Sunday’s likely starters who are widely used in fantasy leagues and have good matchups.
Welcome to September baseball! Over the next 29 days, we’ll crown five division champions (the Brewers are 10 games ahead; I’m confident they’ll hold on) and six wild cards. No team is on pace for 100 wins, but four of the six division leaders have between 79 and 82 wins. It’s going to be a wild race to the end of the season.
Let’s look at Sunday’s likely starters (according to MLB.com) that are widely available in fantasy leagues and have good matchups, creating streaming value. Most stats and rankings come from MLB. Full streamer rankings can be found below.
Cleveland Guardians vs Pittsburgh Pirates
Cobb began the season on the injured list, not pitching at all before being traded at the deadline, and has now made two starts for Cleveland. The numbers were very modest: 10.1 combined innings, six runs allowed (five earned), four strikeouts and three walks. That strikeout number is very low, but it’s a small sample size that will likely even out with more innings. Cobb was an above-average strikeout player from 2021-2023, which gives hope that he can find that touch again.
Pittsburgh is an averagely bad team; they rank between 20th and 25th in most offensive stats, and even with some great young pitchers, there isn’t much to be excited about for the Pirates. There is a dynamic of stars and losers right now, but the losers far outnumber the stars. The Pirates’ batters have the fourth-most strikeouts.
Cobb is a low-to-mid-level streamer. His career performance suggests high potential, but Cobb just returned from a long break, so it’s best to temper expectations.
Boston Red Sox @ Detroit Tigers
Criswell has been primarily a starter this year, starting 15 games with six bullpen appearances. He has a good walk rate, but his strikeout rate is well below average. Criswell made one start against Detroit on June 1, earning the win as he allowed one run in five innings with five strikeouts and one walk.
Detroit isn’t in a terrible spot going forward, but the rest of 2024 is a washout. In a division that doesn’t typically produce year-round standouts (like the AL East), a young Tigers team with a potential Cy Young winner () seems more likely to be on the way up than down, and only a few impactful additions could put them in playoff contention with expected improvement from within.
Criswell is a low-level streamer. The matchup is just OK and Criswell hasn’t done enough strikeout work to have higher potential.
Los Angeles Angels vs Seattle Mariners
Another player making his major league debut! He made his first start for the Angels on Friday and was listed here against the Mariners as well. He allowed seven runs in five innings, but only two were earned, so Aldegheri’s debut had good and bad sides. Dana was drafted in the 11th round in 2022 and is only 20 years old; he breezed through the minors (though he’ll likely spend more time there next year). Dana has done quality strikeout work in the minor leagues, so there’s hope that continues.
Seattle is the team you want to go after if you’re looking for strikeouts. I mention this pretty much every day here: Mariner batters have the most strikeouts of any team, and that’s not even close. They’re also last in hits, doubles, and batting average, and 29th in triples, slugging percentage, and OPS. Seattle has a low floor.
Dana is a low-level streamer with a little bit of potential. In his first start, I can’t recommend Dana as a surefire fantasy player. However, his strikeout work coupled with Seattle’s swing-and-miss style means he has a chance to have a great debut.
New York Mets @ Chicago White Sox
And then there are the White Sox. I’m a huge Chicago fan in any sport; I prefer the White Sox to the Cubs (even though it’s close). I remember watching that team win the 2005 World Series with their good pitchers and timely hitting. The current team may not even win the Triple-A championship, and the good vibes from the past are no longer in anyone’s mind. They’ll soon be 50 games behind in their division.
Manaea is featured in more leagues than our average streamer, but today is quiet and he is available in enough leagues that it’s worth checking out. The matchup couldn’t get any better, making Manaea a very valuable player today. He’s doing great K work, striking out over 25% of the batters he faces.
Manaea is a high-level streamer, so check out your free agent market now before someone else beats you to it.
Washington Nationals vs Chicago Cubs
Parker has done well in his rookie season: 126.1 innings, 4.26 ERA, strikeout rate just below average, and a very good walk rate. He did great strikeout work in the minors, so that number could even go up. Parker is another key performer on a talented young Nationals team.
The Cubs have had their ups and downs this season, and the offense has devolved into a very average team. Most days they aren’t listed here because there are better opponents, but on a quiet day with a good pitcher on the mound, this game is worth mentioning as one with possible fantasy value.
Parker is a low-level streamer. He was pretty good, but the matchup isn’t that great, meaning Parker is more of a filler than a top streamer.
Streamer rankings from Sunday
- Sean Manaea, NYM
- Alex Cobb, CLE
- Mitchell Parker, WSH
- Cooper Criswell, BOS
- Caden Dana, LAA
#Waivers #2024-Fantasy-Baseball
