A date with the Marlins gives Aaron Nola the perfect chance to lower his ERA
Each week this column will scour the waiver wire and look for pitchers who are less than 50% owned and could be useful streamers for your fantasy team. All ownership percentages come from Yahoo. Please note the probable pitcher matchups could change throughout the week due to rainouts or other circumstances, so be sure to check back before picking up and starting one of these recommendations.
Sunday, August 23
Aaron Nola, Philadelphia Phillies (19% owned)
@ Miami Marlins
Nola brings a 3-1 record, 4.41 ERA and 1.27 WHIP into his matchup against the Marlins. Even though his ERA looks a little high, note that the Marlins’ offense is currently one of the best matchups for right-handed pitching. The Marlins as a team are last in the league with a wOBA of .287 and an anemic .110 ISO. Nola should benefit greatly from the matchup and is an excellent streaming option as a result.
Monday, August 24
Nathan Eovaldi, New York Yankees (38% owned)
vs. Houston Astros
Backed by a powerful Yankees offense that hits much better at home, Eovaldi has won eight straight decisions. The Astros’ offense is not a particularly easy matchup, but they still strikeout quite often and are prone to being shut down regardless of the opposing pitcher. They can also explode for 10 runs at any time. Houston does have a 23.80% strikeout rate against righties, tops in the league. Eovaldi has a good chance at running his win streak to nine in this one.
Tuesday, August 25
Yohan Flande, Colorado Rockies (1% owned)
@ Atlanta Braves
Flande will be taking on the Braves in Atlanta after limiting the Nationals to two runs and three hits in Coors Field. The Braves offense is struggling as of late and they are 27th in the league with a .284 wOBA against left-handed pitching. In addition, they offer very little power as they are last in the league with an ISO of .105. Expect Flande to serve as an effective streamer here.
Wednesday, August 26
Tyler Duffey, Minnesota Twins (1% owned)
@ Tampa Bay Rays
Duffey gets to face a Rays offense that has had its trouble against right-handed pitching this season. As a team, Tampa Bay is fifth-to-last in the league with a wOBA of .298. They are also striking out at a high rate, with a 22.0% strikeout percentage. A win for Duffey may be hard to come by considering he is opposing ace Chris Archer, but he should still provide useful fantasy production for streaming purposes.
Thursday, August 27
Vidal Nuno, Seattle Mariners (2% owned)
@ Chicago White Sox
Nuno has posted respectable numbers so far this season with a 3.14 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 48.2 innings of work. Even better for Nuno is his opponent. The White Sox are one of the worst offenses in the league when facing a left-handed pitcher. They are striking out at a 21.50% rate with a last in the league wOBA of .276.
Friday, August 28
Joe Ross, Washington Nationals (28% owned)
vs. Miami Marlins
As mentioned above for Aaron Nola, the Marlins have had their troubles when faced with a right-handed pitcher. Ross is pitching impressively over nine starts this season. He has a 3-5 record with a 3.86 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 53.2 innings of work. If you dive into the advanced stats, Ross has a 3.17 FIP and 3.10 xFIP which suggests that he is pitching even better than his ERA indicates.
Saturday, August 29
J.A. Happ, Pittsburgh Pirates (5% owned)
vs. Colorado Rockies
In a stat that will surprise the casual baseball fan, the Rockies have one of the worst offenses in baseball against left-handed pitching. They have next to no power (.098 ISO) and are third-to-last in the league with a wOBA of .282. Happ is coming off shutting out the dangerous Diamondbacks’ offense over six innings and should be able to keep rolling in this contest.
Matthew Terelle is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Matthew, check out his archive and follow him @supermt.
