Streaming Pitching Options for Week 16: Wisler, Ray & More

Week 16 arrives with a ton of questions about team rotations. Although I have attempted to provide the most up to date match up information, all these scheduled starts are subject to change. Managers are funny that way, unfortunately for those of us who play fantasy baseball and prefer to have some certainty about the pitchers we plan on using in a given scoring period. My advice in the week following the All-Star break is to be flexible and adapt to the changes that occur as the week progresses.

On a weekly basis, I am profiling those starting pitchers who are scheduled to take the mound in the upcoming scoring period. This is done to help you determine who to try to grab from your league's free agent pool and/or who you should target as a player on whom to spend your FAAB funds. Note that all the streaming options listed below are owned in less than 50% of leagues, and thus could be available on your waiver wire. Here are this week's set of potential streaming targets.

Monday, July 20, 2015

Rubby De La Rosa ARI vs MIA David Phelps

De La Rosa will look to get back on track after suffering through a couple of poor starts prior to the All-Star break, where he allowed 10 earned runs in just 8.2 innings. He needs to work on limiting the long ball, having given up 21 homers in just 110.1 innings over his 18 starts. Miami is not a fearsome road team, so that is in his favor in this match up. Use him if you want Ks, and pray that he can induce his normal high percentage of ground balls.

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Matt Wisler ATL vs Brett Anderson LAD

Wisler has been getting more swings and misses lately, and he is coming off a quality start in his last appearance, which was at Coors Field, no less. His strand rate of 80% and 4.13 FIP indicate that his 3.10 ERA may be in for an adjustment, but if he can limit the damage from opponent fly balls, he has a chance to live up the hype that brought him to Atlanta in the Craig Kimbrel trade earlier this season. He has been much better at home this season, albeit in a small sample size of just five starts.

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Robbie Ray ARI vs MIA Jose Fernandez

Ivan Nova NYY vs BAL Kevin Gausman

Like his teammate, Ray gets to face the Marlins at home, and the Miami team plays much worse on the road. Ray has shown excellent control through his nine starts this season (1.96 BB/9), and is proving adept at keeping the baseball within the fences (0.3 HR/9), both of which give hope for continued success on the mound. He offers just average K potential, but the Marlins do tend to swing and miss plenty.

Nova is still working his way back after Tommy John surgery, and the strikeouts are lagging, as is his control. His opponent, however, is a free swinging team which could help to get Nova back in the groove, with his 93 MPH fastball. He has a history of pitching better at home than on the road, and did avoid allowing any free passes whatsoever in his last start. Plus, being backed by the Yankee offense can only help his efforts.

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Sorry, but there is simply no one I can suggest that fits within the parameters of being owned in less than 50% of leagues and that offers a reasonable chance of providing useful pitching stats.

Friday, July 24, 2015

Chris Tillman BAL @ TB Erasmo Ramirez

Jake Peavy SF vs OAK Jesse Chavez

Tillman has not been fooling many hitters, and has been unable to pitch deep into most of his starts due to pitch count problems, so why is he recommended here? It has to do with the opponent, as the Rays are not an offensive heavy team. It is all about the match up, baby. He is not going to provide much in the way of strikeouts, but his .329 BABIP and abnormally low 66.2 % strand rate hint that he has been extraordinarily unlucky so far this season. This is a calculated risk streaming start, and I would not fault you for passing him by for the next SP listed below.

Peavy came off the DL, looking revitalized. He has allowed just three earned runs in the 13.1 innings he has pitched in his two post-DL starts, although the 9:5 K/BB ratio is nothing to write home about. Getting to face the struggling A’s at home is a boost to his value in this start.

Saturday, July 25, 2015

Tommy Milone vs NYY CC Sabathia

Danny Duffy KC vs HOU Dallas Keuchel

Rubby De La Rosa ARI vs MIL Taylor Jungmann

Milone has been pitching well, and has secured a rotation spot with the Twins. He has an excellent 2.84 ERA and an acceptable 1.25 WHIP over his 11 starts on the season. Do not expect a ton of Ks if you plug him into your lineup, as he is striking out just over six batters per nine innings (6.08 K/9). He also gives up too many free passes for my liking, but counters that by limiting the hits he allows to opponents, keeping his WHIP in line. Getting to face the Yankees away from their home park is an advantage for him, although his home/road splits show him as a better road pitcher this season. Keep that in mind if you decide to roster him on a more permanent basis than for just this start.

Duffy tossed consecutive quality starts to wind up the first half of the season, and held the powerful Blue Jays to just four hits in his last start, shutting them out for six innings and picking up his third victory of the season. It is not all roses, however, as he has lost his strikeout pitch and yielded three walks in each of those aforementioned QS, so temper your enthusiasm. He is backed by the Royal offense, though, and that can help to overcome minor pitching issues.

De La Rosa makes this week’s streaming list twice, and you can read about him above in Monday’s entry. The match up against the Brewers is favorable, and that alone is why he is a double entry in Week 16.

Sunday, July 26, 2015                                        

Jeremy Hellickson ARI vs MIL Matt Garza

Hellickson developed a blister that pushed back his scheduled start, making him likely to pitch on Sunday. Of course, he could suffer complications, so keep an eye on his status before deciding to stream him. He, like his teammate De La Rosa above, is featured here based on the match up against the Brewers, who are struggling this season. He offers an average strikeout rate, although he does allow more than his expected share of homers given his better than average ability to generate ground balls. Again, this is a match up driven recommendation, and the best streaming option for Sunday.

If you have any questions about starting pitching or fantasy baseball, feel free to contact me at ia@fantasyalarm.com.