Major League Baseball is a month into its season. Without question, it has been a bumpy ride for many of us in fantasy. Injuries have taken their toll on more than a few star players. Many fantasy managers are needing a boost to recover from player losses to move up in the standings. Making use of quality streaming starters is a great way to accomplish that goal. With that in mind, I present this Fantasy Baseball Weekend Starters for the period April 26th through the 28th.

As is the custom with streaming pitchers, a manager can pick him up just before his start. Once the games begin for the day, he can then be safely transferred back to the waiver wire. Of course, the opponent often plays into the strategy. On top of that, the pitcher must be available. Lastly, as has been the case with all of my articles, the roster percentages are taken from ESPN. With those statements firmly understood, let’s peek under the hood and see what we see.

Edward Cabrera, Miami Marlins, 24.2% Rostered

When it comes to Edward Cabrera, the first thing a manager wants to do is check his availability. More than likely, his roster percentage is higher on other formats than he is on ESPN. If he is on the wire, though, he goes to the top of the list.

The reasons for that are two fold. First is the opponent. In this case, it is the Washington Nationals. Washington is not a good hitting team. They are 18th in BA, 22nd in HR, 26th in RBIs and 27th in runs. The only offensive aspect the Nationals are good at is steals (2nd). The second factor is the game is in Miami Saturday. That stadium is a pitcher’s park, which will further hold Washington in check.

Last, but not least, is Cabrera himself. In his first couple of 2024 starts, his stats are markedly approved over last season, with the exception of H9 (see below). Whether he can keep that up the entire season is not the point here. Cabrera is pitching well so far, has a weak offensive opponent in a pitcher’s heaven of a park. If available, he is the pitcher to stream this weekend.

Stats through two starts: 1-0 WL, 3.27 ERA, 11.0 IP, 12 hits, 17 K, 4 BB, 133 ERA+, 1.16 FIP, 1.455 WHIP, 9.8 H9, 13.9 K9, 3.3 BB9

2023 stats: 20 starts, 7-7 WL, 4.24 ERA, 99.2. IP, 78 hits, 118 K, 66 BB, 107 ERA+, 4.43 FIP, 1.445 WHIP, 7.0 H9, 10.7 SO9, 6.0 BB9

Zack Littell, Tampa Bay Rays, 18.9% Rostered

Without doubt, the next selection on this Fantasy Baseball Weekend Starters edition has much more to do with the opponent than the pitcher himself. The starter in question is Zack Littell. The opponent? The worst team in baseball: the Chicago White Sox. Even on the road, any start against the White Sox has been a positive experience for all pitchers near and far.

Off to a 3-20 beginning, Chicago, as could be expected, is at the bottom of all offensive statistics. Of course, that’s not a surprise. As for Littell, he is coming off his worst start of the season: 5 runs on nine hits in six innings against Detroit. However, before that outing, he was pitching very well. In 21 previous innings, Littell allowed just five runs on 23 hits with 22 strikeouts and five BBs.

In the end, it really doesn’t matter what Littell has done going into Sunday’s game against Chicago. Until further notice, if a pitcher has any redeeming qualities at all, start him against the White Sox. Of course, Littell has many redeeming qualities. Conclusion: get him onto your team fast before someone else does.

Brandon Pfaadt, Arizona Diamondbacks, 18.6 Percent Rostered

Back on April 12, things weren’t looking good for Brandon Pfaadt. St. Louis had lit him up for six runs early and his hold on fantasy rosters was fading fast. However, he managed to last six innings in that game and hasn’t looked back since. Over his past two starts, Pfaadt has pitched 12.1 innings. In that time, he has allowed four runs on eight hits with 10 strikeouts and three walks.

For the season, Pfaadt is 1-1 with a 4.97 ERA. Be aware his season numbers are skewed due to giving up 11 runs on 15 hits in two starts. In his other three starts, he’s allowed just five runs total in 17.3 innings. Except for the two starts, Pfaadt has lived up to the promise he displayed in Arizona’s postseason run to the World Series. See his stats below.

Stats through five starts: 1-1 WL, 4.97 ERA, 29.0 IP, 28 hits, 27 K, 6 BB, 83 ERA+, 3.92 FIP, 1.172 WHIP, 8.7 H9, 8.4 K9, 1.9 BB9

2023 stats: 18 starts, 3-9 WL, 5.72 ERA, 96 IP, 109 hits, 94 K, 26 BB, 76 ERA+, 5.18 FIP, 1.406 WHIP, 10.2 H9, 8.8 SO9, 2.4 BB9

Now for the best news. Pfaadt takes the mound Sunday in Seattle. The Mariners rank 22nd in hits and SLG and 23rd in OPS and RBIs. Even worse, they rank 27th in strikeouts. If a manager needs some fantasy points on the last day of the scoring period, look Pfaadt’s way. Most likely, he’ll deliver.

Jose Butto, New York Mets, 14% Rostered

If one wants to get the weekend off with a bang, look no further than New York City. On Friday, Jose Butto takes the mound against the Cardinals. With just three starts under his belt this season, Butto has been one of the more exciting youngsters in the game. Going into that Friday start, Butto is 0-0 with an impressive 1.65 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP. See his stats below.

Stats through three starts: 0-0 WL, 1.65 ERA, 16.1 IP, 8 hits, 21 K, 9 BB, 241 ERA+, 2.61 FIP, 1.041 WHIP, 4.4 H9, 11.6 K9, 5.0 BB9

2023 stats: 3 starts, 1-4 WL, 3.64 ERA, 42 IP, 33 hits, 38 K, 23 BB, 115 ERA+, 4.02 FIP, 1.333 WHIP, 7.1 H9, 8.1 SO9, 4.9 BB9

Obviously, Butto’s walk rate is far too high. Truthfully, he has shown no improvement in that area over last season. Further, that is one aspect that the Cardinals are relatively good at, ranking 11th in base on balls. However, St. Louis is sorry in all other offensive areas. They rank 25th in OBP, 26th in BA and RBIs, 28th in SLG and 29th in HRs.

In conclusion, Butto is at home, pitching well and facing a weak offensive opponent. He held the high flying Dodger hitters to two runs on three hits in 4.1 innings. If he can at least keep his walks somewhat under control, Butto looks great to provide solid stats. Without doubt, he has earned a spot on this Fantasy Baseball Weekend Starters edition.

Pitchers Less Than 10% Rostered to Consider This Weekend:

Michael Lorenzen, Texas Rangers, 7.8% rostered vs. Cincinnati Saturday

Trevor Williams, Washington Nationals, 5.9% rostered vs. Miami Friday

Jose Quintana, New York Mets, 5.8% rostered vs. St Louis Sunday

Erick Fedde, Chicago White Sox (believe it or not), 6.2% rostered vs. Tampa Sunday

The Last Word

Thank you for joining me for this Fantasy Baseball Weekend Starters edition! As always. debate and discussion are highly encouraged. Agree or disagree with anything in the article? Let’s talk about it.

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