Here it is, folks. The stretch run. The All-Star break is over, and we have a really big week ahead.
Most formats combine the next 10 days — 11 if you count Thursday’s Astros-Rangers game — into one scoring period instead of a three-day week for the majority of teams.
With that, we have a lot — and I do mean a lot — of scheduled two-start pitchers.
Teams have taken their time to finalize rotations, so we put this off as long as possible to get the most up-to-date information available to help you out. With so many names listed, I won’t go into detail on each one. Instead, I’ll highlight a few from each of the tiers below.
Like I do every week, I’ll break down the two-start pitchers into six categories:
- Don’t Think Twice – These are your aces that you start no matter what.
- Widely Owned Options – Players rostered in the majority of leagues who should provide a positive return.
- In the Danger Zone – It’s a dice roll to start them given matchups or other factors.
- Streamers Rostered in Under 50% of Leagues – These guys should live on the waiver wire, but you can start them this week.
- Streamers Rostered in Under 25% of Leagues – Same as above, but applied to deeper leagues.
- Not Unless You’re Desperate – I don’t recommend these guys unless you’re swinging for the fences.
Let’s take a look at those pitchers scheduled to make two starts for the upcoming week, as projected on ESPN as of Thursday, July 11 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
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Don’t Think Twice
Zack Greinke (7/14 @STL, 7/20 vs. MIL)
Mike Soroka (7/14 @SD, 7/19 vs. WAS)
Chris Sale (7/13 vs. LAD, 7/18 vs. TOR)
David Price (7/14 vs. LAD, 7/19 @BAL)
Lucas Giolito (7/15 @KC, 7/20 @TB)
Luis Castillo (7/15 @CHC, 7/20 vs. STL)
Mike Clevinger (7/12 vs. MIN, 7/17 vs. DET)
Trevor Bauer (7/13 vs. MIN, 7/18 vs. DET)
Shane Bieber (7/14 vs. MIN, 7/19 vs. KC)
Matthew Boyd (7/13 @KC, 7/18 @CLE)
Gerrit Cole (7/12 @TEX, 7/17 @LAA)
Justin Verlander (7/14 @TEX, 7/19 vs. TEX)
Hyun-Jin Ryu (7/14 @BOS, 7/19 vs. MIA)
Caleb Smith (7/12 vs. NYM, 7/18 vs. SD)
Brandon Woodruff (7/16 vs. ATL, 7/21 @ARI)
Jose Berrios (7/14 @CLE, 7/20 vs. OAK)
Noah Syndergaard (7/13 @MIA, 7/19 @SF)
Jacob deGrom (7/14 @MIA, 7/20 @SF)
Aaron Nola (7/13 vs. WAS, 7/18 vs. LAD)
Charlie Morton (7/13 @BAL, 7/19 vs. CHW)
Blake Snell (7/15 @NYY, 7/20 vs. CHW)
Stephen Strasburg (7/12 @PHI, 7/18 @ATL)
Patrick Corbin (7/13 @PHI, 7/19 @ATL)
Max Scherzer (7/14 @PHI, 7/20 @ATL)
Mike Minor (7/13 vs. HOU, 7/20 @HOU)
Widely Owned Options
Kyle Hendricks (7/15 vs. CIN, 7/21 vs. SD)
Robbie Ray (7/12 @STL, 7/18 vs. MIL)
Jon Lester (7/13 vs. PIT, 7/19 vs. SD)
Zack Wheeler (7/16 @MIN, 7/21 @SF)
Domingo German (7/12 vs. TOR, 7/17 vs. TB)
Masahiro Tanaka (7/14 vs. TOR, 7/19 vs. COL)
Madison Bumgarner (7/13 @MIL, 7/18 vs. NYM)
Yonny Chirinos (7/21 @BAL, 7/17 @NYY)
Marcus Stroman (7/14 @NYY, 7/19 @DET)
Kyle Gibson (7/12 @CLE, 7/18 vs. OAK)
Wade Miley (7/13 @TEX, 7/18 @LAA)
Miles Mikolas (7/14 vs. ARI, 7/19 @CIN)
We don’t know what’s going to happen with Stroman, as he could pack his bags on his way out of Toronto at any time. I’m still going to roll the dice and hope he makes both starts, especially the second one against Detroit. He’s first scheduled to pitch against the Yankees, whom he has been linked to for a while. He’s faced them plenty of times in his career, but this could be another audition for the righty.
Speaking of trade candidates, Bumgarner is almost definitely going to get traded. As things go now, the Mets game could be the second-to-last home start he makes. He should return value this week, even with a horrible matchup in Milwaukee.
In the Danger Zone
German Marquez (7/15 vs. SF, 7/21 @NYY)
Kenta Maeda (7/12 @BOS, 7/17 @PHI)
Ross Stripling (7/13 @BOS, 7/18 @PHI)
Dallas Keuchel (7/12 @SD, 7/17 @MIL)
Eduardo Rodriguez (7/12 vs. LAD, 7/17 vs. TOR)
Rick Porcello (7/15 vs. TOR, 7/20 @BAL)
Sonny Gray (7/12 @COL, 7/17 @CHC)
Yu Darvish (7/12 vs. PIT, 7/17 vs. CIN)
Jose Quintana (7/14 vs. PIT, 7/20 vs. SD)
Jon Gray (7/12 vs. CIN, 7/17 vs. SF)
Brad Peacock (7/15 @LAA, 7/20 vs. TEX)
Jake Odorizzi (7/13 @CLE, 7/19 vs. OAK)
Chris Archer (7/12 @CHC, 7/17 @STL)
Dinelson Lamet (7/12 vs. ATL, 7/18 @MIA)
Joe Musgrove (7/15 @STL, 7/21 vs. PHI)
Zac Gallen (7/13 vs. NYM, 7/19 @LAD)
Sandy Alcantara (7/14 vs. NYM, 7/20 @LAD)
Brendan McKay (7/13 @BAL, 7/18 @NYY)
Dylan Cease (7/16 @KC, 7/21 @TB)
Julio Teheran (7/13 @SD, 7/18 vs. WAS)
Max Fried 7/15 @MIL, 7/20 vs. WAS)
John Means (7/13 vs. TB, 7/20 vs. BOS)
J.A. Happ (7/13 vs. TOR, 7/18 vs. TB)
Jake Arrieta (7/14 vs. WAS, 7/19 @PIT)
Man, am I torn on German Marquez this week. He has a home start, which is an automatic deduction in value, but it is against the Giants. On the flip side, though, his away start is at Yankee Stadium against one of the top three teams in baseball. I’m sitting him if I can help it.
I’m keeping an eye on the usage of quite a few young names in this tier. Guys like Cease, McKay, Gallen, and specifically Lamet. All have usage and role questions for not just this week, but for the long term. I would rank them in the aforementioned order going forward.
Streamers Rostered in Under 50% of Leagues
Merrill Kelly (7/13 @STL, 7/19 vs. MIL)
Tyler Mahle (7/14 @COL, 7/19 vs. STL)
Framber Valdez (7/16 @LAA, 7/21 vs. TEX)
Andrew Cashner (7/14 vs. TB, 7/21 vs. BOS)
Zach Davies (7/13 vs. SF, 7/18 @ARI)
Nick Pivetta (7/12 vs. WAS, 7/17 vs. LAD)
Yusei Kikuchi (7/13 @LAA, 7/21 vs. LAA)
Chris Towers wrote a good piece on second-half sleepers, and listed in there was Mahle. Towers said Mahle could have a “poor man’s [Shane] Bieber breakout”, and I can see it. He’s facing the Rockies in Coors, though, which makes me shy away. But after that start, I’m trying to acquire him if possible.
If you started Valdez Thursday night, you got the only scheduled three-start pitcher of this prolonged week. Too bad he allowed four hits, three walks, and four runs without escaping the first inning.
Streamers Rostered in Under 25% of Leagues
Bryse Wilson (7/16 @MIL, 7/21 vs. WAS)
Jason Vargas (7/12 @MIA, 7/18 @SF)
Dylan Bundy (7/12 vs. TB, 7/19 vs. BOS)
Jose Suarez (7/14 vs. SEA, 7/19 @SEA)
Trevor Williams (7/14 @CHC, 7/20 vs. PHI)
Danny Duffy (7/12 vs. DET, 7/17 vs. CHW)
Brad Keller (7/13 vs. DET, 7/18 vs. CHW)
I still have interest in Bundy, but I’m avoiding him this week because of his horrible matchups. Who I am looking to stream, though, is Jason Vargas. Yes, that Vargas. He had a rough first start in July, but his May and June were really, really good. He’s not a long-term option like Mahle could be, but with Miami and San Francisco ahead, he’s a good streaming option this scoring period.
Not Unless You’re Desperate
Ivan Nova (7/12 @OAK, 7/17 @KC)
Reynaldo Lopez (7/14 @OAK, 7/19 @TB)
Tanner Roark (7/13 @COL, 7/18 vs. STL)
Anthony DeSclafani (7/16 @CHC, 7/21 vs. STL)
Kyle Freeland (7/13 vs. CIN, 7/19 @NYY)
Antonio Senzatela (7/14 vs. CIN, 7/20 @NYY)
Jordan Zimmermann (7/14 @KC, 7/19 vs. TOR)
Homer Bailey (7/14 vs. DET, 7/19 @CLE)
Matt Harvey (7/13 vs. SEA, 7/18 vs. HOU)
Chase Anderson (7/12 vs. SF, 7/17 vs. ATL)
Jhoulys Chacin (7/14 vs. SF, 7/19 @ARI)
Adrian Houser (7/15 vs. ATL, 7/20 @ARI)
Mike Fiers (7/12 vs. CHW, 7/18 @MIN)
Chris Bassitt (7/13 vs. CHW, 7/19 @MIN)
Brett Anderson (7/14 vs. CHW, 7/20 @MIN)
Daniel Mengden (7/16 vs. SEA, 7/21 @MIN)
Jordan Lyles (7/13 @CHW, 7/19 vs. PHI)
Adam Wainwright (7/12 vs. ARI, 7/17 vs. PIT)
Dakota Hudson (7/13 vs. ARI, 7/18 @CIN)
Shaun Anderson (7/12 @MIL, 7/17 @COL)
Tyler Beede (7/14 @MIL, 7/19 vs. NYM)
Drew Pomeranz (7/15 @COL, 7/20 NYM)
Jeff Samardzija (7/16 @COL, 7/21 vs. NYM)
Mike Leake (7/12 @LAA, 7/19 vs. LAA)
Wade LeBlanc (7/13 @LAA, 7/20 vs. LAA)
Ariel Jurado (7/14 vs. HOU, 7/21 @HOU)
Aaron Sanchez (7/12 @NYY, 7/17 @BOS)
Jesse Chavez (7/12 vs. HOU, 7/19 @HOU)
Clayton Richard (7/13 @NYY, 7/18 @BOS)
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Michael Waterloo is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Michael, check out his archive and follow him @MichaelWaterloo.