This is the worst week of two-start streamers all year. There are a few reasons for that, but the biggest is that most teams don’t play seven games, with a bunch of teams playing just five. We also have numerous must-roster players making two starts, leaving us with very few options to discuss. That doesn’t even consider that the trade deadline is Tuesday, which will throw these rotations into a blender. That means a few of these guys might not make their two starts, but it’s still an interesting week to dissect!
Every fantasy baseball manager should regularly look for a leg up on the competition. Planning ahead and playing the waiver wire well are two of the most effective ways. With the “Two-Start Pitcher Lookahead,” the goal is to peer into the future to point out some lesser-rostered (under 60%) starting pitchers who should be taking the mound twice for their clubs next week.
If there is room on your fantasy roster, it often pays off to stash one of these starters, particularly the first few in the rankings below. Why wait for the bidding war to start immediately before their two-start week? Get out in front of things now.
Keep in mind that situations can change quickly with MLB rotations. Given how things stand at the time of writing, the hurlers below should be in line for that coveted two-start week.
- Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Assistant
- Fantasy Baseball Trade Tools
- Weekly Fantasy Baseball Content
- MLB Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
Two-Start Pitcher Lookahead (July 29 – August 4)
***Rostered Percentage based on Yahoo! Leagues as of July 28***
Rank | SP | Start 1 | Start 2 | Likelihood of Making Two Starts | Rostered Percentage |
1 | Michael Wacha (KC) | at CWS | at DET | High | 52% |
2 | Jameson Taillon (CHC) | at CIN | vs. STL | Low (trade deadline) | 60% |
3 | Jordan Montgomery (ARI) | vs. WAS | at PIT | High | 50% |
4 | Griffin Canning (LAA) | vs. COL | vs. NYM | High | 9% |
5 | Alec Marsh (KC) | at CWS | at DET | High | 13% |
6 | Sean Manaea (NYM) | vs. MIN | at LAA | High | 41% |
7 | Yariel Rodriguez (TOR) | at BAL | at NYY | Medium | 17% |
8 | Colin Rea (MIL) | vs. ATL | at WAS | High | 38% |
9 | Frankie Montas (CIN) | vs. CHC | vs. SF | High | 14% |
10 | Simeon Woods Richardson (MIN) | at NYM | vs. CWS | High | 18% |
11 | Edward Cabrera (MIA) | at TB | at ATL | Medium | 11% |
12 | Cooper Criswell (BOS) | vs. SEA | at TEX | High | 2% |
13 | TBD, Darius Vines? (ATL) | at MIL | vs. MIA | Medium | NA% |
14 | Chayce McDermott (BAL) | vs. TOR | at CLE | Low | 4% |
15 | Lance Lynn (STL) | vs. TEX | at CHC | High | 23% |
16 | Mitchell Parker (WAS) | at ARI | vs. MIL | Medium | 22% |
17 | Andre Pallante (STL) | vs. TEX | at CHC | Medium | 9% |
18 | Chris Flexen (CWS) | vs. KC | at MIN | Medium | 2% |
19 | Ty Blach (COL) | at LAA | at SD | Medium | 0% |
Atlanta has yet to announce a starter for next Monday, so we’ll leave that as a TBD. If we had to guess, we’d say it’s Darius Vines.
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. He has been an analyst in the fantasy sports industry for the past decade, covering the NFL and MLB. For more from Nate, check out his archive and follow him on Twitter @Bartilottajoel.