April 1 Starting Pitcher Fantasy Streamers: Emerson Hancock, Dean Kremer, Max Meyer and More
Looking at some of the pitchers projected to start on Monday who have good matchups and are probably available in your free agent pool
We are through the first series of the season for each team, meaning things are well under way. The dog days of summer haven’t come yet, but it won’t be long before four games become 40, 80 and 120.
In fantasy baseball, that means a lot of roster checking and pitcher searching to fill your lineup every day/week. Let’s go through the probable starters on Monday (according to MLB.com) who are widely available in fantasy leagues and worth considering.
None of the guys below is a sure bet; if they were, they’d already be on someone’s roster. Instead, they are capable pitchers with good matchups against teams with weaker lineups. Stats and rankings referred to from 2023 are from ESPN.
MacKenzie Gore, Washington Nationals vs Pittsburgh Pirates
Marco Gonzales, Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Washington Nationals
These guys face each other and both benefit from seeing a weaker lineup. Pittsburgh might graduate out of “weak lineup” territory soon if they continue the start to their season, averaging nearly eight runs per game over their first four. Let’s see how they do against a team other than the Marlins, though.
Other than batting average, Washington finished among the bottom 10 in most major offensive stats last season. They are a team that can be targeted in fantasy baseball with starting pitchers.
Gonzales both walks and strikes batters out at below-average rates. Gore both walks and strikes out batters at above-average rates. Gore has more potential (at only 25-years-old) and has the better matchup; he is a good streaming option.
Gonzales is more of a low-end streamer if you need to fill a spot.
Emerson Hancock, Seattle Mariners vs. Cleveland Guardians
Hancock entered the league as the sixth overall pick in 2020 and has thrown just 12 big league innings. He struck out a batter per inning in the minor leagues, so he should presumably keep that ability to some extent.
Cleveland beat up on Oakland a little bit to open the season (29 runs in four games), but it’ll be a little different against actual big-league competition. The Guardians had less power than almost any team in 2023, finishing last in home runs and second-to-last in slugging percentage.
Hancock is a deep streamer with some upside.
Tanner Houck, Boston Red Sox @ Oakland Athletics
Houck has struck out more than one batter per inning in 74 appearances (41 starts), staying near that mark even when working exclusively as a starter. He has fantasy value at times, and facing the Oakland A’s is as good a time as any.
Oakland had the worst offense in baseball last season and little reason to expect better in 2024. Many pitchers should be streamed against Oakland, including Houck.
Dean Kremer, Baltimore Orioles vs. Kansas City Royals
Before exploding for 11 runs on Sunday, the Royals had scored just one run in each of their first two games. KC has a weak lineup and is a good team to target with starting pitchers.
Kremer has started 70 games with slightly below average results. He strikes out a below-average number of hitters, but the good matchup gives Kremer a chance to be successful in his first start of the season.
Sean Manaea, New York Mets vs. Detroit Tigers
Manaea is a veteran who has had a middling career. He strikes guys out at an above-average rate, so there’s always upside in the right situations. The Tigers have one of the worst lineups in the league and averaged less than four runs per game in their first series of the season.
Manaea isn’t a great option, but he is a good streamer given the matchup.
Max Meyer, Miami Marlins vs Los Angeles Angels
Meyer has only six Major League innings to his name and is returning from Tommy John surgery. He was the third overall pick in 2020, entering the league with pedigree, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him find success early in his career.
The Angels have Mike Trout and not much else, presenting value for those looking to stream a starting pitcher. Meyer is a mid-level streamer on Monday.
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