Straight Cheese Streaming Starting Pitchers Week 11

This is my weekly column where I suggest low owned starting pitchers that have a matchup in their favor in the coming week to help your fantasy baseball team. Most of these hurlers are to be used and tossed back to the waiver wire. Some of them will graduate from the wire and find a permanent space on someone’s roster, hopefully yours.

Streaming Starting Pitchers Week 11

My process is to look at wOBA, ISO and K% to identify weak lineups and conversely for pitchers I look at wOBA, ISO against and their K%.

All statistics, ownership and projected starting dates are as of Thursday afternoon, May 30.

RHP Jerad Eickhoff, PHI
Owned Y28%/E28% · @ San Diego Padres – Tuesday, June 4

Fact #1 – Eickhoff in 8 starts [counting yesterday afternoon] has a 4.47 ERA, 5.02 xFIP, 1.24 WHIP and 20.4 K%. Fact #2 – In his last 4 starts he’s been horrendous: 18.1 innings, 8.35 ERA, 1.58 WHIP and almost as many homeruns (10) as strikeouts (12). So why on Earth am I mentioning him?

Because he is facing the Padres who struggle against RHP at home: 0.277 wOBA (3^rd worst in MLB), 0.157 ISO (8^th worst) and a 26.0 K% (5^th worst). In fact using our new Fantasy Points Allowed Tool we can see that RHP starting pitchers when facing the Padres in San Diego are putting up a 3.43 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and averaging 5.3 strikeouts per game.

Eickhoff’s start against the Padres appears to be safe unless the Phillies do something because of his recent struggles.

RHP Kyle Gibson, MIN
Owned Y42%/E39% · @ Detroit Tigers – Friday, June 7

Through 10 starts he has a 4.08 ERA, 3.33 xFIP, 1.20 WHIP and 25.2 K% in 57.1 innings and has been susceptible to the dinger (9 homeruns and a 21.4% HR/FB). All of his other metrics are roughly in line with his career numbers with the exception of strikeouts. His 25.2 K% and 9.42 K/9 this season dwarf his 17.6% career K% and 6.81 career K/9. I’m not here to tell you why he is striking more people out, I’m here to tell you to use him next week against the Tigers.

Detroit at home versus RHP: 0.274 wOBA (2^nd worst in MLB), 0.129 ISO (3^rd worst) and 23.9 K% (13^th worst). Even better for us, the Tigers have been in a funk since May 9: 5-15 record, 0.263 wOBA (worst in MLB), 0.144 ISO (4^th worst) and 25.7 K% (5^th worst). Peeling back even further in that same period at home they are last in wOBA (0.232), ISO (0.108) and 3^rd worst in K% (26.4%).

Gibson is primed for a good outing in Motown but if he gets moved up into the rotation he would be taking on the Indians in Cleveland.  While not as favorable, I’d still feel comfortable rolling him out there if that were to happen.

LHP Wade Miley, HOU
Owned Y44%/E18% · vs Baltimore Orioles – Sunday, June 9

First we’ll discuss Baltimore versus LHP on the road where they have a 0.284 wOBA (7^th worst in MLB), 0.152 ISO (13^th worst) and a 25.4 K% (13^th worst). This is not a strong advantage but it is an advantage.

Buoyed by a 0.260 BABIP and 83.6 LOB%, Miley is putting up good numbers through his first 12 starts: 3.25 ERA, 4.24 xFIP, 1.14 WHIP and 19.2 K% in 69.1 innings. What makes this matchup with Baltimore even more enticing is that in 6 home starts (36.1 innings) he has a 2.23 ERA, 3.45 xFIP, 0.96 WHIP and a 27.3 K%.

Miley will eventually “regress” but not next week against the Orioles in Houston. Since this start is on Sunday there is a chance that something happens and his start gets pushed back into Week 12 where Houston welcomes Milwaukee into town. I’d err on the side of caution and not stream him if that happens.

Extra Cheese

Here is where I recommend a two-start pitcher for you to stream. Please bear in mind that things can change after this article is posted. Injuries, rain delays, managerial moves, etc. can happen.

RHP Corbin Martin, HOU
Owned Y16%/E19% – @ Seattle (Mon Jun 3) & vs. Baltimore (Sat Jun 8)

In his first 4 MLB games Martin has not been all that good: 5.51 ERA, 5.05 xFIP, 1.71 WHIP and 21.1 K% in 16.1 innings. He’s also been prone to the long ball (6 homeruns and a 31.6 HR/FB%). The 23 year old has impressive minor league numbers: 2.30 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 27.5 K% in 180 innings. He just needs to find his groove… and he should next week.

• Seattle vs RHP at home: 0.294 wOBA (24th), 0.166 ISO (21st) and 28.7 K% (30th)
• Baltimore vs RHP on the road: 0.299 wOBA (23rd), 0.145 ISO (26th) and 25.1 K% (25th)

Both of these opponents provide very favorable matchups and I’m willing to take a chance on him next week. You should, too.

Streaming Starting Pitchers Week 9 Review

Let’s look back at my previous recommendations, streaming starting pitchers week 9. Note we have to look back two weeks since last week’s Straight Cheese is for the current week. Got it? Good.

Well, while Teheran came through the other two clearly did not. I can explain Bassitt’s poor showing with the Indians finally showing signs of life but what the Marlins did to Turnbull?

• Marlins since May 17: 9-3 record, 0.323 wOBA (15th), 0.165 ISO (22nd) and 19.1 K% (6th)
• Marlins prior to May 17: 10-31 record, 0.260 wOBA (30th), 0.88 ISO (30th) and 25.3 K% (23rd)

Here’s a look back at the two start pitcher I recommended back in Week 9.

Ugh. Complete disaster… well, maybe not complete. He did have 12 strikeouts in 12 innings. I know. Grasping at straws.