Why Streaming Pitchers is the Best Strategy
By Bill Pivetz
Mar 9, 2015; Dunedin, FL, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Collin McHugh (31) pitches during the first inning of a spring training baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Florida Auto Exchange Park. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Fantasy baseball is filled with many different strategies. Each one as effective as the other. Wait on speed, target batters early and hold off on pitching, avoid rookies, etc. However, there is one strategy that will guarantee you come out on top in your league. Streaming pitchers.
Streaming pitchers is the act of keeping your one or two elite pitchers and using the rest of your pitching spots to add and drop a new starter every day. If you’re in a shallow, mixed league with a high or no cap on total starts or innings pitched, this is how you beat everyone else.
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You don’t want to add any pitcher starting on any given day, but only those with a favorable matchup and then cut them the next day. This allows you to get an advantage in the volume stats, wins, strikeouts and saves. This could affect your ERA and WHIP, but your two aces should be able to keep it at a moderate level.
In standard 10-team leagues, there are at least 25-30 starting pitchers worth drafting along with all 30 closers. If you have pitching slots, that means only 55-60 pitchers are owned at a time. With five starting pitchers per team, 150 total, there are plenty of pitchers to pick up each day. Why hold onto struggling players who pitch once every five days when there are better options, even just for a day, sitting on the waiver wire?
In my league last year, 10-team Roto, I was behind in most of the pitching categories. As a result, late in the season, I decided to stream one or two pitchers per day. I utilized this strategy with both starting pitchers and closers. Tsuyoshi Wada of the Chicago Cubs was added and dropped three times from Aug. 19 to Sept. 1. I picked up starter Bud Norris twice in September.
At the end of the season, I finished second in total points, third in strikeouts, first in saves, fourth in ERA and third in WHIP. With pitchers like A.J. Burnett, Santiago Casilla, Jonathon Niese and many others going undrafted, don’t be surprised if you own them multiple times throughout the season.
If you decide to stream your pitchers, do it early. Because if injuries overcome another team’s rotation, those streaming pitching options will be picked up and can hurt you in the long run.