Fantasy Baseball Points Leagues: Streaming Hitters For the Stretch Run

Similar to last week's look at pitchers, we'll focus on hitting schedules for the next few weeks in points formats as we head into the playoffs, breaking down the best matchups as measured by the opponent's team ERA (starters only). At the most basic level, I highlighted teams that face two opponents in the bottom half of the league, though I also considered park factors and number of games per week.

We'll break things down by matchup period and also take a look at the overall best schedule as a conclusion.

Visit RotoWire's MLB Daily Lineups page to find out where each and every hitter slots in!

Week of July 28-August 3

• All of these teams face similar matchups, typically one rotation in the bottom third of the league and one closer to league average.
• The Cardinals may be the best team to stream, as things currently line up for them to miss both Yu Darvish and Nick Pivetta. Rotations can be flipped dramatically, particularly after the trade deadline, so be sure to monitor that for the second half of the Cards' week.

Week of August 4-10

• The opposing pitching strength in this week is weaker for several teams, creating better streaming options.
• The A's, Rockies and Dodgers all stand out as having perhaps the biggest edge as streaming targets. Colorado is away from home for the first half of the week, but the Cardinals have the sixth-worst rotation ERA.
• The Dodgers may not be easy to stream because a lot of their players are widely rostered, but watching for injury news or shifts in playing time should be beneficial.

Find out who to target the rest of the way with RotoWire's MLB Rest of Season Projections!

Week of August 11-17

• We see the return of some seven-game weeks in mid-August, after they were seldomly scheduled to begin the month.
• The Phillies and Royals look to be the biggest winners for this week of streaming. The Royals draw the better opposing team ERA, but playing at Great American Ball Park and having seven contests is worth boosting the appeal of the Phillies.

Week of August 18-24

• Minnesota has the best matchups of the week, with both of their matchups checking in 10th or worst in team ERA.
• The Cardinals are another team to monitor. The Marlins are among the worst rotations in the league and a matchup at George M. Steinbrenner Field should be fruitful.

Overall Takeaways

• Houston, Kansas City, and the Dodgers all appeared three times. Houston has a few currently injured regulars that should be back within a few weeks and could be available on the waiver wire as stashes. The top half of the Royals' lineup is likely already rostered in most or all leagues, but the bottom third could potentially be worth streaming. 
• The second and third weeks appear to be the best to stream, and targeting them particularly should be the most efficient use of your remaining waiver claims or FAAB dollars.