This is a great weekend to stream starters, as there are plenty of arms in the list at the bottom of this article who are widely available and well-positioned to log excellent outings. On the hitting side, there are a couple Mariners who should steal a base and a few corner infielders and outfielders who could be productive.
Matchups to Target
Red Sox @ White Sox: Although the White Sox had more initial pitching success than expected, they still have a staff that should be among the least effective this season. The Boston hitter to add is Trevor Story (33%), who already has multiple homers and steals.
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Reds vs. Pirates: Cincinnati hitters will enjoy facing the three weakest Pittsburgh starters, which happens to include a pair of lefties. Right-handed hitting Christian Encarnacion-Strand (33%) and switch hitter Jeimer Candelario (8%) are off to slow starts but could heat up in this series. Encarnacion-Strand is especially interesting, as his .255 xBA is much better than his actual average (.174). And it’s worth noting that lefty TJ Friedl (35%) remains in the leadoff spot against southpaws.
Phillies @ Cardinals: Those in need of an outfield streamer can look toward the Phillies, who should score some runs against the weakest Cardinals starters. Left-handed hitters Brandon Marsh (8%) and Max Kepler (5%) are the top targets, especially with a pair of right-handed pitchers on the schedule. Both men are off to slow starts but have expected stats that are much better than their actual marks.
Astros vs. Angels: A slow-starting Houston offense could get on track when they face the back end of the Angels rotation. Players such as Jeremy Peña and Isaac Paredes, who are widely rostered but not always in lineup, should be started for this series. Also, Jake Meyers (1%) and Brendan Rodgers (2%) deserve a look in 15-team leagues.
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Mets @ Athletics: The Mets are another team with a slow-starting offense that could find their groove this weekend when they visit a hitter-friendly venue and face a trio of beatable starters. Brandon Nimmo should be started in 10-team leagues, while Jesse Winker (2%) and Brett Baty (3%) have some potential in 15-team formats.
Matchups to Avoid
Cubs @ Dodgers: As expected, the Dodgers deep pitching staff has been stingy so far this season. Kyle Tucker and Seiya Suzuki can remain active for this series, but Ian Happ, Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner may wind up on the bench in shallow leagues.
Rangers @ Mariners: Texas has the misfortune this weekend of facing three starters who all excel at limiting baserunners and scoring. All Rangers not named Corey Seager deserve some extra scrutiny when setting lineups, and that includes Marcus Semien. Playing the series at a pitcher-friendly park even further limits the offensive upside.
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Cardinals vs. Phillies: The Cardinals will have to work for their runs when they face three terrific starters from Philadelphia’s excellent rotation. There are no must-start Cardinals in 10-team leagues for this series, although Willson Contreras will get the nod at catcher on many teams and Nolan Arenado has been swinging a hot bat. Lars Nootbaar and Brendan Donovan can be considered in 12-team formats.
Seeking Saves
Emilio Pagán (Cincinnati Reds): Pagan may not be a long-term saves source, but he is arguably the leader of the Reds closer committee. The reliever is widely available (19% rostered), and he has a good chance to get a save this weekend, as the Reds will face the Pirates three weakest starters.
Seeking Steals
Dylan Moore (Seattle Mariners, 26% rostered): The Mariners could run wild this weekend when they face a Rangers squad that has allowed a whopping 25 steals. To put that number in perspective, only 12 teams have allowed more than 10 swipes and no other team has surrendered 20. Moore stole 32 bases in 368 at-bats last year, and he is easy to fit into a lineup by virtue of being eligible at every position except catcher. Second baseman Ryan Bliss is another option with steals potential in this series.
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Streaming starters
In order, here are the best streamers for the weekend, with their start date and Yahoo roster rate in brackets.
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Casey Mize @MIN (Sunday, 51)
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Richard Fitts @CWS (Saturday, 8)
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Hayden Wesneski vs. LAA (Sunday, 18)
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Reese Olson @MIN (Friday, 29)
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Tomoyuki Sugano vs. TOR (Friday, 11)
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Mitchell Parker @MIA (Friday, 19)
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Kumar Rocker @SEA (Saturday, 34)
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Andrew Heaney @CIN (Saturday, 9)
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David Peterson @ATH (Saturday, 32)
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Jack Kochanowicz @HOU (Friday, 2)
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Cal Quantrill vs. WSH (Saturday, 1)
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Martín Pérez vs. BOS (Saturday, 26)
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AJ Smith-Shawver @TB (Friday, 17)
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