The Best Pitcher Streaming Options for Week 4
Ah! A fresh week. For those of you in head-to-head leagues, sometimes it can be a bit refreshing — re-engaging — after a long weekend that probably saw most of your categories ultimately locked in place. Up by 14 runs on Saturday afternoon? Down by four wins? Well, that can bog down the fantasy game and competition.
Lose last week? Well, the new week is your time for revenge. Win last week? Well, it's time to re-up, chew up, and spit out your next opponent.
Things to remember going in to this new week:
1) Check your hitters' and pitchers' schedules
2) Check your opponents' hitters' and pitchers' schedules
3) Determine how many acquisitions you'll have to spend on offensive and on defense
You can stream five stud-starts and rack up the pitching categories, but maybe you'll lose by one run or one RBI. You should always have an idea of what your week's spending will be come Monday. If your opponent has a fortunate week where all of his guys play on Monday and Thursday yet you’ll be have a combined six empty lineup slots, you might want to consider using one or two acquisitions on a hitter. Vice versa? Stock up the pitching. Perhaps even pick up all the best, late-week options early in the week.
That requires figuring out the pitchers you want to pick up for the subsequent week, of course. That's where I come in.
Like usual:
We'll use SPs owned in less than 50% of ESPN standard leagues. I’ll also give you a ‘confidence rating’ with each player — 10 is ‘extremely confident’, 1 is ‘hey, I just threw a name out there.’ Also, we’ll naturally give priority to those sweet double-start candidates.’
One more thing: You could be 0-30-0 and you're still very, very much in contention.
Patrick Corbin, Arizona Diamondbacks
Patrick Corbin’s spot here is a result of his double-start week. On Tuesday he’ll visit the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park, and on Sunday, he and his Arizona Diamondbacks host the Colorado Rockies.
Of course, Corbin has a better matchup against the Rockies than he does the Giants, but starting him against both might prove worth it. Though Corbin is a lefty who’s more effective vs. lefties and the Giants are right-handed heavy, he’s still holding righties to a .229 BA (.111 vs. lefties). The only hole I can poke in Corbin’s season thus far is his control — he’s walking 3.3 per nine — but the Giants aren’t a patient lineup. If Corbin can take advantage of their propensity to chase, I like him for two good starts this week.
Confidence – 6.5
Tony Cingrani, Cincinnati Reds
Tony Cingrani has some promise. You can get a better idea of that promise here. Like Corbin, he’ll start twice this week: vs. the Chicago Cubs in Cincinnati and at the Washington Nationals. Don’t confuse this for a long-term Cingrani endorsement. The dude has three pitches and pretty much only throws a fastball. He threw 88 in his season debut. After a while, hitters will catch on and the deceiving, gangly wind-up won’t throw them off, but I don’t think it happens yet. The Cubs can’t hit with the exception of Starlin Castro and Anthony Rizzo, and the Nats are without Ryan Zimmerman. If he produces two decent starts, sell. I know I will.
Confidence – 7
Carlos Villanueva, Chicago Cubs
I’m very close to fully buying in on Villanueva. He’s throwing more fastballs than he ever has in his career and has therefore improved his control, cutting last year’s 3.3 BB/9 to 1.7. He’s using his slider less, but is still employing it in strikeout situations — he has more Ks with that pitch than any other. He’s using his slider off of his fastball and it’s working.
He’s another two-start pitcher. He faces the Cincinnati Reds in Cincy and the Miami Marlins in Miami. Cincy isn’t the offensive powerhouse many think them to be, and the Marlins stink.
Confidence – 8
Wei-Yin Chen, Baltimore Orioles
Four starts: three QS, 5.2 IP 2 ER in the other. Consistency. He faces the Oakland Atheltics.
Confidence – 8
Ricky Nolasco, Miami Marlins
After a hot spring, Nolasco hasn’t been as sharp, but is pitching in a Wei-Yin Chen kind of way. He’s going out, posting six innings, and giving the Marlins a chance to win (seems impossible). His spot on this list is more because of his matchups — at Minnesota, vs. the Cubs — than it is a Nolasco endorsement.
Confidence - 7
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