Now that the season has really gotten going, it is time to start grinding the two-start pitchers to give you an advantage over your competition.
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Each week, I will be giving you a breakdown of the two-start options for your fantasy leagues broken up into the following tiers:
- Must Start: The guys that you have to start because of their talent and/or matchups.
- Should Start: These are the guys that are rostered in most formats and probably should be in your lineup.
- Here We Go: Pitchers that you are probably starting in most formats but have some level of risk to them.
- Feeling Lucky: Pitchers available in less than 25% of leagues that are risky, but viable in deeper formats.
- Desperate Measures: Pitchers you shouldn’t use unless you have no other choice.
Check out our Two-Start SP Rankings Report to get available options specific to your league 
Two-Start Starting Pitchers: Week 6 (Fantasy Baseball)
These are projected two-start pitchers and are subject to change.
Must Start
- Dylan Cease (at KC, vs HOU)
- Lucas Giolito (at KC, vs HOU)
- Nestor Cortes (vs OAK, vs TB)
- Shane McClanahan (at BAL, vs NYY)
- Zach Eflin (at BAL, vs NYY)
- Framber Valdez (at LAA, at CHW)
- Logan Gilbert (vs TEX, at DET)
- Max Scherzer (at CIN, at WAS)
- Zac Gallen (vs MIA, vs SF)
- Logan Webb (vs WAS, at ARI)
Should Start
Anthony DeSclafani (vs WAS, at ARI)
DeSclafani has been fantastic this season, throwing 38 innings with a 2.13 ERA and .82 WHIP with 30 strikeouts. He has done a great job of pitch mixing and keeping men off the bases. He has a great two-step this week and probably deserves to be in the “Must Start” tier.
Tanner Bibee (vs DET, vs LAA)
Bibee has been great since his call up, throwing 11 innings with a 2.45 ERA and a 30% strikeout rate. He has yet to even give up a walk so far. He gets a great start to the two-step with the Tigers who are one of the worst teams in baseball and a tougher one in the Angels, but there are not many matchups that you are not rolling him out for.
Mitch Keller (vs COL, at BAL)
Keller has been really great to start the season posting a 3.32 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP in 40.2 innings along with 40.2 strikeouts. Keller gets a great matchup as the Rockies head to Pittsburgh and a decent one in Baltimore against the Orioles and should be started in the vast majority of formats.
Marcus Stroman (vs STL, at MIN)
Stroman is probably the only one of this tier that you might actually be questioning in terms of whether you should start him this week. He has been great with a 2.18 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP 41.1 innings which is fantastic, but these are a little bit tougher matchups. However, with how good Stroman has been it is pretty hard to sit him even with the Cardinals being a top 12 team versus righties.
Here We Go
Charlie Morton (vs BOS, at TOR)
I think most people would put Morton in the above tiers, but I am pretty concerned with the profile in spite of the results. While his ERA is 3.38, his xERA is 5.28 and he has a 1.44 WHIP. These are tough matchups with both opponents being top 10 against right handed pitching this season. I fear that this might be regression week for Morton and while I think most people will play him, I am very skeptical it ends well.
Clarke Schmidt (vs OAK, vs TB)
Schmidt has been up and down this season and his last four starts have been a prime example of it with two starts where he had zero earned runs given up (though five unearned runs) and two where he gave up nine total. He has a fantastic start against the worst team in baseball versus the Athletics and another versus the best team in baseball versus the Rays. It is hard to roster a guy like Schimdt if you can’t play him in a two start week that includes the A’s, he probably shouldn’t be on your team.
Louie Varland (vs SD, vs CHC)
Varland has been a really interesting pitcher thus far. The stuff looks good and the velocity is up, but the results have been bad because of the four home runs given up in 10 innings pitched. Personally, the risk has too much downside given how well the Cubs have fared this year versus right handed pitching and how dangerous the Padres are now that Tatis is back in the lineup and now that Soto is looking more like himself.
Braxton Garrett (at ARI, vs CIN)
Garrett got absolutely destroyed in his last start, but before that he had a 2.45 ERA before the Braves dropped 11 runs on him. He has a pretty nice two-step here and while there is risk, I am more confident starting him this week than the rest of the tier.
Andrew Heaney (at SEA, at OAK)
Heaney has been one of my guys for as long as he has been in the Major Leagues, but sometimes we have to admit a guy is who he is. Heaney struggles with command and control and it has been on display this season allowing his highest walk rate of his career and highest home run rate he has had since 2017. This is actually a decent two step though as the Mariners are one of the worst teams in baseball versus lefties and Oakland is… well… Oakland.
Feeling Lucky
Miles Mikolas (at CHC, at BOS)
Mikolas has been up and down so far this season, but has looked better as of late. However, he has two really tough matchups here versus two top 10 teams versus righties and his sub-20% strikeout rate is just not worth the risk given the limited upside.
Kyle Gibson (vs TB, vs PIT)
Speaking of recently destroyed pitchers, Gibson had a 3.93 ERA prior to letting the pitiful Royals drop six runs on him in his last start. He has a tough two step here versus the best team in baseball and a surprisingly good offense in the Pirates. He has been much better at home where the park protects him, but I don’t think I want to risk this one.
JP Sears (at NYY, vs TEX)
Sears has been pretty bad so far this season (just like the entire A’s team), but he posted his best start of the season so far this year. However, the Yankees are going to get Judge back this week and the Rangers have been pretty good against lefties this year. I like Sears long term and in deeper leagues, I might risk this one, but it is probably best to avoid it if possible.
Desperate Measure
- Michael Lorenzen (at CLE, vs SEA)
- Zack Greinke (vs CHW, at MIL)
- Jordan Lyles (vs CHW, at MIL)
- Luke Weaver (vs NYM, at MIA)
- Kyle Freeland (at PIT, vs PHI)
- Michael Wacha (at MIN, at LAD)
- Jake Irvin (at SF, vs NYM)
- Drew Rucinski (at NYY, vs TEX)
- Jon Gray (at SEA, at OAK)
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