Fantasy baseball playoff season has arrived! Depending on your league, you are either in the thick of the playoffs or they are just about to start. Now is a great time to scoop up the best two-start pitchers to help you win the championship. As always, make sure you consistently check the Fangraphs Starting Pitchers Grid before you make any moves or transactions. Pitching rotations change daily. Let’s take a look at the two-start pitchers for Week 23 (9/5-9/11)!
Must-Start: These pitchers should be started regardless of match-up. They are a must-start in all leagues until further notice.
Should-Start: These pitchers should start in most leagues. This is based on the pedigree of the pitcher and/or favorable matchups.
Risky Business: Only start these pitchers if you are in a deep roto or points league, desperate for counting stats, or feeling lucky.
Must Sit: Do not start these pitchers.
Week 23 Two-Start Pitchers
Must Start
| Pitcher | xERA | Start 1 | wRC+ | Start 2 | wRC+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Nola PHI | 2.71 | MIA | 94 | WAS | 93 |
| Kevin Gausman TOR | 3.48 | @ BAL | 99 | @ TEX | 96 |
| Gerrit Cole NYY | 3.07 | MIN | 113 | TB | 104 |
Aaron Nola has been excellent this season while being extremely unlucky. Nola is 9-11 with a 3.43 ERA and 190 strikeouts across 170.2 innings. All of Nola’s ERA indicators point to this unluckiness as he has a 2.71 xERA, 2.72 FIP, and a 2.86 SIERA. He also has a career-low 0.97 WHIP and 3.3 BB% which ranks in the 98th percentile in baseball. Next week he has two friendly home matchups against the Miami Marlins and the Washington Nationals.
Should Start
| Pitcher | xERA | Start 1 | wRC+ | Start 2 | wRC+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Woodruff MIL | 3.48 | @ COL | 81 | CIN | 84 |
| Triston McKenzie CLE | 3.79 | @ KC | 89 | @ MIN | 113 |
| Blake Snell SD | 3.48 | ARI | 115 | LAD | 91 |
| Lance Lynn CHW | 3.95 | @ SEA | 104 | @ OAK | 83 |
| Johnny Cueto CHW | 3.84 | @ SEA | 104 | @ OAK | 83 |
| Brady Singer KC | 3.82 | CLE | 102 | DET | 71 |
| Freddy Peralta MIL | 2.77 | @ COL | 81 | CIN | 84 |
Triston McKenzie and the Cleveland Guardians hit the road next week against the AL Central. McKenzie lines up against the Kansas City Royals and the Minnesota Twins. The Twins matchup is very important as both are battling for the division lead. McKenzie has pitched a career-high 152.2 innings so far this season and he’s been better than expected. He holds a 3.18 ERA with 149 strikeouts and a 0.97 WHIP. Although he still gives up too many home runs, he does a great job limiting walks so the blowups have been few and far between.
Risky Business
| Pitcher | xERA | Start 1 | wRC+ | Start 2 | wRC+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Logan Webb SF | 3.60 | @ LAD | 122 | @ CHC | 99 |
| Jameson Taillon NYY | 4.18 | MIN | 113 | TB | 104 |
| Martin Perez TEX | 3.43 | @ HOU | 118 | TOR | 113 |
| Joe Ryan MIN | 3.76 | @ NYY | 111 | CLE | 102 |
| Jesus Luzardo MIA | 3.04 | @ PHI | 119 | NYM | 103 |
| Drew Rasmussen TB | 3.55 | BOS | 99 | @ NYY | 111 |
| Taijuan Walker NYM | 4.24 | @ PIT | 81 | @ MIA | 94 |
| Justin Steele CHC | 3.58 | CIN | 96 | SF | 111 |
| Jack Flaherty STL | 5.43 | WSN | 93 | @ PIT | 81 |
| José Quintana STL | 4.24 | WSN | 93 | @ PIT | 81 |
For the first time this year, starting Logan Webb is officially risky business because his velocity is steadily declining and he takes on the best hitting team in baseball, the Los Angeles Dodgers. His second matchup is a lot easier as he travels to the north side of Chicago to take on the Cubs. But still, Webb is showing major examples of fatigue and he has pitched a career-high 165 innings so far this season. From here on out, I wouldn’t expect Webb to live up to his ace status.
Must Sit
| Pitcher | xERA | Start 1 | wRC+ | Start 2 | wRC+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Lyles BAL | 4.73 | TOR | 115 | BOS | 99 |
| Chris Archer MIN | 4.82 | @ NYY | 111 | CLE | 102 |
| Cory Abbott WAS | 3.09 | @ STL | 113 | @ PHI | 100 |
| Justin Dunn CIN | 6.47 | @ CHC | 99 | @ MIL | 109 |
| Ryan Feltner COL | 5.65 | MIL | 109 | ARI | 95 |
| Tyler Alexander DET | 5.22 | @ LAA | 82 | @ KC | 103 |
| Michael Wacha BOS | 4.27 | @ TB | 104 | @ BAL | 99 |
| Tommy Henry ARI | 5.19 | @ SD | 102 | @ COL | 101 |
| John Brebbia SF | 3.48 | @ LAD | 122 | CHC | 99 |
| Marco Gonzales SEA | 4.82 | CHW | 122 | ATL | 119 |
As usual, Marco Gonzales has had a sneaky good season. The 30-year-old lefty has a 3.99 ERA and his 15 quality starts ties him with Zac Gallen and Julio Urias. With that said, his ERA indicators suggest he’s been lucky, and next week he has nowhere to hide. The White Sox rank third in all of baseball against lefties while the Braves rank fourth. It’s best if he rides the pine this time around.