If you were wondering where all the good streaming options were this week, here's your answer as Sunday could be the richest slate in memory for those looking for a last-minute boost on the pitching department. There are no less than eight featured candidates, though a couple were initially scheduled to take the hill on Saturday, but a rainout in the Windy City pushed them to Sunday.
Hitters are also bountiful as you look to make up ground or hopefully nail down the week in head-to-head formats. Good luck in the last day of the first full week of the season. As always, every featured player is available in at least half of all ESPN leagues.
Mike Minor (L), rostered in 28% of ESPN leagues, Kansas City Royals at Chicago White Sox: Heading into the season, using a lefty against the White Sox seemed like a dangerous proposition. However, with Eloy Jimenez and Tim Anderson sidelined, the task isn't as daunting. Minor pitched better than his numbers suggest last season, which can also be said for his first start where he allowed four runs, but also fanned six in as many frames.
Dylan Cease (R), 23%, Chicago White Sox vs. Kansas City Royals: Cease was a popular breakout candidate. There's no questioning his stuff but he needs to hone his control. To wit, in his 2021 debut, Cease walked three in just 4 2/3 innings. The Royals are mid-pack so far in both walk and strikeout rate.
Matt Shoemaker (R), 15%, Minnesota Twins vs. Seattle Mariners: For the past four seasons, Shoemaker has pitched well but injuries have limited him to only 166 innings since 2016, when he pitched 160 inning. The righty should get solid run support as well as working in front of a solid bullpen. So long as he's healthy, Shoemaker is a solid option. On Sunday, he looks to build on a solid debut with the Twins, whiffing five over six stanzas.
Trevor Williams (R), 8%, Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh Pirates: Is it a revenge game when you're probably giddy to be on a new team? Williams toiled for the Pirates since 2016 before being released last offseason. The pitching-starved Cubs signed Williams who hopes to recapture the form he displayed early in his career with the Bucs. He's not very dominant so he needs to limit homers to be successful. It's early, but the Pirates appear to be one of the less powerful lineups in the league.
Logan Allen (L), 5%, Cleveland Indians vs. Detroit Tigers: Allen outdueled Cal Quantrill in the spring to nail down the fifth spot in the Indians rotation. Cleveland is developing a reputation for getting the most out of their starting pitchers with Shane Bieber, Zach Plesac and Aaron Civale all hurlers on a career path exceeding expectations as they progressed through the minor leagues. Allen still needs to demonstrate he's the latest example, but with a Sunday home date with the tame Tigers on the calendar, Allen is in play for those needing a last minute boost.
Anthony DeSclafani (R), 5%, San Francisco Giants vs. Colorado Rockies: DeSclafani hopes to follow the footsteps of his teammate Kevin Gausman and benefit from the pitcher-friendly confines of Oracle Park as both spent the bulk of their careers in hitter's havens before joining the Giants. DeSclafani picked up a tick on his fastball in 2018 and has maintained it, and the resulting spike in swinging strike rate. Hopefully, the added confidence working at home helps DeSclafani cut down on free passes.
Daniel Ponce de Leon (R), 3%, St. Louis Cardinals vs. Milwaukee Brewers: They can snap out of their funk and any time, but to date, the Brewers have posted the league's lowest weighted on base average (wOBA). Ponce de Leon tossed an efficient five frames in his opener, fanning three with just one walk and three hits allowed against the Marlins.
Nick Pivetta (R), 3%, Boston Red Sox at Baltimore Orioles: Warning, rabbit hole ahead. If you've been playing fantasy baseball for a few years, you've probably been drawn in by Pivetta's enticing stuff only to be let down. The Red Sox saw something they liked last season, bringing him on in hopes Pivetta can recapture the form many thought would result in a mid-rotation starter. Boston has Pivetta throwing curves while relying more on his slider, hoping to improve command and control. Normally, a wait-and-see approach would be prudent, but the Boston bats have come alive while Baltimore has registered the third-lowest wOBA in MLB.
JT Brubaker (R), 1%, Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Chicago Cubs: Last but not least, Brubaker was a deep sleeper of many prospect analysts. As 27-years-old, he's not a spring chicken though he's embarking on just his sophomore season. The allure on Sunday is working at PNC Park, one of the best pitching venues in the league, while facing a Cubs lineup still trying to snap out of early-season doldrums as they're currently fanning the tenth most in the game.
Bullpen: Raise your hand if you had Jake McGee, Mark Melancon and Alex Reyes atop the early season saves heap with three each? Yeah, neither did I. Through Friday's action, a whopping 37 relievers have garnered a save, with only 13 registering more than one. Seven teams have only one save while the Red Sox, Mets, Athletics, Marlins and Nationals don't have any. That said, exactly half of the first 106 wins were saved, in line with historical rates. From a fantasy sense, this screams to stream closers as well as starters, though Sunday is better suited for starters. The best approach is to supplement your short-slate staff (usually Monday and Thursday) with relievers in a favorable spot to pick up a save.
For the latest team-by-team closer situations, please consult our Closer Chart.
Catcher -- Yadier Molina (R), 36%, St. Louis Cardinals vs. Milwaukee Brewers (LHP Brett Anderson): It's always necessary to check the lineups, especially on Sunday, but if Molina is active, he's in a great spot against a vulnerable southpaw. Molina is showing he still have plenty of gas left in his 39-year-old tank, posting an .824 OPS with only five strikeouts in 26 plate appearances to open the season.
First Base -- Colin Moran (L), 11%, Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Chicago Cubs (RHP Trevor Williams): Moran has the power stroke going with four of his hits being of the extra base variety. Williams has historically had issues with the long ball.
Second Base -- Luis Arraez (L), 21%, Minnesota Twins vs. Seattle Mariners (RHP Chris Flexen): With Josh Donaldson on the shelf, Arraez has been filling in at the hot corner, already picking up third base eligibility in many formats. He's best known for his excellent bat-to-ball skills, though he surprised his fantasy managers with a dinger last Thursday, after not going deep in 32 games last season.
Third Base -- Travis Shaw (L), 5%, Milwaukee Brewers at St. Louis Cardinals (RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon): You know the Brewers offense is in a rut when Shaw is one of your best hitters to start the season. The veteran has slashed 353/.389/.588 facing righties to begin the campaign.
Shortstop -- Willy Adames (R), 11%, Tampa Bay Rays vs. New York Yankees (LHP Jordan Montgomery): Adames gets lost in the shuffle as shortstop is loaded and he's thought to be keeping the spot warm for Wander Franco. Adames is showing he wants to stay in the lineup with three doubles and a homer over the first week of the season.
Corner Infield -- Brandon Belt (L), 7%, San Francisco Giants vs. Colorado Rockies (RHP German Marquez): It's been an odd opening week for Belt as he's fanned in 44% of his trips to the dish, but when he's made contact, he's crushed the ball, though he only has a pair of knocks to show for it. The strikeouts will settle, and the hits will fall in.
Middle Infield -- Cesar Hernandez (S), 31%, Cleveland Indians vs. Detroit Tigers (RHP Jose Urena): Everyone has a player they can't give up on. Hernandez is too good a hitter not to turn things around. Who better to do it against than one of the weakest arms on the card? Better yet, he's in the perfect spot to also do a little running if Wilson Ramos is Urena's battery-mate.
Outfield -- Cedric Mullins (S), 39%, Baltimore Orioles vs. Boston Red Sox (RHP Nick Pivetta): This isn't the first time Mullins has gotten off to a hot start. When he debuted in August of 2018, Mullins slashed .387/.457/.645 in his first week before falling to .207/.282/.304 the rest of the way. Through Friday, Mullins has posted an impressive .448/.484/.655 with no signs of slowing down.
Outfield -- Cristian Pache (R), 13%, Atlanta Braves vs. Philadelphia Phillies (LHP Matt Moore): Batting eighth in a National League is far from ideal, but there's a chance Atlanta rests a couple of regulars and Pache moves up. Even if he doesn't, he's the only readily available option to get a piece of a Braves lineup likely to do some damage facing Moore.
Outfield -- Franchy Cordero (L), 6%, Boston Red Sox at Baltimore Orioles (RHP Jorge Lopez): Cordero got a late start to the 2021 season as he needed to clear health and safety protocols. A .313 average looks good on paper, but he's whiffed seven times in just 16 plate appearances. However, not only is Lopez the lowest-ranked starters on Sunday's ledger, he's one of the poorest arms in the league, putting Cordero in a great spot to impress his new team.
