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, Sept. 25
Jake Junis (KCR) – @ New York Yankees (18.7 percent ESPN)
The Royals haven’t had a great season, but Junis has been must-watch baseball for a while now. He returned to the rotation on Aug. 6, and since then — one relief appearance included — has posted a 3.02 ERA, .632 OPS against and 41-6 K/BB ratio in 50.2 innings. He’s been sneaky good, and might be worth hanging onto in keeper leagues. If you’re worried about the matchup, Seth Lugo gets a much worse offense in the Atlanta Braves.
Tuesday, Sept. 26
Tyler Anderson (COL) – v. Miami Marlins (11.7 percent ESPN)
This day sucks for streamers, so I’m going to gamble on the talent. The Marlins are in a free fall — 6-14 over their last 20 heading into Saturday’s action — and while Anderson hasn’t been good this year, he was a strikeouts-grounders-no walks dynamo last season. The lefty has been pretty good in September — 1.72 ERA, 13-3 K/BB ratio in 15.2 innings — since returning from the DL.
Wednesday, Sept. 27
Kendall Graveman (OAK) – v. Seattle Mariners (11.1 percent ESPN)
Graveman isn’t sexy, but it’s rare to get sexy under 30 percent ownership. He’s got a passable 4.17 ERA and induces plenty of grounders, and has been pretty good in September: 2.70 ERA and 37 grounders induced in 20 innings. The Mariners are crashing to end the season as well, going 11-19 over their 30 previous games heading into Saturday.
Thursday, Sept. 28
Jason Hammel (KCR) – v. Detroit Tigers (12.1 percent ESPN)
Blech. We don’t love it either — Hammel has a 5.32 ERA and is coming off allowing seven earned runs to the (redacted) White Sox — but we don’t have much of a choice. Hammel’s last three starts are 5-6-7 in earned runs, but the Tigers are barely even fielding a big-league roster at this point. It’s exploitation central, even if it’s risky that you might get a 12-10 game.
Friday, Sept. 29
Jaime Garcia (NYY) – v. Toronto Blue Jays (9.9 percent ESPN)
The Blue Jays have won just 13 of their last 30 games, and Biagini has gotten absolutely obliterated of late. That doesn’t mean much for Garcia, but it does give owners a better chance at a win — if your league is into that. As far as recent results, Garcia held down a solid Twins offense last time out, with 5.2 innings of one (unearned) run ball with nine strikeouts and no walks. He’s allowed just four earned runs over his last four starts. There’ve been durability issues, but again, it’s hard to find much in late-season streams.
Saturday, Sept. 30
Jhoulys Chacin (SDP) – @ San Francisco Giants (23.7 percent ESPN)
Chacin’s last start for the Padres before hitting free agency comes against a brutal Giants offense (MLB-worst 82 wRC+). Chacin’s numbers are reasonably good on their own — 3.98 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, .236 BAA — even if he’s done it in the relative obscurity of a Padres uniform. It’s hard to do much better at this time of year.
Sunday, Oct. 1
Jake Junis (KCR) – v. Arizona Diamondbacks (18.7 percent ESPN)
We hate to double up here, but Junis is the best of what’s around. Lugo (@ Phillies) and Carson Fulmer (@ Indians) are also options, but I like Junis best here against a Diamondbacks team that won’t have anything to play for on the last day of the season.
And with that, thank you for a great season!
Brandon Warne is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Brandon, check out his archive and follow him @brandon_warne.
