Clayton Kershaw is one of several aces with two starts this week
Unfortunately for fantasy owners it has become more difficult to predict team rotations due to teams who are out of the hunt giving young pitchers a chance to show what they have, and teams who are secure in their playoff position giving their top starters a chance to rest. Below are the pitchers likely to get two starts this week, though be sure to check out the pitcher planner throughout the week.
Must Start
- Clayton Kershaw (9/14 COL, 9/20 PIT)
- Corey Kluber (9/14KC, 9/19 CWS)
- Sonny Gray (9/14 @CWS, 9/19 @HOU)
- Stephen Strasburg (9/15 @PHI, 9/20 MIA)
- Jordan Zimmermann (9/14 @PHI, 9/19 MIA)
Not much need be said for this group, as usual. Zimmermann has been fantastic his past few outings and Strasburg came back in form with 13 strikeouts in his return from injury. Both face good matchups this week as well.
High-End Options
- Cole Hamels (9/14 HOU, 9/19 SEA)
- Jake Odorizzi (9/15 NYY, 9/20 BAL)
- Carlos Martinez (9/15 @MIL, 9/20 @CHC)
- Aaron Nola (9/14 WSH, 9/20 @ATL)
- Garrett Richards (9/14 @SEA, 9/19 @MIN)
- Collin McHugh (9/15 @TEX, 9/20 OAK)
Hamels has been on a roller coaster ride in his performance since joining the Rangers and beware the matchups he has this week. Odorizzi has given up nearly a run less per nine innings at home this season, though he has had a rough season against the Yankees. It’s somewhat difficult to figure what kind of fantasy asset Martinez is at this point. That continues this week, as he has been good on the road but has gotten lit up against the Cubs as well. He also may not even make both starts this week, so monitor news on him. Nola has managed excellent consistency (beside his last start), which is an extremely valuable asset during the fantasy playoffs. While not as dominant as last year, there is something to be said for Richards consistent outings and decent strikeout production. McHugh has turned it around a bit from the first half of the season and is a great source of wins, earning one in seven of his past 10 starts.
Low-End Options
- C.C. Sabathia (9/14 @TB, 9/20 @NYM)
- Tom Koehler (9/15 @NYM, 9/20 @WSH)
- James Shields (9/14 @ARI, 9/20 @COL)
- John Danks (9/14 OAK, 9/20 @CLE)
- Kris Medlen (9/15 @CLE, 9/20 @DET)
- Julio Teheran (9/15 TOR, 9/20 PHI)
- Kevin Gausman (9/14 BOS, 9/19 @TB)
- Eduardo Rodriguez (9/14 @BAL, 9/20 @TOR)
- Scott Kazmir (9/14 @TEX, 9/19 OAK)
- Danny Salazar (9/15 KC, 9/20 CWS)
- Edinson Volquez (9/14 @CLE, 9/19 @DET)
We certainly aren’t seeing the Sabathia of old, but his most recent outings have been respectable, though his WHIP will hurt considerably. Koehler quietly has pitched at least six innings in each of his last four starts, though victories and strikeouts are hard to come by for him. Shields has been a good source of wins and strikeouts of late but his ERA and WHIP have hurt a lot. Danks has some low-end appeal because he is a decent innings-eater, but he is far from a sure thing. Medlen has managed mostly respectable outings but lacks strikeouts and won’t pitch deep into games. Teheran has really turned his season around, but Toronto is an obvious tough matchup. Gausman has shown the ability to be a shutdown pitcher and generate a lot of strikeouts, but has not managed to combine those skillsets frequently enough to be a true fantasy asset. Rodriguez has started to deliver on his potential but two matchups against potent offenses is a cause for concern. Kazmir has been a cause for concern for fantasy owners of late, including a 3.94 ERA in August and 5.23 ERA in September. It has been an up and down month for Salazar and is a significant risk for playoff matchups. Volquez has been solid nearly all season but has been prone to blow-up outings of late.
Stay Away
- Martin Perez (9/15 HOU, 9/20 SEA)
- Aaron Brooks (9/15 @CWS, 9/20 @HOU)
- Ariel Pena (9/15 STL, 9/20 CIN)
- Ubaldo Jimenez (9/15 BOS, 9/20 @TB)
- Kyle Lobstein (9/14 @MIN, 9/20 KC)
- Erasmo Ramirez (9/14 NYY, 9/19 BAL)
- Keyvius Sampson (9/14 @SF, 9/20 @MIL)
- Mark Buehrle (9/15 @ATL, 9/20 BOS)
- Justin Nicolino (9/14 @NYM, 9/19 @WSH)
- Taijuan Walker (9/14 LAA, 9/20 @TEX)
Daniel Marcus is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Daniel, check out his archive or follow him @danmarcus3.
