Two-Start Pitchers: 4/15 – 4/21

Welcome to another edition of the 2024 two-start pitcher rankings!

My rankings have four tiers: Set and Forget, Probably Start, Questionable, and Avoid. Set and Forget starters are simply that; get them in your lineup and don’t think twice. The Most Likely Start tier includes players with the mix of skill and matchups that make them almost certainly two-start plays, but not without some elevated risk compared to the top tier. Questionable starters are those best suited for daily lineup leagues where you can bench them against the tougher of their two opponents. Finally, we have the Avoid tier, which includes two-start SPs who should remain on your bench or the wire.

Each week, I’ll be selecting my Two-Start Streamer of the Week. The criteria for a streamer will be a rostered rate under 50% in Yahoo leagues. The Streamer of the Week will be highlighted in the tables in green. Reach out to me in the PL+ Discord or on Twitter @AnthonyTucker81  and let me know if you’d grade the weekly streamer as a win or loss.

As a friendly reminder, the projected starters are just that, projections and subject to change.

 

Set and Forget

 

• George Kirby, Joe Musgrove, and Tanner Bibee have struggled out of the gate thus far, but will be locked into your lineups with opportunities to get back on track. Amongst them, Bibee has the most to fix moving forward and is likely more of an SP3, but the Red Sox lineup isn’t particularly intimidating.

 

• Sonny Gray exceeded all expectations in his 2024 debut, earning a win on a limited pitch count. Even on just 75-80 pitches, Gray should have enough to be an asset against the lowly A’s.

 

Most Likely 

 

• Carlos Rodón is amongst the most discussed early-season sell-high candidates. It’s clear he’s not currently the overpowering arm the Yankees thought they were signing, however, he’s still a relatively easy decision to start given the injury-plagued pitching pool.

 

• The pairs of Giants and Red Sox starters in tier two look to be some of the better draft day values thus far. All four can rack up the strikeouts in any given start. Jordan Hicks has a surprisingly low swinging strike rate in his transition to a starter, but only three walks across three starts is enough to think he may be a decent fantasy option throughout the year.

 

Questionable

 

• Amongst potential streamers this week owned in 50% or fewer leagues, all have at least one difficult matchup. Seth Lugo has demonstrated the highest floor and has the advantage of a cushy matchup against a bottom-five lineup in the White Sox. Lugo’s been merely decent to start the season, preventing runs, but backing it up with minimal strikeouts. He’ll need to improve upon his meagre 8% swinging strike rate in the long run, but it shouldn’t prevent him from success at Chicago. Entering play on 4/12, the White Sox are tied for last in the league in runs scored with Minnesota, despite having 56 more PAs than the Twins. The matchup is good enough to make Lugo this week’s Two Start Streamer of the Week, even with a home matchup against an ascending young Orioles lineup on deck over the weekend.

 

• Reynaldo López has looked like a solid option for those in search of wins, but next week will be his first pair of tough tests. For those in search of volume in 15-team weekly leagues, it might make sense to have López in your lineup, but those with reasonable alternatives or solid one-start streamers should likely have the Atlanta righty parked on your bench next week.

 

• Casey Mize, Erick Fedde, and Louie Varland all had some considerable intrigue entering the season, but none have hit the ground running. Among them, Mize appears to have the strongest claim to sticking on your roster. They’re only in consideration this week for deeper daily lineup leagues.

 

• With the likely return of Jameson Taillon, it’s unclear how the Cubs will set their rotation moving forward. Ben Brown will start Monday’s game against the Diamondbacks but would seem unlikely to make a second start against Miami. If he were, he’d fall toward the bottom of this tier as a volatile option with strikeout upside against the Marlins.

 

 

Avoid

 

• A.J. Puk hasn’t been able to turn our Spring Training enthusiasm into results in the regular season and appears to be a candidate along with Ryan Weathers to return to the pen once Edward Cabrera returns. Regardless of whether he sticks around for now, he belongs on the wire given his erratic command.

 

• It seems like ages ago when Patrick Corbin was turned to for key outs in the rotation and the pen during the 2019 playoffs against the Dodgers and Astros. The only current member of the Nats to win the World Series with the club (excluding Victor Robles, currently on the IL) will see both high-powered lineups again next week. He’s far away from the fantasy radar.

 

Two-Start Streamer of the Week Record: 1-1. Reese Olson only made one start but allowed enough runs for two against the Pirates.