Monday Fantasy Baseball SP Streamer Rankings: Jack Leiter and Chris Bassitt Face Off

Cal Raleigh was THE player of 2025. The usual suspects won the MVP awards (Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani), but Raleigh busted out with 60 home runs, 24 doubles, and even 14 stolen bases. Well, the beginning of 2026 has been the opposite for The Big Dumper.

After going 0-3 with three strikeouts and a walk in the opener Thursday, Raleigh was 0-4 with four Ks on Friday, then he finally got his first hit Saturday but struck out two more times in a 1-4 performance (with another BB). Sunday brought another hit, another walk, and his first RBI, but Raleigh struck out one more time in another 1-4 game. It's a super-small sample, and he will have much better stretches, but owners who took Raleigh in the first round have to be nervous.

Moving to the mound, let's look at five starting pitchers with good matchups on Monday who are widely available in fantasy leagues. Most stats are from MLB.com, as are the probable starters. The full streamer rankings are listed at the bottom.

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Chris Bassitt, Baltimore Orioles vs. Texas Rangers

Jack Leiter, Texas Rangers @ Baltimore Orioles

We'll start with a game in which we can target both teams, as the Orioles and Rangers both fell into the bottom 10 offensively last season despite much higher preseason projections. Texas scored 16 runs in their first three games and Baltimore 11, the latter getting eight yesterday after just three in the first two games combined. I'm willing to target both until we see them prove their hitting prowess in 2026.

Bassitt was a slightly above-average pitcher the past three seasons in Toronto, allowing just under one hit per inning with an ERA a little under 4.00 and both a walk and strikeout rate slightly better than average. That's a valuable player to have for one season and less than $20 million.

Leiter was up and down a bit last year in his first full big-league season, but his final numbers looked good, with 127 hits allowed in 151 2/3 innings with an above-average strikeout rate and ERA under 4.00. He has walked too many guys, and playing home games in a pitcher's park surely helped, but Leiter has big-time pedigree and reason to believe he'll keep improving.

Bassitt and Leiter are both mid-level streamers. Bassitt has a better track record, but Leiter has more upside, leaving them pretty even in outlook (Leiter is ranked above Bassitt in my daily ranking at the bottom, but they are essentially equal; I tend to prefer the upside when talking about streaming).

Chris Paddack, Miami Marlins vs. Chicago White Sox

After sporting an above-average strikeout rate early in his career, Paddack has watched that number fall the past two seasons, settling at a well-below-average 16.7% last year. That came with more than a hit per inning allowed and a homer every 5.1 innings, a rate no pitcher could sustain while finding any success. He doesn't walk many hitters, but Paddack hasn't looked good since returning from Tommy John surgery late in 2023.

After scoring just three combined runs in the first two games (on three solo home runs), the White Sox had something of an outburst (by their standards), putting up seven runs on Sunday. The bullpen wasted it by blowing a 7-2 lead, but it was a rare strong offensive performance from Chicago. One important note: Japanese import Munetaka Murakami has a home run in every game, quelling concerns so far that he might swing and miss too much.

Paddack is a low-level streamer. The matchup couldn't be much better, but I can't trust Paddack this early in the season when you have so much time to use your innings.

Cody Ponce, Toronto Blue Jays vs. Colorado Rockies

Ponce threw 55 1/3 innings with the Pirates in 2020-21, mostly in relief, and he didn't have much success. He then spent three years playing in Japan and last year in Korea, the latter of which he dominated, striking out 252 batters in 180 2/3 innings with an ERA under 2.00. It's obviously a different world back in the major leagues, but Ponce has some upside in his return stateside.

The Rockies started predictably slow, combining for seven runs in their first three games while being swept by the Marlins. One of the most important numbers: Colorado struck out 30 total times in those three games, continuing a multi-year trend of being near the top of the league in Ks, something that raises the ceiling and floor of opposing pitchers.

Ponce is a low-to-mid-level streamer. It's tempting to expect big things given his performance last year overseas, particularly with the cozy matchup, but it's best to temper those expectations just a bit until we see him do it in MLB. I do like the upside if you need a pitcher today.

Taijuan Walker, Philadelphia Phillies vs. Washington Nationals

Washington started the season on the right note, taking two of three from the Cubs at Wrigley Field. After scoring 10 runs in the opener and two on Saturday, the Nationals split the difference on Sunday, winning 6-3. There is plenty of young talent in Washington, so it wouldn't necessarily be a surprise to see them reach an average level if those guys hit, but I want to see it over a longer timeframe before abandoning them as a target.

I was ready to write Walker off after a fairly miserable 2024, but he bounced back last year, recording a 4.08 ERA in 123 2/3 innings with a better-than-average walk rate. His strikeout rate has been way below average for several years, something that limits his fantasy ceiling, but Walker is at least worth consideration when the matchup falls his way.

Walker is a low-level streamer. His strikeout work is so low that it brings down his ceiling and floor, and with Washington showing life early, I'm not keen on trusting Walker at this point in the season.

Monday's Streamer Rankings

1. Jack Leiter, TEX
2. Chris Bassitt, BAL
3. Cody Ponce, TOR
4. Chris Paddack, MIA
5. Taijuan Walker, PHI