As we head into the second week of the 2014 Baseball Season, it is time to start figuring out which pitchers can provide the best results for your fantasy squads. Particularly which starting pitchers slated to go twice next week give you the best possibilities for superior stats and fantasy performance.  As I have done over the past few seasons, the pitchers are grouped into three tiers, and I have ranked them roughly in the order I would want to pick them up.

 

 

Start 'em and Forget 'em

Starting Pitcher

First Start/Opponent

Second Start/Opponent

Max Scherzer SP DET

4/8/2014

4/13/2014

 

@ LAD

@ SD

 

Dan Haren SP LAD

Tyson Ross RP SD

 

 

 

Gio Gonzalez SP WAS

4/8/2014

4/13/2014

 

vs. MIA

@ ATL

 

Henderson Alvarez SP MIA

Aaron Harang SP ATL

 

 

 

Michael Wacha SP STL

4/7/2014

4/13/2014

 

vs. CIN

vs. CHC

 

Tony Cingrani SP CIN

Edwin Jackson SP CHC

 

 

 

C.J. Wilson SP LAA

4/7/2014

4/13/2014

 

@ HOU

vs. NYM

 

Jarred Cosart SP HOU

Bartolo Colon SP NYM

 

 

 

Matt Moore SP TB

4/7/2014

4/13/2014

 

@ KC

@ CIN

 

Jason Vargas SP KC

Tony Cingrani SP CIN

 

 

 

Tony Cingrani SP CIN

4/7/2014

4/13/2014

 

@ STL

vs. TB

 

Michael Wacha SP STL

Matt Moore SP TB

 

 

 

Hiroki Kuroda SP NYY

4/7/2014

4/12/2014

 

vs. BAL

vs. BOS

 

Ubaldo Jimenez SP BAL

John Lackey SP BOS

As the title to this tier suggests, I would insert these seven starters into my lineup and not think twice. I especially like Cingrani this season, and drafted him wherever I could, much as I treated Scherzer last season. That worked out well, as we all would agree.

Maybe Yes/Maybe No

Starting Pitcher

First Start/Opponent

Second Start/Opponent

Scott Kazmir SP OAK

4/7/2014

4/13/2014

 

@ MIN

@ SEA

 

Kevin Correia SP MIN

Erasmo Ramirez SP SEA

 

 

 

Tim Hudson SP SF

4/8/2014

4/13/2014

 

vs. ARI

vs. COL

 

Trevor Cahill SP ARI

TBA

 

 

 

Charlie Morton SP PIT

4/8/2014

4/13/2014

 

@ CHC

@ MIL

 

Edwin Jackson SP CHC

Kyle Lohse SP MIL

 

 

 

Corey Kluber SP CLE

4/7/2014

4/12/2014

 

vs. SD

@ CHW

 

Tyson Ross RP SD

Felipe Paulino SP CHW

 

 

 

Tyson Ross RP SD

4/7/2014

4/13/2014

 

@ CLE

vs. DET

 

Corey Kluber SP CLE

Max Scherzer SP DET

 

 

 

Bartolo Colon SP NYM

4/8/2014

4/13/2014

 

@ ATL

@ LAA

 

Aaron Harang SP ATL

C.J. Wilson SP LAA

 

 

 

Ivan Nova SP NYY

4/8/2014

4/13/2014

 

vs. BAL

vs. BOS

 

Wei-Yin Chen SP BAL

Felix Doubront SP BOS

 

 

 

Jason Vargas SP KC

4/7/2014

4/13/2014

 

vs. TB

@ MIN

 

Matt Moore SP TB

Kevin Correia SP MIN

 

 

 

Tanner Scheppers RP TEX

4/7/2014

4/13/2014

 

@ BOS

vs. HOU

 

John Lackey SP BOS

Brett Oberholtzer SP HOU

 

 

 

Mark Buehrle SP TOR

4/8/2014

4/13/2014

 

vs. HOU

@ BAL

 

Brett Oberholtzer SP HOU

Ubaldo Jimenez SP BAL

 

 

 

Felix Doubront SP BOS

4/8/2014

4/13/2014

 

vs. TEX

@ NYY

 

Martin Perez SP TEX

Ivan Nova SP NYY

 

 

 

Dan Haren SP LAD

4/8/2014

4/13/2014

 

vs. DET

@ ARI

 

Max Scherzer SP DET

Trevor Cahill SP ARI

 

 

 

Trevor Cahill SP ARI

4/8/2014

4/13/2014

 

@ SF

vs. LAD

 

Tim Hudson SP SF

Dan Haren SP LAD

 

 

 

Zach McAllister SP CLE

4/8/2014

4/13/2014

 

vs. SD

@ CHW

 

Robbie Erlin SP SD

Jose Quintana SP CHW

 

 

 

Kyle Lohse SP MIL

4/7/2014

4/13/2014

 

@ PHI

vs. PIT

 

Kyle Kendrick SP PHI

Charlie Morton SP PIT

 

 

 

Jose Quintana SP CHW

4/8/2014

4/13/2014

 

@ COL

vs. CLE

 

Franklin Morales RP COL

Zach McAllister SP CLE

 

 

 

John Lackey SP BOS

4/7/2014

4/12/2014

 

vs. TEX

@ NYY

 

Tanner Scheppers RP TEX

Hiroki Kuroda SP NYY

 

 

 

Henderson Alvarez SP MIA

4/8/2014

4/13/2014

 

@ WAS

@ PHI

 

Gio Gonzalez SP WAS

TBA

 

 

 

Ubaldo Jimenez SP BAL

4/7/2014

4/13/2014

 

@ NYY

vs. TOR

 

Hiroki Kuroda SP NYY

Mark Buehrle SP TOR

 

 

 

Aaron Harang SP ATL

4/8/2014

4/13/2014

 

vs. NYM

vs. WAS

 

Bartolo Colon SP NYM

Gio Gonzalez SP WAS

The top five starting pitchers in this tier just miss being part of the upper level pitchers. I like Hudson a ton, although he will not give you much in the way of strikeouts, but the peripherals are all very good. If you are looking for Ks, Kazmir, Kluber and Ross are all nice options, and Morton with his curveball should not be available in 47% of leagues, but since he is, you would do well to make space for him on your roster.

The next group for me runs down through Haren. All are roster-worthy, and Colon, Nova, Buerhle and Haren will be dependable starters, putting up decent numbers on a consistent basis. Scheppers had a bad initial outing, but he is a fine pitcher and I would not put much stock in his early struggles. Quality will out. I see Doubront as a sleeper this season, and expect his 37% ownership to rise dramatically when he puts together a couple of quality outings.

The youngsters Cahill, McAllister and Quintana are matchup starters. McAllister is the one I like best, as I have seen Cahill struggle on and off, especially last season. I don't like Quintana's home park much for his stat line, but it is difficult to argue with his 2013 success and his home/away splits last season belied the hitters' tendencies of "the Cell." Lohse and Lackey round out this sub-tier, and both are coming off good first starts which gives me hope that they will prove to be dependable starters for much of the season.

The bottom of the tier-Alvarez, Jiminez and Harang-can be useful SPs, and Harang looked especially good in his first start as a member of the Braves' rotation. I do worry about Jiminez pitching in Balitimore and I wonder if he will not question his choice of a new home as the season rolls on and he sees the ball leave Camden Yards when the weather heats up. Alvarez is the No. 2 in Miami, and suffers by comparison to the ace of the staff, Jose Fernandez, but he has long been a streaming option for me, back to his Toronto days, and I suspect I will turn to him in various leagues again this season, when the matchup looks favorable.

 

 

 

Not On My Roster

Starting Pitcher

First Start/Opponent

Second Start/Opponent

Kyle Kendrick SP PHI

4/7/2014

4/12/2014

 

vs. MIL

vs. MIA

 

Kyle Lohse SP MIL

Nathan Eovaldi SP MIA

 

 

 

Jarred Cosart SP HOU

4/7/2014

4/12/2014

 

vs. LAA

@ TEX

 

C.J. Wilson SP LAA

Yu Darvish SP TEX

 

 

 

Edwin Jackson SP CHC

4/8/2014

4/13/2014

 

vs. PIT

@ STL

 

Charlie Morton SP PIT

Michael Wacha SP STL

 

 

 

Felipe Paulino SP CHW

4/7/2014

4/12/2014

 

@ COL

vs. CLE

 

Jordan Lyles SP COL

Corey Kluber SP CLE

 

 

 

Brett Oberholtzer SP HOU

4/8/2014

4/13/2014

 

@ TOR

@ TEX

 

Mark Buehrle SP TOR

Tanner Scheppers RP TEX

 

 

 

Kevin Correia SP MIN

4/7/2014

4/13/2014

 

vs. OAK

vs. KC

 

Scott Kazmir SP OAK

Jason Vargas SP KC

Of the bottom tier, I would not roster any of these pitchers until they can demonstrate some usefulness to me this season. Especially the Houston and Minnesota starters, as I don't like their offenses. I have to say, I am not overly enthused about what the Phillies are trotting out onto the field, either.

Should you have questions regarding fantasy baseball, especially starting pitching, you can reach me at ia@fantasyalarm.com to continue the discussion.