Welcome to this week’s edition of the 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 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 on the wire.
As a friendly reminder, the projected starters are just that, projections, and subject to change.
Set and Forget
| Player | First Start | Second Start |
|---|---|---|
| Corbin Burnes | MIA | LAD |
| Walker Buehler | CIN | @MIL |
| José Berríos | @CLE | KC |
| Charlie Morton | CHC | @TOR |
| Zack Greinke | SEA | @TB |
| Trevor Rogers | @MIL | @WSH |
| Julio Urias | CIN | @MIL |
| Carlos Rodón | DET | CLE |
| Ian Anderson | CHC | @TOR |
- With the start Corbin Burnes is off to, highlighted by his 40/0 K/BB ratio, he’d be a must-start guy even if his two matchups were against the AL and NL All-Star teams.
- Jose Berrios is prone to bouts of inconsistency, but he’s had good outcomes in three of his four starts. He has a pair of ideal starts lining up against two divisional foes he knows well.
- Charlie Morton’s velocity remains up around 95mph and he appears to be back to his 2019 self. Look for him to build off a strong start against the Yankees against the Cubs and Blue Jays.
- Trevor Rogers has a sparkling 1.64 ERA in the first month of the season, backed up by a 19.3% swinging-strike rate. The rookie looks to be the real deal. There’s even a chance he’ll get the Nationals without Juan Soto in the lineup. While we didn’t expect his ascent up the pitching ranks to come this quickly, he belongs in your lineup without any second thoughts.
- Of pitchers who have proven to be dependable this April, Carlos Rodón has the best opponents in his two-start week. While the Cleveland offense is likely exasperated at the thoughts of seeing Rodón on the mound for the third time this season, fantasy teams can reap the rewards.
- Ian Anderson hasn’t appeared to fully click yet this season. Despite this, you shouldn’t think twice about starting the Braves’ rookie, even in a tilt on the road against an above-average Blue Jays.
Probably Start
| Player | First Start | Second Start |
|---|---|---|
| Aaron Civale | MIN | @CWS |
| Frankie Montas | @TB | BAL |
| Zack Wheeler | @STL | NYM |
| Tyler Mahle | @LAD | CHC |
| José Urquidy | SEA | @TB |
| Zach Eflin | @STL | NYM |
| Sean Manaea | @TB | BAL |
- Aaron Civale should be in your lineup, but he gets a pair of strong offenses in the Twins and White Sox. I wouldn’t be overly concerned, even coming off an outing where he wasn’t his sharpest against the Yankees.
- Frankie Montas has been a bit unpredictable dating back to last season. For every start he flashes his potential, he seems to turn in another that brings cause for concern. Despite a rough outing against Minnesota in his last start, I’d still start him against the Rays where he can hopefully deliver on his strikeout upside.
- It hasn’t all come together yet for José Urquidy, but he should get a pass for an outing at Coors in the snow. His 5.14 ERA isn’t pretty, but he exhibits command and a full repertoire that should allow him to get back on track. You shouldn’t have too much hesitation against the Mariners and Rays.
- I’ve never been overly optimistic on Sean Manaea, but he’s registered a QS in each of his last three starts and doesn’t have opponents you need to avoid. He doesn’t get the whiffs to make him a true season-long difference maker on your 12-team roster, but he can give you innings and the potential for a win or two behind an A’s team that is currently on fire.
Questionable
| Player | First Start | Second Start |
|---|---|---|
| Domingo German | @BAL | DET |
| Corey Kluber | @BAL | DET |
| Anthony DeSclafani | COL | @SD |
| Adam Wainwright | PHI | @PIT |
| Brad Keller | @DET | @MIN |
| Austin Gomber | @SF | @ARI |
- A New York Yankees duo get the best matchups of week four against two teams in the bottom five of wRC+. In normal times, this would be an absolute no-brainer. Yet, here we are. The Yankees are in last place and find themselves in the same bottom five by wRC+ as their opponents, the Orioles and Tigers. While it’s not without risk, I’d start both Domingo German and Corey Kluber next week. I’m more concerned about Kluber, a notoriously slow starter who seems to have diminished stuff. German, on the other hand, worked around a sloppy first inning to get through six in a promising last start. A week against the O’s and Tigers might be just what the Yankees staff needs to get back on track.
- Anthony DeSclafani, Adam Wainwright, and Brad Keller all have one of their two starts where they are potential streaming options. My favorite of the bunch is Tony Disco against Colorado. While the season is still young, the Rockies have the league’s worst road offense and I don’t expect that to be a small sample size anomaly. It’s worth noting that although Keller looks appealing against Detroit, he’s only made it out of the fourth inning one time so far this season. His velocity remains improved, but I don’t think the reward is worth the risk to your ratios.
- Austin Gomber makes the cut in this tier because there is a degree of streamer appeal for his first start at San Francisco. He’s coming off a respectable outing against the Astros, but I don’t think he’s worth an add in a 12-teamer. Gomber performed well against the Giants in an earlier start this year, but you can likely find better options for just one start. While a start at Arizona appears innocuous on the surface, I’d strongly recommend avoiding as the Diamondbacks currently have a .857 OPS against lefties, good for second in baseball.
Avoid
| Player | First Start | Second Start |
|---|---|---|
| Spencer Turnbull | @CWS | @NYY |
| Michael Wacha | OAK | HOU |
| Carlos Martinez | PHI | @PIT |
| Merrill Kelly | SD | COL |
| Zach Davies | @ATL | @CIN |
| Adrian Houser | MIA | LAD |
| Justus Sheffield | @HOU | LAA |
| Rich Hill | OAK | HOU |
| Dean Kremer | NYY | @OAK |
| Garrett Richards | @NYM | @TEX |
| Bruce Zimmerman | NYY | @OAK |
| Trevor Williams | @ATL | @CIN |
| Mike Foltynewicz | LAA | BOS |
| Jordan Lyles | LAA | BOS |
- Spencer Turnbull registered an interesting return off the IL but starts against the White Sox and Yankees make him just a wait-and-see.
- A quality start in the box score against the Nationals looks promising for Carlos Martinez, but I’m not ready to buy back in, even at Pittsburgh. The stuff is just not what it used to be and has severely capped his upside.
- Merrill Kelly, Adrian Houser, and Garrett Richards all have one start with an intriguing opponent. None, however, have instilled any real confidence thus far this season. Unless you’re trying to win a category at the end of the week and need a streamer for Ks or a W, I wouldn’t be looking towards these options.
- Justus Sheffield walked away with a win against the Dodgers last time out, but I wouldn’t bet on similar results against the Astros and Angels.
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)