Cristopher Sanchez to Probably Start, considering this Home/Away splits, which seem hard to ignore.