Bumgarner headlines week 8’s list of two start pitchers
Daniel Marcus takes us through week 8’s two starters. Be sure to review our Two Start Pitcher Rankings chart
Elite Options
- Madison Bumgarner (5/26 @MIL, 5/31 ATL)
- David Price (5/26 @OAK, 5/31 @LAA)
- Jordan Zimmerman (5/25 @CHC, 5/31 @CIN)
- Tyson Ross (5/25 @LAA, 5/30 PIT)
- Dallas Keuchel (5/25 @BAL, 5/31 CHW)
- Jake Odorizzi (5/25 SEA, 5/31 @BAL)
- Wei-Yin Chen (5/25 HOU, 5/29 TB)
The top two pitchers on this list should be starting without hesitancy. After that, the list gets interesting. Jordan Zimmerman started slow but in the last two starts has a 1.38 ERA and 1.00 WHIP and 12 strikeouts in 13 innings pitched. The matchups are actually pretty good for him as well, as Chicago strikes out and hasn’t been scoring all that many runs recently. With the Nationals heating up as a team, Zimmerman could be in line for two wins as well.
Tyson Ross has been a disappointment this season but with the matchups this week there is great strikeout potential (Ross’ biggest asset). Dallas Keuchel is the opposite of Ross: a strong control pitcher who gets an insane amount of groundballs. Keuchel has been a standout this season, and while there is obvious regression for a 1.67 ERA, I’d start him with confidence this week. Jake Odorizzi was a pitcher I was high on entering the season, and to this point he has lived up to it. Although Seattle’s offense has improved, there’s no way I would sit him. Wei-Yin Chen isn’t a name you would expect to see on this list but he has a very good ERA to this point in the season with good matchups this week.
Strong Options
- Tim Lincecum (5/25 @MIL, 5/30 ATL)
- Chase Anderson (5/25 @STL, 5/31@MIL)
- Danny Salazar (5/26 TEX, @SEA 5/31)
- David Phelps (5/25 @PIT, 5/31 @NYM)
- J.A. Happ (5/26 @TB, 5/31 CLE)
- Jered Weaver (5/25 SD, 5/30 DET)
- Julio Teheran (5/26 @LAD, 5/31 @SF)
- Jeff Samardzija (5/27 @TOR, 5/31 @HOU)
- Bartolo Colon (5/25 PHI, 5/31 MIA)
- Kyle Lohse (5/25 SF, 5/31 ARI)
- Jaime Garcia (5/26 ARI, 5/31 LAD)
Tim Lincecum has proven me wrong and while I still can’t say I fully buy in, there has to be something to his start. Chase Anderson is another favorite pitcher of mine and has not gotten enough credit for what he has done this season. Danny Salazar has the stuff to be an ace and for that potential alone I would start him, especially in a two-start week. David Phelps has flown under the radar, and although not flashy he’ll get the job done and is facing two offenses that are not exactly high powered this week. J.A. Happ was an underrated signing this offseason and has been solid if not spectacular (his last start withstanding). Weaver, Teheran, and Samardzija have all looked like top flight pitchers at times and at other times have looked like they are not ownable. I’d start them, but with some anxiety watching their games. Bartolo Colon has taken some lumps after a brilliant start to the season, but to me he is still a dependable option. Kyle Lohse has a disappointing ERA, but his WHIP is respectable which points to some bad luck. This may not be the week it turns around for him, however, as he faces two hot offenses. Jaime Garcia had a nice performance in his first start of the season, but it is yet to be seen how effective he can remain.
Low-End Options
- Yordano Ventura (5/25 @ NYY, 5/31 @CHC)
- Carlos Martinez (5/25 ARI, 5/30 LAD)
- Shane Greene (5/25 @OAK, 5/30 @LAA)
- Roenis Elias (5/25 @TB, 5/30 CLE)
- Brett Anderson (5/25 ATL, 5/31 @STL)
- Carlos Rodon (5/25 @TOR, 5/29 @HOU)
- Jesse Chavez (5/26 DET, 5/31 NYY)
- Clay Buchholz (5/26 @MIN, 5/31 @TEX)
- Wandy Rodriguez (5/26 @CLE, 5/31 BOS)
- Jesse Hahn (5/25 DET, 5/30 NYY)
- Joe Kelly (5/25 @MIN, 5.30 @TEX)
- Matt Shoemaker (5/26 SD, 5/31 DET)
- Tsuyoshi Wada (5/25 WAS, 5/31 KC)
- Chris Tillman (5/26 HOU, 5/30 TB)
Yordano Ventura has been a bust to this point in the season as there has been regression from his impressive season last year. The hope for his owners is that his bad luck with fly balls will regress positively, as he currently has a 17.6 HR/FB%. Carlos Martinez is about as streaky as they come, so it’s hard to have a lot of confidence in starting him. Shane Greene, Roenis Elias, and Brett Anderson have all been steady options, and I like Greene’s matchups the best this week. Carlos Rodon has been the subject of a lot of hype but I can’t feel good starting him with his control issues against two offenses that have the ability to score in bunches. Jesse Chavez has been off to a nice start this season, but runs into two good offenses this week. The pitchers after him are all guys I wouldn’t feel good about starting but depending on the rest of my staff I could start them over one start pitchers.
Stay Away
- Williams Perez (5/25 @LAD, 5/30 @SF)
- Eddie Butler (5/25 @CIN, 5/31 @PHI)
- Drew Hutchison (5/25 CHW, 5/31 @MIN)
- John Danks (5/26 @TOR, 5/30 @HOU)
- Vance Worley (5/26 MIA, 5/31 @SD)
- Nathan Eovaldi (5/25 KC, 5/30 @OAK)
- Jason Marquis (5/25 COL, 5/31 WAS)
- Odrisamer Despaigne (5/26 @LAA, 5/31 PIT)
- Adam Warren (5/26 KC, 5/31 @OAK)
- Phil Klein (5/25 @CLE, 5/30 BOS)
- Ricky Nolasco (5/25 BOS, 5/31 TOR)
- Jeff Locke (5/25 MIA, 5/31 @SD)
Daniel Marcus is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Daniel, check out his archive or follow him @danmarcus3.
