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 13

Must Start

• Cristopher Sanchez (SP – PHI) vs. SD, vs. ARI
• Paul Skenes (SP – PIT) vs. CIN, vs TB
• Bryan Woo (SP – SEA) at CLE, at MIA
• Sonny Gray (SP – STL) at MIA, vs. SF
• Yusei Kikuchi (SP – TOR) vs. BOS, at CLE
• Alec Marsh (SP, RP – KC) at OAK, at TEX
• Pablo Lopez (SP – MIN) vs. TB, at OAK
• Nick Pivetta (SP, RP – BOS) at TOR, at CIN

Should Start

Nestor Cortes (SP – NYY) vs. BAL, vs. ATL

Nestor Cortes should probably be a Must Start, but these are two really tough matchups that can cause even the best pitchers trouble. Cortes has struggled a bit recently, but the last two starts have been against the Royals and the Dodgers, so they can be excused. He doesn’t walk hitters and the Yankees give a lot of run support, so even with the bad matchups, you are starting him in most formats.

Jon Gray (SP – TEX) vs. NYM, vs. KC

Jon Gray has been fantastic this season, throwing 62.1 innings with a 2.17 ERA and 63 strikeouts. The results say he should be a Must Start, but the underlying numbers say that regression is coming. He has a nice first matchup, but then he faces a tough Royals lineup which could be a bad spot for him. That being said, with the results he has put up, I have a hard time not just rolling with him until he struggles.

Jake Irvin (SP – WAS) vs. ARI, at COL

Jake Irvin’s results have been fantastic this season, but similarly to Gray, he is bound for regression and a game at Colorado is a spot where it could happen. However, just like with Gray, you have to keep rolling him out there until he stumbles.

Here We Go

Ronel Blanco (SP, RP – HOU) at CHW, vs. BAL

Ronel Blanco has been up and down since a hot start to the season. The command has been more spotty over the last month, allowing seven home runs in his last seven starts, and that is concerning with the Orioles on the docket this week. The White Sox matchup is pretty juicy, so I am not opposed to using him in most formats, especially since even his worst starts haven’t been killers.

Reese Olson (SP – DET) at ATL, vs. CHW

Reese Olson has struggled lately, but this was just some natural regression for him as he had been elite to start the season. Even in the losses, he still had good control, which has been his calling card. The back half of the two-step is a juicy matchup and while the front half isn’t good, the Braves haven’t been the elite offense we expected them to be with Ronald Acuna Jr. out and Ozzie Albies struggling.

Michael King (SP, RP – SD) at PHI, vs. MIL

Michael King struggled early in the season but has been elite recently, posting a 1.64 ERA with 28 strikeouts in 22 innings in his last four starts. Part of that has been matchups with three of his four starts against struggling offenses, but he was also good against the Royals. These are two tougher matchups, which is why he is this low, but I think he is usable in all formats while he is pitching this well.

Javier Assad (SP, RP – CHC) vs. SF, vs. NYM

Despite his ERA still being 2.84, Javier Assad has been coming back down to Earth recently, posting a 5.33 ERA over his last five starts. There is risk to his profile as a high-contact guy, but that is why we knew there would be regression at some point. On the plus side, these are two really nice matchups versus two offenses that haven’t been great this season, so he is probably in play in most formats.

Tobias Myers (SP – MIL) at LAA, at SD

Tobias Myers has been pretty good his season. He has been especially good recently, throwing 14 innings over his last two starts and allowing just one run. The Angels are a nice matchup but the Padres are much scarier. The Brewers have been pretty good offensively, so I think this a good spot to stream and pick up a win with a guy like Myers, who doesn’t have a low floor.

Feeling Lucky

Jordan Hicks (RP, SP – SF) at CHC, at STL

Jordan Hicks has been an interesting pitcher this season. He moved from a relief role to starter and was fantastic early on. He has struggled to go deep into games recently and hasn’t been as sharp, but the strikeouts have ticked up. I honestly don’t know if he is wearing down or changing his plan of attack, but I am a little concerned. If he can’t go five innings in starts, he can’t qualify for a win, making him a much less intriguing fantasy option.

Braxton Garrett (SP – MIA) vs. STL, vs. SEA

Braxton Garrett is like a drug I can’t quit. He has so much talent but has yet to put it all together. The results have been ugly, but the command and control have been pretty good thus far. I think the results will improve. He is facing two bad offenses, so I would roll with him in a lot of leagues.

David Peterson (SP, RP – NYM) at TEX, at CHC

David Peterson looked pretty good before his last start when he just got extremely unlucky. He hasn’t gotten many strikeouts, but the stuff looks like it will deliver them soon. He gets a rougher two-step here which I might be careful with in shallower formats, but I think he is usable if you aren’t seeking a win.

Desperate Measures

• Aaron Civale (SP – TB) at MIN, at PIT
• Slade Cecconi (SP – ARI) at WAS, at PHI
• Carson Spiers (RP, SP – CIN) at PIT, vs. BOS
• Triston McKenzie (SP – CLE) vs. SEA, vs. TOR
• Cal Quantrill (SP – COL) vs. LAD, vs. WAS
• Jonathan Cannon (SP – CWS) vs. HOU, at DET
• Hogan Harris (SP, RP – OAK) vs. KC, vs. MIN
• Randy Vasquez (RP, SP – SD) at PHI, vs. MIL

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