May 6 Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Streamers: Andrew Heaney, Sean Manaea, Triston McKenzie and More

It’s a new week, so let’s jump right in and run through Monday’s probable starters (according to MLB.com) who are widely available in fantasy leagues and have good matchups, creating streaming value. Most stats and rankings are from ESPN. The full streamer rankings are listed at the bottom.

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Tyler Anderson, Los Angeles Angels @ Pittsburgh Pirates

Anderson has had a very average career in nearly 1,000 innings, sporting a 4.27 ERA with less than a strikeout per inning. He had one outlier season with the Dodgers in 2022: 15-5 with a 2.57 ERA in 178.2 innings.

While he won’t keep up that kind of performance again, he has started this season well, allowing just nine earned runs in 36.1 innings, though his walk and strikeout rates have been a little worse than average. Anderson is near his peak performance right now.

Pittsburgh offers the chance for continued success. They are a bottom offensive team with holes through the lineup. Anderson is a mid- to high-level streamer in this one.

Andrew Heaney, Texas Rangers @ Oakland Athletics

Oakland isn’t swinging the bats well, but they have been hitting for power, currently sitting third in home runs. They are in the bottom five in many other categories, seeing real boom-or-bust results when at the plate.

Heaney has struck out more than a batter per inning in close to 900 career innings. He also walks batters at a lower-than-average rate, helping himself when on the mound. His 2024 results have been close to his career performance, making him an OK streaming option.

With a chance to miss bats against an Oakland team whose hitters have struck out the fifth-most, Heaney is a mid- to high-level streamer with upside.

Sean Manaea, New York Mets @ St. Louis Cardinals

Manaea is striking batters out at a high rate, but he is also walking too many. With 18 walks in 29.1 innings, he is carrying an obscene 14% walk rate; his previous career high was less than 9%, meaning there’s a good chance he fixes the control issues.

He currently has an ERA near 3.00 because he has only given up one home run, but that will change, and keeping runners off the bases will be of more importance. Manaea’s current WHIP of 1.43 would also be a career high for any season.

St. Louis offers the chance for a strong outing, as they have been one of the more anemic teams in the league. The Cardinals are around the league average in both walks and strikeouts from their hitters, and they are tied for last in home runs (23).

Manaea is a mid-level streamer as long as he finds the strike zone.

Triston McKenzie, Cleveland Guardians @ Detroit Tigers

McKenzie’s career has been filled with a lot of strikeouts and a lot of walks. He showed good command in 2022, with 190 strikeouts and just 44 walks in 191.1 innings, but he has otherwise walked more than 10% of the batters he has faced.

His run prevention has been OK in his career but below average this season. Strikeouts will help keep base runners stranded, but like Manaea, McKenzie is asking for trouble by putting extra guys on.

Detroit started the season poorly but has picked it up the past few weeks. They aren’t a powerhouse, but the Tigers have been playing competent ball, a far cry from the last few seasons.

McKenzie is a mid-level streamer in this one, capable of sitting guys down but also with the risk of losing the strike zone.

Simeon Woods Richardson, Minnesota Twins vs. Seattle Mariners

Woods Richardson has given up just four runs in three starts in 2024 (14.2 innings). He has pitched against the Tigers once and White Sox twice, so it hasn’t been a murderer’s row, but the young pitcher is taking care of business.

Woods Richardson has been decent in just 24.1 career innings, putting himself in the streamer conversation. Seattle is one of the teams to target with fantasy pitchers. While the team has gone on a run to the top of their division, the pitching staff has been doing the heavy lifting; Mariners batters are in the bottom five in runs scored and batting average while having struck out the second most.

Woods Richardson is another mid- to high-level streamer on Monday against a weak lineup.

Monday’s Streamer Rankings

1. Andrew Heaney, TEX
2. Simeon Woods Richardson, MIN
3. Tyler Anderson, LAA
4. Triston McKenzie, CLE
5. Sean Manaea, NYM