A strategy that I have used with success in deeper leagues is streaming starting pitchers. That is, if you miss out on one or more of your high-end targets, you can piece together a fairly solid pitching staff by picking up guys each day and starting them in advantageous matchups to give you solid results.
We’re going to set a 30 percent threshold for ownership and we’ll use ESPN to get us there. Feel free to guide us in the comments section if you think there’s a better way.
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Monday, July 31
Jose Urena (MIA) – v. Washington Nationals (18.3 percent ESPN)
This is a really rough day for picking a sub-30 percent streamer, so we’ll take Urena, who pumps absolute gas and has put together reasonably solid numbers this year. Urena’s average heater comes in at 95.6 mph this season, and each of his secondary pitches has a double-digit whiff rate, so there’s something to work with here despite a low overall strikeout rate. Your other options are James Shields and Nick Pivetta. Both have gotten bombed recently.
Tuesday, Aug. 1
Jhoulys Chacin (SDP) – v. Minnesota Twins (28 percent ESPN)
This was another day where there really wasn’t anything to work with at our ownership threshold, and the other issue that may hurt us here is the possibility the Padres could move Chacin before Tuesday. But if he’s still around, he’s got a decent matchup against the Twins, a middle-of-the-pack offense (95 wRC+) that ebbs and flows quite a bit. Chacin has been pretty solid of late, allowing three or fewer earned runs over each of his last 10 starts as he’s lowered his ERA from 5.65 to a much more palpable 4.22.
Wednesday, Aug. 2
J.C. Ramirez (LAA) – v. Philadelphia Phillies (15.4 percent ESPN)
This is the first of three straight days we’re going to exploit the Phillies, and it makes sense considering they’re the No. 27 offense in baseball (86 wRC+) — just on wRC+ point ahead of San Diego, three ahead of the Rockies and six ahead of the dead-last Giants. Ramirez is a hard-throwing righty who has seen his ups and downs this season but has reeled things in a bit more of late — at least ERA-wise. He’s allowed two or fewer earned runs in three of his last four starts, and two of those starts came against the Indians and Red Sox — much tougher opposition than he’ll see in this one. Walks have been an issue — he walked six batters last time out against the Indians — but it appears there’s more good than bad here. He’s induced grounders from at least 10 batters seven times in his last 10 starts, with at least nine grounders in nine of those 10 appearances.
Thursday, Aug. 3
Parker Bridwell (LAA) – v. Philadelphia Phillies (21.9 percent ESPN)
Bridwell has quietly asserted himself in the Angels rotation with authority, especially over his last four starts. He’s allowed three or fewer earned runs in seven of his eight starts, but over his last four starts total, he’s allowed just five earned runs as the Angels have won each. Bridwell currently sits with a 2.83 ERA and 34-13 K/BB ratio over 54 innings, and over his last four starts, he’s put together this run (since July 1): 1.69 ERA, .517 OPS against and 20-6 K/BB ratio in 26.2 innings. We’re not talking about an ace here per se, but he should see his numbers jump pretty quickly, ownership-wise.
Friday, Aug. 4
German Marquez (COL) – v. Philadelphia Phillies (24.8 percent ESPN)
Marquez has quietly been really, really good for the Rockies. He’s allowed three or fewer earned runs eight times over his last 10 starts, and has started to see the strikeouts come with a bit more frequency of late as well. He’s at a 4.20 ERA and has 85 strikeouts in 90 innings, and from time to time he’s pretty good at inducing grounders as well (45.4 percent career rate).
Saturday, Aug. 5
Luis Castillo (CIN) – v. St. Louis Cardinals (19.3 percent ESPN)
The Cardinals are still a decent offense (95 wRC+, same as the Twins), but we’re buying taking on Castillo — at least until he has a blow up. Through seven MLB starts, that hasn’t come yet, as he’s allowed three or fewer earned runs five times and in the two outliers he allowed four. He still has only recorded outs in the seventh inning once, but he’s managed to keep everything pretty well together with a 4.05 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 45-17 K/BB ratio in 40 innings.
Sunday, Aug. 6
Jose Urena (MIA) – @ Atlanta Braves (18.3 percent ESPN)
Our only road pitcher of the week! And it’s a repeat, too. With Urena here, we’re just advocating taking advantage of his back-half matchup, as the Braves offense (89 wRC+) is one of the worst in the game.
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Brandon Warne is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Brandon, check out his archive and follow him @brandon_warne.
