Hey, everyone! Once again, this is Kenyatta filling in for Stan Son to break down next week’s two-start pitchers. To help you wade through your options, I’ve split everyone into tiered rankings, along with a few notes on the guys I find particularly noteworthy. Let’s see who we have on the docket!
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, postponed game or managerial decision will change who has two starts.
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Aces
1. Max Scherzer (4/18 @ATL, 4/23 @NYM)
2. Yu Darvish (4/18 @OAK, 4/23 KC)
3. Danny Salazar (4/17 @MIN, 4/22 @CWS)
These guys are no-brainer fantasy aces every week, let alone in weeks they have two starts. Through two games, Salazar has an unsightly 4.63 ERA, but don’t fret too much. His SIERA is 2.46, and he’s already notched 20 strikeouts in just 11 2/3 innings.
Yes, the walks continue to be a problem, but you knew the deal when you drafted him. His strikeout upside will be huge against the Twins and White Sox.
The Next Best Thing
4. John Lackey (4/17 MIL, 4/23 @CIN)
5. Michael Fulmer (4/18 @TB, 4/23 @MIN)
6. Marcus Stroman (4/18 BOS, 4/23 @LAA)
7. Robbie Ray (4/17 @LAD, 4/22 LAD)
8. Ivan Nova (4/17 @STL, 4/23 NYY)
While not quite on the level as our aces, you should feel comfortable using these hurlers in any format. Robbie Ray is typically a wild card due to his high-wire act with walks, but next week he gets to face the Dodgers twice.
Last year the Dodgers had the worst wRC+ in the league against southpaws (72), and this year hasn’t gone any better so far (73). If ever there was a week for Ray to feel “safe,” it’s this one.
Since being traded to the Pirates at midseason last year, Ivan Nova has a 2.93 ERA, 18.1% strikeout rate, and just a 1% walk rate. He may lack big strikeout upside, but he’s slowly turning into a safe and reliable floor option. Also, if you’re into narratives, he gets a revenge game against the Yankees.
High Risk, High Reward
9. Mike Leake (4/18 PIT, 4/23 @MIL)
10. Brandon McCarthy (4/17 ARI, 4/23 @ARI)
11. Lance Lynn (4/17 PIT, 4/22 @MIL)
12. Blake Snell (4/17 @BOS, 4/22 HOU)
13. Joe Musgrove (4/17 LAA, 4/22 @TB)
14. Amir Garrett (4/18 BAL, 4/23 CHC)
15. Eduardo Rodriguez (4/18 @TOR, 4/23 @BAL)
16. Zack Wheeler (4/18 PHI, 4/23 WAS)
17. Shelby Miller (4/18 @SD, 4/23 LAD)
18. Mike Foltynewicz (4/18 WAS, 4/23 @PHI)
19. Jason Hammel (4/18 SF, 4/23 @TEX)
There’s way more risk within this group, and without a doubt, some of these gentlemen will fail spectacularly next week, but with the risk comes a good deal of upside. Somehow we’re living in a world in which Mike Leake has a 24.5% strikeout rate!
Okay, it’s just two starts, but still, his career rate is 16.2% — it’s hard to imagine him keeping it up. Even it’s just smoke and mirrors, though, he was a decent innings-eater before a down year in 2016. You could do worse than roll him out for starts against the Pirates and the strikeout-happy Brewers.
Reds prospect Amir Garrett has enjoyed early major league life with a 1.42 ERA supported by a 3.60 SIERA. He gets a tough test in the Orioles and Cubs, so he’s probably better off on the bench in shallow leagues, but you can consider him in deep formats.
Despite the 6.35 ERA, Mike Foltynewicz is a talented young pitcher, but he hasn’t been able to put it all together yet. You’re only considering him in deep leagues, and a matchup with the Fightin’ Harpers isn’t ideal, but he could have some success against a less talented Phillies lineup.
Not For The Faint of Heart
20. Jordan Montgomery (4/17 CWS, 4/23 @PIT)
21. Jimmy Nelson (4/18 @CHC, 4/23 STL)
22. Chase Anderson (4/17 @CHC, 4/22 STL)
23. Jesse Hahn (4/18 TEX, 4/23 SEA)
24. Mike Fiers (4/18 LAA, 4/23 @TB)
25. Matt Andriese (4/18 DET, 4/23 HOU)
26. Jesse Chavez (4/17 @HOU, 4/22 TOR)
27. Ricky Nolasco (4/18 @HOU, 4/23 TOR)
28. Andrew Triggs (4/17 TEX, 4/22 SEA)
29. Steven Wright (4/17 TB, 4/22 @BAL)
It’s hard to recommend these guys, but you could roll the dice if you’re desperate. Jordan Montgomery had a mostly successful major league debut against the Rays this week, allowing two earned runs in 4 2/3 innings while striking out seven. He isn’t an elite prospect, but last season he had a 2.13 ERA, and 134 strikeouts in 139 1/3 innings across Triple-A and Double-A.
There’s enough here to think he might be able to stick and be useful in deep leagues, but it might be jumping the gun to use him right away. Jimmy Nelson and Chase Anderson have both had strong starts to the season, despite fairly low expectations going in. Nelson has a 1.38 ERA with 13 strikeouts in 13 innings, while Anderson holds a 0.69 ERA across 13 innings with 11 punchouts.
Given their mediocre track records, you ought to tread carefully before putting any trust in them. I don’t recommend taking your chances against the Cubs and Cardinals, but if they can get through unscathed, then maybe we can start taking them seriously.
Knuckleballer Steven Wright was torched by the Orioles in his last start, giving up eight runs in 1 1/3 innings, including four bombs. We knew it would be hard for him to repeat last year’s performance, but that’s a little extreme! Every now and then the knuckleball can dance its way to a gem, but Wright is far too risky.
Don’t Do It
30. Ariel Miranda (4/17 MIA, 4/22 @OAK)
31. Yovani Gallardo (4/18 MIA, 4/23 @OAK)
32. Tom Koehler (4/17 @SEA, 4/23 @SD)
33. Derek Holland (4/17 @NYY, 4/23 CLE)
34. Ubaldo Jimenez (4/18 @CIN, 4/23 BOS)
35. A.J. Griffin (4/17 @OAK, 4/22 KC)
36. Jered Weaver (4/17 @ATL, 4/22 MIA)
37. Phil Hughes (4/18 CLE, 4/23 DET)
38. Kyle Gibson (4/17 CLE, 4/22 DET)
39. Zach Lee (4/18 ARI, 4/23 MIA)
This week, Jered Weaver held the Rockies to just two runs in six innings at Coors Field. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day. Despite the plus matchups he has, please don’t use him.
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Kenyatta Storin is a featured writer with FantasyPros. For more from Kenyatta, check out his archive and follow him @kenyattastorin.
