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 Waiver Wire Assistant
- Fantasy Baseball Trade Tools
- Weekly Fantasy Baseball Content
- MLB Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
Fantasy Baseball Two-Start Pitchers: Week 14
Must Start
- Reynaldo Lopez (RP, SP – ATL) at STL, vs. PIT
- Tanner Houck (SP – BOS) vs. TOR, vs. SD
- Justin Steele (SP – CHC) at SF, at MIL
- Nick Lodolo (SP – CIN) vs. PIT, at STL
- Hunter Greene (SP – CIN) vs. PIT, at STL
- Tanner Bibee (SP – CLE) at BAL, at KC
- Garrett Crochet (RP, SP – CWS) vs. LAD, vs. COL
- Tarik Skubal (SP – DET) vs. PHI, at LAA
- Cole Ragans (SP, RP – KC) vs. MIA, vs. CLE
- Seth Lugo (SP – KC) vs MIA, vs. CLE
- Bobby Miller (SP – LAD) at CWS, at SF
- Freddy Peralta (SP – MIL) vs. TEX, vs. CHC
- Joe Ryan (SP – MIN) at ARI, at SEA
- Gerrit Cole (SP – NYY) at NYM, at TOR
- Aaron Nola (SP – PHI) at DET, vs. MIA
- Ranger Suarez (SP – PHI) at DET, vs. MIA
- Chris Bassitt (SP – TOR) at BOS, vs. NYY
- Kevin Gausman (SP – TOR) at BOS, vs. NYY
Should Start
Brandon Pfaadt (SP – ARI) vs. MIN, vs. OAK
Brandon Pfaadt has been one of the unluckiest pitchers in the game, with a 4.37 ERA and a 3.27 xERA. He is limiting walks and home runs, so he should be much better moving forward. The Twins are a tougher matchup, but the A’s are one of the worst offenses in the league, so you are using him in most formats.
Matt Waldron (SP – SD) vs. WAS, at BOS
Matt Waldron has been fantastic this season, throwing 83.1 innings with a 3.46 ERA and 76 strikeouts. As a knuckleballer, Waldron is risky as it is a tough pitch to command, but he has a full arsenal that keeps hitters guessing. These are decent matchups, so until he falters, you have to keep using him.
James Paxton (SP – LAD) at CWS, at SF
James Paxton has been up and down this season, but despite not having many strikeouts, he has been pretty great with seven wins and a 3.65 ERA this year. These are amazing matchups versus the White Sox and Giants, so at worst, you should get a lot of win potential.
Tyler Anderson (SP – LAA) vs. OAK, vs. DET
Do I believe in Tyler Anderson? No, but at this point you have to keep using him, especially when he has matchups versus two of the worst offenses in baseball.
Bryan Woo (SP – SEA) at TB, vs. MIN
I am worried about Bryan Woo. He has hit the injured list (IL) multiple times already due to elbow and forearm issues. However, he has been amazing when on the mound, throwing 37.2 innings with a 1.67 ERA. Use him until his arm falls off. I do fear it is a matter of time before he is hurt again, though.
Here We Go
Taj Bradley (SP – TB) vs. SEA, vs. WAS
Taj Bradley has been up and down since coming off the IL but all of a sudden he is looking like the former top prospect that he is. Over his last three starts, he has a 1.50 ERA in 18 innings with 21 strikeouts. These are two good matchups as well, so he should be used in most formats.
Cade Povich (SP – BAL) vs. CLE, vs. TEX
Cade Povich has been up and down since his debut, but he has shown a lot of upside when he can control his pitches and doesn’t walk too many guys. These are tough matchups, but both are in Camden Yards, which is a great place to pitch. The Orioles’ offense gives him chances for wins as long as he can go five innings.
Feeling Lucky
Bailey Falter (SP – PIT) at CIN, at ATL
Bailey Falter isn’t a particularly talented pitcher, but he has been useful at times this season. However, he struggles away from PNC Park and tends to have home run issues. He is going up against two top-10 offenses in terms of ISO over the last month in hitter-friendly parks. I think I would skip this one.
Spencer Schwellenbach (SP – ATL) at STL, vs. PIT
Spencer Schwellenbach has struggled since his call-up. He’s just been extremely unlucky, however, and most of the damage was done in one start. He has two nice matchups and I think this is a good buy-low opportunity.
Griffin Canning (SP – LAA) vs. OAK, vs. DET
Griffin Canning has struggled this season with a 5.02 ERA, but these matchups versus the A’s and Tigers are too good to pass up. Oakland and Detroit have been two of the worst offenses in baseball recently. While Griffin has risk, he has shown the ability to be good in stretches, so I would risk it in deeper formats.
Desperate Measures
- Jon Gray (SP – TEX) at MIL, at BAL
- Lance Lynn (SP – STL) vs. ATL, vs. CIN
- Kyle Gibson (SP – STL) vs. ATL, vs. CIN
- Blake Snell (SP – SF) vs. CHC, vs. LAD
- Spencer Howard (SP – SF) vs. CHC, vs. LAD
- Luis Medina (SP, RP – OAK) at LAA, at ARI
- Roddery Munoz (RP, SP – MIA) at KC, at PHI
- Casey Mize (SP – DET) vs. PHI, at LAA
- Brayan Bello (SP – BOS) vs. TOR, vs. SD
- Logan Allen (RP, SP – ARI) at BAL, at KC
- Chris Flexen (SP, RP – CWS) vs. LAD, vs. COL
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