Fantasy Baseball First-Weekend Offensive Streamers: Logan O'Hoppe, Brandon Lowe, Ke'Bryan Hayes, Taylor Ward and More

It's hard to keep up with a full season of fantasy baseball, particularly if you play in a daily league. The season winds through six-plus months and 162 games per team, an arduous grind that seems to end too fast when the playoffs finally hit.

As a fantasy owner in the regular season, the hardest thing to do is identify the best players from day to day. It's easy to just follow the rankings of whichever platform you are using, but that bases things solely on player performance, which doesn't take into account previous or current opponent skill level.

Streaming is the best way to get production from a lineup spot when you either don't have a daily starter or if your star gets hurt. A league-average hitter turns into an above-average batter against bad pitching and vice versa; let opponents help dictate your best players.

Let's look at some of the best teams to target early and the players who will likely be available late in your fantasy draft or even to be picked up as free agents prior to the season. If you draft a starter at one of these positions, these guys won't be necessary for your team. If you miss out on the top guys, though, these players will be good targets with your last few picks.

Most stats are from MLB.com.

Teams to Target

Chicago White Sox

White Sox pitchers were among the five worst in hits allowed, runs allowed, home runs allowed, walks, ERA, WHIP, and batting average allowed. They traded their best pitcher to the Red Sox this offseason. There are a few good prospects who will be in the big leagues as early as this season, but this staff is going to be as vulnerable as any.

Colorado Rockies

It's easy to assume Colorado pitchers have bad numbers because they pitch half their games at Coors Field, where hitters have an extreme advantage. When looking at games only played away from home, though, the Rockies pitching staff was last in hits allowed, runs allowed, home runs allowed, strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and batting average allowed. They were sixth in most walks allowed. This is a pitching staff to target in every situation and especially when they are playing at Coors Field.

Miami Marlins

Miami is going to be helped by the return of Sandy Alcantara, but they otherwise have a dearth of talent on the roster, including their rotation. The Marlins were in the bottom 10 in all eight categories mentioned in the Colorado section. Alcantara will be on an innings limit, so Miami is a team to target with opposing hitters.

Hitters Likely Available

These guys are from the teams facing the three listed above: the Los Angeles Angels (@ White Sox), Pittsburgh Pirates (@ Marlins), and Tampa Bay Rays (vs Rockies). Starters/rotation guys were based on ESPN's current depth charts.

Catcher

• Logan O'Hoppe and Travis d'Arnaud, LAA
• Joey Bart, Endy Rodriguez, and Henry Davis, PIT
• Danny Jansen and Ben Rortvedt, TB

O'Hoppe played his first full season last year. He had some OK power, with 17 doubles and 20 home runs, but 155 strikeouts to just 33 walks was a bad trend. O'Hoppe is fine as a streamer. d'Arnaud is just a backup at this point, a low-end streamer.

The Pittsburgh catcher situation might need some time to play out. Bart has the most experience of the group, but he's just over a full season's-worth of at-bats over parts of five seasons. His .235 average isn't great, but 27 doubles and 24 home runs are nice. Rodriguez has under 200 at-bats and hasn't shown anything yet. Davis was the top overall pick in 2021, but he has struggled as a pro, batting .191 in 329 at-bats. They are all low-end plays.

Neither Jansen nor Rortvedt has played above a low offensive level; they are very low-ceiling plays.

First Base

• Nolan Schanuel, LAA

Schanuel was the 11th overall pick in 2023. That's the type of draft profile that points toward possible big production, but Schanuel will play this whole season at just 23 years old and needs more time to find his way. In over 500 at-bats last season, he hit .250 with 19 doubles and 13 home runs. That's below-average production at first base. Schanuel is a decent low- to mid-level streamer here only because he's facing the White Sox.

Second Base

• Luis Rengifo, LAA
• Nick Gonzales, PIT
• Brandon Lowe, TB

Rengifo is set to see the field plenty with Anthony Rendon out indefinitely to start the season. He is a utility player, both in real life and in fantasy baseball, where he can slot in at both 2B and 3B. He has topped out at 127 games, but there's hope he can be something of a full-time player this year. Rengifo should top 15 doubles and 15 home runs, OK power for a multi-position streamer.

Gonzales has just under 500 at-bats to his name. He hasn't shown much: .255 average, 27 doubles (a nice number), nine home runs. There's probably a better option, though he projects to be on the field plenty.

Lowe has played less than 110 games each of the past two seasons and has topped that number only once; he's not a guy to count on long term. He has hit for a little power, though, combining for 34 doubles and 42 home runs over the past two seasons. Lowe is a nice streaming player.

Third Base

• Yoan Moncada, LAA
• Ke'Bryan Hayes, PIT
• Junior Caminero and Christopher Morel, TB

Moncada was supposed to be part of the great Chicago White Sox rebuild that went up in flames. He never really excelled over an extended period, and injuries have sapped most of Moncada's value recently: over the past three seasons, he played 104, 92, and 12 games. There's hope he can find some success, but Moncada is nothing more than a low-end streamer.

Hayes entered the league with buzz as the 32nd pick in 2015 out of high school but hasn't ever found stardom. There have been highs, but Hayes hasn't sustained that level of play and has topped 100 games just twice. He's OK as a streamer in the best matchups.

Caminero is dealing with a back injury, and while he should be ready to go in plenty of time for Opening Day, it's something to keep an eye on. He hasn't played enough to get a real read on his big-league upside. Morel is listed available at both 2B and 3B on ESPN fantasy, but he's in the outfield depth chart. Morel has shown a little power in the past, but his versatility is probably his best asset.

Shortstop

• Isiah Kiner-Falefa, PIT

Kiner-Falefa is more of a defensive guy than a player known for his bat. He has topped .280 just once and doesn't hit for any power, topping 20 doubles just once and never reaching 10 home runs in seven seasons. There's probably a better streamer.

Outfield

• Taylor Ward and Jo Adell, LAA
• Tommy Pham and Andrew McCutchen (if eligible), PIT
• Josh Lowe and Jonny DeLuca, TB

Ward has a little power, reaching 25 doubles and 25 home runs last season while hitting a little under .250. Injuries have been a bit of an issue (just two seasons over 100 games), and he strikes out too much (163 last year), but Ward is an OK streamer. Adell has a lower ceiling in both average and power; he's not a guy I'm looking to put in my lineup.

McCutchen is listed at DH, and if that's his only position, he doesn't offer much value unless you simply need to fill that spot. Eligibility at OF would help him provide a little more for your roster (though not much). Pham is probably the most-traveled player of the past three years: he has played for seven teams over that time. He's very “blah” and nothing more than a low-end streamer.

DeLuca hasn't played much and isn't a guy to count on unless you're desperate. Lowe had a nice 2023: in 466 at-bats, he hit .292 with 33 doubles and 20 home runs. He only played 106 games last season, and all his numbers took a pretty severe hit. Lowe is a low- to mid-level streamer if he can bounce back closer to that previous level.