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 pitcher rankings to identify two-start options available in your leagues

Two-Start SP Rankings, Tiers & Targets

These are projected two-start pitchers and are subject to change.

Must Start

• Spencer Strider (ATL): vs MIA, at NYM
• Nestor Cortes (NYY): at MIN, at TEX
• Logan Gilbert (SEA): at PHI, at TOR
• Nick Lodolo (CIN): vs TEX, at OAK
• Joe Ryan (MIN): vs NYY, vs KC
• Drew Rasmussen (TB): vs HOU, at CHW
• Charlie Morton (ATL): vs MIA, at NYM
• Justin Steele (CHC):vs SD, at MIA

Should Start

Chris Bassitt (TOR): vs CHW, vs SEA

If you took away Bassitt’s first start, he would have a 1.96 ERA. While he had a lower fastball velocity in spring and in his first two starts, his last two starts have started to tick back up towards his usual velocity, which is a good sign. He has a fantastic offense supporting him, so this is a good opportunity to pick up two wins.

Jordan Montgomery (STL): at SF, at LAD

Montgomery got obliterated last time out, but he was really goode in his previous two outings so I am not worried. He gets a fantastic matchup against the Giants who have been one of the worst teams in baseball versus left handed pitching and a tough one against the Dodgers who have been middle of the pack against southpaws.

Taj Bradley (TB): vs HOU, at CHW

Bradley is a top prospect and with Jeffrey Springs out for the season, he is now firmly entrenched in the rotation moving forward. I thoroughly expect him to enter the Must Start tier at some point. The only question is how deep into games do the traditionally conservative Rays allow.

Lucas Giolito (CWS); vs TOR, at ATL

Giolito looked elite in his last two outings which is the first time in a while that he has in a while. These are two tough matchups but I don’t know how you sit him after how he has looked over the last two starts.

Alex Cobb (SF); vs STL, at SD

Cobb has been fantastic thus far, sporting 2.79 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 19.1 innings pitched. He has a 59% ground ball rate thus far and isn’t walking many batters thus far. I worried about the defense behind him and still do, but I don’t know how you don’t start him at this point even with a rough two-step against two of the better offenses in the National League.

Here We Go

Lance Lynn (CWS): at TOR, vs TB

Lynn has struggled early in the season, but I still believe in the talent. He is still limiting contact and getting swings and misses, but the velocity has been up and down. He has a really tough set of matchups here, so he is best for deeper leagues where you don’t have any other options.

Eduardo Rodriguez (DET): at MIL, vs BAL

After starting the year with tough matchups in his first two starts, he has looked fantastic against one tough matchup and one soft one. He has that exact situation this week, with a matchup versus the Orioles who have been a top five offense versus left handed pitching and the Brewers who have been a bottom five offense versus southpaws.

Jose Urquidy (HOU): at TB, vs PHI

I think some would have Urquidy in the above tiers but I have never really been a fan. He is homer prone and doesn’t have the strikeout upside that warrants him as a safe option. Add in these aren’t great matchups in general and I am likely not going to feel very comfortable using him.

Mason Miller (OAK): at LAA, vs CIN

Miller is going to be the pick up of the week in FAAB after being called up and throwing 100 in his debut. He has electric stuff, but his workload will be limited because of a pretty decent size injury history and a violent delivery. The main question is how long he holds up and how deep into games the A’s let him go.

Johan Oviedo (PIT): vs LAD, at WSH

If Oviedo was on a better team, he would be getting more publicity, but being a Pirate is like being in exile. That being said, he is doing a really impressive job of keeping men off base and striking out a lot of guys. He has a tough matchup with the Dodgers and a great one in Washington and I would roll with him in most formats.

Feeling Lucky

Brad Keller (KC): at ARI, at MIN

Keller has been much better after adding a sweeper in the off-season, but I think a lot of it is pretty fraudulent. He still is walking the yard with a 15% walk rate and while he hasn’t allowed many home runs, they will likely come and destroy your ratios. All that for a 20% strikeout rate. I worry regression is right around the corner.

Josiah Gray (WSH): at NYM, vs PIT

Gray has been really good this season with a change in his pitch mix, throwing his fastball much less. After allowing the most amount of home runs in the Major Leagues last season, he has only allowed one bomb in his last three outings. He has two decent matchups here and probably should be in a tier higher than this but I am skeptical he doesn’t have another blowup at some point.

Edward Cabrera (MIA): at ATL, vs CHC

Cabrera is always a risky proposition with his walk rate and that hasn’t changed this year, walking 16 batters in 17.2 innings so far this season. However, in his last two starts, he walked just three total. That being said, there is a ton of risk here and the matchups aren’t good here, so you should probably not be using him outside of deeper leagues.

Desperate Measure

• Nathan Eovaldi (TEX): at CIN, vs NYY
• Jose Suarez (LAA): vs OAK, at MIL
• Brady Singer (KC): at ARI, at MIN
• Spencer Turnbull (DET): at MIL, vs BAL
• Noah Syndergaard (LAD): at PIT, vs STL
• Martin Perez (TEX): at CIN, vs NYY
• Colin Rea (MIL): vs DET, vs LAA
• Hunter Gaddis (CLE): vs COL, at BOS
• Jake Woodford (STL): at SF, at LAD
• Austin Gomber (COL): at CLE, vs ARI
• Tommy Henry (ARI): vs KC, at COL
• Ken Waldichuk (OAK): at LAA, vs CIN
• Bailey Falter (PHI): vs SEA, at HOU
• Dean Kremer (BAL): vs BOS, at DET
• Jhony Brito (NYY): at MIN, at TEX
• Kenta Maeda (MIN): vs NYY, vs KC

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