During Wednesday's full 15-game slate, which starts at 1:10 p.m. ET, the Los Angeles Angels send the Taylor Cole-Felix Pena opener-follower combo back to the mound for the first time after their storybook combined no-hitter to honor the late Tyler Skaggs. The Astros will provide a tough test, though.
In fact, the pool of streamers available in more than 50 percent of ESPN fantasy leagues is murky, at best, but onward we churn and burn during this hot summer.
Pitching
Sonny Gray (R), 45.9%, Cincinnati Reds at Chicago Cubs: Picking someone going against the Cubs lately has been disastrous (.366 wOBA in the past 14 days, the league's fourth-best mark), but I couldn't ignore that Gray is still eligible for this article despite a career-best 10.36 K/9 and a return to a useful ERA (3.42).
Homer Bailey (R), 8.4%, Oakland Athletics vs. Seattle Mariners: Bailey, who was shipped to Oakland over the weekend, has upped his K/9 to 8.1 from 6.35 last year and moves to a club with a lineup that could bolster his already surprising seven-win season. Seattle has the seventh-highest strikeout rate versus righties this year (25 percent), which helps his cause as a rental in most mixed leagues.
Ivan Nova (R), 1.6%, Chicago White Sox at Kansas City Royals: The "hold your nose" special... The right-hander's 5.60 ERA will cause many speculators to run away by default, but the Royals aren't exactly a juggernaut versus righties (.729 OPS, ranked 22nd), and at least Nova pitches mildly better away from Guaranteed Rate Field (4.66 road ERA, 7.14 home).
Hitting
Catcher -- Brian McCann (L), 4.9%, Atlanta Braves at Milwaukee Brewers (RHP Chase Anderson): McCann continues to serve fantasy managers well versus right-handed pitching (.267/.343/.453 with a .187 ISO across 175 plate appearances). Though Anderson has been much weaker versus righty bats (.382 wOBA), he still has allowed seven homers and a 4.43 ERA in 40 2/3 home innings at hitter-friendly Miller Park.
First Base -- Jesus Aguilar (R), 47.8%, Milwaukee Brewers vs. Atlanta Braves (LHP Dallas Keuchel): In a recent five-game stretch, Aguilar scorched opposing pitching, going 10-for-17 with three homers and seven RBIs. His disappointing follow-up to his breakout 2018 aside, he's reclaiming bottom-side platoon work, and Keuchel has struck out just 4.78 batters per nine innings over his first five starts of the season.
Second Base -- Ryan McMahon (L), 6%, Colorado Rockies vs. San Francisco Giants (RHP Shaun Anderson): McMahon has produced a .855 OPS at home with .619 elsewhere. The 24-year-old is an easy platoon play against righties and at Coors Field. On top of working in this daunting environment, Anderson has just a 4.5 K/9 against lefty batters this year, putting McMahon in place to make fine contact at home.
Third Base -- Todd Frazier (R), 4%, New York Mets at Minnesota Twins (LHP Martin Perez): In what could be a continued audition for contending teams on the trade market, Frazier gets to line up versus a left-hander. Against southpaws, "Flava Fraz" is rolling this year: .328/.397/.574 with a .406 wOBA. Perez has allowed all seven of his homers to righty sticks.
Shortstop -- J.P. Crawford (L), 3.8%, Seattle Mariners at Oakland Athletics (RHP Homer Bailey): Crawford's mini-breakout this year has involved owning righty pitchers: .290/.343/.516 with four homers across 137 plate appearances.
Corner Infield -- Colin Moran (L), 3.8%, Pittsburgh Pirates at St. Louis Cardinals (RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon): Moran carries a .348 wOBA and has hit all 10 of his homers have against righties reminds us of his occasional fantasy utility. Ponce De Leon's 1.99 ERA is a pipe dream.
Middle Infield -- Asdrubal Cabrera (S), 49.6%, Texas Rangers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (LHP Robbie Ray): Cabrera is 4-for-26 (all singles) to start July, having gotten off to a rough following a three-game suspension and back stiffness. At least he's posted a 7:10 BB:K, so he's seeing the strike zone well. That's Ray's biggest issue, especially against righty batters (5.31 BB/9, compared to 2.25 versus lefty sticks). All of Cabrera's homers this year have come at hitter-leaning Globe Life Park, which is heating up for the summer.
Outfield -- Alex Verdugo (L), 46.5%, Los Angeles Dodgers at Philadelphia Phillies (RHP Nick Pivetta): For all his raw talent, Pivetta has allowed 2.16 HR/9 and has mustered a 2.08 K/BB against lefty batters (7.36 K/9, 3.55 BB/9). Verdugo has dominated work along the plate against righties (7.6 BB%, 9.9 K% with a .204 ISO).
Outfield -- Tyler O'Neill (R), 3%, St. Louis Cardinals vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (RHP Chris Archer): All four of the 24-year-old's homers have come against righties. Archer's quiver hasn't helped: 2.05 HR/9, .269/.353/.491 versus righty batters -- plus 7.32 outside of PNC Park. O'Neill has been seeing more playing time lately with Marcell Ozuna (finger) sidelined.
Outfield -- Brandon Belt (L), 11.8%, San Francisco Giants at Colorado Rockies (RHP Jon Gray): Eight of Belt's 11 homers have come against righties, and he's whipped up a .271/.379/.488 slash away from Oracle Park. Keep enjoying the Rocky Mountain views in your lineups.