Starting pitcher streamer rankings for fantasy baseball for Friday, June 9

You want starting pitching? You’ve got it up and down the MLB schedule on Friday, June 9. Shohei Ohtani and Luis Castillo going toe to toe. Gerrit Cole facing down the Boston Red Sox. Marcus Stroman looking to keep his white-hot recent form going. Dylan Cease vs. Eury Perez.

But it’s not just the top of the slate that intrigues — only five pitchers fall in the “do not start” tier of our daily starting pitcher rankings for fantasy baseball, meaning just about every arm on the schedule has an argument for helping your team out today. Let’s break it all down, with recommendations on who to start, who to sit and who to stream.

Starting pitcher rankings for Friday, June 9

Pitchers to stream

Garrett Whitlock, Boston Red Sox — Whitlock struggled in his last outing, giving up four runs on six hits in 4.2 innings against the Tampa Bay Rays, but his velocity has ticked up with each successive start back from his stint on the injured list, and his matchup on Friday will be substantially easier: the New York Yankees without Aaron Judge. If Whitlock’s fastball is back up around 95 like it was last year, he should cruise.

A.J. Smith-Shawver, Atlanta Braves — Michael Soroka being sent down to Triple-A has opened the door for Smith-Shawver, the latest product off of Atlanta’s pitching assembly line. The righty began the year in High-A, but he tore through three levels of the Minors thanks to a 1.09 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 33 innings. There’s obviously some risk here in his first career start, but the strikeout upside is there, and the Washington Nationals struggle against right-handed pitching.

Adrian Houser, Milwaukee Brewers — Hiccup against the Toronto Blue Jays at the end of May notwithstanding, Houser has been on a roll of late, with one or fewer runs allowed in three of his last four starts — including seven innings of one-run ball against the Cincinnati Reds last time out. The sinkerballer hardly strikes anyone out, but his strategy of “get the ball on the ground and let your defense do the work” has panned out so far, and the Oakland Athletics are as good a matchup as you’ll find.

And now, without further ado, here are your full starting pitcher rankings for fantasy baseball on Friday, June 9.