Two-Start Pitchers/Streaming Starters: Few And Far Between

The first full week of games, weather permitting that is, following the All-Star Break, and teams are still working on setting their rotations for the stretch run. The top tier is limited this week, but then again, so are the other two groups…limited in the number of options, that is. Be patient as managers sort out the starting pitching through the balance of July, things will settle down until they get crazy again in late August and September.

Please realize that these articles feature most recent rotation information available when the article is written, but that circumstances do change due to weather conditions, injuries and general craziness with managers. If a pitcher listed here as having two starts ends up with one (or perhaps none) in the upcoming week, apologies but this article is meant to provide analysis, it is up to the manager to set the lineups or rotations.

Without further ado, here are this week’s two start pitchers:

These seven hurlers are those you want to insert into your fantasy rotations and let them go. There is the obvious lack of K potential with Keuchel to be concerned about, but his matchups with a pair of games against the division-rival Twins is too tempting not to use his skills.

Dunning tops the middle tier arms, although some tempering of expectations should be in place as he has both his Week 17 trips to the hill taking place on the road, where he has seen less success this season. His 9.7 K/9 rate should also serve him well in Comerica Park against the Tigers.

Speaking of high strikeout rates, Skubal’s 10.7 K/9 rate was his selling point in drafts this past March. He has been finding more success on the bump as the season progresses, as he continues to work on driving down his inflated ERA slowly and surely in his first full MLB season. 

McKenzie will offer great K potential (12.4 K/9 through 49.1 IP) so long as he sticks in the rotation, but keep an eye on Aaron Civale and Shane Biebers’ status as their returns will likely result in a reshuffling of the Cleveland rotation. Neither of these matchups are superb, if he does get pushed out of the starting staff.

Mills has been successful toeing the rubber over his last five outings, posting a useful 3.65 ERA over 24.2 IP, with an attractive 9.1 K/9 rate over that five start stretch. His effective pitching makes him a likely candidate to stick in the rotation going forward for the Cubs, and these two matchups in Week 17 both have the potential to be nice opportunities for success.

German is not a lock to make his two scheduled starts, as he was called upon to pitch in relief to start the post All-Star Break weekend for the Yankees. If he is used to start a pair of games, the first game at home against the Phillies holds the most promise. He does provide average K potential with good control, as evidenced by his 1.24 WHIP.

Pivetta wraps the middle group of dual-appearance hurlers, but could easily be relegated to the bottom tier due to his inconsistency this season. He tends to follow a poor outing with a good start, and having allowed four earned tallies to the Phillies pre ASG break hints at a good outing in line against the Blue Jays to open the second half of the season. At a minimum, his 10.6 K/9 rate promises some whiffs in the counting stat line.

There are not as many lower tier arms to be wary of this week, but these are the SPs that you want to avoid plugging in to your lineups. No matter the matchup or venue, do not be tempted to trot one or more of these pitchers out there and expect great (or even relatively good) things to happen for your pitching stats this scoring period.

Potential Streaming Options for Week 

There is no promise that each game day will provide a streaming option. First of all, the pitcher must be available in at least 50% of leagues to be a viable candidate to snag off the wire. Then, the pitchers discussed above are not included as they have a different sort of value, even though some might be available as free agents in your league. Plus, some days the matchups and/or venues just do not figure as positive enough factors to favor plugging the arm into your rotation, even for one start. That all being said, here are this week’s best streaming candidates:

Tuesday, July 20, 2021

Tyler Anderson PIT @ ARI TBD

Anderson has pitched well over his last four outings, collecting a pair of quality starts (QS) while posting a 2.66 ERA and 0.97 WHIP through those 23.2 IP. The strikeout potential is limited however, with just 15 Ks over that period, so hope for the victory or QS if you employ the veteran southpaw.

Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Eric Lauer MIL vs KC TBD

The Brewer lefty is working on a series of three consecutive QS, yielding just two earned runs over those 18.1 IP, although his control could use an adjustment (10 BB over that stretch). Having the Royals come for a visit has the potential for a good starting effort, given their sub-par road record.

Michael Wacha TB vs BAL Keegan Akin

Wacha has a good matchup here, and has been more effective at home of late, where the Orioles come to visit for this matchup. An average K producer, he faces an offense stuck in the middle of swing and miss potential, although facing the Baltimore bats has been a positive for most SPs this season.

Logan Webb SF @ LAD Jose Urias

Webb has seen limited innings since returning to action from the IL with a shoulder issue, but has been effective in his limited time on the hill. He offers good strikeout potential with a 9.6 K/9 rate this season over 56,0 IP (11 starts, 12 appearances total). His most recent victory occurred in this venue against the Dodgers at the end of May, also.

Saturday, July 23, 2021

Alex Cobb LAA @ MIN J.A. Happ

Cobb’s K rate has increased dramatically in his 10th MLB season, sitting at 10.1 K/9 on the 2021 season (as opposed to sub 7 over the past five seasons), so take advantage of this new ability to miss bats even if the Twins are not all that easy to strike out. 

Wily Peralta DET @ KC Danny Duffy

The recent addition to the Tiger rotation has been nothing short of superb his last four outings, comprising 19.2 IP, posting a 0.46 ERA and 0.66 WHIP over that stretch. The main downside is the lack of Ks, with just a paltry 5.9 K/9 rate over the four-game period. 

David Price LAD vs COL Antonio Senzatela

 Price’s return to the rotation should result in him being stretched out over the next several contests, so the inning count will rise as the summer proceeds to transpire. He was able to hold the Diamondbacks scoreless over the three innings he pitched before the All-Star Game break, allowing just four hits and one free pass, while striking out three. Here, he gets the Rockies on the road, almost always a favorable situation for a SP.

Sunday, July 24, 2021

Patrick Sandoval LAA @ MIN José Berríos

One third of the 24-year-old southpaw’s starts have been QS, and he has yet to allow more than three earned runs in any of his last nine appearances for the Angels. His home/road splits are fairly even, so pitching on the road at Minnesota is not a major concern in this contest. He also strikes out better than a hitter per inning (9.5 K/9 through 56.0 IP).

Brady Singer KC vs DET Casey Mize

Singer has a tendency to pitch well against the Tigers, and his peripheral metrics indicate he has been a bit unlucky this season while toeing the rubber. He has held opponents to two or fewer earned runs over his last five contests. He is a good source of Ks, especially against the free-swinger Tiger bats (9.6 K/9 through 85.2 IP). This matchup has potential to wind up the scoring period.

Feel free also to send any starting pitching or other fantasy baseball questions to ia@fantasyalarm.com for a private response to your specific issue. The more detail you can provide about your team and league, including settings (H2H vs roto, points or categories, weekly or daily moves, roster size, league size, etc.) the better the response will be suited to your individual situation. As ever, good luck and Godspeed in all your fantasy endeavors.