Thursday's Fantasy Baseball Streaming Pitchers: Brandon Walter, Dustin May and More
Four starting pitchers in action on Thursday who have good matchups and are widely available in fantasy leagues.
It's the last day before a long weekend for many people; I don't know about you, but I'm already checked out for the week and will be doing as little as possible at work on this Thursday, July 3.
Let's look at four starting pitchers in action on Thursday who are widely available in fantasy leagues and have good matchups. Most stats are from MLB.com, as are the probable starters. The full streamer rankings are listed at the bottom.
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Bryce Elder, Atlanta Braves vs. Los Angeles Angels
Elder has been hit hard this year; you could say that there has been Elder Abuse. He has given up 76 hits in 68 innings and been tagged for 14 home runs, one every 4.9 innings. He had similar results last season in around 50 innings, giving us a lot of recent data showing that he has been unable to miss bats. His walk rate is average, but he is a little below average as a strikeout pitcher, so he's not making up for it elsewhere. Elder was much better in 2022-23, allowing 204 hits and 23 homers in 228 2/3 innings, but he has taken a turn for the worse more recently.
Those home run numbers might come into play against the Angels, who rank in the top five in home runs and the top 10 in slugging percentage. The problem for LA is that they don't do anything else, otherwise regularly ranking in the bottom 10 in offensive box stats. They have also struck out the second most in the league, behind only the Rockies.
Elder is a low- to mid-level streamer. The matchup is OK, and the Angels' high K numbers boost his ceiling a little, but Elder hasn't been able to avoid giving up runs and hits, something that doesn't bode well for his fantasy value.
Cade Horton, Chicago Cubs vs. Cleveland Guardians
A rookie out of Oklahoma, Horton was the seventh overall pick in 2022 and is being tasked with holding down a rotation spot while the Cubs have dealt with injuries and ineffective pitchers. He was very good in the minors, striking out 190 batters in 151 2/3 innings with an ERA under 3.00, but that hasn't carried over in his first big-league action, as Horton has allowed 52 hits and 29 runs (26 earned) in 45 innings. His walks have been OK, but he has only struck out 33 hitters, holding a well below-average 16.5% K% (versus league average around 22%). It's a small sample, and Horton will surely see better results when he gets more innings under his belt, but it hasn't been a great start to his career in the majors.
The Guardians are a team that can help fix pitching woes, though. They rank in the bottom 10 in nine of the 10 stats I usually look at for our purposes here: runs, hits, doubles, home runs, walks, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS. The only place they're a little better is striking out, which they only do at a league-average rate. This is a team to target every day.
Horton is a low- to mid-level streamer. He has upside once he taps into some of that high-level pedigree, but he hasn't looked too good so far in the big leagues, so despite the matchup, I have to temper expectations.
Dustin May, Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Chicago White Sox
Oh, the White Sox. Worst record in the American League; minus-85 run differential, second worst in the AL behind the A's and third worst in baseball (Rockies); essentially a bare coffer of intriguing players to trade, with only guys who will bring back low-level minor leaguers for the most part. There's just not a whole lot of hope right now and won't be for several more years, when some of the better prospects they've acquired in recent trades will start peppering the big-league team.
May gets his second straight good matchup against an AL Central team, though things didn't go so well against the Royals last Friday: four innings, four runs, six hits, three walks, and three strikeouts. KC is a little better, but the White Sox are a basement team, setting May up for a much better outing here. Both in his career and in 2025, May has been around average with both walks and strikeouts, though both of those rates are slightly on the wrong side of the middle this year.
May is a mid-level streamer. He's not a guy I'm dying to add to my fantasy roster, but this matchup is about as good as it gets, and May is in line for a positive result after struggling last time out.
Brandon Walter, Houston Astros @ Colorado Rockies
We'd rather face Colorado in Houston than Denver, but Walter makes the list both because the Rockies are poor offensively no matter where they play and because Walter has looked good. I mentioned above that Colorado hitters lead the league in most strikeouts; they have K'd nearly 10 times per game (853 in 86 games), a mark only one team hit last season (though the Rockies missed it by only three strikeouts).
Walter threw his first 23 innings in the majors in 2023, all in relief for the Red Sox. He then missed all of 2024 with a shoulder strain and is now working exclusively as a starter for Houston. He has looked good in five starts this season, totaling 29 2/3 innings with 29 hits, 11 runs, 30 strikeouts, and only two walks. Those last two numbers make him very intriguing, and keeping batters in check when they do make contact has helped him even more. Walter has been a quality source of innings for an Astros team that definitely needs them.
Walter is a mid- to high-level streamer in this one. He does get knocked down half a notch because they are playing at Coors Field, but he has had a successful season in a small sample, and his strikeout work should play well against a Colorado team that swings and misses more than anyone else.
Thursday's Streamer Rankings
- Brandon Walter, HOU
- Dustin May, LAD
- Cade Horton, CHC
- Bryce Elder, ATL
