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: 22-20
My Pick yesterday: Win – Colin Rea vs. CIN (ND): 5.1 IP, 1 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 5 K
My Pick today: Cade Povich @ MIA
My Pick tomorrow: Connor Prielipp @ CLE
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: 25-17
PL Bot’s Pick yesterday: Win – Colin Rea vs. CIN (ND): 5.1 IP, 1 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 5 K
Thursday 5/7 Starting Pitcher Streamer Rankings
Auto-Starts
Shota Imanaga vs. CIN – IM AN AGA.
Probably Starts
Michael King vs. STL – Alright King, get that command cooking.
Max Meyer vs. BAL – Meyer just flexed a far better four-seamer and if that holds, we’re cooking.
Seth Lugo vs. CLE – I’m worried about Lugo’s curveball losing over two ticks of velocity. Gotta roll it with across his hot season, though.
Jake Bennett vs. TBR – He looks like a SWATCH and was dealt a good hand for Thursday.
Questionable Starts
Zac Gallen vs. PIT – It’s a great matchup and I just wish Gallen was in a great place to give us the confidence to start him.
Cade Povich @ MIA – I dig what Povich does when he isn’t throwing meh fastballs over the heart of the plate. He’ll get a mediocre Marlins lineup and has the opportunity to go six.
Mitch Keller @ ARI – It’s Keller against a mid-squad. You know the drill.
MacKenzie Gore @ NYY – Gore has been struggling as of late + the Yankees. I’m benching where I can, but the ceiling is still super high.
Do Not Starts
Jake Irvin vs. MIN – There have been a few good moments, but that’s about it.
Christian Scott @ COL – I don’t want to start pitchers in Coors these days. I’m interested after this start, though.
Matthew Liberatore @ SDP – Libby is free, sure, but just because you can read a book doesn’t mean you should spend your time doing so.
Slade Cecconi @ KCR – He’s not providing enough value to trust.
J.T. Ginn @ PHI – Ginn has some potential and I want to see him demand that we focus on him before slotting him into lineups.
Andrew Painter vs. ATH – We haven’t seen progression from Painter, why would it start here?
Griffin Jax (Opener) @ BOS – He’s continuing his journey of stretching out as a starter and once a pitcher hits 55 pitches, there’s a chance he can go five frames. Highly unlikely, but there’s a chance. If he has an opener, that Win chance is all kinds of great, too.
Rhett Lowder @ CHC – Lowder just allowed 8 ER, but he didn’t allow 8 ER every time beforehand, you know. There’s a chance.
Jose Quintana vs. NYM – It’s Coors, sorry Quintana.
Paul Blackburn vs. TEX – He’s stepping in for Weathers, who is dealing with an illness. He recently tossed an inning of relief and may not be fully stretched out. I wouldn’t go after this.
Simeon Woods Richardson @ WSH – I have yet to see anything to latch onto.
Friday 5/8 Starting Pitcher Streamer Rankings
Auto-Starts
Max Fried @ MIL – Aces gonna ace.
Chris Sale @ LAD – Aces gonna ace.
Nolan McLean @ ARI – Aces gonna ace.
Jesús Luzardo vs. COL – It’s Rockie Road for a guy who has found his rhythm. Oh baby.
Dylan Cease vs. LAA – It’s Cease, you know the drill.
Emerson Hancock @ CHW – Hancock just fanned everyone.
Robbie Ray vs. PIT – Ray is gonna Ray.
Jacob Misiorowski vs. NYY – This should be his coronation day.
Parker Messick vs. MIN – Messick finally had a stumble, but it was Sacré Verde and he still pitched relatively well.
Probably Starts
Chase Dollander @ PHI – He’s not in Coors. We start him outside of Coors.
Connor Prielipp @ CLE – Prielipp has yet to give us that start. This is it y’all. I can feel it.
Kris Bubic vs. DET – Bubic is solid, even when he isn’t at his peak.
Reid Detmers @ TOR – Detmers has been on a tear, rooted in his consistent feel for his slider with his old changeup helping stabilize outings.
Ryne Nelson vs. NYM – We’re past the whole two-starts = Nelson is terrible chatter, right? It’s the Mets, y’all.
Foster Griffin @ MIA – Griffin has been a Vargas Rule, who could turn into a proper SWATCH and now it’s the Marlins.
Griffin Canning vs. STL – I promise you, I didn’t put Foster Canning back-to-back like this on purpose. Canning’s fastball was much better than last year’s iteration and I’d love to grab him and see where it goes.
Connelly Early vs. TBR – I don’t think we’ve seen Early’s final form yet and last week’s improved changeup was thwarted by tipping caught by the Astros. I’m still in here.
Questionable Starts
Sean Burke vs. SEA – Burke has had a great string of starts, with his most recent performance the most convincing of the lot. I’m still skeptical about his start-to-start undulation, though there’s a part of me that wants him at the bottom of Tier 2 given the chance he hits.
Emmet Sheehan vs. ATL – Sheehan’s fastball velocity is declining, and it’s the powerful Atlanta offense.
Kyle Bradish vs. ATH – I’m exhausted. Aren’t you? Bradish at least has an easier matchup and all we want is for those breakers to be dope again. Please be dope again.
Carmen Mlodzinski @ SFG – I lack enthusiasm for his fastballs, but it’s a fun time pitching in Oracle Park and I dig his secondaries.
Nick Lodolo vs. HOU – It’s a Still ILL, but a little different given it was a blister and not a core muscle that should affect his mechanics. And yet, you know, Still ILL.
Keider Montero @ KCR – Montero has been fine. It’s a good matchup, so if you need something, he’s a step up above the bottom tier.
Do Not Starts
Robby Snelling vs. WSH – I wish I could put him in Tier 3, but we follow the PILOT Rule around here. Pick him up if you still can.
Michael McGreevy @ SDP – McGreevy isn’t going to strike out many (if any…?), though he consistently earns grounders that grant a chance for a PQS, if not better.
Mike Burrows @ CIN – Burrows, fella, I want to believe. But in Cincy? No way.
Jacob Lopez @ BAL – Give me a start to start considering you again. Please.
Javier Assad @ TEX – This could be Ben Brown, it could be Assad, either way, the replacement for Matthew Boyd isn’t someone to target.
Kumar Rocker vs. CHC – Rocker is not a starter to trust.
Mason Englert @ BOS – The Rays are trying to stretch him out, but we’re far too early in the process. Read Rick Graham’s daily RP Streaming article to figure out who you should snag for a potential vulture arm.
Saturday 5/9 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)
