Streaming Pitching Options for Week 7: Frias, Karns, & More

Not so many options to stream this week, at least options that I would suggest you take a chance on. On a weekly basis, I will be profiling those starting pitchers scheduled to take the mound in the upcoming scoring period. This is done to help you determine who to place try to grab from your league's free agent pool and/or who you should target as a player to send your FAAB funds on. Note that all the streaming options listed below are owned in less than 50% of leagues, and thus could be available on your waiver wire. Here are this week's set of potential streaming targets.

Monday, May 18, 2015

Kyle Lobstein DET vs MIL Mike Fiers

Lobstein is coming off a horrific start against the Twins, where he allowed six earned runs in just 2.1 innings. He has been remarkably consistent since stepping in to the Tiger rotation, his last start notwithstanding, when he stepped in to the slot vacated by Justin Verlander’s first career trip to the DL. He will not provide a lot of Ks, but he does generally keep the ball on the ground, and in the park. Look for him to shake off the bad memories of the Minnesota game when he faces the Brewers to open Week 7.

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Carlos Frias LAD @ SF Tim Hudson

Nate Karns TB @ ATL Michael Foltynewicz

Frias should do well, pitching in a forgiving park in San Francisco, as his home park has been surprisingly hitter friendly so far in 2015. He has a bunch of factors going in his favor: good K rate (7.71 K/9), extreme ground ball rate (3.50 GB/FB) and limited walks (1.93 BB/9). All those stats add up to make him a worthwhile pick up from the wire, and look down below, he is a two start pitcher for Week 7 and would be worth holding onto for his Sunday start at home against the Padres.

Karns is also a two start pitcher this scoring period, but I would only suggest using him on Tuesday against the Braves. He can credit his improved performance as a starter to his reduction in free passes. In his first four starts, he had an unimpressive 20:14 K/BB ratio, but in the next four appearances, that ratio improved to a nice 24:7 rate. He is also keeping the ball in the park, having yielded just one homer in his last four starts after giving up five round trippers in the first four trips to the mound in 2015. While Turner Field is not exactly an inviting park for visiting pitchers, it is most the opposition that is hitting well there and not the home team, especially with regard to home runs.

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

David Phelps MIA vs ARI Chase Anderson

Chase Anderson @ MIA David Phelps

Brett Anderson LAD @ SF Tim Lincecum

Phelps has thrown four consecutive QS, yielding just five earned runs over the past 25.1 innings he has thrown over those starts. His ERA sits at 2.90 after that streak, and he gets to face the Diamondbacks at home and not in Chase Field. Admittedly, he has been strong on the road, but with only one home start under his belt, I am not going to put much credit behind his home/road splits due to the small sample size at Marlins Park. Do not expect much in the way of strikeouts, and while he has been consistently good, there is always a clunker of a game looming with a guy that does not have lights out stuff or great control. Still, I like his chances to keep things going the right direction with this start.

I also like Phelps’ opponent to do well on the road. The Arizona Anderson will provide more K potential, and he exhibits good control, sporting a decent 2.23 BB/9 ratio over his 36.1 innings in 2015. He is also keeping hitters from going deep for the most part this season, having allowed just 2 home runs so far this year. If I were wavering between Phelps and Anderson, I would be hard pressed not to just use both and hope for a low scoring contest.

The other Anderson will head to a good pitchers’ park as well, where the Dodger lefty will face the Giants at AT&T Park Wednesday. Anderson left his last start due to a rain delay, but had racked up eight Ks in just 5.1 innings before departing. He relies on getting ground balls from batters and great control, so the strikeouts were nice but not something you can generally count on from him on a game-to-game basis. His .335 BABIP hints that better things are to come, especially when considering that he is limiting both line drives and hard hit balls in general this season.

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Tyler Lyons StL @ NYM Jacob DeGrom

Kyle Hendricks CHC @ SD Odrisamer Despaigne

Lyons is striking out hitters at an elite 11.57 K/9 rate to open May, and has also been showing an unsustainable ground ball to fly ball rate of 4.67. Both of those numbers are due for regression, but he is also sporting an unlucky BABIP of .411. It is all due most likely to a small sample size produced in just two starts, but the K numbers have been there through the last couple of years in both the minors and with the Cardinals. He should be good for some Ks, although the Mets are not a big swing team, sitting just above the bottom third of  NL teams in strikeouts. He is pitching for a hot team, but is not likely to pitch deep into the game, so do not expect a QS. Also, he is doing a great job of inducing soft contact through his early outings, posting a remarkable 32.1% despite yielding 30.8% linedrives. Again, probably due to a small sample size.

Hendricks did not look on top of his game when he faced the Pirates on Friday in Wrigley, at least once the sixth inning rolled around. Still, he has been a solid if unexciting starting pitcher for the Cubs this season. Pitching at Petco can help just about any pitcher, especially one that does not rely on strikeouts to be effective. The venue in San Diego should help balance out his home/road splits this season, although the Padres can be dangerous, so he is my least favorite streaming option on Thursday.

Friday, May 22, 2015

Chris Young KC vs StL Lance Lynn

Might as well take advantage of Young’s presence in the Royal starting rotation, as once Jason Vargas is ready to come off the DL, he will likely return to the bullpen. He is coming off a six inning no decision against the Tigers where he allowed no earned runs (one run allowed) but only struck out three. His ERA is a ridiculous 0.78 this season, and his WHIP sits at 0.52. Obviously those numbers will not stand up forever, but he is pitching well and despite facing the red-hot Cardinals, he gets them at home where he has literally been unhittable; he owns a 0.32 WHIP at Kauffman Stadium, fueled by an uncharacteristic three walks he yielded to the Tigers on May 1. Go ahead and ride the hot hand.

Saturday, May 23, 2015

Mike Bolsinger LAD vs SD Ian Kennedy

Bolsinger has looked extremely sharp in his two starts for the Dodgers, filling in for Joe Wieland in the rotation. He has a 1.59 ERA and an acceptable 1.24 WHIP over 11.1 innings in two starts. That being said, he is not showing much ability to miss bats nor is he demonstrating great control, with a 6.35 K/9 and 3.18 BB/9 so far, although he was a better strikeout pitcher in the minors. The Padres have not faced him yet this season, although he did handle them well in his one start against them while with the Diamondbacks in 2014, so there is that going in his favor.

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Carlos Frias LAD vs SD James Shields

Michael Foltynewicz ATL vs MIL Jimmy Nelson

I already discussed Frias in connection with his Tuesday start against the Giants. Here, he gets to face the Padres, who are a better hitting team than San Francisco. He previously faced them as a reliever, holding them hitless over two innings with two Ks. Not a great match up, having to face off against Shields, but I like him pitching at home here.

If he was not facing the Brewers, Foltynewicz would not be the final streaming option listed this week. He does have a good match up, however, He should be a good source of Ks, as the Brewers are a free swinging bunch. The concern is with the rest of the stats, as his ERA sits at an unpalatable 4.24 and his 1.71 WHIP stinks to high heaven. This is a desperation streaming option, but he was a top prospect for the Astros before being shipped over to Atlanta this past winter, and the strikeouts are a nice benefit. His control will be his downfall as a SP, but should you need some strikeouts to win a category, then he is a good option.

If you have any questions about starting pitching or fantasy baseball, feel free to contact me at ia@fantasyalarm.com.