Now that the season is in full swing, you should be grinding the two-start pitchers to give you an advantage over your competition.
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.
These are projected two-start pitchers and are subject to change and will with the season just beginning. FWIW I am a little more conservative earlier in the season as I don’t love getting my ratios trashed early on.
- Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Assistant
- Fantasy Baseball Trade Tools
- Weekly Fantasy Baseball Content
- MLB Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
Week 8 Two-Start Pitchers
Must Start
- Reynaldo Lopez (ATL) vs CHC, vs SD
- Corbin Burnes (BAL) vs TOR, vs SEA
- Kutter Crawford (BOS) vs TB, at STL
- Shota Imanaga (CHC) at ATL, vs PIT
- Aaron Nola (PHI) at NYM, vs WAS
- George Kirby (SEA) vs KC, at BAL
- Zach Eflin (TB) at BOS, at TOR
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto at SF, vs CIN
- Hunter Greene (CIN) at ARI, at LAD
- Ronel Blanco (HOU) vs OAK, vs MIL
Should Start
Jordan Montgomery (ARI) vs CIN, vs DET
Montgomery has been up and down since signing late with the Diamondbacks, but he has only one really bad start, and it can be excused because it was against the Dodgers. He gets the Reds, against whom he just threw seven strong innings away from Great American Ballpark, and a Tigers offense that has not been good this season, so you are probably starting him with very few questions.
Nick Pivetta (BOS) vs TB, at STL
Pivetta just came off the IL after having an elbow issue and got rocked by the Braves. There is no shame in the Braves beating you up, so I am not super worried about that in particular. He has two very good matchups versus offenses that aren’t clicking at this point in the season.
Brady Singer (KC) at SEA, vs OAK
I don’t think this is the Brady Singer breakout yet, but he has looked good this season and is facing a struggling Seattle offense and a bad Oakland one. To be honest, he should probably be a must-start.
Carlos Rodon (NYY) at MIN, vs CHW
When Rodon is right, he is one of the best pitchers in all of baseball. He has looked up and down a little this season, but his only really bad start was versus the Orioles, which can be forgiven. He has a great matchup that you aren’t passing up on against the White Sox and another versus the Twins that you are not running away from.
Trevor Williams (WAS) at CHW, at PHI
I don’t know what Williams did in the offseason, but he has been great this season and is coming off of one of the most impressive performances in his career against the potent Orioles offense. He has a great matchup versus the White Sox and a tough one against the Phillies, but until he falters, you probably need to just keep rolling him out there.
Cristopher Sanchez at NYM, vs WAS
Sanchez has been decent this season but is allowing a lot of contact in the zone, which is troubling. That being said, his ERA is great, and he is still getting strikeouts. These aren’t matchups you are worried about per se, so he is probably going to be a start in most formats.
Here We Go
Tanner Bibee (CLE) at TEX, vs MIN
Bibee has been a bit rough this season, and while you aren’t scared of the Twins matchup, the Rangers are a potent offense, and there is some risk. I still believe in Bibee, but he needs to tighten up the command a bit, so I don’t blame people for passing on this one.
Aaron Civale (TB) at BOS, at TOR
Civale has been up and down this year as well. He is living in the zone more, which has led to a career-high home run rate, but also a career-high strikeout rate. There is a lot of risk to these matchups as both Boston and Toronto are good offenses with power, but the underlying numbers say that Civale should be better than the surface stats do.
Mitch Keller (PIT) at MIL, at CHC
Mitch Keller is who he is. Sometimes, you are going to get a stud pitcher who completely shuts any team down. Sometimes, you are going to get a dud. However, you always get innings. He is hard to predict, but if you drafted him, you knew this coming into it. How risky do you want to be this week? That is the question you have to ask yourself.
Jordan Hicks (SF) vs LAD, vs COL
If it wasn’t for the Dodgers on the docket for Hicks, he might be in the Must Start tier, but that is a dangerous offense for a high-contact pitcher. I think you probably should risk it because the back half of the two-step is so good, but there is the risk he gets beat up in the first step.
Feeling Lucky
Chris Paddack vs NYY, at CLE
Paddack has been much better as of late and is looking more and more like his old self. However, he has two really good offenses on the docket, so there is a lot of risk that this could be a regression week for him.
Sean Manaea vs PHI, at MIA
Manaea is a really good pitcher when his mechanics are right, but when they are not he struggles with walks. It hasn’t hurt him too bad this year except in one outing. He is facing a good Phillies offense and a really bad Miami one, so I think this is a decent spot to gamble.
Desperate Measure
- Michael Lorenzen (TEX) vs CLE, vs LAA
- Colin Rea (MIL) vs PIT, at HOU
- Graham Ashcraft (CIN) at ARI, at LAD
- Peter Lambert (COL) at SD, at SF
- Chris Flexen (CWS) vs WAS, at NYY
- Hunter Brown (HOU) vs OAK, vs MIL
- Jose Soriano (LAA) vs STL at TEX
- Sixto Sanchez (MIA) at DET, vs NYM
- JP Sears (OAK) at HOU, at KC
- Osvaldo Bido at HOU, at KC
- Matthew Liberatore (STL) at LAA, vs BOS
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