Fantasy Baseball Two-Start Pitcher Streaming Options: May 6-12
These are the top available streamers in fantasy baseball who will make two starts next week, headlined by Jack Flaherty and Triston McKenzie.
Streaming starting pitchers is a common strategy that often leads to success in fantasy baseball. For those unfamiliar with the concept, the idea is simply to pick up a “lesser” pitcher for an inviting matchup or two that is soon to come.
The strategy certainly comes with risk, as there is usually a good reason, or several, that a particular hurler is rostered at a lower rate in most leagues. Still, the gamble can pay off nicely if a fantasy manager gets it right and their waiver pick-up delivers.
The goal of this weekly article is to help fantasy managers pinpoint some two-start streamers with favorable matchups for the following week of the 2024 MLB season. These suggestions should be able to help out in a variety of season-long formats, but they can be especially useful to gain an edge in weekly head-to-head leagues.
*** Each SP below was rostered in fewer than 60% of Yahoo leagues at time of writing
Next Week’s Best Two-Start SP Streamers
Triston McKenzie (CLE) – vs. DET, at CWS – 57%
After a breakout campaign in 2022, McKenzie was limited to just four starts in 2023 due to injury. It took him a few starts to get settled back in this year. Two of his first three outings were pretty rough, but the lanky right-hander appears to have regained comfort on the hill over his last three.
In that span, McKenzie has posted a 2.81 ERA and 1.25 WHIP while limiting the opposition to a .233 AVG across 16 innings. He has walked six batters (9.1%), but his 19 strikeouts (28.8%) have made up for it, and he displayed much better control in his most recent start.
At Houston on Wednesday, McKenzie delivered an excellent performance, giving up just two runs on five hits and a walk while striking out six over seven frames. A home matchup against the Tigers followed by a trip to face the league’s lowest-scoring lineup (2.8 runs per game) on the south side of Chicago is certainly inviting.
Jack Flaherty (DET) – at CLE, vs. HOU – 51%
Flaherty unquestionably wanted to show out opposite his long-time former team this past Tuesday. The 28-year-old righty tied an American League record by striking out the first seven Cardinals he faced. He also set a new career-high with 14 total punchouts across 6.2 shutout frames while surrendering just two hits and a walk.
Flaherty’s overall results through six starts this season have been a bit erratic (4.00 ERA), but his 50-to-5 K/BB across 36 innings is phenomenal. He’s piling up strikeouts at a career-best rate, ranking second in the majors among qualifying hurlers with a 34.0 K%.
Flaherty has recorded double-digit Ks in two of his last three starts and a 3.38 ERA over his last four. His 2.15 xFIP is also best in the league among all qualified starters. He should not just be viewed as a “streamer” but a fantasy asset to hang onto going forward.
Kyle Gibson (STL) – vs. NYM, at MIL – 19%
Flaherty’s opponent in that pitcher’s duel from Tuesday, Gibson allowed only one run on four hits and two walks with a season-high nine strikeouts over seven innings. The veteran has been cruising of late, as he has given up exactly one run while logging at least six frames in each of his last three outings.
During that stretch, Gibson has put up a stellar 1.42 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 18-to-8 K/BB across 19 innings. A 4.13 xFIP suggests that some caution is in order, but Gibson’s combination of a 32.7 HardHit%, 85.3 mph EV, and 46.9 GB% in this span is promising. He’s already had one solid start against Milwaukee back on April 19, and the Mets have been cold of late, averaging just 2.6 runs over their last 10 games.
Other Options to Consider
- Tyler Anderson (LAA) – at PIT, vs. KC – 39%
- Luis Gil (NYY) – vs. HOU, at TB – 33%
- Colin Rea (MIL) – at KC, vs. STL – 13%
- Simeon Woods Richardson (MIN) – vs. SEA, at TOR – 10%
Written by
Nate Miller is a feature writer at FantasyPros and Just Baseball. He has been an analyst in the fantasy sports industry for the past decade, covering…