Friday's Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Streamers: Bailey Falter, JP Sears and More

Welcome to the second half of the MLB season! I've harped a bit on the fact that we actually only have about 40% of the season left, so “second half” isn't technically correct, but it's the nomenclature we use, so why fight it?

Let's look at five starting pitchers in action on Friday 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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Jonathan Cannon, Chicago White Sox @ Pittsburgh Pirates

Bailey Falter, Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Chicago White Sox

What better way to kick off the post-All-Star festivities than with the White Sox and Pirates, two of the worst teams in the league. Pittsburgh went on a little run from late June into early July, winning six games in a row in sweeps over the Mets and Cardinals, but they followed that up by losing eight straight, negating most of the good feelings. Chicago had no such sustained run of success, even a short one; they're just plain bad.

Cannon is average with walks, but he is a well-below-average strikeout pitcher who also gets hit a little hard. Cannon is only 201 1/3 innings into his career; there's plenty of time to improve. As it is, though, he gives up more than one hit per inning while not making up for it elsewhere. That's an iffy profile.

Falter has the same low strikeout rate, but his career walk rate is also several percentage points better than average. Both his K% and BB% are noticeably worse this season than in his career, but Falter is limiting hits for the first time (just 83 in 97 1/3 innings). Falter has an ERA under 4.00, but he could help himself by ticking up his strikeouts a little more.

Cannon and Falter are both low-to-mid-level streamers. The lack of strikeouts holds down both of their ceilings, but the matchups are pristine, giving them reason to be considered.

Taj Bradley, Tampa Bay Rays vs. Baltimore Orioles

Bradley has been average with walks and above average with strikeouts in his career. Both rates are just a little worse this season, but he's close enough to the middle to still expect good results, especially if he can increase his Ks a little closer to his career rate (currently five percentage points lower). He has had a little trouble preventing runs: Bradley holds a 4.60 ERA and has allowed eight unearned runs. He would help himself and his team by letting fewer guys cross the plate (bad luck is probably also playing a role there).

The Orioles still have faint hopes of grabbing a wild card spot, but that will fade fast if they can't get off to a good start in the second half. They currently sit 7.5 back and are ahead of only two teams in the AL: the moribund A's and White Sox. Unless they start hot, Baltimore might be a seller at the deadline, and the lack of offensive prowess is a major reason why.

Bradley is a mid-level streamer. The matchup is right, and he has looked good, even if he hasn't lived up to the standards of the past two seasons. There's hope for a better second half.

Reese Olson, Detroit Tigers @ Texas Rangers

I've been talking Olson up as a guy who might require a spot on someone's roster, but he is still owned in less than half of leagues. He is right around average with both walks and strikeouts and has done well limiting opposing hitters, allowing just 19 runs and three home runs in 58 innings. He spent half of May and all of June on the IL, so staying on the field might help increase his reputation among fantasy owners.

The Rangers are the team I am watching closest at the trade deadline, something I've talked about a lot. They have a top-five pitching staff but a bottom-10 lineup, something that has plagued them since last season. Grabbing a few bats sooner rather than later would help their cause as they push for a wild card spot. Baltimore DH Ryan O'Hearn, an All-Star, might be a perfect addition if the Orioles decide to sell off pending free agents.

Olson is a mid-to-high-level streamer. His own work is better than average, and the Rangers still harbor a weak lineup until they make the theoretical moves needed to improve the offense.

JP Sears, Athletics @ Cleveland Guardians

Cleveland is another team that swooned right before the break, losing 10 straight games in late June and early July. They made up for it a bit (and climbed back into the wild card race) by winning six of seven heading into the All-Star festivities, but this is a team with a bottom-10 offense and a middling pitching staff that won't be able to carry them to October alone.

Sears is another guy who is good with walks but below average with strikeouts, a popular type on our streaming list. He has gotten hit a little hard, partly a product of playing his home games at a minor-league park in Sacramento. That environment has been one of the most hitter-friendly in baseball, rivaling Coors Field; at least he gets this one on the road. Sears is giving up a home run every five innings, too frequent of a rate to find real success.

Sears is a low-to-mid-level streamer. The matchup is good, and it helps that he's pitching in Cleveland instead of Sacramento, but he hasn't shown much high-level ability this season and simply fits in with the below-average pack.

Friday's Streamer Rankings

1. Reese Olson, DET
2. Taj Bradley, TB
3. Bailey Falter, PIT
4. JP Sears, ATH
5. Jonathan Cannon, CWS