Streaming pitchers isn't for the faint of heart, but if you find yourself without enough reliable options in a given scoring period, it may be what you need to stay afloat. Scott White has 10 recommendations for the upcoming scoring period, all rostered in no more than 80 percent of CBS Sports leagues. Generally, only the top two or three are full-throated endorsements, while the rest are more about making the best of a bad situation.
Be sure to check back Sunday for the latest updates.
Sleeper pitchers for Week 19 (July 27-Aug. 2)
After a rare misstep against the Red Sox, Griffin Jax relied on his usual high supply of whiffs and ground balls to deliver six strong innings against the Blue Jays next time out. His ERA since joining the starting rotation in late April remains strong at 3.38, and though his outings tend to run short, you can overlook it in a two-start week.
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A couple clunkers in what seemed like favorable matchups led to Ian Seymour getting dropped as quickly as he was added in some leagues, but he bounced back with six strong innings in bulk relief Thursday. His low velocity readings give him a lower margin for error, but he misses plenty of bats when he's locating his pitches properly and has another favorable matchup this week.
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Peter Lambert has maintained a respectable ERA all season, but the strikeouts have really picked up in July, during which time he's put together a 1.52 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 9.9 K/9 in four starts. The trend should continue this week against the Angels, who remain one of the most strikeout-prone teams.
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Jared Jones is thriving again, albeit on a limit of what seems to be 75 pitches or so, which means he needs to be operating at peak efficiency to be a net positive in Fantasy. When he is, though, he's a major positive, and the Diamondbacks are the sort of middling matchup that shouldn't scare you away from that possibility.
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Michael McGreevy has been a quality-start machine with his plus control and strong ground ball tendencies, so you should always be looking to use him when he's in line for two starts. The Blue Jays actually rate as the most favorable pitching matchup right now.
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Shane Drohan has a strong analytical profile but was greatly restricted in his workload early on. After three consecutive appearances of six-plus innings (and perhaps another against the Rockies over the weekend), the time has come to unleash him in Fantasy, and a start in San Francisco against the hapless Giants presents a perfect opportunity.
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Brady Singer has been remarkably effective over his past nine starts, putting together a 2.92 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 8.9 K/9. I have yet to find a clear enough explanation for this success to convince me it'll continue, but I'd be willing to ride the hot hand in a two-start week, particularly with the first matchup being against the Guardians.
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The actual percentages for Christian Scott, from the 3.13 ERA to the 11.9 K/9 rate, look pretty strong, but he's another who tends to get pulled early from games, in part because of his own inefficiencies. He'll have two chances to get it right this week, though, including against a Marlins lineup that yielded back-to-back outings of five-plus innings to him in May.
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His matchup against the Mets over the weekend will ultimately determine whether or not Roki Sasaki remains on this list for Week 19, but presuming he sustains his velocity bump from his previous outing against the Yankees, when he allowed no earned runs in 5 2/3 innings, he'll have upside to spare against a Mariners lineup that now ranks second-to-last in scoring.
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Emmet Sheehan has been a disappointment overall this year and, even on his best days, tends to work only five innings at a time. But he still has big strikeout upside, and the Red Sox offense still ranks in the bottom third of the league, justifying the gamble if you're in a pinch.
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