Rankings of the SP Streamers for today’s, tomorrow’s, and the day after tomorrow’s games for fantasy baseball.
Every day of the 2026 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 twitch.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 Twitch 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!
There is a second table (and now third for PL Pro members) 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.
And of course, there are my streaming picks of the day. Please keep in mind that for my streaming record, I am forced to pick a streamer every day even if they are in the bottom tier. 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 Do Not Start pitchers unless 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, and it applies to a smaller audience.
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):
Remember, these offensive rankings are based on each offense’s Process+ so far this year and how we project their lineups moving forward. It means you’re going to see a little different offensive rankings than you may see elsewhere, and there will always be some surprises. This is based on skills, not purely results! If you have questions about these offense rankings, reach out to Kyle Bland (@blandalytics).
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 PLV, 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 Twitch chat.
Note: If no pitcher under 20% rostered would have qualified for a “Streaming Win,” no loss is granted.
(Opener) – Outlines that a pitcher is being opened for that day & the pitcher listed will follow the opener.
Nick’s 2026 Streamer Record: 25-22
My Pick yesterday: Win – Peter Lambert vs. SEA (L): 7.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 6 K
My Pick today: Stephen Kolek @ CHW
My Pick tomorrow: Christian Scott vs. DET
PL Pro Members have access to my 14-Day Sit/Start SP Grid, which ranks all expected starters into four tiers over the next 14 days. Here is an example from last season.
PL Bot’s 2026 Streamer Record: 26-21
PL Bot’s Pick yesterday: Loss – Trevor McDonald @ LAD (ND): 5.1 IP, 3 ER, 9 H, 2 BB, 4 K
Tuesday 5/12 Starting Pitcher Streamer Rankings
Auto-Starts
Paul Skenes vs. COL – Aces gonna ace.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto vs. SFG – Aces gonna ace.
Bryan Woo @ HOU – Aces gonna ace.
Zack Wheeler @ BOS – I’d love to see 96 mph velocity.
Freddy Peralta vs. DET – He’s fine.
Probably Starts
Shane McClanahan @ TOR – The changeup is back and another great start here could push him into Tier 1 consistently.
Will Warren @ BAL – I trust Warren to go six strong more than the two below.
Eury Pérez @ MIN – It’s frustrating to watch Pérez fail to locate his elite stuff, but he does throw enough fastballs for strikes that he can overwhelm on a given night.
MacKenzie Gore vs. ARI – Gore nearly took down the Yankees if not for a Careful, Icarus, and the Sneks are an easier mark.
Questionable Starts
Zac Gallen @ TEX – Gallen pitched better than the line looked last time out and it’s a favorable matchup in a 2023 revenge game.
Stephen Kolek @ CHW – I wonder if I should be more aggressive on Kolek after he showcased himself as a solid Toby last year.
Jack Flaherty @ NYM – He’s fresh off ten strikeouts, and yet I cannot endorse this. It wasn’t sustainable and I haven’t seen any skills growth across the season. Even against the Mets.
Slade Cecconi vs. LAA – His cutter was up to 89 mph last time out and I’m hoping it carves the lineup.
Walbert Ureña @ CLE – There’s hope his changeup is stellar against the LHB Guardians, but the command is heavily in question and he lacks a reliable breaking ball.
Do Not Starts
Brandon Sproat vs. SDP – Sproat looked terrible in his last start, featuring a sub 40% strike rate on cutters. It doesn’t mean his command will be horrific here, but I
Brayan Bello vs. PHI – He’s been rough this year and a clear spot in the bottom tier. In addition, Bello just had his best game and there’s a chance it was a launching pad.
Trevor Rogers vs. NYY – It’s a Still ILL against a legit offense. I’m sure I’ll feel great about Rogers after this one.
Patrick Corbin vs. TBR – He’s given those in deeper formats value with 5+ inning outings of decent ERAs, if that’s your thing.
Colin Rea @ ATL – Rea is a solid streaming option when he isn’t facing a strong lineup.
Bailey Ober vs. MIA – He’s at 88 mph.
Matt Waldron @ MIL – Don’t Trust A Knuckleballer.
Jeffrey Springs vs. STL – It hasn’t been Sunshine and Rainbows for a while.
Brady Singer vs. WSH – Singer against LHB isn’t a good fit at all.
Grant Holmes vs. CHC – He’s a strikeout play if you need it.
Erick Fedde vs. KCR – Don’t trust the Feddes.
Andre Pallante @ ATH – In Sacré Verde?!
Adrian Houser @ LAD – Don’t Trust…Houser. Sorry, was feeling the bit.
Michael Lorenzen @ PIT – Strong Bad is in a good matchup and I still have no faith here.
Miles Mikolas @ CIN – He’s not at the very bottom since there’s a chance he’ll leave the game with the lead.
Tatsuya Imai vs. SEA – It’s a Still ILL for a pitcher who has yet to prove he can be a reliable starter.
Wednesday 5/13 Starting Pitcher Streamer Rankings
Auto-Starts
Shohei Ohtani vs. SFG – Aces gonna ace.
Jacob Misiorowski vs. SDP – Aces gonna ace.
Max Fried @ BAL – Aces gonna ace.
Dylan Cease vs. TBR – You’re starting Cease and here’s us forgetting about his floor.
Framber Valdez @ NYM – It’s the Mets and likely won’t throw a four-seamer. Just protect your grips from the stretch, alright?
Parker Messick vs. LAA – Messick is commanding too well to sit.
Michael King @ MIL – King’s arsenal was coming into form in his last start and I hope he can build on it.
Shota Imanaga @ ATL – IM AN AGA. But it’s Hotlanta. Aces are aces because you don’t bench even against Hotlanta.
Probably Starts
Reid Detmers @ CLE – I still love Detmers’ slider and heater + the improved changeup, even after things didn’t go his way last time out.
Nick Lodolo vs. WSH – Lodolo has the Still ILL behind him and should return to being a solid southpaw.
Ryne Nelson @ TEX – For those who don’t understand the Nelson “hype”, he’s boasting fantastic ratios outside of the two extreme outliers of Mexico City + one of the worst luck first frames you’ll ever see. His four-seamer is elite and the secondaries are doing more work this year than last. It’s @TEX, making for a solid matchup once again.
Mitch Keller vs. COL – It’s Rockie Road for a pitcher who has consistently gone six frames.
Sonny Gray vs. PHI – Like Lodolo, Sonny’s Still ILL is in the past. He should get back into rhythm now.
Max Meyer @ MIN – Meyer’s four-seamer has held its increased vert for a pair of starts now, and the Twins aren’t scary.
Noah Schultz vs. KCR – This is a crucial start for Schultz following his disaster against the Angels. Can he rebound properly? His stuff is good enough to make it happen, and I’m expecting a better outcome.
Robbie Ray @ LAD – It’s the Dodgers and yet, Ray is Ray regardless of opponent.
Christian Scott vs. DET – It may seem a little aggressive, but I’m a fan of what Scott brings to the table. I’d go for it.
Seth Lugo @ CHW – Lugo’s curveball has lost velocity and I’m concerned he may be on the decline. However, it’s best to not big brain this and let him fly against the weak CrySox offense.
Questionable Starts
J.T. Ginn vs. STL – He just had himself a lovely start against the Orioles on the road, and maybe he can endure Sacré Verde for six easy frames.
Kyle Bradish vs. NYY – We’re fresh off ten strikeouts from Bradish, but this is the Yankees. It’s the ultimate test and it’s best to play it safe.
Do Not Starts
Bryce Miller @ HOU – It’s a Still ILL for Bryce as we hold our breath, hoping to be amped for what comes next.
Jose Quintana @ PIT – Quintana on the road in PNC Park is one of the better matchups he’ll get all year. Not a high ceiling, but you could find five productive frames here.
Griffin Jax @ TOR – This may be the last start we leave Jax down here as he should be stretched out above 60 pitches in this one. I sure hope the velocity doesn’t fall dramatically.
JR Ritchie vs. CHC – Ritchie isn’t in a groove and he lacks the stuff of his rookie peers. Throw in the Cubs and I’d rather wait and see.
Matthew Liberatore @ ATH – Liberatore had a decent game last time out against the Padres, but I’m nowhere close to buying into consistency + it’s Sacré Verde.
Lance McCullers Jr. vs. SEA – He always had a chance for a strikeout explosion, while the floor is lava. Hold your WHIP close and don’t take it for granted.
Jake Irvin @ CIN – Irvin has had, what, one really productive start?
Kumar Rocker vs. ARI – Rocker ain’t it, y’all.
Andrew Painter @ BOS – You don’t need to tell you how Painter has to prove himself.
Simeon Woods Richardson vs. MIA – You’re still here?!
Thursday 5/14 Starting Pitcher Streamer Rankings
PL Pro members get an extra day of full SP Streaming rankings for the day after tomorrow.
PL Pro Members have access to my 14-Day Sit/Start SP Grid, which ranks all expected starters into four tiers over the next 14 days. Here is an example from last season.
Photos Courtesy of IconSportswire | Adapted by Aaron Asbury (@aarongifs on Instagram)
