Starting Pitcher Streamer Rankings Fantasy Baseball: 7/23 & 7/24

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: 64-49

My pick yesterday: Michael Lorenzen vs. CHW – W

PL Bot’s 2024 Streamer Record: 64-49

PL Bot’s Pick yesterday: Spencer Arrighetti @ OAK – L

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

 

Zack Wheeler @ MIN – Aces gonna ace.

Chris Sale vs. CIN – Aces gonna ace.

Paul Skenes vs. STL – Aces gonna ace.

Garrett Crochet @ TEX – Aces gonna ace.

Logan Gilbert vs. LAA – Aces gonna ace.

Luis Gil vs. NYM – Gil’s vert is back and the Mets aren’t scary.

 

Probably Starts

 

Albert Suárez @ MIA – These second tier arms are lacking on Tuesday and are at the back-end of most days. Suárez leads the way with a solid Win chance with strikeouts against the Marlins.

José Soriano @ SEA – Soriano just needs to throw strikes for this to work.

Landon Knack vs. SFG – He’s stretched out to 80-85 pitches now with a great shot at stealing another Win.

José Berríos vs. TBR – I’m awfully hesitant to trust Berríos at the moment and debated putting him in the third tier. That said, the long break + his general fluctuations make this a decent gamble, especially for those in Quality Start leagues or in dire need of a Win.

 

Questionable Starts

 

Randy Vásquez @ WSN – He’s been making it work and it’s the Nationals. I’m still skeptical of his success and don’t want to chase this in my 12-teamers, though I recognize it may be a Vargas Rule for you.

Jon Gray vs. CHW – He hasn’t been sharp lately…but it’s the CrySox. Your call.

Jameson Taillon vs. MIL – Taillon has come through, even if the last outing wasn’t pristine. The Brewers are a tough crew making this a difficult choice.

DJ Herz vs. SDP – He’s back in the Nationals rotation and has two double-digit strikeout games under his belt. The rest isn’t fun, of course, and it’s a dart throw play against the Padres.

Jake Bloss @ OAK – At least it’s Oakland and the Astros could grant Bloss a cheap Win.

Jose Quintana @ NYY – His fastball locations weren’t there last time out, but he still fanned eight with his curve and changeup working well. The Yankees are a volatile offense, making this a possible rebound for Quintana as we could hold after for the Twins.

 

Do Not Starts

 

Simeon Woods Richardson vs. PHI – It’s the Phillies and SWR isn’t a dominant arm.

Alec Marsh vs. ARI – Marsh has a chance, but it’s so dang boring.

Lance Lynn @ PIT – Lynn has allowed just 3 ER in 18.2 IP across three of his last four starts…though that fourth start was 2.2 IP of 10 ER. Good luck.

Colin Rea @ CHC – He’s been able to make it through six before.

Jordan Montgomery @ KCR – It’s a Still ILL for a guy we haven’t had faith in all year.

Jordan Hicks @ LAD – Hicks has gotten progressively worse and it’s the Dodgers.

Germán Márquez vs. BOS – COL story, bro. It actually is a cool story given it’s just his third start back from TJS, but…yeah. Coors n stuff.

Cooper Criswell @ COL – Criswell doesn’t go long and it’s Coors.

Xzavion Curry vs. DET – He’s getting another shot in the rotation and at least it’s the Tigers.

Tyler Alexander @ TOR – How long do they let T-Lex go in this one?

Nick Martinez @ ATL – He’s starting again! And could go just three innings!

Kenta Maeda @ CLE – Maeda just pitched a bit in relief over the weekend, don’t expect a long one here.

UPDATE: Joey Wentz @ CLE – Maeda may come in to relieve a bit here and we can skip this start completely.

Kyle Tyler vs. BAL – Uhhhh, nah.

UPDATE: Ty Blach vs. BOS – I feel for Márquez. The man just returned from TJS only to hit the IL with elbow pain two starts in. It means we get Blach now and that’s a clear pass.

Osvaldo Bido vs. HOU – Oh wow. It’s you.

 

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

 

Corbin Burnes @ MIA – Aces gonna ace.

Tyler Glasnow vs. SFG – Aces gonna ace. He’s not #1 due to Burnes’ matchup + return from the IL = fewer innings.

Gerrit Cole vs. NYM – Aces gonna ace.

Luis Castillo vs. LAA – Aces gonna ace.

Aaron Nola @ MIN – Aces gonna ace.

Jack Flaherty @ CLE – Aces gonna ace.

Nathan Eovaldi vs. CHW – It’s the White Sox.

Justin Steele vs. MIL – Aces gonna ace…in a tough matchup and struggled in his last outing.

Tanner Bibee vs. DET – Bibee is a clear start against the Tigers.

 

Probably Starts

 

Nick Pivetta @ COL – Pivetta just survived the Dodgers, he can handle Coors.

Hunter Brown @ OAK – I’m skeptical of the ability, but it’s Oakland.

Zach Eflin @ TOR – Eflin is a Toby in a decent matchup.

Matt Waldron @ WSN – Waldron is a Toby in a decent matchup.

Griffin Canning @ SEA – Last outing wasn’t what we wanted but that doesn’t mean Canning can’t rebound against a poor lineup.

Michael Wacha vs. ARI – Wacha’s changeup is in a good place and I’m scared of the Diamondbacks.

Ryne Nelson @ KCR – I debated if he should be above Canning or not and ultimately slotted him down here. I think the floor is a little lower as I still question if his heater is enough.

 

Questionable Starts

 

Mitchell Parker vs. SDP – Parker is a Toby and it’s a questionable matchup.

Robbie Ray @ LAD – OH SNAP. He’s returning from TJS and it’s good fortune to face the Dodgers as it’s a clear Still ILL for us to avoid. I’m excited for his next outing after this one, even if he’s had plenty of rehab starts already.

Sean Manaea @ NYY – Manaea’s slider has improved and there’s a chance this works out well if the Yankee offense has a cold night.

Yariel Rodríguez vs. TBR – He’ll be around 80 pitches, which could return another sub-five frame evening. I don’t love his fastball/breaker mix a ton.

 

Do Not Starts

 

Martín Pérez vs. STL – This could be the start of Pérez earning the trust of managers as a streaming option once again. We need to see it first.

Edward Cabrera vs. BAL – Will it be the five-walk man or the zero walks & seven strikeouts stud? It’s the Orioles. We shouldn’t risk it.

JP Sears vs. HOU – He’s a Cherry Bomb with a ton of C4 and it’s the Astros.

Chris Flexen @ TEX – He’s had moments when his command is on point, though the ceiling isn’t high enough.

Cal Quantrill vs. BOS – If Quantrill has his best splitter, he can come through.

Matthew Liberatore @ PIT – I’m kinda excited to see Liberatore and it’s a good matchup…but the innings likely won’t be there.

Frankie Montas @ ATL – At least he has a good leash, but the floor is putrid.

Louie Varland vs. PHI – He’s back! And the command is still a concern. And it’s the Phillies.

Darius Vines vs. CIN – Vines is getting another chance with Fried on the mend (not Dodd!). I don’t love what he does and it likely won’t be across five frames.

Joe Ross @ CHC – Is he finally returning from the IL? For real? Watch the Brewers sign Paxton instead. At least he tossed 66 pitches in his last rehab start of…4 IP and 8 ER. Whoops.

 

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)