There are not many streaming options that I am willing to propose, until we reach Wednesday, then the possibilities are almost too numerous for comfort. I do make mention of some pitchers I considered but did not want to fully endorse on Monday, Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday, so if you are pressed for innings or stats, you should consider them, too. Thursday and Friday are wastelands for streaming purposes this week, and trust me, I tried my best to find options for each of those slates.       

Realize that these pitchers are all owned in 50 percent or less of leagues. and thus may be available in your league on the waiver wire. I am only going to highlight those pitchers that I believe can provide a boost to your rotation, so no bottom-of-the-barrel SPs will be brought to your attention. Also, please understand that this set of pitchers is being assembled early before the next scoring period (in most leagues, at least) commences, and weather, injury, demotions or crazy managerial decisions can interfere with our well-laid plans, so be ready to adjust if you can make daily lineup adjustments.

Here are the recommended streaming options for this week:

Monday, May 30, 2016

Junior Guerra MIL vs StL Carlos Martinez

I like the 31-year-old rookie Guerra to continue to develop as a major league pitcher. He has been striking out a batter per inning, and has been able to avoid letting hitters take him deep very often. He does struggle with his control, though. If he keeps pitching this well, his ownership percentage will soon make it so he is no longer featured in these articles.

Also for consideration: Ivan Nova NYY @ TOR Marco Estrada. Remember, though, that he was just roughed up to the tune of four earned runs by Toronto in his last start, and that was at home where he is pitching much better this season. Nova is a risky start, and would not be my favorite streaming option on Monday.

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Dan Straily CIN @ COL Jon Gray

Straily looks to be the perfect regression candidate with his depressed BABIP and high strand rate (.234 and 78.2 percent, respectively) and this game is at Coors Field. He offers good strikeout potential, despite his control issues (3.98 BB/9). His team's offense is not awe-inspiring, either. Jon Gray is beginning to succumb to the pitfalls of pitching in Colorado, though, and Straily is working on a stretch of starts where five of six were QS (he missed by an inning in Philadelphia mid-May), so while there is risk, this also looks to be the best streaming option on Tuesday.

Also for consideration: CC Sabathia NYY @ TOR J.A. Happ. Over the past three seasons, Sabathia has struggled against both the Jays and when pitching at the Rogers Centre. This season, he took a tough luck loss when he dropped a decision where the Jays scored two unearned runs over 7.1 innings, and he has not pitched as well as he currently is for several seasons. He is an option just based on his hot hand of late.

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Michael Fulmer DET @ LAA Matt Shoemaker

Matt Shoemaker LAA vs DET Michael Fulmer

Jon Niese PIT @ MIA Adam Conley

Pat Dean MIN @ OAK Sean Manaea

Christian Friedrich SD vs SEA Felix Hernandez

Our first pair of pitchers are opposing one another out in Anaheim. Fulmer was considered the best pitching prospect in the Tigers' system prior to his promotion, and he is settling in as a back-of-the-rotation option as he becomes more comfortable facing MLB offenses. His last two starts covering 14.2 innings, both victories, saw him strike out 14 while only walking two batters. That being said, Shoemaker has also looked especially strong in his last two trips to the mound, striking out 23 and walking none over those 15.2 innings. Both of these guys have some issue with giving up long balls, so the streaming starts are somewhat risky given the hitters they will be facing.

Neise has battled back from a terrible start to the season, and is now looking like another reclamation project that Pittsburgh coaching has succeeded with again. He is working on a four-game quality start streak, and while he will never put up gaudy strikeout numbers, his control has been spot on over those four appearances. Miami is a good park for a pitcher to throw in on the road, and Niese has had success against the Marlins in Miami over the past three seasons. Plus, the Marlins are struggling to put forth a consistent offense these days.

I realize the Twins keep getting beaten but it is not like the A's are a super team, either. Both teams struggle to score, although of the two, Oakland seems the more consistent. Still, Dean has recently put up two QS against a pair of tough offenses in Toronto and Seattle. He is showing good control and offers strikeout potential if you want to use him on the road, where he has been better than at Target Field, albeit in a small sample size.

Speaking of small sample sizes, Friedrich has only started three games in 2016 for the Padres, but has put up two QS in those starts. He was rocked by the Dodgers, lasting only 3.1 innings in his second start, giving up six hits and three walks. He did bounce back nicely on the road against the Diamondbacks, allowing just three hits and shutting Arizona out for seven innings. He also struck out five in that outing. This is not the greatest match up, with King Felix opposing him on the mound for the surprising first place Mariners (going into Sunday's contests). The 28-year-old former Rockie has looked more comfortable pitching in San Diego than Denver, and is worth consideration as a streaming option, although his offense is certainly a concern.

Thursday, June 2, 2016

I certainly hope the slate of available streamers on Wednesday can get you through two days, as there is no one that I can recommend with any good feelings for Thursday.

Friday, June 3, 2016

I considered suggesting another pair of opposing starters in Oakland's Jesse Hahn who heads to Houston to face Doug Fister, but I am put off by their lack of control and propensity to allow home runs in their starts, as well as Fister's inability to miss bats. Feel free to use either, but be prepared for disappointment.

Saturday, June 4, 2016

Junior Guerra MIL @ PHI Jeremy Hellickson

Nick Tropeano LAA @ PIT Jeff Locke

I already profiled Guerra in Monday's entry above, so while I do not like the venue in this contest as much as his earlier home start in Week 9, I still have faith in him. His opponent on the hill, Hellickson, is owned in just over 50% of leagues, or I would have suggested him as well (hint: go look for him on your league's waiver wire).

Tropeano has been a nice middle-of-the-rotation starter for the Angels, and is finally starting to pitch deeper into games. He has a sub-3 ERA in nine starts and is striking out nearly a batter per inning. His control needs work if he is going to post a useful WHIP (currently inflated by walks and sitting at 1.47), and less homers would also be helpful. Then again, so would a more effective bullpen and offense. His pitching opponent is not an ace by any means, and the ballpark is not horrible for opposing pitchers to work in by any means, so while not the greatest match up, it is worth considering.

Others to consider: Ivan Nova NYY @ BAL Tyler Wilson (Nova has been roughed up at Camden Yards in recent history) and Martin Perez TEX vs SEA Nathan Karns (do not like his terrible K/BB ratio and lack of control, despite faring well against the Mariners over the past few seasons).

Sunday, June 5, 2016

Jon Gray COL @ SD James Shields

Gray has pitched well in four of his last five starts, getting roughed up to the tune of nine earned runs in just 3.1 innings against the Cardinals on the road, before bouncing back nicely against the Red Sox in Boston for a 7.1 inning victory where he allowed just a pair of earned runs. He gets to pitch away from Coors Field in this start, and San Diego continues to struggle offensively.

I would normally have suggested CC Sabathia, but he is facing the Orioles at Camden Yards, and he has not been at his best under those conditions over the past three seasons. He is on a roll right now, however, so if you need a second starter for Sunday to wrap up the week, consider using the Yankee hurler on the road.

I enjoy responding to reader questions, so feel free to post. If you do not want your comments to appear in this public forum (if say your league members also read these articles), then feel free to contact me at ia@fantasyalarm.com for a more private response. I play in a ton of fantasy leagues, and am willing to discuss any baseball issues you may want to raise, not just starting pitching issues. As ever, good luck and Godspeed in your fantasy endeavors.