The final-week matchups promise to be dodgy as playoff-bound teams decide to reshuffle their rotations in preparation for what's coming. It's inevitable, but of course, since we don't exactly when teams will clinch (or what seeding they'll be satisfied with), it's more of a blanket warning than anything else.
Those who pitch for teams out of the playoff race should be fairly safe, though, as should those who would slot toward the back of a playoff rotation. It turns out several of those happen to have the right matchups this week.
Here are my 10 11 (a final-week bonus!) favorite streamer pitchers rostered in less than 75 percent of CBS Sports leagues.
Sleeper pitchers for Week 10 (Sept. 21-27)
He has been a different pitcher since ditching the changeup to focus on tunneling his fastball and slider. Given his two favorable matchups to close out the season, it's time to take advantage.
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The whiffs have been at a level we've never seen from him in four starts since returning from a lengthy suspension. Even though it's just one start this week, it's against a bottom-five offense.
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The rookie got a ton of swinging strikes early and has gone six-plus in each of his last two, including seven against the Twins last time out, so why wouldn't you use him with two starts?
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With a favorable matchup against a miserable Rangers lineup, he's worth the play after allowing a combined 11 hits in 19 innings over his past three starts.
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Again, the Reds matchup is a favorable one. The ratios have been strong for Rich Hill, and he finally went beyond five innings in his most recent start.
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A disastrous outing Thursday makes this play a much more nerve-wracking one than it otherwise would have been, but Seth Lugo's transition to the starting rotation has gone well enough overall that I'd cross my fingers and trust him to rebound with two matchups on the schedule.
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His changeup has lived up to the scouting report in recent starts, leading to a dramatic rise in whiffs, and the Tigers lineup is one that's unlikely to reverse the trend.
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The top prospect finally looked the part in his most recent outing and has been getting better results with his secondary arsenal lately, but a two-start week also means twice the damage if things go awry.
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It's a reluctant endorsement of a guy who has decidedly outperformed his ratios this year, but the two starts away from Coors Field certainly help.
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He hasn't been fully stretched out yet, having made only two starts this season, but he'll get there before this week is done, perhaps even being cleared to throw 80-85 pitches in the first of his two starts.
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He has yet to go beyond four innings this year, having missed a major portion in the middle with a strained finger. But the velocity has been up, and the whiffs have been incredible, making him a sneaky play if you're chasing strikeouts in particular.
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