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Starting Pitcher Streamer Rankings Fantasy Baseball: 8/19 & 8/20

Nick Pollack ranks the starting pitcher streamers for today & tomorrow

Here are today’s and tomorrow’s daily SP Streamer rankings for fantasy baseball.

Every day of the 2024 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 StartI’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):

Nick’s Loose Team Offense Rankings (Updated 8/19)

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 2024 Streamer Record: 77-63

My pick yesterday: Albert Suárez vs. BOS – W

PL Bot’s 2024 Streamer Record: 79-61

PL Bot’s Pick yesterday: Taijuan Walker vs WSN – L

Want PL Bot’s pick today? Sign up for PL Pro here.

My streaming pick of the day is Underlined and Italicized.

 

Monday’s Starting Pitcher Rankings

 

Auto Starts

 

Michael King vs. MIN – Aces gonna ace.

Seth Lugo vs. LAA – It’s been a rough time for Lugo across the last month and change, but it’s the Angels.

 

Probably Starts

 

Yusei Kikuchi vs. BOS – He’s looking far better as a member of the Astros and he’s not in Fenway.

Gavin Stone vs. SEA – A solid stream for a strong Toby is great. Or is he a HollyIf he has the slider and heater he had last time, maybe.

Brandon Pfaadt @ MIA – This seems like an easy time at the park.

Taj Bradley @ OAK –Bradley has wavered with his four-seamer locations and all I want is for him to get everything out of y-mLoc as much as possible while maintaining 65%+ strikes on splitters and heaters. It’s been a trio of starts since we’ve seen it, but it’s in there. I think.

Kevin Gausman vs. CIN – I still question his ability to earn splitter whiffs but the matchup is good enough.

Bryan Woo @ LAD – Woo has been fantastic, but now he gets a proper challenge – The Dodgers away from Seattle.

 

Questionable Starts

 

Tanner Houck @ HOU – I’m skeptical of Houck’s recent success and a date with the Astros is not easing my concerns.

Zebby Matthews @ SDP – Zebby looked great in his MLB debut, but we still have a sample size of just one + the Padres are not a comfortable evening.

Kyle Harrison vs. CHW – It’s the CrySox, even if Harrison is a volatile fella.

Jonathan Cannon @ SFG – The Giants aren’t too intimidating and Cannon has the ability to go six frames if he can spot his sinker.

Carson Fulmer @ KCR – Fulmer has decent secondaries and if he’s able to go 30% four-seamers, this could work.

Luis L. Ortiz @ TEX – Ortiz has looked like a Toby and that generally leads to a bench against a tough offense.

David Peterson vs. BAL – Peterson has flexed the BSB at times and I can see a path toward success here…with a whole lot of risk.

Trevor Rogers @ NYM – Is this the start where Rogers comes alive?

 

Do Not Starts

 

Joe Boyle vs. TBR – That command, y’all. Maybe he goes five and survives against a horrible Rays squad?

Adam Oller vs. ARI – Whoa whoa whoa, you’re back?! Cool.

José Ureña vs. PIT – Remember kids…we know. 

Lyon Richardson??? @ TOR – This ain’t it y’all. Lyon is a complete guess and unless it’s someone awesome like Petty or Lowder or Phillips, you shouldn’t pay attention. It won’t be. Probably.

 

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.

Monday’s Starting Pitcher Rankings

 

Tuesday’s Starting Pitcher Rankings

 

Auto Starts

 

Zack Wheeler @ ATL – Aces gonna ace. He’s a Tier 1 stud, placing him above the other aces of Tier 2.

Cole Ragans vs. LAA – Aces gonna ace.

Bailey Ober @ SDP – Aces gonna ace.

Robbie Ray vs. CHW – It’s the White Sox, even if Ray’s command is not what we want right now.

Ronel Blanco vs. BOS – He’s been awfully solid and it’s the Red Sox away from Fenway.

Luis Gil vs. CLE – Gil is a bit shakier than earlier in the year (is it fatigue?) but I’m not ready to bench him. Yet.

Shane Baz @ OAK – It’s a great matchup and as long as the curve or slider is there, he’ll produce against the middling Athletics crew.

 

Probably Starts

 

Eduardo Rodriguez @ MIA – He’s a Toby for a winning team in a great matchup.

Tyler Anderson @ KCR – He needs to adjust from allowing opponents to sit high heat. I expect Anderson to make the tweak.

Cody Bradford vs. PIT – Bradford’s four-seamer is well-spotted with great extension, paired with a solid changeup from the left side. That plays, especially against the Pirates.

José Berríos vs. CIN – His breaker has returned and it’s the Reds away from Cin City.

DJ Herz vs. COL  Our streaming pick of the day as he’s begun to figure out his secondaries + it’s Rockie Road.

 

Questionable Starts

 

Nick Pivetta @ HOU – I’m not fully on board with Pivetta without his cutter and it’s Houston.

Bryce Miller @ LAD – Miller found a legit groove with his splitter in his last start, but this is away from Seattle (again), the splitter is no lock to return, and THE DODGERS.

Martín Pérez vs. MIN – Pérez has been a stable Toby and gets a Buxton-less Twins lineup.

Joey Estes vs. TBR – Estes has moments with his four-seamer upstairs and could come away with a quietly productive start against the poor Rays squad.

Walker Buehler vs. SEA – It’s Seattle but hot dang, what is Buehler?

Erick Fedde vs. MIL – Fedde is a Toby in a pedestrian matchup.

Edward Cabrera vs. ARI – Here’s your high risk/reward outing, against a Diamondbacks crew missing Ketel. I know the slider won’t be there but I wish it were.

Mitch Keller @ TEX – Keller has a long leash and the Rangers are a volatile crew. So is Keller…

Dean Kremer @ NYM – It’s a decent win chance as we hope for Kremer to find something positive with his splitter or cutter or four-seamer or SOMETHING.

Jose Quintana vs. BAL – Quintana has had strong command and got unfortunate in his last one. It’s the Orioles, though, so be careful.

Frankie Montas @ STL – Montas has displayed improved velocity and a better cutter, but it’s awfully boring and shows up whenever it wants to. Another dart throw without the same ceiling.

Bryan Sammons @ CHC – This may come with an opener, allowing you to steal another start in your max-start leagues. He’s a southpaw Toby type without the track record of success of his peers.

Davis Martin @ SFG – I was impressed by Martin’s changeup against the Yankees and it’s possible he keeps the rhythm against the Giants. It’s also possible he had extra adrenaline for Soto & Judge.

 

Do Not Starts

 

Carson Spiers @ TOR – Spiers has flexed elite command at times and could be worthwhile if it all clicks against the Jays.

Reynaldo López vs. PHI – It’s a Still ILL for ReyLó against a rough opponent. I’d bench in nearly all cases.

Javier Assad vs. DET – Assad doesn’t quite do enough to recommend, failing to go 5+ IP constantly.

Matthew Boyd @ NYY – It’s the Yankees, as much as I want the Boyd Boyz to celebrate once again.

Austin Gomber @ WSN – COL story, bro.

 

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.

Tuesday’s Starting Pitcher Rankings

 

Photos Courtesy of IconSportswire | Adapted by Aaron Asbury (@aarongifs on Instagram)

Nick Pollack

Founder of Pitcher List. Creator of CSW, The List, and SP Roundup. Worked with MSG, FanGraphs, CBS Sports, and Washington Post. Former college pitcher, travel coach, pitching coach, and Brandeis alum. Wants every pitcher to be dope.

One response to “Starting Pitcher Streamer Rankings Fantasy Baseball: 8/19 & 8/20”

  1. l says:

    You might to think twice about calling the Athletics a middling crew.

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