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 7

Must Start

• Zac Gallen (SP – ARI) at CIN, at BAL
• Walker Buehler (SP – LAD) vs. MIA, at SD
• Yu Darvish (SP – SD) at CHC, vs. LAD
• Luis Castillo (SP – SEA) at MIN, vs. OAK
• Justin Verlander (SP – HOU) at NYY, at DET
• Cole Ragans (SP, RP – KC) vs. MIL, at LAA
• Bailey Ober (SP – MIN) vs. SEA, at TOR

Should Start

Justin Steele (SP – CHC) vs. SD, at PIT

Justin Steele would normally be in the must-start tier, but these are his first starts since coming off the injured list (IL), which I don’t love starting guys for because you don’t know if they will be on a strict pitch count. I think he is too good to sit in most spots, though.

Jack Flaherty (SP – DET) at CLE, vs. HOU

Jack Flaherty has been up and down, but the underlying numbers say he should be much better. He has a 2.83 FIP and a fantastic strikeout rate. These aren’t great matchups, but I would use him.

Seth Lugo (SP – KC) vs. MIL, at LAA

There is always a risk with a guy like Seth Lugo who doesn’t get much swing and miss, but the back half of this two-step is really good. Lugo’s results are worth continuing to ride.

Luis Gil (SP – NYY) vs. HOU, at TB

Luis Gil has had just one bad start. Otherwise, his numbers would look amazing. He is also building back up his stamina and has gone at least five innings in his last four starts. I don’t know how long it lasts but that is a question for the summer.

Here We Go

Sean Manaea (SP, RP – NYM) at STL, vs. ATL

Sean Manaea has been great this season, but the underlying skills aren’t nearly as pretty with a 4.72 xERA. He is walking a lot of batters, which makes the second half of this two-step a little scary.

Mitch Keller (SP – PIT) vs. LAA, vs. CHC

The Mitch Keller Experience is in full effect. Sometimes you get good ratios, sometimes you don’t. Sometimes you get strikeouts and sometimes not. You usually get innings, but the rest is unpredictable. These aren’t matchups you are running from, though.

Tyler Anderson (SP – LAA) at PIT, vs. KC

Tyler Anderson has been great this season but he is a high-wire act that hasn’t gone wrong yet. Anderson relies upon great control and command because he doesn’t have overwhelming stuff. If one leaves, he can get into trouble quickly. These aren’t easy matchups either, so it is quite a difficult play.

Feeling Lucky

Logan Allen (RP, SP – ARI) vs. DET, at CHW

Logan Allen has been really bad this season, but you don’t find matchups like these every day. The Tigers and White Sox are amongst the worst offenses in the Majors. I would try and attack them just for the wins.

Bryse Wilson (RP, SP – MIL) at KC, vs. STL

Bryse Wilson has pitched pretty well this season, throwing 24 innings with a 3.00 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP, but he struggles with home runs and has been getting extremely lucky. He is not an overwhelming pitcher, but the Brewers have started hot and he might be in line for a win or two.

Colin Rea (SP – MIL) at KC, vs. STL

Similar to Wilson, Colin Rea is getting lucky. He is not that talented of a pitcher in general. If you win, I get it, but this could go very badly in a hurry.

Simeon Woods Richardson (SP, RP – MIN) vs. SEA, at TOR

Simeon Woods Richardson has been pretty good to start the season, but he has also had a really easy schedule. He relies a lot on contact and his defense behind him. While he does have a good defense, that makes these scarier matchups harder to play.

Desperate Measures

• Patrick Sandoval (SP – LAA) at PIT, vs. KC
• Frankie Montas (SP, RP – CIN) vs. ARI, at SF
• Dakota Hudson (SP, RP – COL) vs. SF, vs. TEX
• Michael Soroka (SP – CWS) at TB, vs. CLE
• Mike Clevinger (SP – CWS) at TB, vs. CLE
• Mason Black (SP – SF) at PHI, vs. CIN
• Kyle Harrison (SP – SF) at COL, vs. CIN
• Miles Mikolas (SP – STL) vs. NYM, at MIL
• Sem Robberse (SP – STL) vs. NYM, at MIL
• Tyler Alexander (RP, SP – TB) vs. CHW, vs. NYY
• Andrew Heaney (SP, RP – TEX) at OAK, at COL
• Braxton Garrett (SP – MIA) at LAD, vs. PHI
• Alex Wood (SP, RP – OAK) vs. TEX, at SEA

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