Thursday Streaming Starters (9/26/19)

by
September 25, 2019

Down the stretch, we’ll be covering the probable starters and highlighting our favorites to stream as you chase down your fantasy titles. The pitcher in question must be available in 50% or more of leagues according to FantasyPros.com which combines ESPN and Yahoo! roster rates (sometimes exceptions just over 50% will be mentioned if they are really good and should have a much higher roster rate).

Note: The starters are listed in order of value

Hell Yea

None

Multiple Category Contribution

Joe Musgrove (46%) at CHC: Musgrove was the closest to making the Hell Yea group but I’m not sold on the Win and afraid the Cubs will hit him around. He’s the best option, but just not a slam dunk.

Aaron Civale (46%) at CWS: He’s good but not 1.82 ERA good. Somehow he’s maintained a 0.3 HR/9 with a mediocre 40% GB%. With regression coming now or next season in the ERA department, he doesn’t walk anyone (2.2 BB/9) and should get a Win against the White Sox.

Chase Anderson (16%) at CIN: Chase the Win and get a few strikeouts (8.2 K/9) along the way without completely destroying a team’s ERA (4.30) and WHIP (1.26).

Devin Smeltzer (3%) at DET: He’s in the Civale camp with a decent chance for a Win and his 2.5 BB/9 helps keep his WHIP (1.18) low.

Single Category Contributor

Dylan Cease (12%) vs CLE: For an owner chasing strikeouts, it’s tough to ignore his 10.0 K/9. The rest of his game is complete trash right now, but the strikeouts are playable.

Jordan Yamamoto (11%) at NYM: Another strikeout play (8.9 K/9) with a little more of a Win potential than Cease.

Tyler Beede (4%) vs COL VS. Kyle Freeland (22%) at SF: One of these two have to get a Win. I’d take Beede if given a choice.

Hell No

Jason Vargas (10%) at WAS: None of the parts are good, but none of them are complete trash. He might be usable in a points league.

Jordan Zimmermann (4%) vs MIN: No positive traits equals a hard pass.

Travis Lakins (0%)/Rest of Bullpen at TEX: When Lakins opened on Saturday, it was a true bullpen game for Boston with no one going over 2.2 innings.

Jaime Barria (2%) vs HOU: No, no, no, no, no.





 

Jeff, one of the authors of the fantasy baseball guide,The Process, writes for RotoGraphs, The Hardball Times, Rotowire, Baseball America, and BaseballHQ. He has been nominated for two SABR Analytics Research Award for Contemporary Analysis and won it in 2013 in tandem with Bill Petti. He has won four FSWA Awards including on for his Mining the News series. He's won Tout Wars three times, LABR twice, and got his first NFBC Main Event win in 2021. Follow him on Twitter @jeffwzimmerman.

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stever20member
4 years ago

Musgrove could get really interesting as the Cubs if they are out tonight- with how banged up the Cubs have been- you figure they’d all sit out at least tomorrows game(trying to play spoiler vs Cards maybe?).

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Anon
4 years ago
Reply to  stever20

You really overemphasize the whole “They’ll sit everyone after they clinch/are eliminated thing” . Phils were eliminated yesterday and while they sat Harper and Hoskins in the 2nd game yesterday, that was a double header. Everyone is back in there today except Realmuto who is injured and hasn’t been playing anyway (& has now scheduled surgery Friday so he’s done for the year).

I agree that Rizzo is probably done for the year if they are eliminated since he’s clearly not 100% and any further talk of Baez and Bryant coming back will end, but sit everyone tomorrow?

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stever20member
4 years ago
Reply to  Anon

well, this week gets really interesting. Clinching teams do have different lineups- Nats for instance tonight are sitting Rendon and Turner. Probably won’t see a normal Nats lineup until next Tuesday night. I’d say especially for teams that clinch this week- it’s more likely to see them rest quite a bit due to the fact that there’s only 4-5 days left now.

For the Cubs- yeah on Rizzo/Bryant/Baez- but also a guy like Wilson Contreras(who has caught 9 straight games). Maybe Kyle Schwarber(who hasn’t had a day off since mid August). so while it wouldn’t be everyone, instead of having 5 guys with 20+ homers in the lineup like tonight, might be only 1-2.

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Jimmy von Albademember
4 years ago
Reply to  Anon

They are in fact sitting everyone lol. No one starting today as an OPS+ over 110 and most are under 90.

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