Astros: Mike Fiers worth a streaming add in Week 13
By Bill Pivetz
Astros starting pitcher Mike Fiers has been on both sides of the spectrum this season. With consecutive good outings, is he worth the add against the A’s?
The Houston Astros have dealt with plenty of pitching injuries and issues throughout this season. Just don’t look for the New York Mets to give them any sympathy. One Astros pitcher with a lot of question marks is Mike Fiers. Though, he looks good in recent starts. Is he worth the add in Week 13?
Fiers has been a roller coaster this season. He has seven starts with less than six innings pitched, but also has seven starts of six innings or more, six of them being quality starts. For the season, Fiers has a 3.81 ERA, 1.333 WHIP and a 67:28 K:BB rate.
This season started rough. While he didn’t allow a lot of runs, Fiers put too many people on base. In his first 11 starts, he gave up 66 hits and 21 walks in 57.2 innings. But, just like throughout his career, Fiers is turning it around.
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In his last three starts, 20.1 innings, Fiers allowed a combined two earned runs on 10 hits and seven walks while striking out 17. He is also 2-0 in that span.
The reason I’m talking about Fiers is of his recent matchups. His last game against the Oakland A’s was good. He went six innings allowing one run on three hits and three walks with five strikeouts. Fiers next game is on June 27 against…the A’s.
The A’s are hitting .255/.327/.442 with 116 runs scored and 224 strikeouts in 23 games. The offense ranks 10th in runs and second in most strikeouts this month. If Fiers can limit the base runners and play to the A’s weaknesses, he should have yet another good start. He has three straight quality starts and four in his last five.
Fiers is getting a little lucky with his 85.8 stand rate. He is inducing ground balls at a 50-percent clip, the highest of his career. His HR/FB rate, 23.7 percent, is the highest since 2013. However, Fiers hasn’t allowed a home run in five straight games. He may have his pitches under control, at least for right now.
Fiers’ fantasy ownership has gone up over the last week. Maybe it’s because of all the injuries, or maybe he’s on a hot streak. He is available in 55 percent of ESPN leagues and his Week 13 matchup against Oakland is worth it.
Looking ahead, his second start of the week will be at home against the New York Yankees. You may want to drop him before that matchup.