April 2-4 Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Streamers: Casey Mize, Jose Quintana, A.J. Puk and More

Starting pitchers may be less relevant than ever, making the shortest average starts in modern history while teams are built around the bullpen as much as their rotation. Fantasy baseball still relies on those starters, though, to accumulate the most innings, strikeouts, etc.

It’s a little like running backs in fantasy football: Backs are some of the most important fantasy players but keep seeing their real-life value seemingly decrease each season. While starting pitchers are soaking up less innings, their five-inning appearances gain more than any relief pitcher can offer.

Let’s look at probable starters (according to MLB.com) who are likely available in your fantasy league and have positive outlooks as streamers. No one listed below is a sure thing, but they’d be on a roster already if they were. These are guys worth considering as streamers.

Stats and rankings referenced from 2023 are mostly from ESPN.

April 2

Javier Assad, Chicago Cubs vs. Colorado Rockies

This game is in Chicago and not Colorado, a good start for any pitcher. The Rockies had a subpar offense last year and have started the same this season; they have averaged less than three runs per game over their first five games.

Assad had slightly worse-than-average walk and strikeout rates in 147 innings over 2022-23. His ERA was right around 3.00, so the results have been good in a small sample. With a decent matchup against the weak Rockies, Assad has value as a streamer.

Adrian Houser, New York Mets vs. Detroit Tigers

Houser has been a very average pitcher in his career, owning an ERA right at 4.00 with strikeout and walk rates a little worse than average. He is matchup-dependent, only holding fantasy value against weaker lineups.

That’s a good way to describe Detroit: Among the weakest lineups. They were in the bottom 10 in most major offensive categories last season and averaged less than four runs per game against the White Sox in their opening series.

Houser won’t be start-able in many games, but this is an opportunity to put him in your lineup.

Cole Irvin, Baltimore Orioles vs. Kansas City Royals

Kansas City has one star in Bobby Witt and mostly middling or worse players otherwise. They are a team that will likely be able to be targeted in fantasy through the whole season.

Irvin walks a small number of batters but also strikes them out at a below-average rate. His results in 77 starts (105 total appearances) have been far from remarkable, sitting near the league average (or worse) in many areas.

Irvin’s status as a low-end streamer is due to the matchup. With KC continuing to own one of the worst lineups in the league, opposing starting pitchers will find success.

Reynaldo Lopez, Atlanta Braves @ Chicago White Sox

Lopez saw a major spike in his strikeout rate last season while splitting time between the White Sox, Angels and Guardians: He struck out nearly 30% of the batters he faced after previously never reaching 25% in a season.

He did all that work as a reliever, so he will probably see a dip from 2023, but Lopez has shown the ability to sit batters down. He’s a good streamer against the White Sox, one of the worst teams in baseball. Chicago is another team that will make opposing starters look good all year.

Casey Mize, Detroit Tigers @ New York Mets

Mize was the first overall pick by the Tigers in the 2018 draft. A middling start to his career was put on hold when he was forced to undergo Tommy John surgery, causing him to miss most of the last two seasons. Expecting a performance commensurate with the No. 1 pick may not be realistic, but Mize can still have success against the right teams.

The Mets crashed hard last season, riding a league-leading payroll to just 75 wins. They have several stars: Pete Alonso has as much power as anyone, and Francisco Lindor remains an All-Star-level talent. New York’s lineup isn’t imposing overall, however.

With expectations held in check, Mize could have a successful outing in his first start since 2022.

April 3

Chris Paddack, Minnesota Twins @ Milwaukee Brewers

Milwaukee has a reputation for getting rid of players before they become expensive, relying on drafting and development of talent to replace the veterans. That’s great for balancing the books, but it leaves holes on the roster and an underwhelming lineup at times.

Paddack has better-than-average strikeout and walk rates in his career, but injuries have derailed him recently, including Tommy John surgery. Paddock said he expects to make shorter outings as he returns, so he won’t get to rack up stats, but he offers a decent chance to have a good start.

A.J. Puk, Miami Marlins vs Los Angeles Angels

Puk, a former top-10 draft pick who had worked exclusively as a reliever, made his first career start last Friday. Things didn’t go well: Puk walked six batters and allowed four runs in just two innings.

Even with a rocky start, Puk has some value against the Angels. LA’s 2023 numbers don’t look bad, but they are boosted by the presence of Shohei Ohtani, now across town with the Dodgers. The team now has Mike Trout and not a lot else, making a decent matchup in fantasy baseball.

Puk is a low-end streamer, more suitable for the last spot in your lineup.

Patrick Sandoval, Los Angeles Angels @ Miami Marlins

Opposing Puk will be Sandoval, a 27-year-old lefty who had his own rough first start. He allowed five runs (three earned) and walked two in just 1.2 innings on Opening Day against Baltimore.

The Marlins are not the Orioles, though. While the latter won 102 games last year, Miami was a below-average team who snuck into the playoffs behind good pitching. While the Marlins were near the top of the league in hits and batting average in 2023, they were in the bottom half in power categories and runs scored.

It’s not a great matchup, but Sandoval has some value against a middling lineup. Treat Sandoval as a low-level streamer.

Jose Quintana, New York Mets vs. Detroit Tigers

Quintana lost his opening start, but he performed better than Puk or Sandoval: Quintana gave up only two runs in 4.2 innings, walking two and striking out four. He is an average starter, worthy of a fantasy spot in the right matchups.

Detroit has one of the worst lineups in baseball. They were in the bottom five in many major categories last season without much reason to hope for big improvements. Detroit is a great target for opposing pitchers in fantasy.

Quintana is a good streamer this time through the rotation, worthy of a spot in your lineup.

April 4

There are only four games on Thursday, leaving a lack of options compared to the usual slate. I’ll give you one bonus player for now, possibly updating this section as more starters are announced.

Martin Perez, Pittsburgh Pirates @ Washington Nationals

Perez gave up just one run in 4.1 innings in his first start, a game his team won 7-2. Perez has a well below-average strikeout rate but also limits walks, leading to average results. He is a player with value in the right situation.

The Nationals have a young team, rebuilding after going all in for a World Series win, a decision they would surely repeat despite the current lean times. They were in the bottom 10 in power categories and runs scored in 2023, something that will likely continue.

Perez is a decent streamer on Thursday. He won’t strike many guys out, but he has a good chance of producing a useful start.