Welcome to the Week 11 edition of two-start pitchers. Two-steppers can give your fantasy squads an advantage in strikeouts and wins each week. As such, keeping track of the week’s two-start pitchers is a vital strategy managers should employ throughout the fantasy baseball season. However, you must also be careful about which starters you roll with, as they can tank your ratios if you choose poorly.
This weekly write-up helps you choose the best two-start pitchers of the week. Some two-start options are easy decisions, while others make you feel like you want to tear your hair out. To help you decide, I rank the two-start pitchers into tiers and provide brief notes on each option.
One thing to keep in mind is that teams often shuffle their starting rotations. As this write-up gets submitted on Saturday, you’ll need to check out the league’s latest schedule of probable pitchers to ensure you’re up to date with the latest information. With that, let’s look at the two-start pitchers for Week 11.
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.
Zack Wheeler (SP — PHI)
First Start: @ TOR
Second Start: @ PIT
The Braves got to Wheeler in his last outing, preventing him from nabbing a fourth consecutive shutout start. However, that’s just a bump in the road. Expect Wheeler to bounce back this week in a juicy two-step against the Blue Jays and Pirates.
Carlos Rodon (SP — NYY)
First Start: vs. CLE
Second Start: vs. BOS
Carlos Rodon is coming off back-to-back scoreless starts with a combined 18 punchouts to two walks across 13 frames. Rodon has tossed three shutout games in his last five starts and picked up three wins in that stretch. He’s an easy two-start pitcher in Week 11.
Chris Sale (SP — ATL)
First Start: vs. ARI
Second Start: @ SFG
Chris Sale has been on cruise control. He hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs in any of his last eight starts and is sporting a 23.4% K-BB on the year. Sale also just became the fastest pitcher to reach 2,500 strikeouts. Nice!
Logan Webb (SP — SFG)
First Start: vs. SDP
Second Start: vs. ATL
Logan Webb brings strikeouts and ground balls to the table, two of my favorite pitcher offerings. He’s a weekly must-start.
Corbin Burnes (SP — ARI)
First Start: @ ATL
Second Start: @ CIN
Corbin Burnes had a fantastic month, sporting a 1.67 ERA (2.98 xFIP) and 0.93 WHIP across 27 innings. He also picked up the Ks in May, posting a 27.4% strikeout rate, up from 20% in April. Burnes should continue to roll this week. He’s looking for his sixth consecutive quality start and should be started with confidence in Week 11.
Pablo Lopez (SP — MIN)
First Start: @ ATH
Second Start: vs. TOR
Pablo Lopez is coming off a down start where a couple of long balls bit him. However, he’d only given up a total of three dingers in his previous nine starts, so we shouldn’t be concerned moving forward. Lopez has done a great job of limiting hard contact this year and is a weekly must-start.
Joe Ryan (SP — MIN)
First Start: @ ATH
Second Start: vs. TOR
Joe Ryan has somehow limited the long balls this season despite a 13.6% barrel rate and 56.6% fly ball rate. We’ll keep our fingers crossed that Ryan’s luck doesn’t run out at Sutter Health Park this week. He’s still a strong two-start option in Week 11.
Drew Rasmussen (SP — TBR)
First Start: vs. TEX
Second Start: vs. MIA
Drew Rasmussen has been unstoppable lately. He’s picked up three wins after tossing three consecutive shutout starts with a 13:3 K:BB over his last 18 innings. With friendly matchups against the Rangers and Marlins on the docket, Rasmussen is a strong two-stepper this week. Fire him up with confidence.
Jack Flaherty (SP — DET)
First Start: @ CWS
Second Start: vs. CHC
The nit to pick with Jack Flaherty is that he’s giving up too much hard contact (11.5% barrel rate) with a career-high 44.9% fly ball rate. However, we’re still throwing him out there for his Chicago two-step.
Roll With These Two-Start Pitchers
These are solid two-starters for the week. While they come with more risk than the arms above, you’re likely rolling with these two-steppers in Week 11.
Lance McCullers (SP — HOU)
First Start: @ PIT
Second Start: @ CLE
Lance McCullers is starting to find his rhythm, especially on the strikeout front. He racked up 20 Ks in his last two starts (10.1 innings) while posting a 4.35 ERA (1.94 SIERA) and 1.35 WHIP. His last outing also marked the first time McCullers pitched six innings since his May 4 debut. There’s risk with McCullers. But a plus start against the Pirates and Guardians is too good to pass up, as both teams are bottom-8 in OPS against righties. Start McCullers in 12+ teamers this week.
Dustin May (SP — LAD)
First Start: vs. NYM
Second Start: @ STL
Dustin May’s 4.50 ERA and 1.25 WHIP over his last three starts don’t stand out. But under the surface, there’s a lot to like. May’s estimators indicate his ERA should be a couple of runs lower. Additionally, May has been a strikeout machine in this stretch — he piled up 25 Ks in 16 frames, good for a 36.8% strikeout rate. May’s matchups this week aren’t the easiest, as both the Mets and Cardinals are top-8 in OPS against righties. But May brings strikeouts and win upside to the table and is a solid two-starter in 12+ team leagues.
Cade Horton (SP — CHC)
First Start: @ WAS
Second Start: @ DET
Cade Horton has been a solid fill-in for the Cubs. In three starts, he has a 3.31 ERA and 1.29 WHIP with a 11:4 K:BB across 16.1 innings. He hasn’t faced the stoutest offenses, so his start against Detroit this week could get dicey. But overall, Horton does a nice job of keeping the ball on the ground (51% ground ball rate) and offers 8-10 strikeouts with win opportunity this week. He’s a decent two-stepper in 15-team leagues.
Luis Severino (SP — ATH)
First Start: vs. MIN
Second Start: vs. BAL
Luis Severino has been excellent in his last three starts. He’s allowed a combined three earned runs with a 1.50 ERA (3.88 SIERA) and 0.94 WHIP across 18 frames. He also posted a 14:3 K:BB in that span and picked up three quality starts. The matchups this week don’t scare us, and despite the two home starts, Severino hasn’t allowed a home run since April 7. He’s a solid two-start pitcher in 15-teamers and some 12-teamers.
Shane Smith (SP — CWS)
First Start: vs. DET
Second Start: vs. KCR
Shane Smith is coming off a solid May with a 3.28 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and a 15.6% K-BB across 24.2 frames. The downside with Smith is that he usually doesn’t pitch past five innings and has only one win in 11 starts. However, if you need strikeouts without ratio risk, Smith isn’t a bad option. He’s collected at least five Ks in six of his last seven starts, with a 10.13 K/9 in that stretch.
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 starters who could bloat your ratios if things go south. Tread carefully.
George Kirby (SP — SEA)
First Start: vs. BAL
Second Start: @ LAA
George Kirby hasn’t looked good since his return from the IL. Across his two starts, he’s surrendered a combined 11 earned runs over 8.2 innings and posted a 1.85 WHIP. Kirby also coughed up three long balls to the Nationals in his last outing. This week’s two-step is a tough call, especially with a soft Baltimore offense on the slate. The safe play is to keep Kirby benched until he can put up a strong outing. But for those who want to throw caution to the wind, understand the downside.
Bowden Francis (SP — TOR)
First Start: vs. PHI
Second Start: @ MIN
Bowden Francis is fresh off his best start of the year, throwing five scoreless innings with six strikeouts against the Rangers. Francis has picked it up in the strikeout department lately, collecting 21 Ks in his last four starts (20.1 innings). He also registered a 3.98 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in that stretch. His start against the Phillies isn’t ideal, but Francis offers some strikeout upside. He’s a decent option in 15-team leagues.
Tylor Megill (SP — NYM)
First Start: @ LAD
Second Start: @ COL
Tylor Megill is sporting the best strikeout rate of his career (30.4%), but he’s also walking batters at a career-worst 11.4% clip. The free passes have limited his innings, as Megill hasn’t pitched into the sixth frame in any of his five starts in May. Additionally, he’s allowed at least four earned runs in three of those five starts. Megill brings Ks and wins to the table each week, but there’s blowup potential in Week 11. Start at your own risk.
Tomoyuki Sugano (SP — BAL)
First Start: @ SEA
Second Start: @ ATL
Tomoyuki Sugano churns through innings and is a nice WHIP stabilizer. But the strikeouts aren’t there (4.92 K/9), and the long balls have started to creep up in his last three starts. Sugano is best suited for points leagues or leagues that count quality starts.
Michael Lorenzen (SP — KCR)
First Start: @ STL
Second Start: @ CWS
Michael Lorenzen’s May was a mixed bag. He improved his walk rate from 8.9% in April to 4.8% in May. But he also allowed more hits and earned runs, with his ERA jumping from a 3.48 mark in April to 5.34 in May. The Cardinals have scored the 9th-most runs this season, and the White Sox have been peskier than not of late. Lorenzen should be good for 8-10 strikeouts this week but doesn’t offer much win opportunity. He’s a risky two-start option who is best suited for 15-team leagues in Week 11.
German Marquez (SP — COL)
First Start: @ MIA
Second Start: vs. NYM
German Marquez is coming off his two best starts of the season. He posted a 2.08 ERA (3.79 SIERA) and 1.08 WHIP across 13 frames with a combined 11 punchouts. And against the Cubs and Phillies, no less! Marquez has pitched better in May, improving his 4.55 FIP to a 3.76 mark. Similarly, he cut his bloated 2.06 WHIP down to 1.24 for the month. Given his improvements, it may be tempting to start Marquez this week, especially with the Marlins on deck. But a date with the Mets at Coors is not something you want to attack. However, if you’re feeling lucky (or desperate), Marquez could be worth the gamble. Just be aware of the risks.
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!
Jonathan Cannon (SP — CWS)
First Start: vs. DET
Second Start: vs. KCR
Jonathan Cannon has been serviceable this season with a 4.15 ERA and 1.35 WHIP across nine starts. But there’s not much to chase with Cannon as he offers little strikeout upside (6.82 K/9) and minimal win opportunity. He best left for leagues that count quality starts.
Brady Singer (SP — CIN)
First Start: vs. MIL
Second Start: vs. ARI
The strikeouts have all but disappeared for Brady Singer recently. He hasn’t logged more than four Ks in a game for six straight starts, and his strikeout rate has plummeted from 26.7% to start the season down to 11.3% in May. Additionally, Singer’s 1.7% K-BB for the month doesn’t give us the warm and fuzzies. Singer is a sit for me in two tougher-than-not home starts this week.
Tyler Anderson (SP — LAA)
First Start: @ BOS
Second Start: vs. SEA
Tyler Anderson has overperformed his surface stats this season and hasn’t pitched well in his last four starts. In that 20.2-inning span, he has a 4.79 ERA (6.12 xFIP) and 1.55 WHIP with a 12:9 K:BB. The Red Sox and Mariners are in the top half of the league in team OPS against southpaws, and Anderson is best left on benches this week.
Stephen Kolek (SP — SDP)
First Start: @ SFG
Second Start: @ MIL
Stephen Kolek had a couple of strong starts following his early May call-up but has since struggled. He’s allowed a combined 14 earned runs over his last three starts with a 7.71 ERA (4.23 SIERA) and 1.65 WHIP in that 16.1-inning stretch. He may be able to nab a win, but the reward likely isn’t worth the risk.
Trevor Williams (SP — WAS)
First Start: vs. CHC
Second Start: vs. TEX
Trevor Williams is coming off one of his better starts of the season, blanking the Cardinals with two strikeouts across six innings. However, we shouldn’t get too excited. Williams has allowed at least four earned runs in all of his previous five starts and posted a 7.66 ERA and 1.54 WHIP in that stretch. While Williams pitched better than his surface numbers indicate (4.32 SIERA), bloated ratios don’t give us much confidence — especially with the Cubs on tap. Williams should ride the pine in Week 11.
Logan Allen (SP — CLE)
First Start: @ NYY
Second Start: vs. HOU
Logan Allen doesn’t strike out many batters (6.75 K/9) and issues too many free passes (4.69 BB/9). That’s not gonna work against the Yankees and Astros, teams that are top-8 in OPS against lefties.
Mike Burrows (SP — PIT)
First Start: vs. HOU
Second Start: vs. PHI
Mike Burrows struggled in his two starts since his call-up. He allowed four earned runs in each outing with a combined three long balls, four walks and five strikeouts across 8.1 innings. Burrows is not a good two-start option in Week 11.
Jacob Lopez (SP — ATH)
First Start: vs. MIN
Second Start: vs. BAL
Jacob Lopez is too risky of an arm to trust with a two-step. The Blue Jays just crushed him to the tune of seven earned runs across 1.2 innings. He’s thrown one solid game in his three starts but hasn’t made it to the third inning in his other two. Lopez is an easy avoid.
