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    Justin Mason | Sun, Apr 7th 2024, 9:00am EDT

Fantasy Baseball Two-Start Pitcher Rankings & Pickups: Week 3 (April 8 – 14)

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.

Fantasy Baseball Two-Start Pitchers: Week 3

Must Start

Should Start

James Paxton (SP – LAD) at MIN, vs SD

James Paxton was erratic but effective in his first start. Despite not having great matchups, he is pretty close to being a must-start pitcher. Paxton has usually been good when healthy. The fact he can go five innings means he will rack up a ton of wins with the Dodgers behind him.

Yu Darvish (SP – SD) vs CHC, at LAD

Yu Darvish will usually be in the must-start tier as long as he is healthy. These are extremely tough matchups most pitchers would be a sit for. I won’t beat up anyone for avoiding the Dodgers but it is hard to sit a guy like Darvish.

Nestor Cortes (SP – NYY) vs MIA, at CLE

Nestor Cortes probably should be in the must-start tier but he has looked rough at the start of both of his outings this year. I am a little bit worried. However, these are fantastic matchups. If you can’t use him here I don’t know why you wouldn’t drop him.

Jesus Luzardo (SP – MIA) at NYY, vs ATL

Like Darvish, Jesus Luzardo would usually be in the must-start tier but these are tough matchups that scare me enough to consider benching him. You are probably still rolling with him but there is some blowup potential.

Here We Go

Brayan Bello (SP – BOS) vs BAL vs LAA

You have already gotten the full Brayan Bello experience through two starts. A decent outing that won’t wow anyone versus a good team and a strikeout and homer-filled outing versus a bad team. You never really know what you will get with Bello but the back half of the two-step is enough to keep you interested as the Angels are atrocious outside of Mike Trout and Taylor Ward.

Reese Olson (SP – DET) at PIT, vs MIN

Reese Olson isn’t an overpowering pitcher but he is an innings eater. His team is good enough where he has opportunities to win and he probably won’t hurt you in most outings. The Pittsburgh matchup is tough as they have started strong. Minnesota has been mediocre and these are both in good parks.

Reynaldo Lopez (SP – ATL) vs NYM, at MIN

Reynaldo Lopez has looked good to start the season. While I have not been a fan of him as a starter in the past, I am willing to roll with him until he struggles, especially when he has the Atlanta offense supporting him.

Charlie Morton (SP – ATL) vs NYM, at MIN

I know people will be upset I have Charlie Morton this low but his underlying numbers last year were scary. I don’t trust that at this point in his career, he won’t ruin your ratios. That being said, he will get run support from the Braves and he has two good matchups, so you are probably using him here.

Mitch Keller (SP – PIT) vs DET at PHI

Mitch Keller is who he is — a guy who gets strikeouts and will sometimes struggle with wildness and hard contact. This one is a risk, especially on the back half against a potent Phillies team, but there will be a lot of strikeouts you can’t ignore.

Feeling Lucky

Tyler Anderson (SP – LAA) vs TB, at BOS

Hold on, let me explain myself. Tyler Anderson was awful last season but we have underrated how good he was before that and he didn’t completely forget how to pitch. He looked good in his first start and while these are tougher matchups, Tampa has not looked great to start the year.

Trevor Williams (SP – WAS) at SF, at OAK

Trevor Williams isn’t a great pitcher but he looked good in his first start. These are about as good of matchups as you will get versus a struggling Giants offense in San Francisco and the atrocious A’s in Oakland.

Frankie Montas (SP, RP – CIN) vs MIL, at CHW

Frankie Montas looked decent at the beginning of the season but the underlying numbers say he has been really lucky. He pitches in Cincy, which is a scary place to pitch, especially when he is so reliant on the splitter, which is a difficult pitch to command consistently. This is a high-risk play but the White Sox are awful and missing their two best hitters, so it is probably worth it.

Graham Ashcraft (SP – CIN) vs MIL, at CHW

Similar to Montas, this is a high-risk maneuver, but with the White Sox so beat up, I think it is one to consider.

Spencer Turnbull (SP – PHI) at STL, vs PIT

Spencer Turnbull hasn’t thrown a ton of innings in recent seasons because of injuries but he looked great in his first start this year. You can’t count on him for long because of his health history, but until then, he is someone to consider. He has a couple of tough matchups, but I am willing to gamble here in deeper leagues.

Desperate Measures


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