Fantasy Baseball: 5 Starting Pitchers to Stream in Week 1

Jordan Montgomery, New York Yankees

Starts: April 2nd vs. Tampa Bay Rays, April 8th vs. Baltimore Orioles
ESPN percentage owned: 45.6%

The offseason headlines have understandably focused on the New York Yankees' excessively beefy offense, but fantasy owners shouldn't turn a blind eye to the upside in their starting rotation. In particular, young lefty Jordan Montgomery looks to build on a solid 2017 rookie campaign that saw him tally a 3.88 ERA and 4.07 fielding independent pitching (FIP) across 155.1 innings of work, respectable ratios in the current offense-forward climate.

Montgomery's calling card is his plus curveball, fifth best in the majors last year, per Fangraphs' pitch values, helping him generate an above-average reach rate and swinging-strike rate overall.

The whiffs should follow suit in Montgomery's first start of the year against the Tampa Bay Rays. Tampa was a perennial streamer target last season, carrying the highest team strikeout rate (K%) in the American league. Sure, a number of (at times baffling) offseason moves have given the Rays' offense a slight makeover, but they're still projected to be one of the least productive offenses in the league.

It might be wise for shallow-leaguers in daily changes leagues to steer clear of Montgomery's projected home start next week against the still somewhat formidable Orioles offense. That said, weekly leaguers committed to fielding Montgomery for both starts can take some solace in his being paired against strikeout-prone lefties Chris Davis and Colby Rasmus.