Is This Your Last Chance to Grab Saturday's Breakout Fantasy Baseball Pitcher?
Six starting pitchers with good matchups on Saturday who are widely available in fantasy leagues.
Our list is a bit different today, as we have two quasi-streamers to go along with four guys who actually meet the criteria. Every fantasy league is different; from the number of owners to roster size to the quality of fantasy player you're facing off against, it's impossible to guess who is available on your free agent market.
If you can grab the first two guys on our list, though, you might get a high-level option who is worth keeping for the long haul.
Let's look at six starting pitchers in action on Saturday 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.
Use FantasySP's daily and weekly projections to find the players expected to excel and help make your toughest lineup decisions!
Braxton Ashcraft, Pittsburgh Pirates @ San Francisco Giants
Aaron Nola, Philadelphia Phillies vs. Colorado Rockies
We'll start quickly with these two because they fall into the same category. Both Ashcraft and Nola are owned in about 60% of leagues, leaving them owned too often to be true streamers. Both guys still have a little availability, though, making it worth checking to see if you can pick them up.
They both have good matchups today, as the Giants are the lowest-scoring team in the league, and the Rockies are more middling but were expected to be among the worst entering the season (they still strike out a lot).
Ashcraft has been average with walks and above average with strikeouts in 111 1/3 career innings. He has done well limiting hits and home runs (only six homers allowed in that time), and Ashcraft's career ERA is just 2.83. He is an ascending fantasy player whose ownership will probably keep increasing, and this might be your last chance to grab him with a fantastic matchup.
Nola got knocked around in 17 starts last season: 99 hits, 65 runs, and 18 homers in 94 1/3 innings. It has been much the same early in 2026, as he has allowed 41 hits, 21 runs, and six homers in 37 1/3 innings. He still strikes out batters at an above-average rate with a better-than-average walk rate, but the way Nola is getting hit drops his fantasy value from a must-own pitcher to a guy closer to the fringe. The matchup also isn't as great as it would have seemed before the season, leaving a bit of a question mark here.
Ashcraft is a mid-to-high-level streamer and Nola a low-to-mid-level streamer. Ashcraft should be in a lineup in every league today, and he might be worth keeping unless you have a stacked pitching staff. Nola's past excellence brings hope that he will bounce back, but we have evidence stretching back to last year that something isn't right, so it's worth questioning his spot in your lineup today.
Spencer Arrighetti, Houston Astros @ Cincinnati Reds
Arrighetti still qualifies as a streamer, owned in just 40% of leagues, but that number is rising and could continue. He has been above average with strikeouts while walking way too many guys, but he is doing well limiting hitters, allowing just 15 hits, five runs, and one home run in 23 innings. If he finds some control, Arrighetti could turn into a high-level fantasy player, but there's enough uncertainty there to bring hesitation.
The Reds' fortunes have turned, losing eight straight and 10 of 12, including a 10-0 beatdown yesterday. Their offense has been the weakest spot all season, as Cincinnati ranks in the top five in home runs but in the bottom 10 in most other box stats. There is a chance for improved performance, as there is with most teams, but until we see it, I'm going to keep targeting the Reds.
Arrighetti is a mid-level streamer. His walk issues stop me from bumping him up another level, but Cincinnati offers plenty of upside by striking out at a top-five rate, leaving a lot of upside in this matchup.
Anthony Kay, Chicago White Sox vs. Seattle Mariners
Seattle strikes out a lot, one of my favorite things that a streaming target can do. I like pitchers who strike guys out; it gives them multiple ways that they can have a successful start, even if they give up some runs and hits. The same goes for offenses who swing and miss a lot, as they set a high ceiling for opposing pitchers. The Mariners are bad but not awful elsewhere offensively, standing out most with their power (they scored 12 runs yesterday).
Kay has had a rough start to 2026, giving up 35 hits, 20 runs, and six home runs in 30 innings. He also has a worse-than-average walk rate and a strikeout rate that is WAY below average, not leaving many redeeming parts to his performance. There's just not enough here to really trust him in your lineup no matter the matchup.
Kay is a low-level streamer. No matter the opponent, Kay needs to show better work before considering for your fantasy team.
Merrill Kelly, Arizona Diamondbacks vs. New York Mets
Kelly had been average or better in essentially every area prior to 2026. It has been a brutal start to this season, though: 19 innings, 29 hits, 21 runs, and six homers. He even has more walks (15) than strikeouts (14). His previous work gives hope that he can bounce back in a big way, as this is still a tiny sample, but there's no way to trust Kelly right now given those marks.
But if there were a team against which Kelly could excel, it would be the Mets. New York ranks in the bottom five in most offensive categories. They don't strike out, but they also don't do anything else, leaving them as one of the premier targets early in the season. We will be going after the Mets every chance we get until further notice.
Kelly is a low-level streamer. Do you believe in the unstoppable force or the immovable object? This isn't exactly Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant, but something has to give between Kelly's struggles and the Mets' ineptitude with the bats. There's a little intrigue if you're in a super-deep league (though I'm staying away in all instances).
Dustin May, St. Louis Cardinals @ San Diego Padres
The Padres stay here as a low-level target, as they are closer to middling than the bottom of the league. We will tentatively target San Diego for the time being, as they aren't doing a lot to scare anyone, but they might cobble together enough offense to move off our list in the near future.
Add May to the list of guys in action today who have struggled hard to open the season. Nothing is easier than laying out the numbers: May has allowed 47 hits and 22 runs in 36 2/3 innings. He isn't walking batters, but his strikeout rate is also well below average, limiting his fantasy value in any matchup.
May is a low-level streamer. He hasn't been good enough, and the matchup is more fringe than great, leaving him without much upside today.
Saturday's Streamer Rankings
- Braxton Ashcraft, PIT
- Spencer Arrighetti, HOU
- Aaron Nola, PHI
- Merrill Kelly, ARI
- Dustin May, STL
- Anthony Kay, CWS
