Welcome to the Week 6 edition of two-start pitchers. Keeping tabs on the week’s two-steppers is vital, as they can help you gain an advantage in strikeouts and wins. However, you must also be careful about the two-start pitchers you roll with, as you can blow up your ratios if you choose poorly.
This weekly write-up aims to help you pick the best two-start pitchers of the week. Some are easy decisions, while others require more thought. To help you decide, I rank the two-start pitchers into tiers and include brief thoughts on each option.
Teams often adjust their starting rotations. As this write-up gets submitted on Saturday, be sure to check the league’s latest schedule of probable pitchers to ensure you’re up to date. Now, let’s look at the two-start pitchers for Week 6.
Don’t Overthink These Two-Start Pitchers
These are your set-it-and-forget-it arms for the week. All are elite starting pitchers with strong matchups.
Logan Webb (SP — SFG)
First Start: @ SDP
Second Start: vs. COL
Logan Webb brings the strikeouts (30.8%), induces ground balls at a 55.7% clip, and comes in a shiny 1.98 ERA / 1.10 WHIP package. Easy must-start.
Jack Flaherty (SP — DET)
First Start: @ HOU
Second Start: @ LAA
There’s not much to say here. Jack Flaherty has a 2.63 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 22.5% K-BB rate across five starts this season. He’s a weekly must-start.
Jacob deGrom (SP — TEX)
First Start: vs. ATH
Second Start: vs. SEA
Jacob deGrom is finally starting to find his groove. In his last two starts against the Athletics and Dodgers, deGrom combined for three earned runs on nine hits with one walk and 13 punchouts across 12.1 innings. He also posted a sparkling 2.19 ERA and 0.81 WHIP. deGrom is a strong play against the Athletics and Mariners this week.
Garrett Crochet (SP — BOS)
First Start: @ TOR
Second Start: vs. MIN
Garrett Crochet coughed up five walks in his last outing. But that’s likely just a hiccup start. Roll him out with confidence against the Blue Jays and Twins this week.
Shota Imanaga (SP — CHC)
First Start: @ PIT
Second Start: @ MIL
Shota Imanaga has a 2.38 ERA and 1.06 WHIP across 34 frames this season. However, he’s been fairly lucky with a .185 BABIP and 87.8% LOB% in that span with a 4.71 xFIP. However, despite the luck factors, Imanaga is still a solid two-stepper this week. The Pirates have struggled against lefties this season (68 wRC+), and the Brewers haven’t fared much better (76 wRC+). Outside of coughing up five earned runs against the Rangers earlier in the year, Imanaga hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs in his other five starts. Start him with confidence this week.
Freddy Peralta (SP — MIL)
First Start: @ CWS
Second Start: vs. CHC
Freddy Peralta has been more than solid this season. There’s been some luckiness, but it’s notable that he’s whiffing batters at a robust 33% clip and has a career-best 14.9% swinging-strike rate on the year. Peralta should have no problem mowing down the White Sox, but the Cubs will be more challenging. Peralta has only one quality start in six outings, but he should provide enough strikeouts to be a worthy two-start option in 12-teamers this week.
Roll With These Two-Start Pitchers
These are solid two-starters for the week. While they come with more risk than the arms above, they’re worthy two-steppers in Week 6.
Cole Ragans (SP — KCR)
First Start: @ TBR
Second Start: @ BAL
You’d normally find Cole Ragans in the tier above, but he falls a bit as he was pulled early in his last outing with a mild groin strain. If Ragans makes his scheduled start, he should be fine. But there’s always the chance the Royals limit him — or the possibility Ragans re-aggravates his injury. Roll him out there, but understand the risks.
Bailey Ober (SP — MIN)
First Start: @ CLE
Second Start: @ BOS
Following a brutal season debut, Bailey Ober is getting back on track. In his four subsequent starts, Ober has a 2.42 ERA (3.79 SIERA) and 1.12 WHIP with 20:4 K:BB across 22.1 innings. He’s also allowed only one earned run in three of those outings while logging three quality starts. Ober is a solid two-start option this week, likely netting fantasy managers double-digit strikeouts and a couple of quality starts.
Andrew Heaney (SP — PIT)
First Start: vs. CHC
Second Start: vs. SDP
Andrew Heaney is pitching out of his mind right now. He has a 1.72 ERA and 0.77 WHIP across 31.1 frames this season. He’s also showcasing a healthy 21.1% K-BB. There’s been some luck involved, but you’ll happily settle for his 2.66 xERA and 3.05 xFIP. However, Heaney will be tested this week. The Cubs lead the league with a .919 OPS against lefties, with the Padres’ .717 OPS ninth-best. Heaney is rolling, but temper expectations this week.
Nick Pivetta (SP — SDP)
First Start: vs. SFG
Second Start: @ PIT
Nick Pivetta has been fantastic this season, especially across his last three starts. In that 20-inning span, he’s combined for one earned run, four walks, and 22 strikeouts. Pivetta has been lucky (.205 BABIP and 88% LOB%), but we’ll take his 1.20 ERA (3.24 SIERA) and 0.77 WHIP into a two-stepper against the Giants and Pirates.
Griffin Canning (SP — NYM)
First Start: @ WAS
Second Start: @ STL
Griffin Canning is having a terrific start to the season. He has a 3.12 ERA (3.77 SIERA) and 1.38 WHIP across 26 frames. Since joining the Mets, Canning has been throwing more sliders. He also changed the location of his four-seamers, making it a more effective pitch than in 2024 (.195 xSLG vs .522 xSLG). Further, the pitch changes have contributed to a 13-point increase in his ground ball rate (53.4% GB%) and fewer barrels. Canning issues too many free passes (3.81 BB/9), but is still a nice start in Week 6.
David Peterson (SP — NYM)
First Start: vs. ARI
Second Start: @ STL
David Peterson and Griffin Canning are the Spider-Man pointing at Spider-Man meme. Peterson has a 3.29 ERA and 1.43 WHIP across 27.1 innings this season to go with a 55.7% ground ball rate. Like Canning, Peterson is a solid start this week.
Reese Olson (SP — DET)
First Start: @ HOU
Second Start: @ LAA
Reese Olson is fresh off his best start of the season. He blanked the Padres across 7.1 innings with one walk and seven punchouts. It was his second consecutive scoreless outing. Olson has looked good overall this season, notching at least five strikeouts in four of five starts. His 9.6% walk could be better, but there’s not a lot to quibble about with a 3.29 ERA (3.93 SIERA) and 1.24 WHIP on the year. Olson is a fine play in 12+ team leagues this week.
JP Sears (SP — ATH)
First Start: @ TEX
Second Start: @ MIA
JP Sears is having a nice season. Across 28 innings pitched, he has a 3.21 ERA (4.01 SIERA) and 1.11 WHIP. Sears hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs in any of his five starts to go with a 23:6 K:BB. Sears is on the road this week and should benefit from pitching away from Sutter Health Park. I like Sears more as a 15-team option, but he also makes for a decent play in 12-teamers.
How Lucky Do You Feel About These Two-Start Pitchers?
This is the tier of tough decisions, with most of these two-start options best suited for 15-team leagues. These are primarily riskier arms with plus matchups who could bloat your ratios if things go south. Tread carefully.
Eduardo Rodriguez (SP — ARI)
First Start: @ NYM
Second Start: @ PHI
Eduardo Rodriguez is off to a solid start this season with a 4.40 ERA (3.02 SIERA) and 1.29 WHIP across five starts. On the surface, Rodriguez’s 10.67 K/9 and 2.20 BB/9 stand out as both are career-high marks. We should expect some pullback in the strikeout department (10.1% SwStr%), but Rodriguez is walking fewer batters and giving up less quality contact overall. His upcoming matchups are tough, but Rodriguez offers win potential and could be good for double-digit strikeouts this week. He’s best suited for 15-teamers this week.
Brady Singer (SP — CIN)
First Start: vs. STL
Second Start: vs. WAS
Brady Singer has looked good for Cincinnati. He’s sporting a career-best 10.54 K/9, registering at least six strikeouts in four of five starts. Singer has a solid 3.62 ERA (3.23 SIERA) and 1.13 WHIP with a 20.5% K-BB rate across 27.1 frames this season. While it’s not ideal that both of his starts are at home, Singer brings strikeout upside to the table, making him a decent start in 15-teamers.
Tanner Bibee (SP — CLE)
First Start: vs. MIN
Second Start: @ TOR
It’s hard to trust Tanner Bibee. While he’s coming off a solid outing against the Yankees, he’s had two disaster starts where he gave up at least six earned runs and three home runs apiece. Additionally, a 6.92 K/9 and 4.85 BB/9 on the year is troublesome. However, with matchups against the Twins (.657 OPS) and Blue Jays (.662 OPS), Bibee is worth slotting into lineups in 15-team leagues.
Taj Bradley (SP — TBR)
First Start: vs. KCR
Second Start: @ NYY
Taj Bradley cruised against softer opponents to start the season. But he has since struggled in his last two outings against the stouter Diamondbacks and Yankees. In those starts, Bradley combined for nine earned runs on 15 hits with six walks and six strikeouts across 11.1 frames. Up next is a friendly matchup against the Royals (74 wRC+), followed by a brutal start against the Yankees (134 wRC+). Bradley is worth considering in 15-teamers this week, but comes with blowup potential in New York.
Luis L. Ortiz (SP — CLE)
First Start: vs. MIN
Second Start: @ TOR
Luis L. Ortiz had a rough outing against the Yankees in his last start, but he still managed to tally eight strikeouts. Ortiz has been ringing up Ks over his last three starts, racking up 26 strikeouts across 15 innings. Unfortunately, he’s also served up a hefty amount of walks in that span (10). With two friendly matchups on the slate, Ortiz could snag a win or two and be worth rolling the dice on in deeper leagues — especially if he continues to mow down his opponents. Just be aware of the ratio risk involved.
Chris Paddack (SP — MIN)
First Start: @ CLE
Second Start: @ BOS
Chris Paddack is starting to get back on track after a couple of poor outings to start the season. He’s given up four earned runs across his last three starts while striking out 16 batters across that 15-inning stretch. Paddack also has a 2.40 ERA (3.88 SIERA) and 1.13 WHIP in that span. There’s not much win potential here, and Paddack has yet to earn a quality start. But he could be a serviceable option in 15-team leagues this week if you’re feeling lucky.
Nick Martinez (SP — CIN)
First Start: vs. STL
Second Start: vs. WAS
Nick Martinez has been underwhelming, with a 5.40 ERA (4.28 SIERA) and 1.39 WHIP with 23:9 K:BB across 26.2 innings this year. I don’t love those numbers at Great American Ball Park — even against decent opponents. Plus, Martinez has only one quality start this season. He could work out in 15-team leagues this week, but there’s not much to chase here.
Forget About These Two-Start Pitchers
This tier is pretty straightforward. If you roll with these two-start pitchers, you’re playing with fire. Fuhgeddaboudit!
Edward Cabrera (SP — MIA)
First Start: @ LAD
Second Start: vs. ATH
We all know what to expect from Edward Cabrera at this point: lots of strikeouts and lots of walks. Additionally, Cabrera has struggled with the long ball this season, with a 1.84 HR/9 across 14.2 innings. That could spell trouble in his upcoming matchups, as the Dodgers and Athletics are top-five in dingers hit this year.
Bowden Francis (SP — TOR)
First Start: vs. BOS
Second Start: vs. CLE
Bowden Francis’ strong 2024 hasn’t carried over to 2025. The strikeouts are down, the walks are up, and Francis is giving up a ton of hard contact with a 12.5% barrel and 46.3% hard-hit rate across five starts. Low strikeouts (8.3% swinging-strike rate), hard contact, and a .461 xwOBAcon is a recipe for disaster.
Will Warren (SP — NYY)
First Start: @ BAL
Second Start: vs. TBR
Will Warren has a 4.79 ERA and 1.26 WHIP across 20.2 frames. That’s pretty meh, but his underlying numbers indicate Warren has pitched better than that (3.67 xFIP and 4.00 SIERA). Despite the positive regression coming, Warren is a benchwarmer against two tough matchups this week.
Patrick Corbin (SP — TEX)
First Start: vs. ATH
Second Start: vs. SEA
Home matchups against the Athletics and Mariners look tempting. But a 3.77 ERA (4.91 xERA and 4.27 xFIP), 1.53 WHIP and 7.9% K-BB rate across 14.1 innings give me second thoughts. A Corbin start in 15-teamers could work out, but it’s a risky play.
Tomoyuki Sugano (SP — BAL)
First Start: vs. NYY
Second Start: vs. KCR
Tomoyuki Sugano could nab a quality start or win this week, but with a 2.89 K/9, it’s hard to recommend him as a two-step option.
Trevor Williams (SP — WAS)
First Start: vs. NYM
Second Start: @ CIN
Trevor Williams is your classic bench streamer. But with a matchup against the Mets and a road game against the Reds, this is not the week to deploy him. Williams’ velocity is down a couple of ticks to an alarmingly low 87.1 mph, and he’s yet to pitch past five innings in all five starts this season.
AJ Smith-Shawver (SP — ATL)
First Start: @ COL
Second Start: vs. LAD
AJ Smith-Shawver was optioned to Triple-A a couple of weeks ago but is now back in the big leagues, with Spencer Strider returning to the IL. Smith-Shawver registered a 4.61 ERA (3.98 SIERA) and 1.98 WHIP with 17:8 K:BB across 13.2 innings in three starts with the Braves. Smith-Shawver is a risky arm, and things could quickly go sideways — especially against the Dodgers.
Jack Kochanowicz (SP — LAA)
First Start: @ SEA
Second Start: vs. DET
Jack Kochanowicz’s 5.47 ERA — with matching ERA estimators — and 1.48 WHIP aren’t what you want from your starting pitcher. Combine that with little strikeout upside (4.44 K/9), and Kochanowicz is best left riding the pine this week.
Andre Pallante (SP — STL)
First Start: @ CIN
Second Start: vs. NYM
Andrew Pallante has given up four earned runs in back-to-back starts with a combined three home runs and 3:3 K:BB across 10.1 innings. This week, a date with the Reds at Great American Ball Park and a matchup against the Mets are on the docket. No, thank you.
German Marquez (SP — COL)
First Start: vs. ATL
Second Start: @ SFG
German Marquez has given up at least five earned runs in each of his last three starts while failing to make it past 4.2 innings in any of those outings. He’s a hard pass with the Braves and Giants on tap.
Bryse Wilson (SP — CHW)
First Start: vs. MIL
Second Start: vs. HOU
Bryse Wilson is a bullpen band-aid filling in for an injured Martin Perez. He’s not two-stepper material.
