Two-Start Pitchers: Week of June 12, 2017

This week features a plethora of middling pitchers with two-start weeks. This is exactly the type of week you want to take advantage of these dual matchups with very few fantasy aces getting a second start. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t some very intriguing matchups to take advantage of, though. With so few meaningful two-start pitchers going, you should be able to play matchups better on a few single-start pitchers. Your opponent will also be hard pressed to use too many meaningful starters against you with more than one start. Using that strategy, anything you can get this week from a starter with two games may just be the difference maker for victory.

These projected starts are subject to change due to rain outs, injury, performance issues, or managerial whims. I only offer my the opinion on the matchups; there are no guarantees on the actual starts.

Two-Start Locks…

• Michael Pineda – (6/13 @ LAA-J.C. Ramirez; 6/18 @ OAK-Jharel Cotton)
• Stephen Strasburg- (6/12 vs. ATL-Mike Foltynewicz; 6/17 @ NYM-Jacob deGrom)
• David Price – (6/13 vs. PHI-Ben Lively; 6/18 @ HOU-Joe Musgrove)
• Yu Darvish – (6/12 @ HOU-Joe Musgrove, 6/18 @ SEA-Chistian Bergman)
• Jimmy Nelson – (6/13 @ STL-Lance; 6/17 vs. SD-Dinelson Lamet)

Pineda has had a pretty strong season thus far in 2017. He is pitching to the tune of a 3.39 ERA and 1.13 WHIP with 75 Ks in 71 innings. Two tasty matchups this week make him an easy two-start target. Strasburg is also putting up a nice season, as he’s ranked seventh in the NL with 89 strikeouts. Price and Darvish were probably drafted as fantasy aces, but both have experienced a little inconsistency lately. Each has a lockdown game scheduled, with the other against the very tough Astros on the road. What a difference a year makes! In Jimmy Nelson’s case, improved control has led to a 3.45 ERA with 71 whiffs in 70 innings. Two very winnable games against a struggling Cardinals and Padres teams are on deck.

One-Start Lock; Second-Start Challenge…

• Jake Odorizzi – (6/13 @ TOR-Marco Estrada; 6/18 @ DET-TBA)
• C.C. Sabathia – (6/12 @ LAA-Alex Meyer; 6/17 @ OAK-Jesse Hahn)
• Mike Foltynewicz – (6/12 @ WAS-Stephen Strasburg; 6/18 vs. MIA-Jeff Locke)
• Jason Vargas – (6/13 @ SF-Ty Blach; 6/18 @ LAA-J.C. Ramirez)
• Brandon McCarthy- (6/13 @ CLE-Trevor Bauer; 6/18 @ CIN-Bronson Arroyo)
• Joe Ross – (6/13 vs. ATL-R.A. Dickey; 6/18 vs. NYM-Zack Wheeler)
• Kyle Freeland – (6/12 @ PIT-Chad Kuhl; 6/17 vs. SF-Matt Cain)

There is a trio of veterans in this next tier that is flat-out getting it done in 2017. Sabathia, McCarthy, and Vargas have all consistently put up nice starts for the majority of the season and should do so for at least one if not both starts this week. Odorizzi and Foltynewicz have established themselves over the last two seasons as dependable arms. Both have one game on the schedule that will really push them. The young guns in this group, Ross and Freeland, have the talent and the opportunity to put up good numbers in both games. Both are still learning, though, so growing pains will be inevitable.

Too Many Iffs…

• Jacob deGrom- 6/12 vs. CHC-John Lackey; 6/17 vs. WAS-Stephen Strasburg)
• Lance Lynn – (6/13 vs. MIL-Jimmy Nelson; 6/17 @ BAL-Wade Miley)
• Trevor Bauer – (6/13 vs. LAD-Brandon McCarthy; 6/18 @ MIN-Kyle Gibson)
• Mike Leake – (6/13 vs. MIL-TBD; 6/18 @ BAL-Alec Asher)
• Tyler Chatwood – (6/13 @ PIT-Gerrit Cole; 6/18 vs. SF-Ty Blach)
• Rick Porcello – (6/12 vs. PHI-Jerad Eickhoff; 6/17 @ HOU-David Paulino)
• John Lackey – (6/12 @ NYM-Jacob deGrom; 6/18 @ PIT-Chad Kuhl)
• Joe Musgrove – (6/12 vs. TEX-Yu Darvish; 6/18 vs. BOS-David Price)
• Zack Wheeler – (6/13 vs. CHC-Jon Lester; 6/18 vs. WAS-Joe Ross)

[the_ad id=”384″]deGrom has uncharacteristically turned in two awful starts in a row, (15 earned runs, 18 Hits, and 6 BB in 8 IP). Even with home matchups, the Cubs and Nationals offenses pose big threats until he proves he can get over this hump. Lynn and Leake saw their stocks take a hit this last week as the Cardinals look to right their ship. Keep an eye out for Chatwood to sneak a better performance than this tier might suggest. He is a better performer on the road than he is at home, but if he can correct that and beat a punchless Giants offense he could have a really good fantasy week. Lackey and Porcello likely deserve to be dropped to an even lower tier based on their poor performances so far. As veteran pitchers, you never want to count them out, but they are hard to trust right now.  Musgrove should come off the DL on Monday for his two-start week.  He was battling a bit of shoulder discomfort but seems to have a clean bill of health. Stay tuned.

Meh, There Are Better One-Start Options…

• Kyle Gibson – (6/13 vs. SEA-Christian Bergman; 6/18 vs. CLE-Trevor Bauer)
• J.C. Ramirez – (6/13 vs. NYY-Michael Pineda; 6/18 vs. KC-Jason Vargas)
• Christian Bergman – (6/13 @ MIN-Kyle Gibson; 6/18 @ TEX-Yu Darvish)
• Derek Holland – (6/13 vs. BAL-Alec Asher; 6/18 @ TOR-J.A. Happ)
• Wade Miley – (6/12 @ CHW-Mike Pelfrey; 6/17 vs. STL-Lance Lynn)
• Alex Meyer – (6/12 @ NYY-C.C. Sabathia; 6/17 vs. KC-Jake Junis)
• Adalberto Mejia – (6/12 vs. SEA-Yovani Gallardo; 6/17 vs. CLE-TBD)
• Ty Blach – (6/13 vs. KC-Jason Vargas; 6/18 @ COL-Tyler Chatwood)

In the right circumstances, these pitchers could be useful. Gibson has been better of late and has put together two good starts. Ramirez continues to improve and impress as he learns to transition to a starter. Holland and Miley are two veteran southpaws who started strong but have really tailed off of late.

Probably Not Going To End Well…

• Yovani Gallardo – (6/12 @ MIN-Adalberto Mejia; 6/17 @ TEX-Nick Martinez)
• Mike Pelfrey – (6/12 vs. BAL-Wade Miley; 6/17 @ TOR-Marcus Stroman)
• Chad Kuhl – (6/12 vs. COL-Kyle Freeland; 6/18 vs. CHC-John Lackey)
• Jerad Eickhoff – (6/12 @ BOS-Rick Porcello; 6/17 vs. ARI-Zack Godley)
• Luis Perdomo- (6/12 vs. CIN-Bronson Arroyo; 6/18 @ MIL-TBD)
• Alec Asher- (6/13 @ CHW-Derek Holland; 6/18 vs. STL-Mike Leake)
• Ben Lively – (6/13 @ BOS-David Price; 6/18 vs. ARI-Robbie Ray)
• Bronson Arroyo – (6/12 @ SD-Luis Perdomo; 6/18 vs. LAD-Brandon McCarthy)

There are no real intriguing plays in this last group. With the exception of Arroyo, Gallardo, and Pelfrey, there is some hope that some of the younger players can figure some things out to be useful as at least streaming options down the road. Perdomo, Asher, and Lively could all prove useful in the right matchups if they are able to improve.