Look, I'm as unimpressed as you are.
It turns out Week 5 (Aug. 17-23) may not be the time to try to pull a rabbit out of your hat. Granted, it's the most crowded slate we've seen all year, but it seems like the right pitchers all have the wrong matchups and vice versa.
Or maybe it's just that CBS Sports users are so on top of the pitching market that most anyone with a whisper of hope is already rostered in more than 80 percent of leagues, disqualifying them for this list. The pool of usable starting pitchers is fairly small, all things considered, so to think I'm going to identify 10 every week who are worth the price of admission, well ... I'm good, but I'm not that good.
It's why I try to remind you at every turn that streamer pitchers are in-case-of-emergency plays. For most of you, the best choices to fill out your pitching staff are already on your roster.
We discussed two-start pitchers and preparing for Week 5 Friday on the Fantasy Baseball Today podcast. Follow all our podcasts and subscribe here.
But hey, everyone needs to throw up a prayer sometimes, and if you find yourself in that spot for Week 5, here are my favorite streamer pitchers rostered in less than 80 percent of CBS Sports leagues.
He might have kind of a quick hook in his move back to the starting rotation, but he continued to miss bats aplenty in long relief and gets two starts right away, one of them especially inviting.
| ||
He's not getting the whiffs to legitimize the possibility of a breakout, but he keeps coming through with favorable matchups and has another one in a two-start week.
| ||
After a strong preseason showing, he has been adequate through three starts, earning a look in a week with two middling matchups.
| ||
Chris Bassitt isn't a big bat-misser, but he has a long enough track record of run prevention to get the benefit of the doubt in a two-start week.
| ||
Zach Eflin set a career high for strikeouts (10) and swinging strikes (19) last time out, so of course he'd be in line for two starts immediately after. It's an obvious trap play, but nonetheless one to consider.
| ||
A nine-strikeout effort two turns ago put Touki Toussaint back on the Fantasy map, and while his follow-up effort against the Yankees was shaky, he has fairer matchups in two starts this week.
| ||
He has gotten better results with his splitter this year and has delivered four solid outings as a result. Neither of these matchups should be enough to scare you away in a two-start week.
| ||
Nathan Eovaldi gave up three homers in his most recent outing but continued to lean on the same curveball that allowed him to dominate two turns ago. Here's betting that approach goes better for him against the Orioles than it did against the Yankees.
| ||
After piling up 21 swinging strikes against the Braves Friday, he'll look to continue to build momentum with his new cutter.
| ||
He's such an easy pick for these rankings week after week because he's efficient enough to throw six-plus innings with ease if his splitter is working.
|
