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 less than 25% of leagues that are risky but viable in deeper formats.
• Desperate Measures: Pitchers you shouldn’t use unless you have no choice.

These projected two-start pitchers are subject to change and will with the season just beginning. For whatever it’s worth, I’m a little more conservative earlier in the season as I don’t love getting my ratios trashed early on.

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Fantasy Baseball Two-Start Pitchers: Week 2

Must Start

Cristopher Sanchez (SP – PHI) vs CIN, at WAS

Cristopher Sanchez pitched well last season and now gets a beat-up Reds team at home and a terrible Washington team on the road.

Tanner Houck (SP – BOS) at OAK, at LAA

I am not the biggest Tanner Houck fan and he probably should be lower than this. However, these two matchups are about as good as you can ask for with the worst team in Major League Baseball in the A’s and the atrocious Shohei Ohtani-less Angels.

Should Start

Dean Kremer (SP – BAL) vs KC, at PIT

Dean Kremer has been great at home when protected by the dimensions of Oriole Park at Camden Yards. There is good stuff in the profile. He is at home for the first half of the week and then in Pittsburgh’s spacious park for the second start.

Casey Mize (SP – DET) at NYM, vs OAK

It was surprising to see Casey Mize make the team out of camp after missing all of last season with Tommy John surgery. However, he looked great in spring and has two very nice matchups in good parks this week. If you can’t use him here, you should not be rostering him.

Triston McKenzie (SP – CLE) at SEA, at MIN

Talent has never been a question for Triston McKenzie, just health. He is healthy right now and while I don’t think he will stay healthy, that is a problem for later. This is a decent two-step to take advantage of.

James Paxton (SP – LAD) vs SF, at CHC

James Paxton is an older, thicker version of McKenzie, which means he is usable while healthy. Supported by the Dodgers’ offense, as long as he can go five innings he should get a win.

Here We Go

Charlie Morton (SP – ATL) at CHW, vs ARI

I am not a big fan of Charlie Morton. He is well past his prime and can be a massive WHIP killer but he has the Atlanta offense behind him and can string together good outings. The front half of this two-step is too good to pass up even if the back half is a little scary.

Michael Wacha (SP – KC) at BAL, vs CHW

Michael Wacha has been a pretty reliable pitcher over the last few seasons. While the front half of this two-start week is a little scary, it is in Camden Yards, the best pitcher’s park in baseball. The back half is juicy versus a bad White Sox team at home.

Feeling Lucky

Max Meyer (SP – MIA) vs LAA, at CIN

Max Meyer had been fantastic in spring and was a surprise addition to the rotation because all of Miami’s pitchers are hurt. The back half of this one is pretty scary since it is in Cincy, but the front half is nice at home, so it might be worth the risk.

Luis Gil (SP – NYY) at ARI. vs TOR

Like Meyer, Luis Gil was fantastic in spring and won a rotation spot due to the Yankees’ injuries. He has a better chance of sticking long-term if he can stay healthy. These are not great matchups, though, so while I have a little more faith in Gil, I worry there is more blowup potential here.

Desperate Measure

• Ryan Pepiot (SP – TB) vs TEX, at COL
• Reid Detmers (SP – LAA) at MIA, vs BOS
• Chris Flexen (SP – CWS) vs ATL, at KC
• Nick Nastrini  (SP – CWS) vs ATL, at KC
• Ronel Blanco (SP – HOU) vs TOR, at TEX
• Joe Boyle (SP – OAK) vs BOS, at DET
• Emerson Hancock (SP – SEA) vs CLE, at MIL
• Dane Dunning (SP – TEX) at TB, vs HOU
• Shota Imanaga (SP – CHC) vs COL, vs LAD
• MacKenzie Gore (SP – WAS) vs PIT, vs PHI
• Andrew Abbott (SP – CIN) at PHI, vs NYM
• Jakob Junis (SP – MIL) vs MIN, vs SEA
• Marco Gonzales (SP – PIT) at WAS, vs BAL
• Kyle Gibson (SP – STL) at SD, vs MIA
• Ryne Nelson (SP – ARI) vs NYY, at ATL
• Dakota Hudson (SP – COL) at CHC, vs TB
• Matt Waldron (SP – SD) vs STL, at SF
• Keaton Winn (SP – SF) at LAD, vs SD

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