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    Justin Mason | Sun, Aug 31st 2025, 7:17am EDT

Fantasy Baseball Two-Start Pitchers: Rankings & Waiver Wire Pickups

You should be grinding the fantasy baseball two-start pitchers to give you an advantage over your competition.

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 that are risky, but viable in deeper formats.
  • Desperate Measures: Pitchers you shouldn’t use unless you have no other 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 Two-Start Pitchers

Must Start

Should Start

Luis Morales (SP – ATH) at STL, at LAA

Luis Morales has been fantastic over his last three starts and the stuff is great. There is risk with his command and control, which is the only reason he isn’t a must-start in all formats, but with both of these matchups away from the hitter-friendly park in Sacramento, you are using him just about everywhere.

Jacob Misiorowski (SP – MIL) vs. PHI, at PIT

Jacob Misiorowski’s talent makes him pretty much a must-start in all formats, but there is some risk as the Brewers manage his workload down the stretch. With the Brewers having a 6.5 game lead in the division heading into the final month of the season, they could pull him early in games to keep his inning count down as they prepare for the playoffs.

This means Misiorowski’s win likelihood lowers as he could be pulled before he finishes five innings. That said, he still has a ton of strikeout upside, and if he does go five, the Brewers should put him in line for a win.

Charlie Morton (SP – DET) vs. NYM, vs. CWS

Charlie Morton has been up and down since coming to the Tigers, but he gets you innings and a chance to win each outing with a good Detroit offense supporting him. He has a great matchup at the end of the week, which is the main reason why you should be starting him. If you are protecting your ratios, there is some risk, but he is a good streamer this week.

Here We Go

Parker Messick (SP – CLE) at BOS, at TB

Parker Messick has been great since debuting for the Guardians. The stuff is really great, and he is attacking the zone a ton, which is limiting walks. The strikeouts will come as he was close to a 30% strikeout rate throughout the Minors. He has two tough matchups against a good Red Sox lineup and in a tough Tampa Bay park, but you are starting him in most spots.

Yusei Kikuchi (SP – LAA) at HOU, vs. ATH

Yusei Kikuchi has been up and down this year, but for the most part, the numbers are very solid. The only issue has been his atrocious WHIP. You get strikeouts, a decent ERA and good win potential for the second start of the week. If you are worried about your WHIP, though, you may want to go another route.

Feeling Lucky

Bailey Ober (SP – MIN) vs. CWS, at KC

Bailey Ober has just not been right this season. He still doesn’t walk guys, but he gives up way too many home runs and hard contact. The only reason I would consider him is the matchups. The White Sox are terrible, while the Royals are mediocre and in a great park to protect against homers. This one is risky, but you could get two decent starts.

Luis Garcia (SP – HOU) vs. LAA, at TEX

Luis Garcia is returning from Tommy John surgery after missing all of this season and 2024 rehabbing. He has looked good in the Minors, but there is no way to know how he will fare versus MLB hitting. However, if he can go five innings, he has a great shot to win versus two offenses that aren’t scary.

Taijuan Walker (SP – PHI) at MIL, at MIA

If you need strikeouts, look somewhere else, but Taijuan Walker has pitched well over the last month. This is mostly a win-seeking opportunity with Miami at the back end in deeper formats.

Mike Burrows (SP, RP – PIT) vs. LAD, vs. MIL

Since he came in as a reliever over the weekend, there is a chance Mike Burrows doesn’t even get both of these starts. As the season starts to wind down, the Pirates are likely to limit him anyway. You probably should just skip him entirely.

Desperate Measures


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