Carlos Rodon bounced back from his first start nicely. The walks were still there, but the 10 K’s were a nice improvement on a somewhat disappointing return off the disabled list initially. Rodon draws the Rockies at Coors Field heading into the All-Star break so he’s a very risky play. He’s a nice GPP option on DFS slates. Trevor Bauer didn’t get lit up by any means, but 3 earned runs in 5 innings is nothing to be pleased with. For a streaming option he did feed you 7 K’s in those 5 innings. He has a career-high 10.00 K/9, but the 5.24 ERA makes it difficult to hang on to him for the full season. Perhaps his 4.07 FIP and 3.68 xFIP are signaling improvements in the 2nd half? Doubtful, but one can hope!

Tyson Ross didn’t bode well in his last start on July 2nd against the White Sox, but if you’re desperate for a streamer heading into the All-Star break he’s still a recommendation for Saturday’s start against the Angels. Tyson’s younger brother Joe Ross, had a pretty nice 4th of July going 7 innings strong and giving up 2 earned runs while striking out 6. His ownership is starting to creep up again. He gets another start this weekend against Atlanta and you can ride the hot hand here. Over his last 3 starts (20.2 innings of work) he has a 2.18 ERA, but boasts a 4.95 FIP. He’s been very lucky with leaving runners on base, but he’s still given up 4 HR’s over his last 3 appearances and Atlanta’s got some power potential so be cautious this weekend.

Dinelson Lamet was an absolute train wreck this week. It was a tough matchup against the Indians on the road and he was due for a rough start, but the control wasn’t there. In the 24 innings of work prior to his last start he had given up just 3 walks. Against the Tribe, in just 4 innings he surrendered 4. Hopefully he turns it around coming out of the break. Mike Clevinger looked great in his start on July 2nd so much so that people have rushed to waivers to get him in for his start this weekend. His ownership jumped a whopping 16% over the last 24 hours on Yahoo! so he may not be available in deeper leagues for his start this weekend, but he could be available in 10-12 team leagues.

Andrew Moore took a loss on Monday, but he went 8 innings deep and gave up only 3 earned runs against a much-improved Royals lineup. He’s worth streaming again Saturday against Oakland. The strikeout-upside is minimal, but it’s nice to see the Mariners trust him to pitch deep into games. Parker Bridwell pitched 6 shutout innings in a nice bounce back performance, but was sent down to free up his roster spot before the break. He should be called up and resume his spot in the rotation after the break.

Streaming This Weekend?

Luis Castillo (CIN): Almost every name in this short section could be a desperation play considering there are only 2 days worth of games left before the All-Star Break, but Castillo made the list last week as a player to keep an eye on. He didn’t fare well in his first start against Colorado and he draws the Diamondbacks in Chase Field to finish out the week. He has a high-velocity fastball (97 mph) and he gets strikeouts (22 in 16.1 innings), BUT he’s a big victim of the HR. He’s given up 5 in three starts this year and that’s bad news if you’re pitching in Chase. He’s a risky play who could blank the D-Backs or get knocked around hard.

Jose Urena (MIA): Urena gets the Giants at home and with so few pitchers under 50% owned this weekend he’s an okay option to stream. Urena’s been keeping the ball in play lately too. He’s given up 10 HR’s this year, but just 1 in his last 29 innings of work. He’s improved his walk-rate a little bit over his last 5 outings and doesn’t give up many hits so he’s probably the best streaming option on Sunday’s slate.

Desperation Play of the Weekend… Chris O’Grady (MIA): Who the hell is Chris O’Grady? Exactly. He’s a man of mystery. From June 13th to June 25th the Giants would lose 12 of 13 games. But then they won 6 straight games. But now they’ve lost 3 of their last 4 scoring just 11 runs over that span. Conclusion? The Giants are streaky. And O’Grady, who is making his big league debut Saturday night in AT&T Park, the best pitcher’s park in the league, may catch this team on a bad night. There are only 2 days left for this week and there aren’t many candidates this weekend so he’s the epitome of a desperation play. Maybe he goes out and can get you a quality start. He does have a 3.29 ERA in Triple-A this year to go with 54 K’s and 15 walks over 54.2 innings of work.

Players to Keep an Eye On for the 2nd Half

Since the All-Star game is coming up and it’s difficult to project the starters for next weekend at the time of this writing here are some players to keep an eye on for the 2nd half of the season. You can consider this a bit of a Waiver Wire piece, but these are guys that’ll likely be recommended as streamers a few times as baseball races to the finish line. Here are a few pitchers to monitor:

Trevor Cahill (SD): Cahill finally made his return from the DL on Independence Day and looked good to be honest. He was on a bit of a pitch count so he didn’t make it through 5 innings, but he didn’t surrender any earned runs and he only gave up 4 hits and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts against Cleveland. Cahill gets a matchup against the Phillies on Sunday and can be streamed for that matchup, but Cahill should be looked at as a longer-term pitching option as well. His ownership currently ranges from 20-25% so he’s available in a bunch of leagues. Cahill could be dealt to a contender that could finally get him some run support. He has an impressive 13.2% swinging strike rate and a cheap contract so he’s a very nice rental option for a contender that could force his fantasy ownership to spike.

Scott Feldman (CIN): Feldman is a guy who has come close to making the streamers piece many times this year. His numbers are okay and like Cahill, he’s available in about 20-25% of leagues and could be on the trading block to a contender later this season. He has given up at least 4 earned runs in 7 of his last 14 starts, but over his last 6 starts the K’s have gone up, while the walks have gone down. His numbers on the year won’t blow you away, but if he is traded to a contender or moves to a better ballpark for pitchers he should be on your radar.

Tyler Glasnow (PIT): A return to the majors can’t be ruled out for Glasnow in 2017. He’ll turn 24 in August, which is still young for a pitcher. The Pirates are currently 7 games under .500 and could be sellers at the deadline and it may open a spot in the rotation for a Glasnow return. His struggles in the majors can’t be argued against, but he’s done well since his return to Triple-A. In 29.1 innings of work he has a 1.84 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 49 K’s. He’s still a very talented player that could offer value if his improvements translate to the majors.