Fantasy Baseball Today - Week 3 Sleepers & Two-Start Pitchers! (4/4 Fantasy Baseball Podcast)
Episode Date: April 4, 2026Frank Stampfl and Scott White are previewing Week 3 of the 2026 Fantasy Baseball season! Start or sit Bubba Chandler with two starts next week? Jose Soriano leads the sleeper pitchers. Get TJ Rumfield... and Jake McCarthy in your lineups! Subscribe to our YouTube channel: youtube.com/FantasyBaseballToday Download and Follow Fantasy Baseball Today on Spotify: https://sptfy.com/QiKv Follow our FBT team on Twitter: @FBTPod, @CPTowers @CBSScottWhite, @Roto_Frank Join our Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/fantasybaseballtoday Sign up for the FBT Newsletter at https://www.cbssports.com/newsletters/fantasy-baseball-today/ For more fantasy baseball coverage from CBS Sports, visit https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/ To hear more from the CBS Sports Podcast Network, visit https://www.cbssports.com/podcasts/ To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcript
Discussion (0)
Week 3 sleepers and two-star pitchers up next on Fantasy Baseball Today Express.
Welcome into FBT Express on Saturday, April 4th.
I am, for example, joined by Scott White.
And let's take a look at the week three schedule.
22 teams with six games next week.
And there are eight teams with seven games, including the White Sox, Reds, Rockies, Tigers, Royals, Marlins, twins, and Padres.
Start or sit these two-star pitchers, you know, maybe a,
on the fringe here, Scott, and Bobba Chandler, coming off a six-walk performance.
He is home against the Padres and at the Cubs.
Do you start him next week?
I'm leaning toward it.
I'm not saying it's without risk.
Obviously, he showed good stuff in that start.
So it was really just the walks that were the problem.
And it was a problem in spring training.
It was a problem during part of his time in the minors last year.
but I don't think you make this level of investment
at a pitcher with this much upside
and abandon it after one turn,
especially when there are two starts coming up.
I just don't see myself doing that.
Tanner Bybee has been okay so far this season.
He had the shoulder scare during his first start.
He gets the Royals and at the Atlanta Braves.
That feels like a points league play to me.
He really seems to be searching Bybee after a down season
and just pitch selection has been kind of weird
and nothing's really shown as dominant in any way for him.
So I think with the two starts,
I'd limit my use of Bybee to points leagues.
What about Zach Allen,
some tough matchups at the Mets at the Phillies?
Yeah, good volume guy off to a pretty good start,
but those are tough matchups.
So points league only.
What about Shane O'Mac,
Shane McClan, going up against the Cubs and Yankees?
Some tough starts there, too.
tune. I could see doing it in a points league, but even in that format, it's not a must because those
matchups are so tough and hard to say how deep he's going to pitch into those games.
I think I know the answer, but I'll ask anyway. I know you liked him coming into the season. Scott,
Shane Smith off to a rough start. He gets the Royals. Nope, yes, he's at the Royals, but also home
against the Orioles. Can't do it. Can't do it. I did like him coming in. It's getting harder
to like him now.
All right, who are some two-star pitchers that you like as an ad in a stream for next week?
Let's look at names that are under 75% rostered here.
I got four of them for you, Jose Soriano, coming off back-to-back.
Six shutout inning performance is not just that,
but making an arsenal change that seems to be having an impact
on his overall effectiveness, bat-missing ability, mixing in a four-seamer.
Always had a great sinker, always been a top-ground ball pitcher.
but now adding a little bit of bat missing ability there.
The matchups aren't the greatest Braves and Reds,
but I am encouraged enough to run them out there for two starts.
Taj Bradley has had back-to-back good starts,
at least by the top line numbers.
The whiffs were down quite a bit in the second start from the first,
so I don't know that he's really on the verge of a breakthrough.
And the matchups, again, could be better.
He's facing the Tigers and Blue Jays,
but I think there's enough upside.
There's enough reason for encouragement
that if you want to take advantage of the added volume,
he's one of your best choices, Tage Bradley.
Max Scherzer came through in that start against the Rockies.
Next matchups against the Dodgers,
that's the first of his two starts for this week.
Obviously a dangerous one,
but then he gets the twins to close out the week.
So opposite ends of the spectrum there,
I think certainly in points leagues where volume is so important,
you could use Max Scherzer and just hold your breath.
for that first start against the Dodgers.
And finally, Jameson,
definitely just a points league option here,
but pretty good matchups,
the rays and pirates,
if you're looking to add volume.
What about some one-star streamers here, Scott,
guys that you like with solid matchups next week?
So the Angels are once again
looking like the most strikeout-prone team.
And Grant Holmes is a pretty good strikeout pitcher.
Control gets away from him sometimes,
but I think with this matchup,
the upside is high enough.
I like Grant Holmes for that.
Michael Burroughs gets the Rockies in Colorado.
Yeah.
But it's still the Rockies.
They're terrible.
I'm not as concerned about that, particularly this time of year as historically I've been.
We saw a lot of good starts from pitchers in Colorado last year,
and Burroughs looked much better in his second start than his first start this year.
So I'm fine with that.
Michael Waka just had his turn skipped because of an illness.
I think, though, it's going to be a true skip situation,
and he'll remain on turn,
and that'll put him facing the Guardians next time out,
which is a favorable matchup for Michael Waka,
a nice high floor pitcher.
Rinaldo Lopez off to a good start.
Velocity is down from that great 2024 season,
so I definitely have long-term concerns,
but like Grant Holmes, he's facing the Angels this week.
So I'd want to take advantage of the first.
that Eric Lauer is still in the Blue Jays rotation for now.
Gets the Twins, great matchup,
had that big strikeout performance first time out.
We'll see how he does over the weekend.
I don't know.
This airing Saturday.
Did he start Friday?
I don't know.
I may have to take Eric Lauer off
if things don't go well this weekend.
But in theory, that matchup against the twins looks pretty good to me.
And then Will Warren gets the athletics.
He didn't go very deep in his first start,
but I think a strikeout prone is the,
athletics are he's definitely streamable all right let's take a quick break and we'll be back right
after this welcome back in the fbt express we're looking at the best hitter matchups for week
three that includes the Rockies Padres Reds Marlins and Royals the worst hitter
matchups Rangers Dodgers rays angels and athletics Scott who are your favorite
sleeper hitters for week three my favorite sleeper hitter of all is t. j rumfield
You mentioned the Rockies have the best titter matchups.
First three games are at...
Wait, do I have that right?
Yeah, the Rockies are going to spend half the week at home.
But really, it's more about how good the pitching matchups are.
And the fact that there's not a single left-hander on the schedule,
which heading into the weekend, they hadn't faced a left-hander all year.
I think they are finally facing one this weekend.
But then a full seven-game week with no left-handers again,
that's great news for Rumfield, the left-handed back.
Further down the list, I have Jake McCarthy.
He hasn't shown nearly as much this year,
but could also take advantage of those matchups like Rumfield,
like I expect him to.
Dalen Lyle, off to a terrific start for the Nationals,
piling up hits like we thought he would.
Guy makes a lot of contact,
and the matchups this week are pretty good for them,
particularly with the Cardinals' rotation
to start up.
out. Adoles
Garcia.
I like the Phillies
matchups this week and he is off to a
fine start. Looks like
the toughest pitchers
the Phillies are facing this week.
Zach Gallin, Robbie Ray
and some pretty low end options after that.
So I think Adoli
Garcia could take advantage. So could
Justin Crawford,
especially since there's just one left-hander
on the schedule.
I like
Carter Jensen.
As long as he wakes up for the game, Scott.
As long as he makes it to the stadium on time, yes,
and doesn't get further penalized for that mistake.
The Roy has the fifth best-titter matchups.
Five of the pitchers on tap are left-handers.
Jensen seems likely to play even against the left-handers,
but we like all the righties on the schedule.
And, yeah, I think there's a ton of upside there,
even if
you feel like you have a good catcher already.
T.J. Friedel, with the Reds having the third best matchups,
zero lefties on the schedule.
He's less susceptible to some left-hand deters,
but still it doesn't hurt Reds leadoff man, T.J. Friedel
available in more than 60% of league.
So good choice to pick up.
Otto Lopez is off to a great start for the Marlins,
and they have the fourth-best hitter matchups.
If you need help, it's second or base or shortstop there.
Colt Keith of the Tigers, one of the big bat speed gainers early on.
We haven't really seen it translate to production yet,
but it's an encouraging sign that there may be an underlying skill change here
for a guy who hasn't lived up to his potential yet.
And seven righties on top for the Tigers.
That's good news for him of the left-handed.
Keith's numbers much better against righties than lefties last year.
And finally, I'm putting Kyle Isbell on here,
only 5% rostered in CBS Sports Leagues,
heads into the weekend with two homers,
three steals already.
I don't see a lot of upside here,
but he's a hot hand play.
He does have that speed element.
Royals have the fifth best hitter matchups.
Highly, highly available for those deep leagues.
Well, let's call Kyle Isbell a deep league special for this week.
All right.
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