Jake Junis and Tanner Roark are a couple of two-start pitchers you’ll want to target in fantasy baseball this week. Read on to find out why.
Two-Start Pitchers for Week 5
Adding two-start pitchers in fantasy baseball is a popular way to maximize your team’s statistical output.
In weekly leagues it’s especially advantageous because you can’t stream on a daily basis. Of course, you don’t want to just add any old schmo — while that pitcher may have one good matchup, he may also have a bad one too, and there’s no point in having them cancel one another out; you want the opportunity for two good starts.
In Week 5, there are many two-start pitchers you’ll want to consider, but for this exercise, I will be focusing on starters under 70% owned in Fantrax leagues.
Jake Junis, Kansas City Royals – 62% owned
Junis is an intriguing arm. The 26-year-old righty had an up-and-down 2018 campaign, posting a 3.63 ERA through his first 12 starts, then a 7.84 ERA over his next eight starts, before finishing the season on a high note with a 2.95 ERA over his final 10 starts.
This April, however, he’s done the opposite, stumbling to a 5.57 ERA, though his 3.76 xFIP and .351 BABIP tell the story of a pitcher who has a sunnier outlook in the forecast.
Junis will take the hill against the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday, and then travel to Detroit to face the Tigers next Sunday, making him my top two-start pitcher this upcoming week.
The Rays have been excellent this season, though they’ve gone on an offensive slide since Austin Meadows went on the injured list, hitting just .238 as a team over their last seven games and going 2-5 in that span. On the surface the Rays are a tough foe, but Junis is facing them at the right time.
There aren’t a lot of good things to say about the Tigers — they are near the bottom of MLB in almost every offensive category and rank dead last in total home runs — so this particular matchup is not one to overthink.
Tanner Roark, Cincinnati Reds – 49% owned
The Reds have been on a hot streak, winning five of their last seven games. During that span, Roark has gone 1-1 while allowing just two earned runs over 10 1/3 innings. On the season, Roark has a solid 3.24 ERA and what would be a career-high 21.4 strikeout rate.
His two-start opponents in Week 5 will be the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants. The Mets have been solid, but the impotence the Giants have shown at the plate should more than make up for the Mets’ matchup. Plus, that game will be in the friendlier confines of New York’s Citi Field, rather than Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati. According to ESPN’s Park Factors, GABP was the fourth-most favorable park for offense in 2018, while Citi Field was 30th.
Jeff Samardzija, San Francisco Giants – 61% owned
I won’t blame you if you don’t listen to me on this pick — Jeff Samardzija will rarely get my ringing endorsement — but there are slim pickings if you want a two-start pitcher this week, and the man they call the Shark might just be one of the better options.
The former Notre Dame wide receiver is scheduled to toe the rubber at home against the Los Angeles Dodgers and on the road in Cincinnati in Week 5.
Pitching at Oracle Park (nee AT&T Park) is always a boon for pitchers and it certainly hasn’t hurt Samardzija in the early going, as the tall right-hander is sporting a crisp 2.31 ERA with zero homers allowed across 11 2/3 innings in his home digs. The Dodgers’ offense has been the best in baseball, but I think the park factors should neutralize that a bit, as should his rival, Kenta Maeda, who has easily been the worst of the Dodgers’ starting pitchers, posting a 5.20 ERA (5.06 FIP) and 1.45 WHIP.
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