Exploit the Matchups: Saturday’s Best Fantasy Pitching Streamers

Through around seven games for each team, every squad has at least two wins, and only the Yankees and Brewers have fewer than two losses; there's a large, muddled middle. Baseball is different from other sports in that every team generally wins and loses over 50 games, but it's interesting to see so many teams trading wins and losses through the first week.

Jumping to fantasy baseball, let's look at five starting pitchers in action on Saturday who have good matchups and are widely available in fantasy leagues. Most stats are from MLB.com, as are the probable pitchers. The full streamer rankings are listed at the bottom.

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Mick Abel, Minnesota Twins vs. Tampa Bay Rays

Abel got his first 39 big-league innings last season split between the Phillies and Twins. He got roughed up a bit, but Abel was the 15th overall pick in 2020 and did good strikeout work in the minors; there is upside to his game.

The Rays have played well offensively so far, doing everything except for hit home runs. They were disappointing last season and looked like they could bounce back, so Tampa might be off our streaming list soon, but I'm still looking at them for the first few weeks of the season.

Abel is a low-level streamer. There's upside, especially moving forward, but after a rough first outing this year (a relief appearance of 3 1/3 innings with eight hits and five runs allowed) and with a possibly tougher matchup, there's plenty of risk as well.

Emerson Hancock, Seattle Mariners @ Los Angeles Angels

Hancock is now owned in close to 50% of leagues after a strong first outing; he might not be a streamer much longer. In his first outing, Hancock went six innings with no hits or runs allowed, one walk, and nine strikeouts. His limited previous time was just OK, but fantasy owners took note of the excellent opening performance of 2026.

Los Angeles isn't hitting the ball great, but they are hitting for power while leading the league in both most walks and most strikeouts. I expect them to even out as a below-average offensive team after a time, and I'll be looking to target them with streaming pitchers, especially if they keep striking out at a high rate.

Hancock is a mid-level streamer. With another big start here, he will probably be owned in too many leagues to be a streamer next time around, so this might be your last chance to grab him if you're a believer (or if you just think the Angels are bad, like I do).

Clay Holmes, New York Mets @ San Francisco Giants

After scoring just one total run in their opening series against the Yankees, San Francisco finally had a few good games, scoring seven runs on Thursday after nine on Tuesday. They still haven't been very good overall, and they play at home here, which is generally a pitcher's park. The Giants are a high-level fantasy target early in the season.

Holmes was OK in his opening start, going 5 2/3 innings with four hits, two runs, a homer, three walks, and five strikeouts. He had an above-average strikeout rate when working as a reliever most of his career, but after switching to the rotation last season, that number fell to 18.2% versus league average around 21-22%. Every pitcher strikes out fewer guys when starting, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see that trend continue.

Holmes is a low-to-mid-level streamer. The matchup is nice and in a good location, and Holmes still has a little strikeout magic, as he showed in his first start, though he has also walked a few too many guys in the past season-plus.

Rhett Lowder, Cincinnati Reds @ Texas Rangers

I love young pitchers with big pedigrees, and Lowder fits squarely into that description. Lowder made his debut in 2024, allowing just four runs in 30 2/3 innings, but then he missed all of 2025 with a few injuries. In his first start this year, he went five innings and gave up three hits, two runs, and a homer with five strikeouts and two walks. The seventh overall pick in 2023 threw only 118 minor league innings, so he's still working into his own, but he has big upside if things come together.

Texas currently ranks in the top 10 in most offensive box stats, mainly falling short of that level with walks and strikeouts but doing well when they make contact. Their first six games were on the road, but they are now at home, which is a major pitcher's park. Yesterday in their home opener, the Rangers scored just three runs, tied for their lowest all season.

Lowder is a low-level streamer with upside. He will probably take some time to really hit his stride, but once he gets there, Lowder has big potential. It's best to temper expectations for now, though a good game wouldn't be a surprise.

Carmen Mlodzinski, Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Baltimore Orioles

The Orioles have been average or better in most offensive box stats, only failing to hit home runs. Like Tampa Bay, they were expected to compete last year but were major disappointments, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see them bounce back. Baltimore's status as a target is tenuous.

Mlodzinski has 190 career innings, including a start this season in which he threw 4 1/3 innings with six hits, two runs, eight strikeouts, and no walks. He has been right around average with both walks and strikeouts while working mostly out of the bullpen (18 starts in 110 appearances), making Mlodzinski an OK guy to consider when the matchup is right.

Mlodzinski is a low-level streamer. As we talked about with Holmes, Mlodzinski's strikeout rate might come down a bit while working as a starter, though he was strong in that department in his opener. The matchup might not be great either, so I'm staying away from the Pittsburgh pitcher here.

Saturday's Streamer Rankings

1. Emerson Hancock, SEA
2. Clay Holmes, NYM
3. Rhett Lowder, CIN
4. Carmen Mlodzinski, PIT
5. Mick Abel, MIN