Two-Start Pitchers: 5/29-6/4

Welcome to this week’s edition of the 2023 two-start pitcher rankings!

My rankings have four tiers: Set and Forget, Probably Start, Questionable, and Avoid. Set and Forget starters are simply that; get them in your lineup and don’t think twice. The Most Likely Start tier includes players with the mix of skill and matchups that make them almost certainly two-start plays, but not without some elevated risk compared to the top tier. Questionable starters are those best suited for daily lineup leagues where you can bench them against the tougher of their two opponents. Finally, we have the Avoid tier, which includes two-start SPs who should remain on your bench or the wire.

Each week, I’ll be selecting my Two-Start Streamer of the Week. The criteria for a streamer will be a roster-rate under 50% in Yahoo or ESPN leagues. The Streamer of the Week will be highlighted in the tables in green. Reach out to me in the PL Discord or on Twitter @AnthonyTucker81  and let me know if you’d grade the weekly streamer as a win or loss.

As a friendly reminder, the projected starters are just that, projections and subject to change. 

 

Set and Forget

 

• Veteran Nathan Eovaldi and rookie Bryce Miller are both on absolute heaters right now. Miller has mostly feasted on mediocre offenses, so we’ll see how he handles a pair of playoff-quality opponents. His fastball-heavy approach stifled Houston and was serviceable against Atlanta, so it won’t be his first test handling deeper lineups.

 

 

Most Likely 

 

• Bryce Elder’s sterling ratios are destined to come back to earth. A pitcher giving up a 34% hard contact rate and a 14.7% K-BB% won’t be the NL leader in ERA by the All-Star break. You shouldn’t expect the good times for Elder to end next week, however. The groundball specialist has a cushy matchup at the Oakland Coliseum where he should be well-positioned to earn a win. The Diamondbacks have been a sneaky good offense, but as long as Elder continues defying his peripherals, you’ll be keeping him in your lineup.

 

• Bobby Miller remains below 50% rostered in Yahoo leagues and, as a result, is a fairly easy choice for Two-Start Streamer of the Week. With a 100 mph fastball and the ability to mix in sliders and curves, he looks to be an arm you’ll pick up and hold for as long as he’s in the Dodgers’ rotation. While the upside is immense, you’ll want to temper your expectations in the near term: he had a 19.7% strikeout rate and a 9.8% walk rate in AAA. In a weekly league, the benefits of a start against the Nationals far outweigh any risk against a middling Yankees lineup.

 

Questionable

 

• For those who can’t add Bobby Miller, Brayan Bello makes for a decent pickup as a one-start stream. He’s a fine choice against the Reds, but he’s a clear bench against the Rays. Just how good has Tampa been this year? They lead just about every offensive category you can think of: Runs, homers, stolen bases, slugging percentage. They’re a team that can cause some growing pains for Boston’s 24-year-old righty.

 

• Tyler Wells through J.P. France make for solid one-start streamers, albeit ones with limited upside.

 

• Ben Lively, Kodai Senga, and Kyle Freeland are the only options for deeper points leagues. If at all possible, you can likely lean on safer options.

 

Avoid

 

• Matthew Boyd turned in an intriguing performance last time out, generating a 43% CSW with his slider against Kansas City. Despite this, he’s only gone six innings once so far this season and there’s been more bad than good across his nine starts.

 

• Ranger Suárez hasn’t looked locked in yet this season after spending the first six weeks on the IL. You may be tempted against the last-place Nats, but Washington is a top-ten offense against LHP by wRC+. Despite lacking any power to speak of, the Nats boast the league’s lowest strikeout rate.

 

 

Two-Start Streamer of the Week Record: 1-4.