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.
Maybe you can’t replicate what Clayton Kershaw would do, but you can certainly put up some solid numbers if you pick your spots while using the picks you’d have spent on middling starters to beef up your offense. I personally find it to be a very fun strategy that requires some persistence and a bit of being the early bird who gets the worm, and the payoff can be particularly sweet.
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, Sept. 4
Jake Junis (KCR) – @ Detroit Tigers (12 percent ESPN)
Junis doesn’t have the greatest season numbers, but behind a 4.41 ERA he has a 1.29 WHIP and .259 BAA with 57 strikeouts and 18 walks in 63.1 innings. Those are pretty solid peripherals, though he has struggled a bit with the long ball (10 allowed). Still, he’s been very good and is getting a gutted Tigers offense. Over his last two starts spanning 11 innings, he’s allowed just 10 hits, two earned runs and 15 strikeouts with one walk. Mark Leiter Jr. against the Mets is another really good matchup, too.
Tuesday, Sept. 5
Bartolo Colon (MIN) – @ Tampa Bay Rays (4.6 percent ESPN)
It’s a weird day where we don’t have a ton of options, and Colon’s season numbers are not pretty (6.25 ERA, 5.07 FIP). But he’s been fairly good since coming to the Twins (4.09 ERA, 3.3 K/BB), and appears to be unfazed by the prospect of pitching in games with big-time playoff implications. Of course, if you were 44 and pressure got to you, you probably aren’t pitching in the big leagues, right?
Wednesday, Sept. 6
Kyle Freeland (COL) – v. San Francisco Giants (25 percent ESPN)
The season numbers aren’t half bad for Freeland (3.89 ERA, though iffy peripherals), but what we’re really honing in on is that the Giants have the worst offense in baseball with a wRC+ figure of 81. The offense is significantly weaker with Brandon Belt on the shelf, as well. Doug Fister against the Blue Jays isn’t a bad option here, either.
Thursday, Sept. 7
Kyle Gibson (MIN) – v. Kansas City Royals (6.9 percent ESPN)
Gibson made a shift on the rubber which has given his sinker and slider more bite, and it has shown with 15 strikeouts over his last two starts. That was a typical month for him before, and don’t be deceived by his 5.50 season ERA. He’s looked really good of late and is facing the Royals for the second time in a row. Yes, the same Royals who came into Saturday’s action with a team wRC+ of 89 (25th in MLB).
Friday, Sept. 8
Trevor Williams (PIT) – @ St. Louis Cardinals (8.3 percent ESPN)
Nothing about Williams stands out statistically — 4.37 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and .261 BAA — and he’s facing a pretty good Cardinals offense (102 wRC+, sixth in MLB). But Williams has been pretty solid over the last two months, posting a 3.86 ERA in 28 July innings and a 3.93 mark with 30 strikeouts in 34.1 August innings.
Saturday, Sept. 9
Mike Montgomery (CHC) – v. Milwaukee Brewers (25 percent ESPN)
The Brewers lineup is not terribly good (92 wRC+) and beyond that, Montgomery is coming off an absolutely tremendous August. Over 10 appearances in the month as a swingman, Montgomery posted a 1.73 ERA with just 19 hits allowed. His last two starts were both wins over the Reds and Pirates, as he allowed just 10 hits over 13 innings with eight strikeouts and a walk. Oh, and he allowed just one earned run. He’s hitting his stride late, but he looks solid.
Sunday, Sept. 10
Robert Stephenson (CIN) – @ New York Mets (5.7 percent ESPN)
The Mets are trotting out absolutely brutal lineups night in and night out, and Stephenson has looked really, really great of late. In August, he had a 2.22 ERA with 28 strikeouts and just 17 hits allowed in 24.1 innings. He’s always had the pedigree. Time to buy in.
Brandon Warne is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Brandon, check out his archive and follow him @brandon_warne.
