Starting Pitcher Streamer Rankings Fantasy Baseball: 8/2 & 8/3 & 8/4

Here are today and tomorrow’s and Sunday’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: 66-56

My pick yesterday: Andrew Heaney @ STL  – L

PL Bot’s 2024 Streamer Record: 70-52

PL Bot’s Pick yesterday: Ross Stripling @ SFG – 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

 

Tarik Skubal vs. KCR – Aces gonna ace.

Joe Ryan vs. CHW – Aces gonna ace.

Cole Ragans @ DET – Aces gonna ace.

Jake Irvin vs. MIL – He looks back in his groove.

Spencer Schwellenbach vs. MIA – Eleven strikeouts and now gets the Marlins?!

Yusei Kikuchi vs. TBR – Kikuchi has the Astros defense + their offense + the Rays lineup. He’s ready.

 

Probably Starts

 

Kutter Crawford @ TEX – He just allowed eight home runs in two games. Surely that comes back to normal.

Gavin Stone @ OAK – A solid play for a Toby.

Brandon Pfaadt @ PIT – He’s been a bit of a Cherry Bomb, but the matchup makes it worthwhile.

Andrew Abbott vs. SFG – Ditto for Abbott.

Marcus Stroman vs. TOR – He’s a solid Win chance without the same ceilings as Pfaadt or Abbott.

Shane Baz @ HOU – I LOVE his recent curveball emphasis and am willing to wager it’ll work again here.

Tyler Anderson vs. NYM – His changeup has been too good to pass on against the Mets.

Erick Fedde @ CHC – Fedde may have a bit of extra adrenaline as he makes his first start for the Cardinals, allowing him to focus on his precision more than usual.

 

Questionable Starts

 

Luis L. Ortiz vs. ARI – Ortiz has performed well and arguably deserves to be in the second tier. Rostered just over 20%, sadly.

Kevin Gausman @ NYY – Gausman has a real test here against the Yankees – can he return a 20%+ SwStr on his splitter once again?

Bryan Woo vs. PHI – How long will they let him go? Will it be anything we want?

Tyler Phillips @ SEA – He just went a full nine innings and it’s the Mariners. I have to preach some caution as Phillips does not carry an electric arsenal. Already at 32% rostered is kinda wild – we normally don’t see such fast adds in fantasy for guys without massive strikeout upside, but 15 scoreless frames across two games on a popular and winning team will do that.

Kyle Harrison @ CIN – He just fanned a ton of batters against the Rockies, but this is a tougher scenario.

Randy Vasquez vs. COL – It’s Rockie Road and Vásquez has made it to the sixth plenty.

Javier Assad vs. STL – I don’t believe he’s back, but he may have enough movement and precision to produce once again.

 

Do Not Starts

 

Paul Blackburn @ LAA – It’s a good matchup, just not a good ceiling. Hopefully he comes through in his debut start for the Mets.

Dean Kremer @ CLE – I just can’t trust him and he’ll be heading to the HR haven in Cleveland.

Frankie Montas @ WSN – Solid matchup, highly questionable skills.

Joey Estes vs. LAD – It’s getting rough now. The Dodgers, y’all.

Jose Urena vs. BOS – If you roster José, Ureña boatload of trouble. He has had some rare moments of magic with the sinker/change at least…?

Austin Gomber @ SDP – Maybe it works outside of Coors…?

Carlos Carrasco vs. BAL – Against the Orioles? Naaaah.

Davis Martin @ MIN – Oh hey! I wonder how long they let him go for.

Valente Bellozo @ ATL – Ayyyy it’s Valente! Against Atlanta! No thanks.

 

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

 

Jack Flaherty @ OAK – Aces gonna ace.

Bailey Ober vs. CHW – He’s been a stud and it’s the White Sox.

Ronel Blanco vs. TBR – This should be a cake walk for Blanco.

Garrett Crochet @ MIN – Are the White Sox loosening the leash a little?

Hunter Greene vs. SFG – Greene has been phenomenal and the Giants aren’t scary. It is Cin City though…

Blake Snell @ CIN – Snell has been absurd in his last three and I want to see more confirmation of #HotSnellSummer.

Nathan Eovaldi vs. BOS – Eovaldi is sturdy and the Sawx away from Fenway is easier to handle.

Carlos Rodón vs. TOR – I’m a fan of Rodón’s affinity for secondaires over the last month.

 

Probably Starts

 

Tanner Houck @ TEX – Houck has been on a rough stretch and has another difficult lineup ahead of him.

Mitch Keller vs. ARI – Keller’s WHIP hasn’t helped, but we’ve seen 7 IP games of 2 ER or fewer and the Sneks could grant him another.

Zach Eflin @ CLE – I hate sending a starter into Cleveland. Eflin has a better offense behind him, though.

Grant Holmes vs. MIA – It’s the Marlins and The Real Estate Broker has a full arsenal that can take advantage. I just hope they let him flirt with 80 pitches.

Bryce Miller vs. PHI – It’s the Phillies and I would LOVE to see Miller throw 25%+ curveballs.

Kyle Gibson @ CHC – He’s a solid Toby this season.

Aaron Civale @ WSN – Civale isn’t there with his curveball yet, though the Nationals aren’t a team to fear.

 

Questionable Starts

 

Martín Pérez vs. COL – It’s Rockie Road with a good offense behind him. We haven’t seen peak Pérez command as of late, but this could be a cheap Win.

Michael Lorenzen @ DET – I’m curious how long the Royals will let him go after last weekend’s Saturday + Sunday extravaganza for Lorenzen.

José Soriano vs. NYM – He’s a bit of a coin-flip based on sinker performance.

DJ Herz vs. MIL – Will Herz dominate with heaters? It’s difficult to discern when the pitch will overwhelm and the Brewers bring some thump.

David Peterson @ LAA – Peterson’s arsenal gives me little excitement, but there is a Win chance here for an arm allowed to 90+ pitches.

Jameson Taillon vs. STL – Taillon is a borderline Toby against a Cardinals offense that can jump on mistakes.

 

Do Not Starts

 

Jordan Montgomery @ PIT – Even against the Pirates, we simply don’t trust Montgomery right now.

Zack Littell @ HOU – It’s Houston.

José Berríos @ NYY – It’s the Yankees. Don’t be seduced by Berríos’ previous outing. The results were great, the process was NOT.

Mitch Spence vs. LAD – It’s the Dodgers.

Kolby Allard @ SEA – It’s the Marin–wait. Right. It’s Dralla. He won’t go long and, well, it’s Dralla.

Kyle Tyler @ ATL – It’s Atlanta and Tyler is far from electric.

Noah Davis @ SDP – COL story, bro.

Joey Cantillo vs. BAL – It’s Baltimore + Cantillo’s second outing in the bigs. Definitely not ready to endure the Shag Rug.

Kenta Maeda vs. KCR – Is he actually starting? Is this a bullpen game with Alex Faedo and Maeda eating three frames apiece?

 

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

 

Auto Starts

 

Zack Wheeler @ SEA – Aces gonna ace.

Paul Skenes vs. ARI – Aces gonna ace.

Michael King vs. COL – Aces gonna ace.

Corbin Burnes @ CLE – Aces gonna ace.

Gerrit Cole vs. TOR – Aces gonna ace.

Justin Steele vs. STL – He lost the AGA tag, but the Cardinals matchup outweighs the difficult time for Gilbert below.

Logan Gilbert vs. PHI – Aces gonna ace and we’re gonna just forget all about that dumb frame in Fenway.

Max Fried vs. MIA – Aces gonna possibly return from the IL to face the poor Marlins lineup. I expect a limited pitch count with some rust, and a worthwhile start given the quality of bats he gets to face.

 

Probably Starts

 

Max Scherzer vs. BOS – He left his last start with more arm fatigue and it’s all kinds of frustrating. Without that news, he’d be in the top tier, but I have to weigh those questions here.

Tobias Myers @ WSN – Myers is a Vargas Rule and gets a gift in the nation’s capital.

Simeon Woods Richardson vs. CHW – THe clear streaming pick against the CrySox. He’s a proper Toby at this point.

River Ryan @ OAK – I wish I could have more confidence in River, though we’ve only seen one start of dominance thus far. The Athletics also have improved their offense this summer and there is more risk than I’d like. Yes, I’m still very clearly going for it, though. The ceiling, y’all.

Michael Wacha @ DET – He’s a Toby against the Tigers.

Jose Quintana @ LAA – Quintana’s command is in a good enough place to let it fly against the Angels.

Ryne Nelson @ PIT – The four-seamer returned to the top half of the zone last start and befuddled batters once again. The Pirates make Nelson worthy of your time.

Nick Pivetta @ TEX – Pivetta has a longball problem and I’m a touch worried the Rangers will showcase their firepower.

Gavin Williams vs. BAL – I’m a huge fan of Williams’ approach right now and likely should have him in the third tier. I don’t care, I’m going for it. THE SLIDER APPROACH IS BACK.

 

Questionable Starts

 

Spencer Arrighetti vs. TBR – The Pasta Pirate has done far better lately and featured more pitches for strikes than his early days, but it’s still a small sample with a proper Shag Rug. It is the Rays though…

Hayden Birdsong @ CIN – Birdsong is returning to the majors with the Cobb trade and you may be surprised by the low rank. His stellar performances came 1) Against the Rockies 2) By featuring more curveballs suddenly 3) Without good four-seamer control. This one takes place in Cin City, too, and I’m cautious.

Griffin Canning vs. NYM – His stuff is fine and it’s the Mets. He hasn’t done well lately. Yeah, it’s the third tier, y’all.

Carson Spiers vs. SFG – It’s Cin City and Spiers isn’t completely stretched out yet + his ceiling is mediocre.

Mitchell Parker vs. MIL – He’s a Toby and faces a good offense. I have to mention how his curve/slider/split all left him hanging last outing, too.

Edward Cabrera @ ATL – It looks as though Cabrera will avoid the IL after the knee injury scare and he could have his best stuff for strikeouts against Atlanta. I heavily advise against this unless you’re looking for a Sunday Hail Mary.

 

Do Not Starts

 

Miles Mikolas @ CHC – If you must. Saved for just QS leagues.

Cal Quantrill @ SDP – Maybe the splitter is there…?

Chris Flexen @ MIN – Here’s to FLEXEN AT THAT BEACH. Probably not happening.

Bryan Sammons vs. KCR – He performed well in his MLB debut, but seems to be a Toby at best from the left side. I’d look elsewhere.

Tyler Alexander @ HOU – How long will he go? Against the Astros?!

Osvaldo Bido vs. LAD – Absolutely not.

Yariel Rodríguez @ NYY – Welcome to three innings OF PAIN.

UPDATE: SDP Bullpen vs. COL – King may get some extra days off and this could end up being a bullpen game. I’d avoid it.

 

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)