Streaming can be a popular strategy in fantasy baseball. What is streaming? It’s when you constantly change players at a certain position, usually starting pitchers. This is especially popular in head to head leagues and in daily lineups. I also employ this strategy in leagues in which my eighth or ninth pitcher just isn’t anyone special and not someone I mind losing. When it comes to streaming, you’re generally looking for those two-start pitchers that have the best matchups. Does it always work out? No, as there is a reason those players are still available. What you’re hoping for is that they win one of those two starts, don’t get wrecked in either one and get double-digit strikeouts for that week. This strategy can be especially popular if you have several matchups with your other starting pitchers in which they are facing top starters and you know a victory could be hard to come by. The bottom line is that there is more than one way to win a fantasy league, but one thing that almost always won’t work, is just to draft your team and leave it. You need to manage your team; you need to make the right moves. Here are this week’s hot and cold players.
Risers
Frankie Montas, Oakland Athletics: If you’re looking for an SP who still might be available on your waiver wire. Montas is it. When it came to young pitchers, all of the hype during spring training was about Jesus Luzardo, but he suffered a shoulder injury and won’t return until June, Montas is pitching well now. It’s always hard to trust young pitching as baseball is a game of adjustments and the quicker you make those the more successful you will be, but so far so good for Montas who is sporting a 2.75 ERA to go along with a 35/10 K/BB ratio. Remember also that Montas might just pitch in the best ballpark for pitchers in MLB. One last note about Luzardo, if he’s still available in your league and you have room on your IL, you may want to stash him.
Ketel Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks: Well who doesn’t love a switch-hitting second baseman with power? This season was Marte’s second as a full-time starter and he is certainly showing that it won’t be his last. While Arizona is no longer the homer haven that it used to be thanks to the humidor, the ball still carries well there and that power for Marte is legit. Now, he’s not going to hit 30+ HRs, at least I don’t think he will, but 25 is certainly within his reach. I’ll gladly take that with an AVG that won’t hurt you and for a player that you didn’t have to spend much draft capital to acquire.
Domingo German, New York Yankees: The Yankees are a walking M.A.S.H. unit. I could write an entire column talking about when the 12 players that remain on the IL will return. German, however, has been the beneficiary of those injuries. If it wasn’t for Luis Severino (lat) and CC Sabathia beginning the season on the IL, German would’ve never begun the season in the starting rotation. In a rotation that now has the likes of Sabathia, James Paxton (knee), Masahiro Tanaka, J.A. Happ, and German, it’s strange to say that German has become that ace, but it’s true, especially now that Paxton has joined the walking wounded. German has been everything and more for the Yankees and he isn’t losing that rotation spot anytime soon.
Max Fried, Atlanta Braves: It is my expectation that if they stay healthy, by the end of the season the best SP for the Braves won’t be Julio Teheran or Kevin Gausman, it will be Max Fried and/or Mike Soroka. We talked about Soroka last week, this week it’s Fried’s turn. Fried has a 2.11 ERA and 0.99 WHIP so far this season. His fastball velocity is actually up from last season to almost 94 MPH. My only worry about Fried will be a possible innings limitation as the season rolls along. Fried only threw a little over 110 innings last season. Most teams don’t believe that a pitcher should throw more than 40 innings than the prior season. If the Braves believe that, Fried would be capped at about 150 IP. That means he could be shut down or have starts skipped. This is just food for thought as not all teams believe in this, but it’s something you need to be aware of.
Nick Senzel, Cincinnati Reds: Senzel has finally been called up and has likely spent his last day in Triple-A. There were rarely any doubts about Senzel and his hitting ability. What I was concerned about was his defense. Senzel is a natural 3B, but the Reds have seen fit to move him to 2B and SS, but with no openings at those positions, Senzel is now a CF. Assuming he doesn’t let his defense affect his offense, Senzel will hit and hit well. The power is legit, although even if it wasn’t, it would play anyway in that ballpark.
Fallers
Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants: I can’t stand catchers. I won’t spend a high draft pick on them. I won’t spend a high dollar amount on them. I won’t give up much in a trade for them. Why you ask? They get hurt more than any other position and they sit at least once a week. That means they will at the very least miss 26 games. Throw in that they get with balls, bats, runners, and have to squat a million times during the summer heat and I’ll pass. As for Posey, he’s a name guy that no longer performs up to expectations. The Giants would be smart to trade him this summer before other teams realize the same thing. He’s just not the same player he used to be, not even close.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays: Guerrero is the reason I tend to stay away from those shiny new toys we talked about last week. Facing major league pitching during the season is a complete 180 from spring training and the minors. That’s not to say Guerrero won’t hit, he will, but it might be a slower path to the Hall of Fame than what some were expecting. Guerrero was pretty much hailed as the answer to the Jays, your fantasy team, and probably world hunger. If you want to buy low, now would be the time to contact your friendly Guerrero owner.
Ian Desmond, Colorado Rockies: I’m not buying low on Desmond. He’s losing playing time as the Rockies have more players than available positions. If he was hitting this wouldn’t be an issue, but he’s not. Now an optimist would point out that Desmond started off poorly last season as well before turning it around in the second half. So maybe you should be patient, but it’s not like it was a huge second half. I don’t like to dump Colorado players for obvious reasons, but Desmond just isn’t the player Colorado thought they were getting when they signed him to that silly contract before the 2017 season.
Brett Gardner, New York Yankees: The only reason Gardner still has a regular role is because of injuries to the Yankee outfield. Gardner is batting .223 with three SB. Sure he has six HRs, but that’s not why you’re starting him. You were hoping for some SB, but Gardner just doesn’t run anymore. Sure, he might pick and choose a spot, but you would be lucky to get 10-12 swipes this year and even that may be asking a lot. Once Aaron Hicks returns (weekend) and Giancarlo Stanton (10-14 days?), Gardner at best will be in a timeshare with Clint Frazier. Gardner is a stop-gap measure and you need to look for a better solution.
