You should be grinding fantasy baseball 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.
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Fantasy Baseball Two-Start Pitchers
Must Start
- Logan Webb (SP – SF) vs. SD, vs. ATL
- Carlos Rodon (SP – NYY) vs. CLE, vs. BOS
- Drew Rasmussen (SP, RP – TB) vs. TEX, vs. MIA
- Joe Ryan (SP – MIN) at ATH, vs. TOR
- Pablo Lopez (SP – MIN) at ATH, vs. TOR
- Zack Wheeler (SP – PHI) at TOR, at PIT
- Nathan Eovaldi (SP – TEX) at TB, at WAS
- Chris Sale (SP – ATL) vs. ARI, at SF
- Freddy Peralta (SP – MIL) at CIN, vs. SD
Should Start
Jack Flaherty (SP – DET) at CWS, vs. CHC
Jack Flaherty has been up and down this season, but he has recorded a ton of strikeouts and has limited the walks. He has a great matchup at the beginning of the week, which outweighs the risk of the Cubs on the back half of the two-step.
George Kirby (SP – SEA) vs. BAL, at LAA
George Kirby hasn’t been great since returning from the injured list (IL), but the velocity and stuff have been there. He has two pretty good matchups here versus offenses that do not scare you. He should be played in most formats.
Dustin May (SP – LAD) vs. NYM, at STL
These aren’t great matchups, but Dustin May is finally starting to come into his own as a starter and earning strikeouts. He also has the Dodgers behind him, so he could be in line for two wins this week.
Here We Go
Tomoyuki Sugano (SP – BAL) at SEA, at ATH
Tomoyuki Sugano has been great this season despite underwhelming underlying statistics. This is a very tough set of matchups versus a Mariners team that has been great offensively and in a terrible pitcher’s park against the A’s.
It’s hard not to play him because Sugano has been so good this season, but this feels like a regression week in the making.
Lance McCullers (SP – HOU) at PIT, at CLE
After getting destroyed in his second start of the season, Lance McCullers has been great over his last three starts, including 20 strikeouts over his last two starts.
Talent has never been the issue for McCullers; health has been. These are two pretty good matchups. You should stream McCullers as long as he is healthy.
Michael Lorenzen (SP, RP – KC) at STL, at CWS
Michael Lorenzen has been up and down this season, but he tends to offer a safe floor despite not having a great ceiling.
These are two good matchups, and while Lorenzen has been better at home this season than on the road, you shouldn’t pass up an end-of-the-week matchup versus a terrible White Sox team.
Shane Smith (SP, RP – CWS) vs. DET, vs. KC
Shane Smith has been great this season, but he unfortunately pitches for the White Sox, so it is hard for you to get a lot of wins out of him. He has a tough start to the week, but a nice ending versus a bad Royals offense.
Stephen Kolek (SP, RP – SD) at SF, at MIL
Stephen Kolek has been really good since joining the Padres’ rotation, even if the stuff hasn’t been as strong as it was in the bullpen.
Kolek faces two struggling offenses in the Brewers and the Giants, so there is a good shot for him to keep his success going for now.
Tylor Megill (SP – NYM) at LAD, at COL
Tylor Megill has been great this year. Similarly to McCullers, you are using him when he is healthy. The hard part is that the Dodgers at the front end are the best team in baseball, which limits his win potential.
However, he faces a Rockies team that is on pace to be the worst team in baseball history in the back half of the week.
Feeling Lucky
Luis Severino (SP – ATH) vs. MIN, vs. BAL
Luis Severino has been terrible at home this season. Despite having decent matchups here, I would try my best to avoid using him in Sacramento.
Cade Horton (SP – CHC) at WSH, at DET
Cade Horton has good stuff, but he is not yet polished enough to make it work consistently. The back half of this two-step is pretty scary with how hot the Tigers have been, and the Nationals are no pushover offensively either.
You might get a win or two here, but there is a lot of risk.
Jonathan Cannon (SP – CWS) vs. DET, vs. KC
Better in quality starts leagues than wins leagues, Jonathan Cannon goes deep into games, but on the White Sox, he just doesn’t get a lot of wins. Cannon. has a good back half of the week but a tough front half, so there is a fair amount of risk here.
Desperate Measures
- Richard Fitts (SP – BOS) vs. LAA, at NYY
- Bowden Francis (SP, RP – TOR) vs. PHI, at MIN
- Logan Allen (SP – CLE) at NYY, vs HOU
- Sawyer Gipson-Long (SP – DET) at CWS, vs. CHC
- Tyler Anderson (SP – LAA) at BOS, vs. SEA
- Trevor Williams (SP – WSH) vs. CHC, vs. TEX
- Brady Singer (SP – CIN) vs. MIL, vs. ARI
- Mike Burrows (SP, RP – PIT) vs. HOU, vs. PHI
- German Marquez (SP – COL) at MIA, vs. NYM
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