Fantasy baseball Friday advice: Turn to David Peterson

• The Chicago Cubs are home this weekend, which means the Friday slate begins with a Wrigley Field matinee. The Washington Nationals visit the Windy City for a series between a pair of teams playing for pride. Cubs RHP Jameson Taillon (21.6% rostered in ESPN leagues) isn't the docket's top streaming option, but he makes the cut. Taillon has been solid in September, recording a 1.42 ERA and .89 WHIP over three starts, spanning 19 frames. He fanned only 15 in that span, but he punched out six in each of his past two outings. That said, the Nationals don't strike out much, but over the past month they've sported the fifth-lowest wOBA with a righty on the hill. Taillon can help with ratios with a chance at notching a win.

• Friday's top-ranked streaming candidate is Mets LHP David Peterson (30.2% rostered) facing the Phillies, so both teams will give maximum effort. The Phillies snapped out of their second-half rut, but Peterson enjoys the platoon edge on Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, two of the Phillies' most productive hitters, and the game is in Citi Field, the best pitching venue in the league. Last time out, Peterson tossed 7⅔ innings in Citizens Bank Park, limiting the Phillies to one run on four hits, ringing up six. Pitching into the eighth inning again is unlikely, but Peterson should provide another solid outing.

• Next up is an intriguing matchup with the Tigers giving the ball to LHP Brant Hurter in their road tilt with the Orioles. Hurter is one of the primary reasons for the Tigers' second-half surge, as the southpaw has registered a crisp 2.56 ERA and 0.83 WHIP in eight outings, mostly serving as the bulk reliever, which will likely be his role Friday. Hurter has just one start, but he has tossed at least five frames six times, including last time out when he logged 5⅔ frames against the Orioles, albeit in Comerica Park. That said, as a left-hander, Hurter benefits from the deep left-field wall, along with facing an Orioles lineup with the eighth-lowest wOBA facing lefties over the last month.

• It may not be the first, but it's one of the few instances that Houston Astros RHP Justin Verlander's 49.5% rostership is beneath the 50% threshold generally used to pinpoint streaming options. The Astros haven't clinched the American League West, so they'll still be giving it their all when they take on the Los Angeles Angels at home. However, Verlander has yet to find a groove, posting an 8.34 ERA and 1.76 WHIP over five starts since coming off the IL in August. The righty lost the first four of those outings before logging a win his last time out, coincidentally over the Angels. Verlander isn't likely to rack up a bunch of punchouts, but he should keep a weak Angels lineup in check and has a chance for his second straight win.

• Texas Rangers RHP Jacob deGrom (42.6% rostered) is another infrequent visitor to this space. Unlike Verlander, deGrom isn't trying to get sharp for the playoffs, but he'd like to finish the season strong and then focus the offseason on a solid 2025 season. In his 2024 debut last week, deGrom threw only 61 pitches, but they encompassed 3⅔ scoreless stanzas, where he punched out four Seattle Mariners. Therein lies deGrom's Friday appeal, as he has another start against the team with the league's highest strikeout rate. The Mariners are on the fringe of the playoff chase, but it's due to their pitching. There is a decent chance deGrom reaches five frames in the rematch.

Starting pitcher rankings for Friday