Another week has come and gone, and it is time to look ahead to the upcoming fantasy baseball matchup. I will be here every week this season to give you suggestions on fantasy baseball streaming pitchers to win your matchups.
I will be using the FantasyPros streaming pitchers rankings to help determine my picks. Feel free to sync your league and take a look at your own to find high-potential starters available on your waivers.
Also, please keep in mind that starters can get off schedule, and some projected starters can be pushed back due to circumstances such as injury and weather.
First, let’s take a look at last week’s picks:
- Justin Wrobleski (@COL): 7.0 Innings, 3 Strikeouts, 1 Earned Run, 8 Hits, 0 Walks (Win)
- Mick Abel (@NYM): Missed start to injury
- Eduardo Rodriguez (vs. CWS): 5.0 Innings, 4 Strikeouts, 4 Earned Runs, 6 Hits, 3 Walks (Win)
- Kodai Senga (vs. MIN): Start pushed back
- Will Warren (@HOU): 6.0 Innings, 6 Strikeouts, 2 Earned Runs, 7 Hits, 1 Walk (Win)
- Ryan Weathers (@HOU): 5.1 Innings, 4 Strikeouts, 2 Earned Runs, 6 Hits, 0 Walks (No Decision)
- Max Meyer (@SF): TBD
Total: 23.1 Innings, 17 Strikeouts, 9 Earned Runs, 27 Hits, 4 Walks (3-0)
This has been our best week yet. Wrobleski and Warren were phenomenal. Weathers and Rodriguez were not great, but were okay as far as streamers go. We are working with a smaller sample size this week due to Abel’s injury and Senga being pushed back, but so far, so good. Let’s aim for more of this and a higher strikeout rate this week.
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Fantasy Baseball Streaming Pitchers: Waiver Wire Pickups
Monday, April 27
Dustin May (SP — STL) @PIT | 4% Rostered
Let me start this off by saying Dustin May is not my favorite pick of the week. Monday is a barren day for streaming options, and May brings some momentum against the Pirates.
May allowed an abysmal 13 runs in his first two starts of the season, but has allowed only three runs across his next three starts. May’s xERA of 4.32 looks a lot better than his unfortunate actual ERA of 5.84. The 28-year-old has struck out 13 in those 17.1 innings. May’s fastball velocity is back in the high-90s, and his sweeper and curveball offer great movement, but May is not getting many strikeouts.
What I love best about May is his control. He has a dominant 4.7% walk rate this season. This low rate is his best since 2019, and his velocity is back. I completely understand if May is not for you, but he brings intriguing potential against the Pirates.
- Alternative: Connor Prielipp (SP — MIN) vs. SEA | 1% Rostered
Tuesday, April 28
Payton Tolle (SP — BOS) @TOR | 15% Rostered
Payton Tolle is my absolute favorite pitcher on this week’s list. If you don’t have him yet, grab him now.
The rookie made his season debut against the Yankees. He struck out 11 in six innings, allowing only one run on a solo shot from Jazz Chisholm. The 23-year-old allowed three hits and one walk. He generated 18 swinging strikes.
Anyone who watched Tolle’s game can tell you that he looked filthy. The 6’6″ flame-throwing lefty topped out at 99 miles per hour and had a 70% whiff rate on his deadly curveball. Tolle has worked on his pitches in the minor leagues since struggling in 2025, mainly to shift away from relying on his fastball by improving his other pitches. Through all of this, Tolle has retained elite control of the zone.
The Blue Jays have a team OPS of .706. They are about average on offense. If Tolle can dominate the Yankees, I am not too worried about the Blue Jays.
- Alternative: Tomoyuki Sugano (SP — COL) @CIN | 3% Rostered
Wednesday, April 29
JR Ritchie (SP — ATL) vs. DET | 10% Rostered
JR Ritchie is another exciting rookie on this week’s list dominated by young talent. Ritchie’s MLB debut began with a James Wood home run on the very first pitch. He displayed great composure and settled in after that, allowing a total of two runs across seven innings. He struck out seven.
The 22-year-old threw his curveball as his primary pitch in his debut. Expect his low-mid-90s four-seamer to get primary usage in future games. Regardless, Ritchie’s curveball was dominant and generated a 42.9% whiff rate.
The Tigers have the sixth-best team OPS (.737). They are no slouch of a team. But, Ritchie is no slouch of a pitcher. I love the righty for this week.
- Alternative: Cade Cavalli (SP — WSH) @NYM | 3% Rostered
Thursday, April 30
Bailey Ober (SP — MIN) vs. TOR | 23% Rostered
Although Bailey Ober had his fair share of struggles in 2025, he appears to be somewhat bouncing back in 2026. His sub-90s fastball is one of the slowest among starters, but his breaking pitches have been working. It is hard to take a “fast” ball seriously at 89 miles per hour. On the other hand, a sweeper, with a 55% whiff rate this season? That is nothing to laugh at.
The 30-year-old veteran has lowered his arm slot from 32 to 27 degrees this season. This adjustment causes the 6’9″ giant to sacrifice some extension (making his pitches seem even slower) in exchange for improving his breaking pitches. Ober has less room for error, but he has done well so far with an 8.1% walk rate and a low 86.4 miles per hour average exit velocity.
I will be honest and say I am not the biggest Ober fan. Thursday is another situation without great streaming options, and the Blue Jays are a formidable opponent. While better streaming options are available, Ober is there for the brave.
- Alternative: Noah Cameron (SP — KC) @ATH | 15% Rostered
Friday, May 1
Noah Schultz (SP — CWS) @SDP | 19% Rostered
What isn’t to love about Noah Schultz? As a 6’10” lefty, he is basically Randy Johnson. Let’s not go that far, but we have all heard the wild comparisons.
Schultz now has three starts under his belt, and we have a slightly better idea of how his stuff performs at the highest level. Schultz’s 13.2% walk rate shows his stuff is hard to control. His 26.3% strikeout rate and 30.4% had hit rate show his stuff is hard for batters to hit. His upper-90s four-seamer has a 34.6% whiff rate and is playing very well in the majors.
I suspect Schultz will not be a streamer soon because he will be owned in so many leagues. Schultz is facing the Padres, who have a bottom-ranking team OPS of .683. I recommend starting Schultz here and keeping him.
- Alternative: Carmen Mlodzinski (SP — PIT) vs. CIN | 8% Rostered
Saturday, May 2
Kyle Harrison (SP — MIL) @WSH | 9% Rostered
Kyle Harrison has really suffered the short end of the stick lately. After a hot start to the year, the 24-year-old banged up his wrist and his knee. This minor injury impeded his third start of the year and gave him a pitch limit in his following start.
So far, Harrison has found great success with his four-seamer. 12 of his 18 strikeouts this year have come from his mid-90s fastball. He has a 3.06 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP in 17.2 innings. The southpaw is worth streaming consideration now that he is back to full health.
I am writing this article before Harrison faces the Pirates on April 26. If he gets blown up, consider streaming other pitchers on this list. I tentatively trust Harrison against the Nationals.
- Alternative: Spencer Arrighetti (SP — HOU) @BOS | 13% Rostered
Sunday, May 3
Steven Matz (SP — TB) vs. SF | 13% Rostered
Steven Matz is coming off a not-so-good start where he allowed four runs in three innings to the Reds. Not ideal, but the 34-year-old remains a high-floor, low-ceiling streaming option against the Giants.
Matz has 25 strikeouts in 24.1 innings this season. His 9.2 K/9 ratio is a five-year high. This increase can be somewhat attributed to improved usage of a changeup, which has a 36.7% whiff rate and has already struck out 12 batters.
The Giants have the second-worst OPS in baseball (.663). They have a 12-15 record. Trust the lefty to get decent stats on Sunday.
- Alternative: Tyler Mahle (SP — SF) @TB | 1% Rostered
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