September 25 Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Streamers: Simeon Woods Richardson, Cody Bradford, Brady Basso and More

Nationals’ rookie C.J. Abrams got sent to the minors after spending all night at a Chicago casino before a game against the Cubs. The all-nighter is a staple of college students and gamers, but it’s not recommended before participating in world class physical competition.

Abrams will turn 24 in October; he’s barely past college age. I doubt this is a sign that Abrams can’t handle the life of an MLB player. It’s just one funny story in the (hopefully) long book of Abrams’ career that we will look back on and laugh.

Let’s look at Wednesday’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 MLB. The full streamer rankings are listed at the bottom.

Brady Basso, Oakland Athletics vs. Texas Rangers

Cody Bradford, Texas Rangers @ Oakland Athletics

Both Oakland and Texas rank in the bottom 10 in runs scored, hits, doubles, batting average, on-base percentage and OPS. The Athletics have a power element that the Rangers haven’t shown, but they also strike out at a top-10 rate while Texas is in the bottom 10. Both offenses are ones to target.

Basso has thrown less than 20 innings but has been successful in that time. His strikeout rate is at the league average in the small sample, and he did good strikeout work in the minor leagues, so there’s hope he can continue having success in that area.

Bradford has a similar profile to Basso but over a longer stretch of time (128.2 innings). He is better than average with both walks and strikeouts, a combination that has worked out to an ERA near 3.50 this season.

Basso is a mid-level streamer and Bradford a mid- to high-level streamer. The matchups are good, and strikeout success for both gives them an extra ceiling that many streamers don’t have.

Davis Martin, Chicago White Sox vs. Los Angeles Angels

Jose Suarez, Los Angeles Angels @ Chicago White Sox

Another matchup of 2024 losers, but these two are even lower. The White Sox and Angels are the worst teams in the American League, hosting bottom-five offenses that are nice to all pitchers. Enjoy the last week of getting to target these putrid lineups before the fun is over.

Martin is right at average with walks but has a below-average strikeout rate. That’s a profile a lot of streamers hold, and it plays nicely when facing weak opponents. When you don’t put people on base, teams who struggle to hit don’t find many opportunities to score.

Suarez has control problems but has also struck guys out at an above-average rate. He has mostly worked out of the bullpen but has made two starts, most recently his outing last Thursday. He allowed no runs in five innings, showing he can excel in longer stints. He will probably top out around five innings, but he has a chance at five solid frames.

Martin is a low- to mid-level streamer and Suarez a mid-level streamer. The matchup is heavily in each of their favors, and Suarez gets a little bump because of his strikeout work.

Keider Montero, Detroit Tigers vs. Tampa Bay Rays

Montero is another rookie on a day full of them, with just over 90 innings, an average walk rate and K rate just a hair below average. He’s another guy whose fantasy value is dictated by his opponent, and Tampa offers the right matchup.

The Rays have fallen to the second least runs scored in the league, ahead of only the White Sox (who have scored 100 less runs than anyone else!!). They are also in the bottom 10 in hits, home runs and all four slash categories, and they are in the top 10 in most batter strikeouts.

Montero is a low- to mid-level streamer. The matchup is right, and he’s been fine; it’s streaming at its purest.

Simeon Woods Richardson, Minnesota Twins vs. Miami Marlins

The Twins are fighting for their playoff lives; they also lost to the Marlins on Tuesday, the team with the worst record in the National League and a bottom-five offense across the board. This group is as lowly as anyone this side of Chicago.

Woods Richardson is less than one-half a percentage point worse than average with both walks and strikeouts. His ERA is right at 4.00; the rookie might be the most average pitcher in the league this season (of course there are other factors to consider, but it’s funny how close he is in those stats).

Woods Richardson is a mid- to high-level streamer. The matchup couldn’t be much better, and his average strikeout work gives him a little bit of a ceiling.

Wednesday’s Streamer Rankings

1. Simeon Woods Richardson, MIN
2. Cody Bradford, TEX
3. Brady Basso, OAK
4. Jose Suarez, LAA
5. Keider Montero, DET
6. Davis Martin, CWS