One of the major improvements this year at Pitcher List is a more robust Two-Start Pitchers article every Friday. Instead of selecting a trio of pitchers that could suit your needs, I will now be looking at every projected two-start pitcher and detailing my thoughts about rolling with them on your roster. Nearly all pitchers will have notes about their week ahead (you don’t need be told why you should start Kluber twice), helping you make the right choice for your league.
This first week is a incredibly top heavy, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, and expect more analysis in future articles. Let’s get to it:
Easy Starts
Clayton Kershaw (@SD, @SF)
Madison Bumgarner (@MIL, LAD)
Felix Hernandez (@TEX, OAK)
Zack Greinke (COL, CHC)
Johnny Cueto (@MIL, LAD)
Chris Archer (TOR, @BAL)
Sonny Gray (CHW, @SEA)
Dallas Keuchel (@NYY, @MIL)
David Price (@CLE, @TOR)
Corey Kluber (BOS, @CHW)
Chris Sale (@OAK, CLE)
Cole Hamels (SEA, @LAA)
Shelby Miller (COL, CHC)
Adam Wainwright (@PIT, @ATL)
Jake Arrieta (@LAA, @ARI)
Marcus Stroman (@TB, BOS)
Raisel Iglesias (PHI, PIT)
Masahiro Tanaka (HOU, @DET)
Jose Quintana (@OAK, CLE)
Francisco Liriano (STL, @CIN)
Questionable
Tyson Ross (LAD, @COL) – His first start against the Dodgers seems like an easy choice, but he goes from the best pitcher’s park to the worst in Colorado. Given his poor walk rate, Ross could be in a world of hurt in just his second outing of the season.
Jake Odorizzi (TOR, @BAL) – Odorizzi is getting challenged right out of the gate against two supreme offensive clubs, which may serve as a risk to those in shallower leagues. I’m in favor of throwing him out there, but understand the need for slight caution.
Drew Smyly (TOR, @BAL) – Read one inch above.
Garrett Richards (CHC, TEX) – Just like Odorizzi, life will not be easy for Richards during the first week of the season getting pitted against two Top 10 lineups. It may seem like an easy choice to start Richards regardless, just be aware of your situation before blindly sending him out there.
Martin Perez (SEA, @LAA) – I can see someone desperate for a double chance of Wins throwing Perez out there, though it won’t be pretty.
Scott Kazmir (@SD, @SF) – It’s hard not to like his first start in south Cali, but I’m a bit weary of his ability to take on the Giants, despite the game being played in AT&T park. Most people will ignore this, but for those in roto leagues, don’t forget that it’s often best to play it safe to first few weeks.
Jeremy Hellickson (@CIN, @NYM) – You can understand why the Mets may not warrant a start, but those in deeper leagues could do worse than Hellickson against the Reds.
Chris Tillman (MIN, TB) – I’m not the biggest fan of Tillman, but those aren’t the worst matchups, and you may want to swallow the tough pill in deep leagues.
Jorge De La Rosa (@ARI, SD) – The problem here is two-fold. A) De La Rosa isn’t all that great and B) his two games are in Chase Field and Coors. Scary stuff. He’s better than the “Bench” guys, but I’m not liking it.
Chad Bettis (@ARI, SD) – See what I just wrote about De La Rosa? The same thing applies to Bettis.
Bench
Rich Hill (CHW, @SEA) – Hill did not look on top of his game during the spring, and despite his surge in September, I would wait to see if Hill is worth the roster spot.
Wily Peralta (SF, HOU) – The problem isn’t the teams he’s facing. Well, that is a problem, but the real problem is that Peralta isn’t a good fantasy pitcher.
Ervin Santana (@BAL, @KC) – Nope. Sorry Santana, but I don’t trust you against two excellent offenses.
R.A. Dickey (@TB, BOS) – You’re always taking a significant risk starting Dickey, since a poor knuckleball on any given night results in horrific numbers. His matchup against TB isn’t horrible, but BOS is a definite sit.