As usual, I'm going to recommend 10 pitchers to stream for the upcoming scoring period, mostly based on matchups, but you should know that there's nothing usual about the upcoming scoring period. The trade deadline falls pretty early in the week, Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET, which means that some of the matchups depicted here won't hold.
- Week 19: Sleeper hitters | Two-start pitchers
What I'm saying is you should consider long and hard whether you really want to use a sleeper pitcher in Week 19. They present much more uncertainty than usual, so you may be better off dancing with the one that brought you.
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Only players rostered in less than 80 percent of CBS Sports leagues were considered. All information is up to date as of Sunday evening.
Sleeper pitchers for Week 19 (July 31-Aug. 6)
Suarez has taken some lumps recently, but his ground-ball tendencies still give him a higher floor than most of what you'll find on the waiver wire this time of year. He also happens to have two great matchups, at the Marlins and against the Royals.
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Gibson has had some strong starts of late, collecting whiffs at a nice rate with his sweeper. His matchups at the Blue Jays and against the Mets might seem dangerous at first glance, but they're both middle-of-the-road offenses statistically.
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Lugo's matchups are a bit dicey, beginning with a start at Coors Field before the Dodgers visit later in the week. He has four quality starts in his last five chances, though, and a hearty enough skill set to render him trustworthy.
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The lack of strikeouts for France remains a point of major concern, but he's had only one "miss," really, in his past nine starts, compiling a 2.34 ERA. His first matchup against the Guardians is obviously a gem, but he may have a tougher time at the Yankees with Aaron Judge back in the mix.
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Quintana has looked fine in two starts since coming back from a rib injury. "Fine" is basically his M.O., but it's elevated to "pretty good" in a two-start week that begins in Kansas City. The Orioles make for a tougher second matchup, but it helps that it's at Camden Yards.
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German's susceptibility to the long ball makes him a volatile choice in a two-start week, particularly with matchups like the Rays and Astros. But he's been racking up the strikeouts recently, which makes for some nice upside as well.
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Cabrera is 1 for 2 since returning from an IL stint for a shoulder impingement, performing well against the Cardinals but then struggling against the Rays. This week may go similarly with an OK matchup against the Phillies and then a tough one at the Rangers, but his strikeout upside makes him worth considering.
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Canning is yet another two-start option who's mostly worth pursuing for the strikeouts given that he has 20 in his past two starts. You'd prefer a better matchup than the Braves in his first turn, especially given his vulnerability to the long ball, but his second matchup against the Mariners is more promising.
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We're still trying to figure out what makes Cristopher Sanchez tick following a lackluster minor-league career, but he just threw five no-hit innings against the Pirates, bringing his ERA down to 2.66 and his WHIP down to 0.91. It was a favorable matchup, sure, but the one he has against the Royals this week is even better.
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