Tuesday Fantasy Baseball SP Streamer Rankings: Max Scherzer and Andrew Painter Among the Top Targets
Six starting pitchers with good matchups on Tuesday who are widely available in fantasy leagues.
I talked yesterday about Cal Raleigh's abysmal start, which included seven strikeouts and a walk in his first eight plate appearances. If we're looking at those with a lot of strikeouts, we would be remiss to not talk about the Athletics.
In their first three games against Toronto, the A's struck out 50 times! And it wasn't just one big load of Ks, like the White Sox recording 20 of their 43 strikeouts on Opening Day; the Athletics were sat down 16, 19, and 15 times in their three-game sweep at the hands of the Blue Jays.
I love streaming pitchers who strike out a lot of hitters, so it makes sense that I would like to face teams that swing and miss a lot. The A's aren't currently on our streaming list, but they will be there very soon if this continues through another series, particularly when playing away from their current home field in Sacramento, a minor league park. (The Athletics struck out seven times yesterday while getting shut out by Atlanta; maybe they should get be on our list? Stay tuned.)
As we get more information on all teams, let's look at six starting pitchers with good matchups on Tuesday 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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Zach Eflin, Baltimore Orioles vs. Texas Rangers
Eflin was well regarded in fantasy heading into last year after a string of good seasons, but he hit the IL in early April and made several more trips to the injured list, making his last appearance on July 28. Though he sustained his great walk rate, Eflin's strikeouts were way down, and he got hit hard in that abbreviated season (71 1/3 innings), pushing him to the land of the undrafted this year.
The Rangers have averaged over five runs per game so far, looking adequate in the process. They haven't played at home yet, which is a major pitcher's park, and that might change things, but Texas could play themselves off the target list early in the season if they keep hitting.
Eflin is a low-level streamer. Though there's obvious upside, fantasy owners are rightfully skeptical and want to see him succeed in 2026 before trusting him.
Janson Junk, Miami Marlins vs. Chicago White Sox
Junk had just 40 innings to his name before last season, when he threw 110 in 21 appearances (16 starts). He was very middling (not necessarily a bad thing) and mixed a miniscule walk rate with a well-below-average strikeout rate, matching his career work. There's not a lot of upside to his game, but Junk is capable and worth a look in the best matchups.
The White Sox have now scored 16 runs in their past two games after starting with just three runs in their first two contests. They struck out 10 more times yesterday, and we can expect to see more of that, leaving Chicago as one of our most worthy streaming targets early.
Junk is a low-level streamer. The matchup won't get much better, but Junk has a defined ceiling as a fantasy player, and you can probably find a better use for your innings this early in the season unless you're in a super-deep league.
German Marquez, San Diego Padres vs. San Francisco Giants
San Francisco started the year ice cold offensively, getting shut out in their first two games and scoring four total runs in their past two. The Giants have a few good hitters, but they have shown early that they are worth targeting.
Marquez spent his entire career in Colorado prior to joining the Padres this offseason. His numbers last year were untenable: 167 hits and 106 runs (93 earned) in just 126 1/3 innings with an average walk rate and well-below-average strikeout rate. His 6.63 ERA and 1.70 WHIP were career worsts in any season in which he threw at least 10 innings, and it helped lead to a 3-16 record (which was also helped by Colorado's inept offense).
Marquez is a low-level streamer. He might be a new pitcher after getting away from Coors Field (and another year removed from Tommy John surgery), but those abhorrent numbers from 2025 are impossible to ignore. There's no way to trust him right now, even with a great matchup.
Andrew Painter, Philadelphia Phillies vs. Washington Nationals
Washington went off for 13 runs yesterday and are now 3-1 despite starting with a tough schedule against the Cubs and Phillies. They have scored at least 10 runs in two of the four games, so the Nats might not be a team to target for long, but we'll keep going after them for the time being.
Painter was the 13th overall pick in 2021, but his career has been littered with injury time, including Tommy John surgery (and rehab attempted before the surgery) that cost him all of 2023 and 2024. He had success in the minors, including striking out 290 batters in 227 2/3 innings, but this is his major league debut, bringing way more questions than answers.
Painter is a low-level streamer with upside. I want to bump him up a half-notch because I love young pitchers with pedigree, but I'm showing restraint early in the season. Keep an eye here because Painter might become a fantasy asset some time in 2026.
Max Scherzer, Toronto Blue Jays vs. Colorado Rockies
Scherzer might not get a lot of starts/innings when everyone is healthy, but Toronto is dealing with multiple injuries to the rotation, so the venerable veteran gets the ball in this one. He has missed a lot of time with injury the past two seasons, but Scherzer did have good walk and strikeout rates last year while getting hit too hard. While there's a little intrigue given his history, this is far from the Scherzer that dominated hitters.
Colorado might be our favorite target right now, especially as they start the season with six games away from home (before their next six are at Coors Field). Well, aside from yesterday, when they scored 14 runs after starting with just seven in the first three games combined. Still, the Rockies are prime for streaming against.
Scherzer is a low-to-mid-level streamer. There's the chance at a short start, but Scherzer has still shown at least average strikeout work, and the matchup couldn't be much better.
Brandon Williamson, Cincinnati Reds vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates scored seven runs on Opening Day but have combined for six runs over the past three games, including getting shut out yesterday. Pittsburgh entered the season as one of our top targets, and they haven't done much to change our minds through the first series-plus.
Williamson has just 131 1/3 innings to his name and missed all of 2025 recovering from Tommy John, leaving plenty of unknown. His numbers are close to average (maybe slightly below), but he did good strikeout work in the minors and has a little upside. I'm not ready to trust him until we see him succeed, but he could emerge eventually.
Williamson is yet another low-level streamer. We're to the point where many teams are throwing their fifth starter, so there will be a mix of middling veterans, young guys without much experience, and those somewhere between; Williamson is in the latter group. Let's see how things go.
Tuesday's Streamer Rankings
- Max Scherzer, TOR
- Andrew Painter, PHI
- Brandon Williamson, CIN
- Zach Eflin, BAL
- Janson Junk, MIA
- German Marquez, SD
