June 19 Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Streamers: Brandon Pfaadt, Kyle Gibson, Brayan Bello and Sean Manaea

No big preamble for you today; we’re going to jump right in and identify players who can help your fantasy baseball team succeed with little fanfare.

Let’s run through Wednesday’s probable starters (according to MLB.com) who are widely available in fantasy leagues and have good matchups, creating streaming value. Most stats and rankings are from MLB. The full streamer rankings are listed at the bottom.

Brayan Bello, Boston Red Sox @ Toronto Blue Jays

Bello started the season hot, but things have turned the other way recently. In his first six starts, he gave up more than two earned runs just once. In his last six starts, Bellow has allowed three or more earned runs in each game. Part of that might be tied to his control, as he walked nine batters in the first stretch and 15 in the latter half, but a lot is probably just luck.

Toronto already traded Cavan Biggio after struggling mightily, and that might not be the end of it. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is a free agent after the 2025 season, a year in which he’ll make more than $20 million. Bo Bichette is signed for two more seasons after this one for less than $30 million total; he is also batting .237 with an on-base percentage under .300 and just four home runs. Toronto’s struggles with the bats this season might be the downfall of the second-generation Blue Jays.

Bello is a mid-level streamer here. He strikes guys out a little less than league average, and the Blue Jays don’t strike out much, so he will have to rely on a longer outing to find value.

Kyle Gibson, St. Louis Cardinals @ Miami Marlins

Gibson was listed here before his last start against the Cubs: He threw seven scoreless innings, allowing just two hits with six strikeouts and one walk. He has an even better matchup this time against a Miami team near the bottom of the league in talent and production. In his second start of the season, Gibson gave up seven runs in six innings against the Marlins while taking the loss. I’m trusting the numbers, though, and expecting a better outing this time around.

Miami isn’t just in the bottom 10 in many offensive stats (a criteria I use often); they are in the bottom five in most of those categories. They rank last in home runs and second worst in runs scored, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS. There’s not much hope for improvement, meaning the Marlins are a team to target with all opposing pitchers.

Gibson is a mid- to high-level streamer in this one. His strikeout work (a little above average) gives him a nice floor and ceiling, especially against one of the weakest lineups in the league.

Sean Manaea, New York Mets @ Texas Rangers

I don’t like going after the Rangers, but the facts are the facts: Texas ranks in the bottom half of the league in runs scored, hits, home runs and all four slash categories. They are last in doubles. This team isn’t hitting like the World Series champions of 2023, and they are worth being mentioned on a weak day for streamers. (To be fair, they are near the middle in most of the stats listed above.)

Manaea’s best asset is his strikeout work. He has struck out nearly 24% of the batters he has faced this season (average is around 21%) but also walked a few too many. He has better control numbers in his career, so it could be a minor blip, but his current walk rate (9.3% versus the league average around 8%) would mark the fourth straight season in which his BB rate has increased.

Manaea is a low- to mid-level streamer here. Again, I hate expecting the Rangers to continue struggling, but they make the cut today.

Brandon Pfaadt, Arizona Diamondbacks @ Washington Nationals

Pfaadt is owned in more leagues than most streamers that end up on this list, but he’s still available in enough that it’s worth checking. In both 2023 and 2024, Pfaadt has had better-than-average strikeout and walk rates in 180.1 total innings. After giving up 22 home runs in 96 innings last season, he has allowed only 10 in 84.1 innings this year. If he keeps that up, Pfaadt is on track to be a valuable pitcher.

The Nationals offer one of the best matchups around, sitting in the bottom third of the league in most major offensive stats. They are active on the base paths, ranking first in steal attempts and times caught and sitting third in successful steals. That’s especially notable because they are in the bottom 10 in on-base percentage, meaning they have less guys on base than most teams but still run the most.

Pfaadt is a high-level streamer in this one and should be in a lineup in every league. His strikeout work combined with a weak Washington roster puts him in position for a good outing.

Wednesday’s Streamer Rankings

1. Brandon Pfaadt, ARI
2. Kyle Gibson, STL
3. Brayan Bello, BOS
4. Sean Manaea, NYM