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 4

Must Start

• George Kirby (SP – SEA) vs CIN, at COL
• Sonny Gray (SP – STL) at OAK, vs MIL
• Merrill Kelly (SP – ARI) vs CHC, at SF
• Aaron Civale (SP – TB) vs LAA, at NYY
• Joe Musgrove (SP – SD) at MIL, TOR
• Tanner Bibee (SP – CLE) at BOS, vs OAK

Should Start

Kutter Crawford (SP, RP – BOS) vs CLE, at PIT

Kutter Crawford has pitched well, throwing 15.2 innings with a 0.57 ERA and striking out 18 batters. This isn’t an easy two-step as both the Pirates and Guardians have started hot, but I think it is one you shouldn’t be afraid to use Crawford while he is pitching well.

Garrett Whitlock (SP, RP – BOS) vs CLE, at PIT

Like Crawford, Garrett Whitlock has pitched very well, throwing 14.1 innings with a 1.26 ERA and 16 strikeouts. The same logic that applies to Crawford also applies to Whitlock, so I am rolling with him in most formats.

Zack Littell (SP, RP – TB) vs LAA, at NYY

Zack Littell has pitched well, throwing 15.1 innings with a 1.17 ERA and 15 strikeouts. He has a nice matchup versus a bad Angels offense and a tough one versus a good Yankees lineup. The Angels being on the front end makes me very likely to roll him out this week.

Here We Go

Carlos Rodon (SP – NYY) at TOR, vs TB

Carlos Rodon’s numbers look fine on the surface with a 1.72 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 15.2 innings pitched. However, he is walking 10% of hitters faced and doesn’t look dominant. Toronto has been up and down this season, but they are a scary lineup and Tampa is patient at the plate, so there is some risk here.

Chris Bassitt (SP – TOR) vs NYY, at SD

Usually a pretty steady contributor, Chris Bassitt has struggled so far this season, throwing 16 innings with a 5.06 ERA and 17 strikeouts. The walks are the most concerning part as he is walking 12% of his batters faced after only walking 7% last season. I think people often roll with these kinds of pitchers early despite the results, but these are also two tough matchups, so I don’t have a problem benching him to see how he looks.

Reese Olson (SP – DET) vs TEX, at MIN

Seth Lugo (SP -KC) at CHW, vs BAL

Seth Lugo has pitched well despite the strikeouts being pretty non-existent. I love this matchup versus the White Sox and hate the one versus the Orioles, but the first half is strong enough to make it worth the risk.

Jordan Hicks (SP, RP – SF) at MIA, vs ARI

I love what Jordan Hicks has been doing. There is a rationale for having him higher. However, despite his high velocity, he doesn’t rack up a ton of strikeouts and the Giants’ offense isn’t producing well enough to get him into positions to win the game. This alone lowers his upside.

Feeling Lucky

Kyle Harrison (SP – SF) at MIA, vs ARI

Kyle Harrison will likely always be in this tier. He struggles with command but also has great stuff, which has led him to a 4.76 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 17 innings pitched. This is a great matchup on the front end but a bad one on the back end. The epitome of a high-risk/high-reward play.

Reynaldo Lopez (RP – ATL) at HOU, vs TEX

Rainouts pushed back Reynaldo Lopez’s nice two-step for a much tougher one versus the Texas teams. Lopez has pitched well and is probably worth rolling with in most matchups but these teams scare me a ton.

Louie Varland (SP, RP – MIN) at BAL vs DET

Louie Varland’s line looks awful but the stuff is really good. He has struck out 10 batters in nine innings to start the season, but he also walked five and gave up a lot of home runs. Part of that was going up against the Dodgers in his second start, so it is forgivable. He has a hard start to the two-step versus the Orioles and a nicer one at the end. However, his volatility makes this a risky play with a lot of upside.

Desperate Measure

• Casey Mize (SP – DET) vs TEX, at MIN
• Erick Fedde (SP – CWS) vs KC, at PHI
• Cole Irvin (SP, RP – BAL) vs MIN, at KC
• Spencer Arrighetti (SP – HOU) vs ATL, at WAS
• Patrick Sandoval  (SP – LAA) at TB, at CIN
• Ross Stripling (SP, RP – OAK) vs STL at CLE
• Michael Lorenzen (SP, RP – TEX) at DET, at ATL
• Jon Gray (SP – TEX) at DET, at ATL
• Joe Ross (SP – MIL) vs SD, at STL
• Martin Perez (SP, RP – PIT) at NYM, vs BOS
• Cal Quantrill (SP – COL) at PHI, vs SEA
• A.J. Puk (RP, SP – MIA) vs SF, at CHC
• Edward Cabrera  (SP – MIA) vs SF, at CHC
• Adrian Houser (SP – NYM) vs PIT, at LAD
• Aaron Nola (SP – PHI) vs COL, vs CHW
• Patrick Corbin (SP – WAS) at LAD, vs HOU
• Kyle Hendricks (SP – CHC) at ARI, vs MIA
• Frankie Montas  (SP, RP – CIN) at SEA, vs LAA

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