This week will feature some names that have been in the piece the past few weeks. We’ve seen Joey Lucchesi blossom from a deeper league streamer to a must own at this point. So this appears to be his last appearance as a streamer. At this point he needs to be owned in every league. But there are still some new names to appear so lets dive in!
10-Team Leagues
Joey Lucchesi (SD) – This is last call on Joey Lucchesi because the secret’s out. And you can’t just jump on the wagon in week four, you need to pick him up stat. Stat means now people! He’s around 65-70% owned but there’s even a slight chance he’s not available in your ten-team league. This is the last chance you have to pick him up because he plays the Diamondbacks on Sunday to finish up week three. In week four Lucchesi gets a home matchup against the Mets, but it won’t come until next Saturday. It’s a small sample size, but so far the Mets as a team are slashing .214/.301/.399 away from Citi Field. You can take it with a grain of salt, but Lucchesi has looked god enough where he can be started in any matchup at this point. And this is likely his last appearance in the streamers article.
Hyun-Jin Ryu (LAD) – Ryu may even be available in your 12-team league and if he is, give him a shot next Friday if you need a streamer. In his last two starts he’s worked 12 innings and tallied 17 strikeouts while giving up just one measly walk. He’s on fire right now and a big test comes later today against the Nationals. But next Friday night he gets a road start in pitcher-friendly AT&T Park against the Giants. So far AT&T Park has been catering to hitters, but don’t shy away from what this park has done historically. Ryu is definitely in play for this matchup.
Dylan Bundy (BAL) – There’s a real chance that Bundy isn’t available in your shallow league. But I’m seeing his ownership right around 80%, which is high for a streamer recommendation, but at the same time he needs to be owned in more leagues. He has a 1.42 ERA and has struck out 40 batters in 31.2 innings of work. To sweeten the deal even more he’s facing off against Tampa Bay next week. The Rays are last in the league so far with just ten home runs on the year and they’re slashing .238/.318/.341 so Bundy is a very safe play if you can still grab him as a streamer. And if you can get him, you shouldn’t drop him at this point.
12-Team Leagues
Nick Pivetta (PHI) – You’d like to see better velocity separation from a guy with a 95-97mph fastball, but you also won’t complain about a flamethrower either. Pivetta averages almost a strikeout per inning and he hasn’t allowed a walk in his last three starts (17.2 innings of work). He mostly uses his fastball and curveball in his arsenal, but hopefully throughout the season he gains more confidence in his slider and changeup. Unfortunately he does have to go against the Braves next week and they’ve been one of the better offenses in baseball to start the season. However, in his last start on Tuesday he did he did throw five innings while giving up just one earned run against Atlanta. Pivetta’s ownership may spike if he does well against Pittsburgh on Saturday.
Eduardo Rodríguez (BOS) – There’s no doubt that E-Rod had a rough start to 2018. However, he’s bounced back over his last two outings logging wins and quality starts in each game. The strikeout rate is likely unsustainable and he’s still walking batters quite a bit as well, but he’s doing okay to start the year. Next week he takes the mound against the Blue Jays in Toronto. If the Bruins knock out the Maple Leafs in the playoffs you can assume a warm welcome for the Sox from egregious hockey fans North of the border. The Blue Jays have been one of the hottest hitting teams to start the year especially at home where they’ve slashed .265/.347/.479 with a league leading 15 home runs.
Reynaldo López (CHW) – Lopez finishes week three with a very difficult matchup against the Astros. So don’t stream him this weekend if you can avoid it. However, keep him in mind for next week’s start against the Royals on the road. Kansas City has hit just 13 home runs in 18 games and they’re slashing just .237/.305/.352 as a team so they don’t possess much power. Now there are obviously some concerns with Lopez. He has a 1.42 ERA, but a 4.04 FIP. This implies that he’s been the benefactor of luck or phenomenal defense. His opponents’ BABIP so far in 2018 is .150, but he has a career .277 opponent BABIP so he’s due to get knocked around occasionally. But the 21 strikeouts in 19 innings look great. The 11 walks do not. So while he’s due for some regression at some point, don’t expect it to come next week in Kansas City.
Deeper League Options
Vince Velásquez (PHI) – A finger injury derailed Velasquez’s season last year and it really showed with his inflated ERA. But through 21.2 innings it sure seems like he’s feeling better with a K/9 of 10.13 and he’s allowed just five walks through his first four starts. The velocity is there with the fastball and the control looks great so far. It’s somewhat surprising he’s less than 20% owned in Yahoo! and ESPN leagues, but maybe more casual fantasy baseball players can’t shake the stigma of last year despite the injury. Velasquez gets a pair of outings next weeks against Arizona and Atlanta (both at home) so he does come with some risk. Stream him with caution in week four.
Chad Bettis (COL) – Bettis is interesting. His ownership is on the rise and he may be too over-owned specifically for deep leagues in the coming days, but as of right now he could still be there for you. Bettis is very much in play next week with a home matchup against the Padres and then a road contest against the Marlins. He won’t dazzle you. He only has 15 strikeouts in 25 innings of work and he’s allowed ten walks. But he has limited damage so far by surrendering just four runs. Now his 1.44 ERA does come with a 4.29 FIP so he’s certainly due for regression. But he’s a two-start pitcher this week against two of the weaker offenses in baseball. Bettis will frequent the streamers piece. His ownership will always fluctuate depending on how he’s performing. For now you can stream him as a two-start option next week.
Tyson Ross (SD) – Ross has been pretty damn good to start the year. He has a 2.81 ERA (3.22 FIP) and he’s averaging 8.42 K/9 and 2.45 BB/9. So he’s been pretty solid and he was a stud in his last outing against the Diamondbacks where he struck out ten in 7.2 innings of work giving up just three walks and one hit. The gamble you take next week with Ross is that his lone start comes in Coors Field. It’s a pretty big gamble. The Rockies are currently tied for the lead with 28 home runs, but they’re only 17th in runs scored at 81. They’re also in the bottom three in terms of batting average (.219) and on-base percentage (.290) so while they are reaping the benefits of Coors Field, they haven’t been a very disciplined team at the plate so far in 2018.