The Fantasy Baseball season marches on as we enter Week 7 of the 2023 season. Whether you're in a daily transaction league that puts a cap on starts/acquisitions or a weekly league that locks on Monday, the importance of streaming starting pitchers cannot be overstated. Considering how unpredictable starting pitching has become, nailing a pitcher streamer can be the difference in winning a weekly matchup or bumping you one spot higher in a specific category. Here are the top Week 7 fantasy baseball pitcher streamers.
*Note: We only look at Week 7 pitcher streamers rostered in less than 60% of ESPN Fantasy leagues.
2023 Fantasy Baseball: Top Week 7 Pitcher Streamers
Jon Gray – TEX | 54% Rostered | May 19 vs. COL
2-1 Record | 27:14 K:BB | 3.82 ERA | 1.25 WHIP
Jon Gray has been a hot commodity in fantasy circles after a strong start in his last outing. In 7.0 innings against the Mariners, Gray allowed just one run on four hits while striking out eight. That marked the first time Gray did not allow a walk while he set a season-high in strikeouts. While Gray's underlying numbers aren't anything to write home about (5.44 xERA and .358 xwOBA), he turned a corner against the Mariners. Gray's slider was on full display. He threw his slider on a season-high 42% of pitches – a good sign for fantasy owners considering it generates whiffs 38% of the time.
Gray gets a juicy matchup against a Rockies team that ranks in the middle of the pack in scoring but holds a horrific .228 average and .349 slugging percentage on the road. Start Gray in all formats.
Zach Eflin – TB | 50% Rostered | May 20 vs. MIL
4-1 Record | 35:4 K:BB | 2.91 ERA | 1.03 WHIP
Another pitcher rising up the fantasy ranks, Rays' starter Zach Eflin has a great matchup against the Brewers next weekend. While Eflin has been a consistent starter all year, he is coming off his worst start of the season against the Orioles. He picked up his first loss thanks to allowing four runs on seven hits in 6.0 innings. However, Eflin was incredibly unlucky as he allowed a season-low 4.8% barrel rate and his second-best 33% hard-hit rate. Eflin was rock-solid prior to that start and he still holds a stellar 3.19 xERA.
The matchup here is incredibly enticing as the Brewers have scored the fifth-fewest runs over the last 12 games. Milwaukee ranks in the bottom ten in both hard-hit rate and BABIP over that span. Additionally, Eflin has been unhittable at home this season with a 4-0 record and just five runs allowed in 23 innings. If someone dropped Eflin after his last start pick him up and reap the rewards next week.
Reid Detmers – LAA | 31% Rostered | May 19 vs. MIN
0-3 Record | 38:12 K:BB | 5.10 ERA | 1.50 WHIP
Digging into the weeds a bit, Reid Detmers profiles as a high-risk/high-reward stream thanks to his matchup with Minnesota. The 23-year-old southpaw broke onto the scene last year with a 3.77 ERA but hasn't been able to replicate that success this season. He has yet to allow less than two runs and averaged two walks per game prior to his start against Cleveland. However, Detmers has been a victim of bad luck with a 4.07 xERA compared to his actual 5.10 ERA. He continues to generate whiffs at a high rate and holds a stellar 11.4 K/9 for the season. Detmers is throwing his slider more and harder than ever before – up 15% usage-wise and 4.4 mph compared to last year.
Despite the Twins sitting in first place in the AL Central, their offense remains exploitable – particularly on the road. Minnesota held an ugly .198 road average and .203 average against lefties with a 32% strikeout rate. Additionally, Detmers struck out nine Twins in their lone meeting last season – making him a strong play next week.
Josiah Gray – WAS | 16% Rostered | May 16 @ MIA, May 21 vs. DET
3-5 Record | 40:19 K:BB | 2.96 ERA | 1.34 WHIP
Righty Josiah Gray should be available in most leagues and projects for a stellar outing early next week. Gray flew off the fantasy radar after a blow-up in his season debut but he has settled in nicely since. Over his last seven starts, the 25-year-old has yet to allow more than three runs. Additionally, he lasted at least 5.0 innings in all eight of his starts. His strikeout numbers come and go and his walks certainly can be concerning. However, he's also gotten unlucky despite strong ratios. Gray owns a better expected batting average (.221 xERA) and slugging rate (.363 xSLG) allowed compared to his actual stats despite an already-stellar ERA.
Gray gets two juicy matchups next week against the Marlins (29th in runs) and Tigers (28th in runs). Consequently, he is a must-start for weekly leagues amongst fantasy baseball pitcher streamers.
Follow Us
Subscribe