Two-Start Pitchers: 9/26-10/2

Welcome to the final two-start pitcher rankings of the 2022 season! This season has been a fun one. I sincerely hope this weekly series has helped you gain an edge in your fantasy baseball prep throughout the season. The regular season may be ending, but don’t be a stranger: I’m always willing to chat fantasy baseball year-round on Twitter at @AnthonyTucker81.

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 Probably 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.

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

 

Set and Forget

 

• Next week is the final full week of the regular season. These rankings focus solely on next week’s probables. For those in rotisserie leagues, the final few days of the season after this week may be able to swing you additional standings points. If you have it, be sure to save a final FAAB dollar or two for the final three days of the regular season.

 

• Zack Wheeler looked superb in his return off the IL, averaging 98mph on his fastball while not allowing a run to the Blue Jays. He’s now further stretched out for his next start, where we could likely expect to see him throw 75-80 pitches. Phillies fans are breathing a sigh of relief as their ace will get two more starts in the regular season as they try to fend off the Brewers for the final Wild Card spot. Fantasy managers can likewise exhale as well. Make sure Wheeler is in your lineup against the lowly Cubs and Nats.

 

Probably Start

 

 

• It’s hard to pinpoint why Kevin Gausman’s second half has been so rocky. He’s had the incredible misfortune of a .364 BABIP on the year, but he was able to work around all of those base hits to post a 2.87 ERA over the first half. Since the All-Star break, he improved both his K% and BB% while improving his WHIP. Yet, his second-half ERA is 3.91. The answer to his struggles may lie in a 14.3% HR/FB. Gausman’s BABIP woes have persisted all season and he now has bad luck with the gopher ball to top it all off. Put the veteran’s uneven season out of mind and start him down the stretch.

 

• If you haven’t rostered Triston McKenzie this season, it’s likely his breakout season has flown under the radar. Setting aside the more advanced or predictive stats for a moment, the 25-year-old is top 15 in the majors in strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP. All to say, he’s been a fantasy stud this season. McKenzie, with an ADP outside the top 200, is on the short list of best values on draft day.

 

 

Questionable

 

• As has been the case for most of the second half, tier three of this week’s rankings consists of mostly floor plays. Despite being top-5 in the league with 15 wins, Tyler Anderson’s capped upside make his status more dependent on what you’re categories you’re chasing in roto leagues. If Anderson has carried you this far, it’s likely you’ll rely on him to defy the odds for one more week.

 

• For those in need of a two-start pitching add off the wire to end the year, Bailey Ober may be your best option. The towering righty has a very soft landing spot in a pair of divisional matchups. The White Sox have been on a bit of tear offensively as of late, but his second start against the league’s worst offense in pitcher-friendly Comerica Park makes Ober worth the risk in weekly leagues. While Ober likely won’t rack up strikeouts, his 13.8% SwSt% and 4.9% walk rate suggest he’ll be adept at limiting damage.

 

• Michael Wacha has been a pleasant surprise, but he’s likely best served as a one-start streamer against the Orioles next week. Corey Kluber (@CLE) and Kyle Bradish (@BOS) are also one-start streaming options. Roansy Contreras is more volatile than Klubot and Bradish, but he also has the highest upside against Cincinnati’s bottom-five offense.

 

 

Avoid

 

 

• Fresh off an eight-strikeout performance against the Angels, Dane Dunning may look like a potential streaming option next week. Even with a rematch on tap against Los Angeles, you shouldn’t count on the groundball specialist to do it again. On the season, Dunning has a paltry 11.2 K-BB%.

 

• Veterans Zack Greinke (@DET) and Chase Anderson (@PIT) each have a tempting matchup against two of the league’s worst lineups, but should not be added. While you won’t be adding Greinke, his second start is worth a watch for sentimental reasons. Amongst the St. Louis retirement tours of Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina, and (potentially) Adam Wainwright, one of this millennium’s best pitchers is having a more understated swan song for the other Missouri team. While Greinke has not announced this season will be his last, a return to his original club seems like the ideal way to put a bow on a decorated career. Few pitchers in recent memory have been more fun to watch work on the mound.

 

Questions? Feel free to let me know in the comments or on Twitter at @AnthonyTucker81, and I’ll be happy to talk two-start SPs and more!

 

Photos by Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Doug Carlin (@Bdougals on Twitter)