Hey, everyone! I’m filling in for Stan Son the next couple weeks to break down the upcoming week’s two-start pitchers. I’ll try not to leave everything in disarray until he gets back, but I can’t make any promises!

To help you wade through your two-start pitching options, I’ve split everyone into tiered rankings, along with a few notes on the guys I find particularly noteworthy.

Note: When setting your lineups, be sure to double-check your pitchers’ upcoming schedule in case anything changes over the weekend. You never know when an injury or postponed game could change who has two starts.

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Aces

1. Chris Sale (4/10 @DET, 4/15 TB)

2. Jacob deGrom (4/10 @PHI, 4/15 @MIA)

3. Carlos Carrasco (4/11 CHW, 4/16 DET)

4. Jon Lester (4/10 LAD, 4/16 PIT)

5. Justin Verlander (4/10 BOS, 4/15 @CLE)

6. Rich Hill (4/10 @CHC, 4/16 ARI)

Not all of them have the greatest matchups, but you didn’t draft Verlander to leave him on the bench, did you? Don’t overthink it — lock these guys in your lineups and throw out the key.

If Hill seems a bit high, remember that his only concern is health. He had an ace-level 29.4% strikeout rate last year. As long as he’s getting the ball every fifth day, he has as much upside as anyone not named Clayton Kershaw.

The Next Best Thing

7. Cole Hamels (4/11 @LAA, 4/16 @SEA)

8. Tanner Roark (4/10 STL, 4/16 PHI)

9. James Paxton (4/10 HOU, 4/16 TEX)

10. Jameson Taillon (4/11 CIN, 4/16 @CHC)

11. Matt Harvey (4/11 @PHI, 4/16 @MIA)

12. Michael Pineda (4/10 TB, 4/15 STL)

They’re not fantasy aces, but let’s face it, you’re starting these guys whether they have two-starts or not.

A popular breakout candidate, Paxton had a successful season debut against the Astros, striking out five and holding them to six scoreless innings. He’ll take them on again next week, which is no walk in the park, but they did have a 23.4% strikeout rate to lefties last year.

Taillon handled himself well against the Red Sox, blanking them for seven innings with six strikeouts. Even without Mookie Betts in the lineup, it was an impressive 2017 debut for the former top prospect. A date with the Cubs is never fun, but keep rolling with Taillon.

Given all the questions going into the season, you could argue that Harvey should be lower. But his start against the Braves was promising, giving up two runs and striking out four in 6 2/3 innings. Most importantly, his velocity topped out at 95 mph. It’s too early to say if the Dark Knight is back, but his road matchups against the Phillies and Marlins aren’t that intimidating.

Pineda continues his maddening fantasy existence. Against the Rays, he lasted just 3 2/3 innings, giving up four runs while striking out six. That line is Pineda in a nutshell. If you drafted him, you’re using him this week, but you’ll probably hate yourself for it.

Steady As They Go

13. Jeff Samardzija (4/11 ARI, 4/16 COL)

14. Matt Moore (4/10 ARI, 4/15 COL)

15. J.A. Happ (4/11 MIL, 4/16 BAL)

16. Jerad Eickhoff (4/10 NYM, 4/16 @WAS)

17. Adam Wainwright (4/10 @WAS, 4/16 @NYY)

You should feel fairly comfortable using this group, but they’re typically more floor than ceiling.

Despite lackluster debuts in Arizona, Samardzija and Moore should have much more success at home in pitcher-friendly AT&T Park. Last year, Moore had particularly stark home/road splits, with a far better 3.36 ERA at home compared to a 5.02 ERA on the road.

Wainwright had a rough 2016, posting a poor 4.62 ERA, and it’s tough to say how much he has left. He did fairly well in his first start against the Cubs, though, giving up two runs in five innings, while striking out six. He could still prove to be a solid fantasy contributor this season, but his ceiling isn’t very high anymore.

High Risk, High Reward

18. Garrett Richards (4/11 TEX, 4/16 @KC)

19. Drew Pomeranz (4/11 BAL, 4/16 TB)

20. Ian Kennedy (4/10 OAK, 4/15 LAA)

21. Taijuan Walker (4/10 @SF, 4/16 @LAD)

22. Jharel Cotton (4/10 @KC, 4/16 HOU)

23. Brandon Finnegan (4/10 @PIT, 4/15 MIL)

24. Dylan Bundy (4/11 @BOS, 4/16 @TOR)

25. Alex Cobb (4/10 @NYY, 4/16 @BOS)

26. Tyler Glasnow (4/10 CIN, 4/15 @CHC)

27. Charlie Morton (4/10 @SEA, 4/16 @OAK)

These players may be more exciting than some of the names that immediately precede them, but they could also implode to ruin your week.

In his debut, Richards blanked the A’s for 4 2/3 innings before being removed from the game for biceps cramps. He looked good, but make sure he’s ready to go before slotting him in this week.

Pomeranz will have a lot of strikeout upside against the Orioles and Rays, but he’ll be making his season debut off the DL. The Red Sox will almost certainly keep his innings down.

Following an ugly Spring Training, Finnegan and Bundy shocked everyone by charging out of the gate with impressive starts. Against the Phillies, Finnegan pitched seven shutout innings with nine strikeouts. Bundy gave up one run to the Blue Jays, striking out eight in seven innings. No one doubts their talent, but can they keep it up? Bundy, in particular, has a challenging week with the Red Sox and Blue Jays on deck. You can consider a wait-and-see approach, but both players carry a ton of upside.

Glasnow is a top prospect who could ultimately become a Rookie of the Year contender, but it’s difficult to know what to expect in his first few starts. It’s probably best to leave him on the bench unless you’re in a bind.

Don’t Do It

28. Wily Peralta (4/11 @TOR, 4/16 @CIN)

29. Tyler Chatwood (4/10 SD, 4/15 @SF)

30. Hector Santiago (4/11 @DET, 4/16 CHW)

31. Dan Straily (4/11 ATL, 4/16 NYM)

32. Matthew Boyd (4/11 MIN, 4/16 @CLE)

33. James Shields (4/11 @CLE, 4/16 @MIN)

34. Antonio Senzatela (4/11 SD, 4/16 @SF)

35. Trevor Cahill (4/10 @COL, 4/16 @ATL)

36. Rookie Davis (4/11 @PIT, 4/16 MIL)

Wily Peralta lost the faith of the fantasy masses long ago but did have a strong debut against the Rockies, throwing five scoreless innings and striking out five. Despite the two starts, he’s too untrustworthy to use this week, but if he can string a few more good games together he could become usable in NL-only leagues.

It might surprise you to learn that Tyler Chatwood had the best road ERA in the league among starters last year (1.69). On the other hand, he had a 6.12 ERA at home in Coors Field. His true skill lies somewhere in the middle, but he had an elite 58.8% ground-ball rate last season and could have some streaming value in future road starts.

Rookie Davis may have an amusing name for a rookie, but fun names sadly don’t accumulate fantasy points.

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Kenyatta Storin is a featured writer with FantasyPros. For more from Kenyatta, check out his archive and follow him @kenyattastorin.