Daily Starters – Saturday, September 22th

Many decent arms, even for bad teams, throw on Saturday. While there are usually quite a few pitchers under 20% owned to examine, I pushed the threshold up to 43% and still only have eight pitchers. It’s not pretty out there.

Jose Urena (43%) vs Reds

There is a reason Urena is the most owned of this group, he’s better than the rest. He’s been a steaming option all season with a 7.0 K/9 and 4.21 ERA with estimators to match. The Reds lineup is not intimidating especially since the game is in Miami with the spacious ballpark. Stream away.

Jaime Barria (37%) at Astros

The Astros are starting Verlander, so the Win is already in doubt. Like Urena, Barria has been a streamable option all season with similar stats (6.8 K/9, 3.61 ERA). The difference here is the opponent.

Astros > Reds

Even with the bad matchup, Barria is not a horrible streaming option compared to some of the other arms.

Adam Wainwright (29%) vs Giants

For the 37-year-old righty, the future is a little cloudy. He’ll be making his third start since coming off the DL while posting a 9.8 K/9, 2.5 BB/9, and 3.27 ERA. Desperate owners may have to roll the dice with him hoping the recent results continue.

Jacob Nix (12%) at Dodgers

I swear the Padres have anchored their expectations of Nix to his first start when he threw six innings of shutout ball. Since that game, he’s posted a 6.90 ERA, 4.5 K/8, and 1.50 WHIP in five starts.

The Dodgers should just eat him up.

Thomas Pannone (8%) vs Rays

The 24-year-old soft tossing lefty looks to have been serviceable (3.77 ERA, 5.11 SIERA, 6.1 K/9) in 31 innings starting and relieving. As a starter, the numbers are worse (4.18 ERA, 4.2 K/9). He’s not a complete dumpster fire like some of the other starters, but it’s tough to get 100% behind him.

David Hess (7%) at Yankees

There is absolutely no reason to start a bad (5.22 ERA with higher ERA projections) flyball pitcher (35% GB%, 1.9 HR/9) against the Yankees in New York. Hard pass.

Corey Oswalt (4%) at Nationals

This matchup isn’t David Hess bad, but it’s bad. Oswalt has been unable to keep the ball in the yard (2.1 HR/9) and it shows with his 6.31 ERA. While the Nationals lineup isn’t great, it isn’t White Sox level bad. I’d try to find another starter to stream later in the week.

Chase De Jong (3%) at A’s

I don’t know where to stand with De Jong. In one start against the Royals, he shut them out. In the next start, they score five runs in three innings. The projections hate him (~5.00 ERA) with a K/9 just over six. This start feels like Wainwright’s where no clear decision-making process exists. He’s such a gamble and I’ll pass.

Final Rankings

  1. Jose Urena
  2. Adam Wainwright
  3. Jaime Barria
  4. Chase De Jong
  5. Thomas Pannone
  6. Corey Oswalt
  7. Jacob Nix
  8. David Hess





Jeff, one of the authors of the fantasy baseball guide,The Process, writes for RotoGraphs, The Hardball Times, Rotowire, Baseball America, and BaseballHQ. He has been nominated for two SABR Analytics Research Award for Contemporary Analysis and won it in 2013 in tandem with Bill Petti. He has won four FSWA Awards including on for his Mining the News series. He's won Tout Wars three times, LABR twice, and got his first NFBC Main Event win in 2021. Follow him on Twitter @jeffwzimmerman.

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Jimmember
5 years ago

Wainwright was terrific in his last start.