Streaming pitchers is a classic fantasy baseball strategy that can give managers a leg up on the competition when done correctly and efficiently. Because pitchers don't play every day compared to batters who are in the lineup most games, picking and choosing when to add starters (or relievers) to your lineup involves strategy.
When done correctly, you'll get an influx of counting MLB player stats and (hopefully) ratios that won't hurt you–but you'll need to pick and choose your spots carefully to make sure you aren't doing a disservice to your team.
What Is Pitcher Streaming in Fantasy Baseball?
Streaming in fantasy baseball involves picking up pitchers off the waiver wire for a single start. Whether it's a favorable matchup or if your fantasy baseball team needs a boost in pitching stats toward the end of the week, there are many reasons why streaming makes sense. Looking at the MLB weather can even make sense if it's a cold day or the wind is blowing in at a park.
It's a much more common approach in daily lineup leagues and head-to-head leagues, but plucking a player off the waiver wire for a start or two can make sense in most leagues if you believe that pitcher will perform well.
How to Evaluate a Pitcher's Matchup Before Adding Them
You're not going to find Paul Skenes or Tarik Skubal on the waiver wire. A pitcher is able to be added because he is oftentimes not good enough to be rostered long term. That makes it important for managers to find pitchers who have good matchups, either because they're facing a weak opponent or are throwing in a pitcher-friendly ballpark. You should always be checking RotoWire's MLB projections each day to see who has a favorable matchup compared with their seasonlong stats to date.
Last season the New York Yankees led the MLB with a .787 OPS as a team. The Pittsburgh Pirates were last in the MLB with a .655 team OPS. For reference, Orioles star Gunnar Henderson had a .787 OPS last year vs. Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe's .663 OPS. The difference between team lineups is massive, so you'll want to consider who a pitcher is facing before deciding whether or not to stream them. Seeing how they've performed against that team in the past can also help.
Key Metrics That Separate Good Streamers From Great Ones
A streamer isn't going to be dominant in all categories, otherwise he'd be rostered on a team. That's why you'll need to evaluate your current roster, stats or matchup to see exactly what you need before jumping on a streamer. Last year, Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen struggled to a 4.83 ERA, but still managed to strike out 175 batters. Reds starter Andrew Abbott only struck out 149 batters, but had a 2.87 ERA. Both were available at certain points on the waiver wire, and both contributed differently depending on what teams needed.
Strikeouts are always going to be a great metric to look at. If a pitcher can strike batters out, the other team can't score runs. Just know high strikeout totals may also come with high walk rates and potentially high home run rates. Again, you aren't looking for Garrett Crochet on the waiver wire to stream. You're looking for a pitcher who excels in certain categories where you need the most help.
Weekly Scheduling: How to Maximize Starts Per Week
Managers need to know their league settings before diving into the streaming strategy. Daily lineups vs. weekly lineups is a huge difference-maker, where players will need to pick up their streams before a week begins to get those pitchers into a lineup. Here, the best strategy is to find starters with two starts in a single week. That way you're racking up as many counting stats as you can from your starters, knowing you won't be able to add anyone later in the week. In daily leagues, this isn't as important, but two-start pitchers are still good to stream because you can get two starts out of just one transaction.
Similarly, you'll want to know if your league has a maximum on weekly and season-long pick-ups. Stream too often and you'll find yourself maxed out during the stretch run in the late summer when streaming becomes even more important.
When to Stream vs. When to Hold a Roster Spot for a Contributor
It's easy to chase stats when streaming and forgetting about the bigger picture. Streaming is good in certain scenarios where you have a roster spot being used by someone who isn't the long-term answer, but don't forget about fantasy baseball rankings. A stream is a short-term fix, so cutting someone who may contribute significantly down the stretch isn't advised in most scenarios.
A good rule of thumb is to keep a player on your roster if he would be picked up immediately by another team. You may be handcuffed in certain spots and need to go chase pitching categories by streaming, but just understand there is a cost to it in most instances. Do your research on potential streams by reading RotoWire's analysis on potential pick-ups and read fantasy baseball news on players you're interested in before making any decisions.
To have a full understanding of streaming pitchers and knowing who to target and when, make sure you subscribe to RotoWire to get a jump on the rest of your league and pick up extra pitching stats that put you over the top.
