Another good week if you need to swap starting pitchers in and out of your lineup, as there are reasonable options each day of scoring period. Of course, there are four SPs that are listed for two starts, which does somewhat diminish the apparent bounty. It also means that if you like any of those two-start options, then you can limit your roster moves for the week, a factor that is significant in some leagues. It is time to use these last days of August to cement your place in the playoffs in your head-to-head leagues, and thus, you may need to pick up some positive pitching numbers.           

Realize that these pitchers are all owned in 50% or less of leagues. and thus may be available in your league on the waiver wire. I am only going to highlight those pitchers that I believe can provide a boost to your rotation, so no bottom-of-the-barrel SPs will be brought to your attention. Also, please understand that this set of pitchers is being assembled early before the next scoring period (in most leagues, at least) commences, and weather, injury, demotions or crazy managerial decisions can interfere with our well-laid plans, so be ready to adjust if you can make daily lineup adjustments.

Here are the recommended streaming options for this week:

Monday, August 22, 2016

Zack Godley ARI vs ATL Michael Foltynewicz

It is almost always a good idea to use a starting pitcher that gets to face off against the Braves this season. He has been solid in his last two starts, yielding just three earned runs against Boston and then the Mets. He is not a great source of strikeouts, so that is a downside to relying on him, but the non-counting numbers have been nice. Plus, he gets to face the Braves.

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Reynaldo Lopez WAS @ BAL Kevin Gausman

Anibal Sanchez DET @ MIN Kyle Gibson

Chase Anderson MIL vs COL Jon Gray

Lopez struck out 11 Braves in his last start, which was a skill he flashed while in the minors, but had not been fully demonstrated since he rejoined the Washington rotation in August. He does head to Camden Yards to face an Oriole lineup that can put up big numbers. Of course, the Orioles can also look pathetic at the plate, and do offer good strikeout opportunities to the correct pitcher.

Sanchez is not exactly someone I fully trust, as he can be spectacular or terrible. Facing the Twins is not a bad matchup here, as Minnesota puts forth a middle-of-the-pack offense. So long as Sanchez has three pitches working, he should be an adequate starting option here. He also offers good K potential, given the Twins’ free swinging ways.

Anderson is coming back from an injury, and he had been pitching solidly prior to going to the bullpen while he came back from his bruised quad. Here he gets to face the Rockies away from Coors Field, which is a positive, as are his home/road splits. Anderson is my third favorite option on Tuesday, but is still worth consideration.

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Matt Boyd DET @ MIN Jose Berrios

Kendall Graveman OAK vs CLE Trevor Bauer

Boyd may not get the accolades that his teammate, Michael Fulmer, but he has also helped to solidify the Tiger rotation. He is coming off a couple of good starts, where he has allowed just one earned run over 13 innings, and both of those were quality starts. He now gets to face the Twins in a good pitchers’ park, which should help alleviate his homer allowing tendencies. The downside is that he is not a great source of Ks.

Graveman just twirled a masterful two hit shutout against the White Sox on the road, so despite his up and down season, a home game against the Indians looks tasty. He will rely on his groundball inducing tendencies and his control to keep the Cleveland bats under control. Relying on one good start is not exactly a glowing endorsement, but his home record makes him a decent streaming option. Were this game on the road, I would not be considering adding him to my rotation.

Thursday, August 25, 2016

Chad Kuhl PIT @ MIL Wily Peralta

I actually like both sides of this matchup. I understand that many owners exhibit a reluctance to play one side against the other, but either of these SPs could put up a useful set of stats for your team. Kuhl is working on a current three game QS streak, and although he did not record a strikeout in his last start, in the three prior to that posted a 14:4 K/BB ratio. He gets to face the Brewers, who strikeout at an alarming rate, in fact leading the majors in that category (or last, however you want to look at a negative stat). Peralta has been unlucky, with a .351 BABIP and 68% strand rate this season, but his numbers are starting to head back to the norm with his return to the rotation after a minor-league demotion. If I had to choose, I would go with Kuhl here.

Friday, August 26, 2016

Luis Cessa NYY vs BAL Yovani Gallarado

Daniel Norris DET vs LAA Ricky Nolasco

Ryan Vogelsong PIT @ MIL Matt Garza

Cessa pitched well in his first start for the Yankees, holding them scoreless over six innings on three hits, with a 5:1 K/BB ratio. He earned himself a second start, and with the Oriole offense going hot and cold depending on the day, he looks to be a decent option in his second start. Plus, I do not fear the O’s starting pitcher, Gallardo on the road.

If he were not facing the lackluster Angel offense at home, Norris would not make this list this week. He is an average K option, but his control needs work. The opponent in this game lack power, which is good considering his HR/9 rate sits at 1.3. He has been pitching lucky with an 82% strand rate and .378 BABIP, but it seems reasonable to think that he can put up another good effort, considering he is pitching at home and against a weaker offense.

Vogelsong is coming off a mediocre effort against his former team, giving up four runs to the host Giants. Prior to that, he was working on a pair of QS, with an 11:2 K/BB ratio. He gets to face a team in the lower third of the MLB with regard to homers, which is a good thing considering he gave up two in his last start and he is pitching in the park that has the sixth highest home run rate in the majors in 2016. This is a good chance for him to return to form, or at least the form he was displaying recently before the Giants roughed him up.

Saturday, August 27, 2016

Zack Godley ARI vs CIN Anthony DeSclafani

Chad Green NYY vs BAL Dylan Bundy

Martin Perez TEX vs CLE Carlos Carrasco

Godley was discussed above with regard to his start on Monday. He gets to face another below average offense, with bottom third power numbers in 2016. At home against a weaker offense makes him a two-start streaming option in Week 21.

Green was recalled to take the place of recently demoted Luis Severino, and responded with an 11 K, two hit effort over six innings. The strikeouts are obviously a big attraction, especially against a Baltimore offense that swings and misses frequently and has been on and off recently. He was pitching effectively in the minors prior to his promotion, with a 1.52 ERA and 0.94 WHIP in 94.2 innings at Triple-A. Buy in for the Ks when he faces the Orioles at home.

Perez gets to face the AL Central-leading Indians at home, where he has been much more successful than away from Arlington. He is a terrible option for Ks, relying on his skills to induce grounders and keep the ball in the park. Were he not taking the mound at Globe Life Park, he would not be worth notice, but he is, and thus makes for a third streaming option on Saturday.

Sunday, August 28, 2016

Reynaldo Lopez WAS vs COL Chad Bettis

Chase Anderson MIL vs PIT Ivan Nova

Anibal Sanchez DET vs LAA Tyler Skaggs

Lopez, Anderson and Sanchez were all analyzed up above, so I will not rehash those comments. Lopez getting Colorado at home as opposed to at Coors Field makes him a nice option, and he also makes for a good keeper option if your league settings allow. Anderson gets to pitch at home against an offense with limited power, which helps alleviate his elevated 1.7 HR/9 rate in 2016. Sanchez, like the other two two-start pitchers, gets to pitch in his home park, and against a less than intimidating offense. The strikeout total will likely not be impressive, as the Angels are the best team in MLB at avoiding whiffs. I have these three pitchers ranked as I would prefer to employ them on Sunday.

I enjoy responding to reader questions, so feel free to post. Please note that the Fantasy Alarm Forums are now open for your use, to ask questions or provide your own commentary and wisdom. If you do not want your comments to appear in this public forum (if say your league members also read these articles), then feel free to contact me at ia@fantasyalarm.com for a more private response. I play in a ton of fantasy leagues, and am willing to discuss any baseball issues you may want to raise, not just starting pitching issues. As ever, good luck and Godspeed in your fantasy endeavors.