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Fantasy Baseball Pitching – Streaming Options for April 2

By Bill Pivetz

TORONTO, ON - MARCH 28: Jordan Zimmermann #27 of the Detroit Tigers walks off the mound after retiring the side in the seventh inning on Opening Day during MLB game action against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on March 28, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - MARCH 28: Jordan Zimmermann #27 of the Detroit Tigers walks off the mound after retiring the side in the seventh inning on Opening Day during MLB game action against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on March 28, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) /
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The available streaming options on April 2 for fantasy baseball owners are not ideal.

I started my daily fantasy baseball streaming options on March 31. While the games haven’t finished yet as of this writing, there were enough options for owners to pick from. Today? Not so much. If you decide to stream a pitcher, I wish you the best of luck.

With April 2 being the sixth day in the regular season, most teams are back to the top of the rotation. All but 11 pitchers are owned in at least 50 percent of ESPN leagues. My threshold for streamers is under 40 percent. Of those pitchers left, the pickings are slim.

To make things even worse, the pitchers that are available to stream are either not good or have an unfavorable matchup. In season-long fantasy baseball, you could make up the difference later in the week. In DFS, you’re putting a lot on the line for one of these pitchers.

Eric Lauer, vs. ARI

I will likely be toting Padres pitchers all season. They have a high chance of winning and will have favorable matchups throughout the year. Lauer is no different. He had a good first start against the Giants, six innings with four hits, one walk and three strikeouts.

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He will face the 1-3 Diamondbacks in his second start. They are hitting .253 with 22 runs scored. The Dbacks were beat up by the Dodgers over a four-game series. The Padres offense may be able to do the same, giving Lauer a shot at his second win.

Jordan Zimmermann, @NYY

Many fantasy baseball owners would stay away from the 32-year-old veteran in this situation. However, the Yankees lost both Giancarlo Stanton and Miguel Andujar to the IL (I will never get used to that) in addition to Aaron Hicks and the numerous pitchers.

Zimmermann had a good first start, seven shutout innings with one hit and four strikeouts against the Blue Jays. The Tigers offense may not score enough runs to get Zimmermann the win, but he could exit with a quality start.

Kyle Gibson, @KC

Gibson dealt with illness during spring training but is healthy enough to make his first start. He and the rebuilt Twins will travel to Kansas City. The Royals are hitting .219 with 16 runs scored, 19th and 13th in the league. The Royals offense, outside of Whit Merrifield and Adalberto Mondesi, isn’t a high-powered offense.

Gibson had a solid offense behind him with Nelson Cruz (3 RBIs), Byron Buxton (4 H) and others. Kauffman Stadium was a pitcher-friendly park last season and is trending the same this year. Gibson recorded 18 quality starts last season, 56 percent.

Next. Two-Start Pitchers You Need to Own. dark

I told you it’s a weak list of streaming options. Then again, you’re not going to find an ace available on the waiver wire. It’s early, so hopefully, you don’t have to stream too often. These are the kind of names you’ll be seeing all season long.

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