You should be grinding two-start pitchers to give you an advantage over your competition during the season.
Each week, I will give you a breakdown of the two-start options for your fantasy leagues broken up into the following tiers:
- Must Start: Pitchers you have to start because of their talent/matchups.
- Should Start: Pitchers rostered in most formats and who should probably be in your lineup.
- Here We Go: Pitchers you are probably starting in most formats, but who come with some level of risk.
- Feeling Lucky: Pitchers available in fewer than 25% of leagues that are risky, but viable in deeper formats.
- Desperate Measures: Pitchers you shouldn’t use unless you have no choice.
Make sure you are aware that when making fantasy baseball start or sit decisions that these projected two-start pitchers are subject to change.
- Fantasy Baseball Research & Advice
- Fantasy Baseball Trade Analyzer
- Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Assistant
- MLB Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
- Rest-of-Season Projections
Fantasy Baseball Two-Start Pitchers
Must Start
- Max Fried (SP – NYY) vs. KC, at TB
- Tarik Skubal (SP – DET) at MIL, vs. KC
- Jack Flaherty (SP – DET) at MIL, vs. KC
- Joe Ryan (SP – MIN) vs. NYM, at ATL
- Seth Lugo (SP – KC) at NYY, at DET
- Framber Valdez (SP – HOU) at STL, vs. SD
- Hunter Brown (SP – HOU) at STL, vs. SD
- Luis Castillo (SP – SEA) at CIN, at TOR
- Paul Skenes (SP – PIT) vs. WAS, vs. CLE
- Sonny Gray (SP – STL) vs. HOU, at NYM
- Dylan Cease (SP – SD) vs. CHC, at HOU
Should Start
Ryan Pepiot (SP – TB) vs. BOS, vs. NYY
Ryan Pepiot is off to a great start despite pitching in a tough environment. Normally, he would be a must-start, but these are two tough matchups in a difficult home park. I still think you are using him in most formats, but he is risky.
Jeffrey Springs (SP – ATH) at CWS, at MIL
Jeffrey Springs has been up and down, and his home park has some blame in that. However, facing one of the worst teams in baseball in the White Sox makes him as close to a must-start. Both of his starts this week are on the road away from the Minor League ballpark the A’s play in.
Yusei Kikuchi (SP – LAA) at TEX, vs. SF
Yusei Kikuchi has been hit or miss this season, but what you know you will get is a ton of strikeouts and a good chance of a win with how hot the Angels have started.
Nick Lodolo (SP – CIN) vs. SEA, at BAL
Nick Lodolo has been fantastic this season, throwing 18.2 innings over three starts with a 0.96 ERA and a 0.70 WHIP. He has a great set of matchups against an offensively lackluster Mariners team and an Orioles squad that has started slowly.
Here We Go
Grant Holmes (SP, RP – ATL) at TOR, vs. MIN
Grant Holmes has been a little shaky, but he has two nice matchups here. The Atlanta offense has struggled to support their pitchers so far, but they are a much more potent offense than they have shown thus far.
Max Meyer (SP – MIA) vs. ARI, at PHI
Max Meyer has been fantastic this season, throwing 18 innings with a 2.00 ERA and 19 strikeouts. The only reason he is not higher is that he is facing two really strong offenses, and the Marlins’ terrible offense won’t support him, so the win potential is low.
Taijuan Walker (SP – PHI) vs. SF, vs. MIA
Taijuan Walker has started well this season, not allowing an earned run in his first two starts. These are also pretty good matchups at home, but there is a risk that Walker regresses to what we have seen from him in the last couple of seasons.
Landen Roupp (SP, RP – SF) at PHI, at LAA
Landen Roupp has been great so far this season despite momentary command and control issues. He is facing a tough Phillies team and a hot Angels one. Both of these starts are on the road, so there is a bit of risk, but he is striking out a lot of batters and could be an interesting stream.
Feeling Lucky
Easton Lucas (RP – TOR) vs. ATL, vs. SEA
Easton Lucas has come out of nowhere to put up some really good numbers thus far in two starts. He has two great matchups versus a struggling Braves team and a mediocre Mariners offense at home.
Logan Allen (SP – CLE) at BAL, at PIT
Logan Allen has been up and down this season, but he has two nice matchups versus a bad Pirates offense and a struggling Orioles team. He is risky, but worth streaming for two potential wins.
Michael Wacha (SP – KC) at NYY, at DET
Michael Wacha has struggled a bit this season to start, but he typically is pretty reliable. However, he is historically much better at home than on the road. These are pretty tough matchups as the Yankees are the second-best offense to start the season and the Tigers are in the top 10.
Desperate Measures
- Dean Kremer (SP – BAL) vs. CLE, vs. CIN
- Tanner Houck (SP – BOS) at TB, vs. CWS
- Jameson Taillon (SP – CHC) at SD, vs. ARI
- Sean Burke (SP – CWS) vs. ATH, at BOS
- Brad Lord (SP – WSH) at PIT, at COL
- Jake Irvin (SP – WSH) at PIT, at COL
- Tyler Alexander (SP, RP – MIL) vs. DET, vs. ATH
- Merrill Kelly (SP – ARI) at MIA, at CHC
- Antonio Senzatela (SP – COL) at LAD, vs. WAS
- Justin Verlander (SP – SF) at PHI, at LAA
Subscribe: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeart | Castbox | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict | SoundCloud | TuneIn
