To be honest, you probably shouldn't be looking to stream starting pitchers in Week 1.
You drafted a whole pitching staff, right? I'm guessing there are some big names at the top and some other strong performers from last year rounding it out. You're probably better off rolling with them than anything you could pluck off the waiver wire right now. It's much lower risk, if nothing else -- and I say that even in the case of disparate matchups.
But maybe you lost a Triston McKenzie, Luis Severino or Kyle Wright from an already thin pitching staff and don't know where else to turn for this first week. I do have some recommendations for you. These streamer plays will become increasingly relevant as attrition whittles down the stable of healthy starters, so even if they're not useful to you now because of your league setup or the depth you've accumulated, you may want to check back in future weeks.
For now, I've limited the selection to those rostered in less than 75 percent of CBS Sports leagues.
With a deceptive delivery and impressive changeup, Jared Shuster beat out highly favored pitchers like Ian Anderson and Bryce Elder for a rotation spot this spring. The Nationals should make for an easy introduction to the big leagues.
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Zach Eflin didn't make headlines this spring, but he was one of the biggest underachievers in xERA last year and earned a big free agent contract from the cost-conscious Rays, of all teams. The Tigers matchup makes him worth a roll of the dice.
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After an injury-plagued 2022, Eduardo Rodriguez seemed to be back to his old self this spring and can still be the stabilizing force the Tigers signed him to be. He should at least keep the damage to a minimum against the Rays this week.
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The Giants are experts at maximizing offense by tailoring their lineup for the opposing pitcher, so this is a sneaky dangerous matchup. But Clarke Schmidt was mostly dominant this spring, adding a cutter to round out his high-spin arsenal.
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Graham Ashcraft's second matchup against the Phillies is a rather dangerous one, but the Pirates matchup to begin the week makes it worth it. It's a risk/reward play based on the improvements Ashcraft showed this spring.
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As with Graham Ashcraft, the second matchup (San Diego) presents some danger for Jared Shuster, but the first matchup against the Nationals is so good that he might be worth a roll of the dice if you believe his impressive spring was legit.
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Yusei Kikuchi is known to be pretty combustible, but the way he piled up strikeouts this spring makes it easy to dream big again. His first matchup against the Royals is awfully inviting. His second against the Angels not so much.
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