MLB
Fantasy Baseball: 4 Pitchers To Stream For Week 10
Veteran lefty Jaime Garcia has given Atlanta quality innings over the past month, and he's set up to continue thriving in Week 10, both for the Braves and for pitching-starved fantasy owners.

Junior Guerra, Milwaukee Brewers

Starts: June 5th vs. San Francisco Giants, June 10th at Arizona Diamondbacks
ESPN ownership: 17 percent

Even amid an emaciated starter market, standard leaguers have been slow to embrace recently activated Milwaukee Brewers righty Junior Guerra despite his impressive results (1.84 ERA and near-eight strikeouts per nine) in three starts since returning from a calf strain.

Shrewd starter speculators are likely staring down the 4.29 expected fielded independent pitching (xFIP) that takes a fair bit of shine off of Guerra's 122-plus innings of 2.81 ERA ball from last season. There's a similar discrepancy in his small sample on the current season -- his 2017 xFIP stands at 4.45.
Incredulous streamers could also be eyeing this week's matchup against the hard-hitting Diamondbacks -- in Chase Field, no less, where the D-backs compete for the league lead isolated slugging (ISO) at home.

Guerra's plus split-finger is his secret weapon here. That sinker is a near-elite pitch, one that has already induced 12 punchouts across 58 offerings this season, and most of Arizona's major offensive threats have graded as below-average producers off sinkers so far this season.

Of course, there's a risk for major flameout here, with Guerra struggling to command the added movement on his fastball while getting his slider absolutely clobbered. He's thus far allowed a 525 weighted runs created plus (wRC+) on that latter pitch (you read that right -- a 525 wRC+).

As such, many streamers will be more eager to tab Guerra's teammate Chase Anderson for his two-start turn this week, perhaps noting that Anderson is fresh off a dominant 11-strikeout start against these very Diamondbacks (his former team, no less) in late May. That familiarity might work to Anderson's disadvantage, though -- in the two starts this year that have tasked Anderson with facing a team for a second time, the 29-year-old gave up a total of 10 earned runs and walked six batters.

Let's instead zig while your league-mates zag. Guerra is a high-risk play, for sure, but there's a start against the hapless Giants to soften the potential blow.

Prev Next

Related News

Luis Severino's Breakout Is for Real This Time

Austan Kas  --  Jun 4th, 2017

Is Scott Schebler the Cincinnati Reds' Newest Gem?

Jim Sannes  --  Jun 4th, 2017

MLB Betting Guide for Friday 8/11/23: The Wrong Team Is Favored at Fenway Park

Austin Swaim  --  Jun 4th, 2017