SP Streamers rankings for today’s, tomorrow’s and the day after tomorrow’s games for fantasy baseball.
Every day of the 2025 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 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 Playback 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 2025 Streamer Record: 114-64
My Pick yesterday: Loss – Cade Povich vs. TBR
My Pick today: Brandon Sproat vs. WSH
My Pick tomorrow: Trey Yesavage vs. TBR
Nick’s Pick day after tomorrow (Free this weekend!): Cristian Javier @ LAA
PL Bot’s 2025 Streamer Record: 116-62
PL Bot’s Pick yesterday: Loss – Braxton Ashcraft @ CIN
PL Bot’s Pick today (Free this weekend!): Cade Cavalli vs. CHW
PL Bot’s Pick tomorrow (Free this weekend!): Trey Yesavage vs. TBR
PL Bot’s Pick day after tomorrow (Free this weekend!): Charlie Morton vs. PIT
Friday 9/26 Starting Pitcher Streamer Rankings
Auto-Starts
Shane Bieber vs. TBR – He’s looked like an ace this year.
Trevor Rogers @ NYY – I initially had him in the second tier given it’s the Yankees, but fine. You’re not going to bench him. How could you, really?
Quinn Priester vs. CIN – The Brewers pushed up Patrick to better set up their rotation, pushing back Priester and Jay Mis a game. It’s the Reds Carpet for a pitcher who doesn’t get beat on sinkers and cutters over the plate. Yes, please.
Brandon Sproat @ MIA – It’s the Marlins.
Probably Starts
Emmet Sheehan @ SEA – He’s actually getting a start! The Dodgers really should let him fly with Sheehan currently out of their postseason rotation and he’s looking fantastic. The park factor of @TEA is great, though Cal is chasing history n all. There’s some risk with a whole lot of upside.
Trevor McDonald vs. COL – Here’s your super sleeper SP for the weekend. McDonald is a sinker/breaker arm who just tossed 89 pitches of 1 ER ball against the Dodgers. As a RHP against Rockie Road who can nail the outside corner with curveballs, McDonald could be the surprise play of the weekend. NOTE: You may see Teng in relief after McDonald in a possible piggy-back, or they could save him for Saturday/Sunday with Verlander & Webb. You know what, the latter makes more sense.
Joey Wentz vs. PIT – Wentz is pitching well and it’s the Pirates.
Aaron Nola vs. MIN – I’m expecting a shortened start as a tune-up for the playoffs, but who knows. Maybe Nola needs a full start to feel great heading into October.
Joe Ryan @ PHI – I know, you think he should be in the top tier. It’s the Phillies + Ryan has been kinda meh for a little bit now. His four-seamer isn’t dotted upstairs and the secondaries aren’t doing a whole lot. I wouldn’t be shocked if it has a little to do with his morale after not getting dealt at the deadline.
Will Warren vs. BAL – Warren has squeaked by over the last month and I wish I were more confident in his arsenal with a good matchup ahead.
Noah Cameron @ ATH – Cameron has constantly proven himself against tough opponents. What’s one more in Sacré Verde?
Colin Rea vs. STL – He’s a Toby for a winning club in a good situation. Throw in a starter who isn’t expected to be a part of the post-season mix, and you have a recipe for more production than most across the weekend.
Questionable Starts
George Kirby vs. LAD – Kirby just had two fantastic starts, though they were both against RHB-heavy lineups. Now it’s the Dodgers with many high-quality LHB and an overall better offense than the Angels and Astros. The Mariners may also have already locked up their postseason seed and will be hesitant to push Kirby. Be careful.
Sandy Alcantara vs. NYM – In his first season since getting TJS, Alcantara has already thrown 167.2 innings. Why oh WHY would the Marlins risk Alcantara before the off-season when they intended to deal him? Would one more strong outing really matter that much? And will it actually be any good against the Mets?!
Slade Cecconi vs. TEX – I know, Slade Brigade. You’re upset I have him this low. It’s not in Texas, though, and I still can’t quite put my finger on Slade’s success. The best I could come up with was his wide array of weapons, though the fastballs are the only ones doing significant damage, which are pretty dang average. But sure, Vargas Rule away.
Zac Gallen @ SDP – He was pushed to Friday and gets the Padres instead of the Dodgers. Gallen’s improved changeup could be a difference maker and the slightly better matchup may get you across the finish line. I expect a full start with free agency ahead.
Kyle Harrison vs. DET – It’s Harrison! I wonder if the Red Sox will lean on him for plenty of this start. This game means a ton for both squads – less for the Sawx as they just need one Win or one Astros loss for their wild card spot (with no hope for the division) – and it may mean that Harrison gets a shorter leash than your standard outing + the Tigers have a touch more focus. I haven’t been impressed with Harrison’s term with the Red Sox thus far, but the new cutter could be present and be what we want it to be.
Yoendrys Gómez @ WSN – Gómez hasn’t quite put everything together yet and I worry about Gómez’s attack against LHB.
Jack Leiter vs. CLE – Leiter is a PEAS and he has to deal with the red-hot Guardians.
Luis Morales vs. KCR – Morales has to deal with Sacré Verde and a solid Royals crew. You know the volatility in here.
Cade Cavalli vs. CHW – Sure, Cavalli got through a start against the Mets. He hasn’t been electric for a while and the SlySox are tougher than the Marlins and Pirates, you know, teams Cavalli couldn’t exploit across the last three weeks.
Jason Alexander @ LAA – Alexander was just trounced by the Mariners, but this is the Angels. One start doesn’t erase the season.
Zack Littell @ MIL – Who knows with Littell. He’s a Werewolf I’d prefer to ignore, but I recognize that he has a higher chance than most to go six full innings given how badly the Reds need a Win.
Mitch Keller @ ATL – Keller has the leash to go a full six frames and maybe the sweeper is good enough to take down Atlanta.
Yu Darvish vs. ARI – Does he even deserve to be in this tier? It’s not like he’s come through against poor lineups in September. But FINE, he really should have turned it around by now.
Casey Mize @ BOS – Mize is a Toby and this could be good enough. They really need him to crush, after all. He still hasn’t quite figured out his slider, though, and the four-seamer sat 93/94 mph in his last start, not 95/96 mph.
Adrian Houser @ TOR – Chasing a Quality Start? Houser may be the answer.
Do Not Starts
Miles Mikolas @ CHC – Mikolas against the Cubs? With our fantasy seasons on the line? Riiiiiight.
Kyle Hendricks vs. HOU – Oh hey Hendricks. That was some game, eh?
Germán Márquez @ SFG – It’s the Colorado SP.
Saturday 9/27 Starting Pitcher Streamer Rankings
Auto-Starts
Tyler Glasnow @ SEA – I wonder if the Dodgers will actually start Glasnow here or if we’ll see Sheehan pushed up a day or if he’ll get shortened or if some rando pitcher will go instead. But hey, if he’s starting, sure, let him ride.
Ranger Suárez vs. MIN – Suárez just had a poor outing, which makes me believe the Phillies will let him go a little longer than other tune-ups, just to give him some extra confidence entering the first round.
Logan Gilbert vs. LAD – It’s @TEA and the Dodgers could be taking it easy.
Merrill Kelly @ CLE – Kelly hasn’t done well for his last two and I think the Rangers will give him a long leash to finish on a good note
Michael King vs. ARI – King pitched far better than the line suggested. He’s still stretching out and would be in line for Game 2 of the postseason, making me confident in his workload.
Cam Schlittler vs. BAL – I’m not sure you’ll see this from Cam after getting pushed well over his past workload. If he does start, he should do well. He’s a stud in the making.
Bubba Chandler @ ATL – I’m banking on the Pirates giving Bubba the confidence as a starter in preparation for 2026.
Justin Verlander vs. COL – It’s Rockie Road and I’m surprised to see Verlander slated for Saturday, not Sunday. I really hope Verlander ultimately goes Sunday and allows Trevor McDonald to start. No, I don’t want to see another start from Logan Webb – why throw him?
Jacob Misiorowski vs. CIN – This is so clearly a fantastic matchup, but the Brewers are going to be awfully protective of Jay Mis. Don’t expect more than four frames, if even that.
Probably Starts
Spencer Strider vs. PIT – I don’t suggest Atlanta push Strider more in his first season back from TJS. If he goes, we go. It’s the Pirates.
Andrew Abbott @ MIL – The Reds are fighting for a playoff spot and may need as much Abbott as they can get.
Jameson Taillon vs. STL – Taillon has tossed under 125 frames thus far and I imagine he’ll want to go at least five to stay in rhythm.
Connelly Early vs. DET – I’m not concerned about his third outing. Tampa is known to throw pitchers off their game and Early’s command was far different than his first two. It makes more sense to me that the park affected Connelly instead of the joyride ending… Early.
Clay Holmes @ MIA – I’m going to assume The Adobe is following Sean Manaea, replicating their last outing. If this is reversed, we want Manaea, not Holmes. It’s also possible Holmes is saved for Sunday if the Mets want to keep cruising with Manaea for the start and have a back-up plan for Peterson.
Joey Cantillo vs. TEX – Cantillo hasn’t had his best command lately, but the matchup is good enough and Cantillo carries a good floor.
Trey Yesavage vs. TBR – Yesavage had a brilliant debut, then struggled against the Royals. The good news? It’s a far easier matchup hosting the Rays. When looking at his poor outing against the Royals, the outlier was his four-seamer strike rate. Instead of 60-70%, it recorded a 36% clip. Yeaaaaah that’s going to regress positively.
Eury Pérez vs. NYM – I’m not sure what to make of the Mets offense at this point. If Pérez has any secondary working to help against LHB, he’ll soar.
Questionable Starts
Sean Manaea @ MIA – If he’s starting, we want Clay Holmes instead. However, if Holmes gets the pearl, you can flip-flop this rank with Holmes’.
Eduardo Rodriguez @ SDP – There’s always a chance with Erod. Not one that I want to chase, but it’s there, especially if you need a QS.
Sean Burke @ WSN – He’s at 96 mph with his heater and the curve has succeeded against LHB at times.
Mick Abel @ PHI – It’s Mick! I’m stoked to see him and he could have all the adrenaline in this one to grant a legit six-inning outing. However, the floor is kinda low here as we haven’t seen a ready-and-steady Abel yet. He’s a volatile play if you’re looking for an all-around upside play.
Caden Dana vs. HOU – I don’t love it, but Dana is one of the rare streamers available with a long leash, and his slider could be enough to deal with the RHB-heavy Astros.
Kyle Freeland @ SFG – SAY WHAT. Hey, he’s away from Coors, throws his heaters just 20% of the time, and has had legit strikeout games in three of his last four games. IT’S POSSIBLE.
Do Not Starts
Michael Wacha @ ATH – Wacha is a low-end Toby with a terrible matchup. Noooooope.
Chris Paddack @ BOS – You really can’t trust Paddack.
Michael McGreevy @ CHC – This is the dire QS play that could work if the Cubs are resting starters.
Joe Boyle @ TOR – If you’re in corner on Saturday and salvaging every strikeout you can find, Boyle is one to target. That said, his control is always in question and may disappear completely, leading to four innings or even fewer.
AJ Blubaugh @ LAA – I know some of y’all may be interested, but he just tossed three innings and under 35 pitches in relief on Sunday. You can’t expect five frames.
Tomoyuki Sugano @ NYY – It’s the Yankees and Sugano is not a pitcher to start against solid offenses.
Jake Irvin vs. CHW – He just had his best start in ages. Likely because the Mets are cursed.
Mitch Spence vs. KCR – Spence ain’t looking like the arm I was excited about for a brief moment in March.
NOTE: It’s the final weekend and I’ve elected to remove the PL Pro lock for Sunday’s streamer rankings. GOOD LUCK! Thanks for a fantastic season, I’m not going anywhere for the off-season with the Top 200 Starting Pitchers For 2026 releasing next week.
Sunday 9/28 Starting Pitcher Streamer Rankings
Auto-Starts
Tarik Skubal @ BOS – Aces gonna ace. He’s only pitching if the Tigers need this Win.
Chris Sale vs. PIT – I’d normally believe Sale gets benched, but then again, he’ll have tossed around 120 innings (assuming at least five on Monday night) and he may want more volume to prepare for next year.
Freddy Peralta vs. CIN – The Brewers are getting a bye, setting the stage for a tune-up outing of four or five innings.
Nick Pivetta vs. ARI – The Padres will be using Pivetta as their Game 1 or Game 2 starter in all likelihood. That makes this start feel out of the question.
Emmet Sheehan @ SEA – Will he pitch Sunday? Or Saturday? Or at all? The Dodgers do their own thing and it’s so hard to figure them out. I’d love to watch Emmet go for one more outing here.
Logan Webb vs. COL – I hope it’s not actually Webb. Wait, I HAVE WEBB! Okay, fine. Sorry. I don’t think he’ll go long if he starts, and he shouldn’t. Why waste more bullets? Instead, let Trevor McDonald get this start and gain more confidence into the off-season and give us managers a lovely late stream. PLEASE. Pay attention to this.
Cole Ragans @ ATH – PEW PEW PEW. He’ll be stretched out around 80 pitches here and I’d imagine the Royals want him to get comfortable back on the mound before ending the year. It really does mean a lot for a pitcher to get those few starts returning from injury instead of waiting until April next year.
Kyle Bradish @ NYY – I know he just took them down. He also pitched his best game since returning, which doesn’t have enough of a track record to expect exact replication. Then again, the Yankees may not be slotting in their starters… Okay, you’re likely just going for it.
Kevin Gausman vs. TBR – Gausman has been rolling. If the Jays have a bye, this will likely be a short tune-up. If they are the #3/4 seed, there’s no way Gausman goes.
Gavin Williams vs. TEX – The only way Gavin pitches is if this game means something. Otherwise, Gavin will be saved for the first round of the playoffs OR I imagine the Guardians would save some bullets and give the ball to someone else.
Probably Starts
Lucas Giolito vs. DET – I don’t see Giolito going long or at all if this game doesn’t matter. If he does go, this seems okay.
Luis Gil vs. BAL – Gil’s command is in question, but he’ll have a standard workload given his limited starts this year. They need him to get all the reps he can.
Questionable Starts
David Peterson @ MIA – It’s the Marlins and Peterson could be going a full six given how things are looking for the Mets right now. HOWEVER, it’s possible with Peterson’s terrible September that the Mets go one of Clay Holmes or Sean Manaea, moving on from their piggy-back starts as of late. TAKE NOTICE. If Manaea or Holmes start, they’d be in the Probably Start tier.
Charlie Morton vs. PIT – He’s back in Atlanta after the Tigers released him and this could be the final start of his career. Part of me wants to rank him higher as he could go all-out for a last hurrah (and Atlanta would let him!) against a weak club. At the same time, he failed to do well against the Marlins or other easy matchups… Nah, I’m in. This just has all the makings of That Moment for Morton.
Cristian Javier @ LAA – Javier is a PEAS. The Astros may be playing for a playoff spot here, granting Javier a decent leash if he’s rolling. However, even against the Angels, we don’t know what his command will look like.
Shane Smith @ WSN – Smith was a great option in the first half and slowed down a bit in the second. His kick-change could sing against a slew of LHB, though the White Sox may elect to cut his season short after adding a ton of innings to his career.
Bryce Miller vs. LAD – I don’t expect the Mariners to push Miller, though he hasn’t gotten a ton of reps this year. He’ll be their option out of the pen for the playoffs (likely with a bye!) + the back-up for Bryan Woo if he’s not healthy. Throw in the Dodgers (even with a likely limited lineup) and I’m not thrilled about this one if I’m searching for production, even if it’s @TEA.
Brady Singer @ MIL – The Reds are still in the thick of playoff race and Singer should have the freedom to go six. That said, he’s a bit of a HIPSTER and quality isn’t guaranteed.
Brad Lord vs. CHW – Lord has shocked us a bit in the last month and even gave some production to trusting managers against Atlanta. Maybe the sinker jams effectively and the secondaries come through. Who knows, IT’S SUNDAY CHAOS.
Johan Oviedo @ ATL – He has fun stuff, but he’s a bit of a PEAS at the moment. Maybe this is the start that gets us hyped for next year?
Edward Cabrera vs. NYM – I wonder what his pitch count will be. He tossed 50 last week and gets the Phillies on Tuesday. That’ll give us a better idea of this one, which could push him into the third tier.
Ian Seymour @ TOR – At least this isn’t in Tampa. I may be overrating the Jays’ offense in general (especially at home), though Seymour’s ceiling isn’t absurdly high, either.
Brandon Pfaadt @ SDP – Pfaadt had a phenomenal start a week ago, but I don’t expect him to replicate it against a good offense.
Javier Assad vs. STL – It makes sense for the Cubs to let Assad go as long as possible to rest the rest of their arms before the playoffs. He can do just fine against the Cardinals, however boring it may be.
Do Not Starts
Clayton Kershaw @ SEA – He pitched in relief for the Dodgers on Thursday as an “audtion” for a playoff spot from the pen, but let’s be honest. Kershaw will get this start on Sunday and the Dodgers will let him go until his arm falls off. That said, he sure had all the reasons to be his best in his last outing against the Giants in front of the Dodger faithful and that didn’t go so well. Even @TEA, I’m not banking on greatness here.
Patrick Corbin @ CLE – Maybe he’s deserving of a spot in the third tier. Cleveland is worse against LHP and Corbin has been far better featuring just 10% fastballs in his last two starts. Sneaky, sneaky.
Jeffrey Springs vs. KCR – It’s hard to find sunshine and rainbows in Sacré Verde.
Simeon Woods Richardson @ PHI – Maybe SWR belongs in the tier above, but I’m scared of the Phillies and he was far more blegh over the weekend than his prior two outings. Stupid splitters…
Sam Aldegheri vs. HOU – You shouldn’t expect much of anything from Aldegheri.
McCade Brown @ SFG – It’s the Colorado SP.
Kyle Leahy @ CHC – He’ll likely go a few innings as the Cardinals quietly conclude their season and come up with ways to convince their fans not to spend money across the next six months.
Nick’s Pick day after tomorrow: Cristian Javier @ LAA
PL Bot’s Pick today: Cade Cavalli vs. CHW
PL Bot’s Pick tomorrow: Trey Yesavage vs. TBR
PL Bot’s Pick day after tomorrow: Charlie Morton vs. PIT
Photos Courtesy of IconSportswire | Adapted by Aaron Asbury (@aarongifs on Instagram)
