Clayton Kershaw Los Angeles DodgersWeek 12 provides a nice handful of top-notch two-start pitchers, not only in the top tier but also in the middle tier. Fortunately for those of us in weekly leagues, there are not many pitchers to simply avoid this scoring period, but take a look at the bottom tier and just say no.

To help you prepare your rotations, I present the Two Start Pitchers as scheduled for the next week in MLB action. One caveat is that these charts assume that your fantasy week begins on Monday. I made that decision because I have no leagues that do not provide for a Monday start, and it seems to be the standard scoring system. Of course, if you have questions about starting pitchers who are going on Sunday and thus will presumably have another start during the week being profiled, do not be hesitant to drop me an e-mail (see my address at the bottom of the article) and I will attempt to get back with you in a timely fashion. Of course, you could also look to my Streaming Pitcher articles for additional SP suggestions.

The pitchers below are tiered, the first being no-brainers (in my opinion), the second tier being those I would consider adding to my roster and the final tier comprised of pitchers I do not trust at all. Of course, opinions differ and you can let us know if you disagree in the comments.

Let us move on to see who can provide those helpful two starts in next week's fantasy contests.

Start 'em If You Own 'em

Starting Pitcher

First Start/Opponent/Date

Second Start/Opponent/Date

Clayton Kershaw LAD

@ CHC Tsuyoshi Wada

@ MIA David Phelps

 

Mon 6/22 8:05 PM ET

Sat 6/27 4:10 PM ET

Zack Greinke LAD

@ CHC Jason Hammel

@ MIA Jose Urena

 

Tue 6/23 8:05 PM ET

Sun 6/28 1:10 PM ET

Felix Hernandez SEA

vs. KC Joe Blanton

@ LAA Hector Santiago

 

Mon 6/22 10:10 PM ET

Sun 6/28 3:35 PM ET

Madison Bumgarner SF

vs. SD Odrisamer Despaigne

vs. COL Kyle Kendrick

 

Tue 6/23 10:15 PM ET

Sun 6/28 4:05 PM ET

David Price DET

@ CLE Danny Salazar

vs. CHW Jeff Samardzija

 

Tue 6/23 7:10 PM ET

Sun 6/28 1:08 PM ET

Johnny Cueto CIN

@ PIT Jeff Locke

@ NYM Jon Niese

 

Tue 6/23 7:05 PM ET

Sun 6/28 1:10 PM ET

Carlos Martinez STL

@ MIA Jose Urena

vs. CHC Jason Hammel

 

Tue 6/23 7:10 PM ET

Sun 6/28 8:08 PM ET

Trevor Bauer CLE

vs. DET Kyle Ryan

@ BAL Ubaldo Jimenez

 

Mon 6/22 7:10 PM ET

Sun 6/28 1:35 PM ET

Michael Pineda NYY

vs. PHI Kevin Correia

@ HOU Brett Oberholtzer

 

Mon 6/22 7:05 PM ET

Sat 6/27 4:10 PM ET

The top tier contains those pitchers I would not hesitate to throw out there in my lineup for both starts. Does not matter where they are pitching or who the opponent is, these guys are in my lineup no matter what. Bauer joins the top tier, with his first start of the week being pushed back to Monday and giving him a week of rest between starts.

Maybe Yes, Maybe No

Starting Pitcher

First Start/Opponent/Date

Second Start/Opponent/Date

Jason Hammel CHC

vs. LAD Zack Greinke

@ STL Carlos Martinez

 

Tue 6/23 8:05 PM ET

Sun 6/28 8:08 PM ET

Jordan Zimmermann WAS

vs. ATL Alex Wood

@ PHI Kevin Correia

 

Tue 6/23 7:05 PM ET

Sun 6/28 1:35 PM ET

Hector Santiago LAA

vs. HOU Brett Oberholtzer

vs. SEA Felix Hernandez

 

Mon 6/22 10:05 PM ET

Sun 6/28 3:35 PM ET

Tommy Milone MIN

vs. CHW John Danks

@ MIL Mike Fiers

 

Mon 6/22 8:10 PM ET

Sun 6/28 2:10 PM ET

CC Sabathia NYY

vs. PHI Sean O'Sullivan

@ HOU Collin McHugh

 

Tue 6/23 7:05 PM ET

Sun 6/28 2:10 PM ET

Jeff Locke PIT

vs. CIN Johnny Cueto

vs. ATL Alex Wood

 

Tue 6/23 7:05 PM ET

Sun 6/28 1:35 PM ET

Chi Chi Gonzalez TEX

vs. OAK Jesse Chavez

@ TOR Drew Hutchison

 

Tue 6/23 8:05 PM ET

Sun 6/28 1:07 PM ET

Mike Fiers MIL

vs. NYM Jon Niese

vs. MIN Tommy Milone

 

Tue 6/23 8:10 PM ET

Sun 6/28 2:10 PM ET

Collin McHugh HOU

@ LAA C.J. Wilson

vs. NYY CC Sabathia

 

Tue 6/23 10:05 PM ET

Sun 6/28 2:10 PM ET

Jesse Chavez OAK

@ TEX Chi Chi Gonzalez

vs. KC Joe Blanton

 

Tue 6/23 8:05 PM ET

Sun 6/28 4:05 PM ET

Jeff Samardzija CHW

@ MIN Mike Pelfrey

@ DET David Price

 

Tue 6/23 8:10 PM ET

Sun 6/28 1:08 PM ET

Tsuyoshi Wada CHC

vs. LAD Clayton Kershaw

@ STL Michael Wacha

 

Mon 6/22 8:05 PM ET

Sat 6/27 7:15 PM ET

Chase Anderson ARI

@ COL Kyle Kendrick

@ SD Odrisamer Despaigne

 

Tue 6/23 8:40 PM ET

Sun 6/28 4:10 PM ET

Alex Wood ATL

@ WAS Jordan Zimmermann

@ PIT Jeff Locke

 

Tue 6/23 7:05 PM ET

Sun 6/28 1:35 PM ET

Brett Oberholtzer HOU

@ LAA Hector Santiago

vs. NYY Michael Pineda

 

Mon 6/22 10:05 PM ET

Sat 6/27 4:10 PM ET

Jon Niese NYM

@ MIL Mike Fiers

vs. CIN Johnny Cueto

 

Tue 6/23 8:10 PM ET

Sun 6/28 1:10 PM ET

Joe Blanton KC

@ SEA Felix Hernandez

@ OAK Jesse Chavez

 

Mon 6/22 10:10 PM ET

Sun 6/28 4:05 PM ET

Odrisamer Despaigne SD

@ SF Madison Bumgarner

vs. ARI Chase Anderson

 

Tue 6/23 10:15 PM ET

Sun 6/28 4:10 PM ET

Ubaldo Jimenez BAL

@ BOS Joe Kelly

vs. CLE Trevor Bauer

 

Tue 6/23 7:10 PM ET

Sun 6/28 1:35 PM ET

Kyle Ryan DET

@ CLE Trevor Bauer

vs. CHW John Danks

 

Mon 6/22 7:10 PM ET

Sat 6/27 4:08 PM ET

Jason Hammel Chicago CubsAs is my practice, I am dividing the middle tier into sub-tiers. This week, there are three sub-tiers, the first opening with one of my favorite SPs, Hammel and winding up with Locke. Hammel faces off against two of the top-tier pitchers this week, but do not let that dissuade you from using him. He has an elite 6.14 K/BB ratio on the season (86:14 K/BB). He is coming off two starts where he has not lasted more than five innings, but the last was due to a rain delay. Zimmermann has not been his expected dominant self this season, and his walk rate is up while the K rate is down. His match ups in this period are good, though, and so long as Bryce Harper is hitting in his starts, he has a good chance to shine in his starts. Santiago is not pitching deep into games, so do not expect a QS from him. He is providing excellent K numbers, however, striking out nearly a batter per inning (8.63 K/9). His home/road splits are not that different, but he does prefer to pitch in Anaheim, and both his starts this week are at Angel Stadium. Milone is coming off a pair of QS, having allowed only three earned runs over 14 innings. He does not miss a lot of bats, but has two good match ups this week, facing off against a pair of underperforming teams in the White Sox and Brewers. Sabathia is a pitcher I have been avoiding, but there is no avoiding the improvement he has shown the past few outings. He has been getting better strikeout results lately, and I like most pitchers who face the Phillies. He favors pitching on the road, so the second start at Minute Maid Park has promise as well. Locke gets a couple of home starts, and he has been much better at PNC than away this season. His ground ball inducing tendencies should offset his home park's home run tendencies, and Cincy is struggling to produce on the road this year.

The middle sub-tier begins with Gonzalez and ends with Anderson. Gonzalez is due to suffer through some regression, that is a given. Still, it is always a good idea to ride a hot hand, and no pitcher isChi Chi Gonzalez Texas Rangers hotter than the Texas righty. Just be prepared for the adjustment to come. Fiers got roughed up in his last start by KC, but had limited opponents to three or less earned runs in his previous seven starts. He should provide some decent Ks, although his home numbers do not give huge hope for these starts to result in overall stat excellence. McHugh has been a bit shaky all season, but I do like his chances against the Angels based on his road splits. You may want to reconsider starting him in his second start against the Sabathia led Yankees. Chavez has been suffering from run support, or rather lack thereof this season. He boasts an excellent 2.52 ERA and 1.09 WHIP, but is mired at 3-6 on the season. He has good control and ha a 8.01 K/9 rate, so expect his fortunes to turn around soon. He gets Texas at home, and the second start at KC is not terrible, either. Samardzija is plagued by pitching for a weak offense, and should have a better winning percentage. We do not plan on wins in fantasy, however, and with his excellent control and average strikeout rate, he provides a decent option. Of course, no telling what Detroit offense shows up in his second start, but the first outing against Minnesota is in a decent venue. Wada has two terrible match ups, in terms of his mound opponents. He did manage to pitch into the seventh inning in his last start, and may be developing his endurance, as he had not pitched deeper than the fourth in his past two appearances. Use him for the strikeouts and hope he lasts long enough to give you a QS or two. Anderson is coming off three good starts, two of them QS and he missed a third quality start by one out on June 6th against the Mets. He has been superb on the road, so the start at Coors to open the week is less of a concern than it normally would be for me. I do like his chances on the road at Petco, if you wanted to just use him for one start this period.

Alex Wood Atlanta BravesThe final sub-tier starts off with Wood and stops with Ryan. Wood has not exactly lived up to his pre-draft expectations this season, and the retooling of the Braves is not helping him out either. The good thing for his owners is that he has had much better success away from Atlanta, and both his starts this week are on the road. Both parks are in the lower half of MLB venues, with Nationals being the friendliest. Oberholtzer has had a couple of good starts to build on, but has a pair of tough match ups this week. He is not much of a strikeout pitcher, and if I had to choose, I would start him on the road against the Angels instead of taking the chance against the Yankees at Minute Maid Park. Niese has been pitching better the past three weeks, but the four walks he gave up to the Jays in his last start are of concern. He offers some hope against the Brewers with his ground ball inducing ways, and getting Cincinnati away from Great American Ballpark is a positive, too. Faint praise, I realize. Blanton gets a couple of starts on the road, in good pitcher's parks. He held the Brewers to five hits and one earned run in his first start in the Royal rotation. Taking on Felix Hernandez is not a favorable match up, assuming Hernandez is over his recent funk, but the second start against Chavez has possibilities. Despainge is not a strikeout source with his 4.66 K/9 rate, and has been up and down all season as a starter. He is pitching in good parks for a pitcher with a mediocre homer avoidance rate (1.2 HR/9), but he is at best a desperation start in either outing. Jiminez can give his owner good strikeout numbers, and he has pitched well at Camden Yards this season. I could see him doing well on the road against Boston and then coming home to continue his good performance in Baltimore. Or he could totally blow up. Thus, his low rank in the middle tier. Ryan has been filling in satisfactorily for the Tigers as a replacement for Shane Greene, who is trying to work out his problems at Toledo in Triple-A. A 3.26 ERA and 1.14 WHIP show that he has been decent, if not awe-inspiring. He has a chance to do well against the Indians and especially against the White Sox in a couple of division match ups.

Not On My Roster

Starting Pitcher

First Start/Opponent/Date

Second Start/Opponent/Date

Matt Andriese TB

vs. TOR Drew Hutchison

vs. BOS Joe Kelly

 

Mon 6/22 7:10 PM ET

Sun 6/28 1:10 PM ET

Kevin Correia PHI

@ NYY Michael Pineda

vs. WAS Jordan Zimmermann

 

Mon 6/22 7:05 PM ET

Sun 6/28 1:35 PM ET

John Danks CHW

@ MIN Tommy Milone

@ DET Kyle Ryan

 

Mon 6/22 8:10 PM ET

Sat 6/27 4:08 PM ET

Joe Kelly BOS

vs. BAL Ubaldo Jimenez

@ TB Matt Andriese

 

Tue 6/23 7:10 PM ET

Sun 6/28 1:10 PM ET

Kyle Kendrick COL

vs. ARI Chase Anderson

@ SF Madison Bumgarner

 

Tue 6/23 8:40 PM ET

Sun 6/28 4:05 PM ET

Jose Urena MIA

vs. STL Carlos Martinez

vs. LAD Zack Greinke

 

Tue 6/23 7:10 PM ET

Sun 6/28 1:10 PM ET

Drew Hutchison TOR

@ TB Matt Andriese

vs. TEX Chi Chi Gonzalez

 

Mon 6/22 7:10 PM ET

Sun 6/28 1:07 PM ET

The bottom tier is to be avoided. Hutchison is a better home option generally, but gets beat up by Tampa. Facing Texas on the road is no picnic either. The rest of these guys are not worth your attention this week.

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