<a style=We roll into Week 3 and the choices for two start pitcher are not as deep as they were last week. As I do all season, I divide the two start options into three tiers, and my suggestion is to avoid those in the bottom tier. You may disagree with my rankings, and I am more than willing to discuss this in the comments. Let us take a look at who gets to take the mound twice in this upcoming scoring period.

Start 'em If You Own 'em

Starting Pitcher

First Start/Opponent/Date

Second Start/Opponent/Date

Jake Arrieta CHC

@ PIT A.J. Burnett

@ CIN Anthony DeSclafani

 

Mon 4/20 7:00 PM ET

Sat 4/25 7:00 PM ET

Lance Lynn STL

@ WAS Gio Gonzalez

@ MIL Mike Fiers

 

Tue 4/21 7:00 PM ET

Sun 4/26 7:00 PM ET

Matt Shoemaker LAA

vs. OAK Kendall Graveman

vs. TEX Ross Detwiler

 

Mon 4/20 7:00 PM ET

Sat 4/25 7:00 PM ET

Carlos Carrasco  CLE

@ CHW Jose Quintana

@ DET TBA

 

Mon 4/20 7:00 PM ET

Sun 4/26 7:00 PM ET

Chris Archer TB

vs. BOS Wade Miley

vs. TOR Mark Buehrle

 

Tue 4/21 7:00 PM ET

Sun 4/26 7:00 PM ET

Gio Gonzalez WAS

vs. STL Lance Lynn

@ MIA Dan Haren

 

Tue 4/21 7:00 PM ET

Sun 4/26 7:00 PM ET

Francisco Liriano PIT

vs. CHC Travis Wood

@ ARI Jeremy Hellickson

 

Tue 4/21 7:00 PM ET

Sun 4/26 7:00 PM ET

Jose Quintana CHW

vs. CLE Carlos Carrasco 

vs. KC Edinson Volquez

 

Mon 4/20 7:00 PM ET

Sat 4/25 7:00 PM ET

Hisashi Iwakuma SEA

vs. HOU Brad Peacock

vs. MIN Kyle Gibson

 

Mon 4/20 7:00 PM ET

Sun 4/26 7:00 PM ET

You will get tired of me saying this, but with this tier of pitchers I suggust that you simply wind them up and let them go. I know Iwakuma is not looking like a SP2 early on, but I trust him. Same thing with Shoemaker. Do not overthink this. I trust these guys no matter who or where they are pitching.

Maybe Yes, Maybe No

Starting Pitcher

First Start/Opponent/Date

Second Start/Opponent/Date

A.J. Burnett PIT

vs. CHC Jake Arrieta

@ ARI Rubby De La Rosa

 

Mon 4/20 7:00 PM ET

Sat 4/25 7:00 PM ET

Edinson Volquez KC

vs. MIN Kyle Gibson

@ CHW Jose Quintana

 

Mon 4/20 7:00 PM ET

Sat 4/25 7:00 PM ET

Brandon Morrow SD

@ COL Tyler Matzek

vs. LAD Brett Anderson

 

Tue 4/21 7:00 PM ET

Sun 4/26 7:00 PM ET

Anthony DeSclafani CIN

@ MIL Wily Peralta

vs. CHC Jake Arrieta

 

Mon 4/20 7:00 PM ET

Sat 4/25 7:00 PM ET

Alfredo Simon DET

vs. NYY CC Sabathia

vs. CLE T.J. House

 

Mon 4/20 7:00 PM ET

Sat 4/25 7:00 PM ET

Jon Niese NYM

vs. ATL Trevor Cahill

@ NYY Nathan Eovaldi

 

Tue 4/21 7:00 PM ET

Sun 4/26 7:00 PM ET

Drew Pomeranz OAK

@ LAA Hector Santiago

vs. HOU Brad Peacock

 

Tue 4/21 7:00 PM ET

Sun 4/26 7:00 PM ET

Dan Haren MIA

@ PHI Jerome Williams

vs. WAS Gio Gonzalez

 

Tue 4/21 7:00 PM ET

Sun 4/26 7:00 PM ET

Mark Buehrle TOR

vs. BAL Bud Norris

@ TB Chris Archer

 

Tue 4/21 7:00 PM ET

Sun 4/26 7:00 PM ET

Wei-Yin Chen BAL

@ BOS Justin Masterson

vs. BOS Justin Masterson

 

Mon 4/20 7:00 PM ET

Sat 4/25 7:00 PM ET

Brett Anderson LAD

@ SF Tim Lincecum

@ SD Brandon Morrow

 

Tue 4/21 7:00 PM ET

Sun 4/26 7:00 PM ET

Kendall Graveman  OAK

@ LAA Matt Shoemaker

vs. HOU Scott Feldman

 

Mon 4/20 7:00 PM ET

Sat 4/25 7:00 PM ET

Odrisamer Despaigne SD

@ COL Jorge De La Rosa 

vs. LAD TBA

 

Mon 4/20 7:00 PM ET

Sat 4/25 7:00 PM ET

Travis Wood CHC

@ PIT Francisco Liriano

@ CIN Jason Marquis

 

Tue 4/21 7:00 PM ET

Sun 4/26 7:00 PM ET

Tyler Matzek COL

vs. SD Brandon Morrow

vs. SF Tim Lincecum

 

Tue 4/21 7:00 PM ET

Sun 4/26 7:00 PM ET

Wade Miley BOS

@ TB Chris Archer

@ BAL Bud Norris

 

Tue 4/21 7:00 PM ET

Sun 4/26 7:00 PM ET

Because there are not as many entrants in the middle tier this week, I am going to split them into just two sub-tiers. The first of those runs down through Haren, beginning with Burnett. Burnett is pitching <a style=well, throwing strikes and not walking hitters, a great recipe for success.Volquez is part of the retooled Royals team that has looked strong early on. I like him in both of his matchups for Week 3. Morrow is working on two quality starts to beging the season, and has been collecting Ks, just like the two pitchers above him in this table. I am not so fond of him in Colorado in his first start, but getting the Dodgers at home is nice. DeSclafani continues the trend of pitchers who are demonstrating good control and dominance on the hill. I do like both matchups this coming week. Simon has surprised me with his his rebound from his first start, which while a win was ugly. Moving to Comerica and leaving Cincy seems to be agreeing with him for now. I would not bank on him being as good as he was against the Pirates all season long. Niese, as I have noted before, does not get his proper due. It is difficult to ignore a 1.59 ERA through his first two starts, and so long as he is healthy, he is valuable back end of the rotation SP. Pomeranz got rocked by the Astros in his last start, giving up a two run homer in the first inning and his team could not produce enough offense to bail him out. I have a thing about Oakland pitchers, and will continue to roll him out there despite the blip on the radar. Haren rounds out the top sub-tier, and he has been a bright spot in a nasty beginning to the season for the Marlins. Maybe he should have fought harder this spring to get traded?

Buehrle kicks off the second sub-tier and while he will not get you a ton of strikeouts, he does have good command, keeps his team in the game and is generally safe to start, even in his hitter-friendly home park in Toronto. Chen is another dependable if unexciting SP. Facing Masterson twice this upcoming period makes him all the better for fantasy owners. So long as Brett Anderson can stay healthy, he has the skills to succeed. It is the durablity factor that should concern you if you have him in your fantasy rotation. Graveman's owners dropped him en masse after his disastrous first start, but he is a good pitcher, and he pitches for Oakland, always a good sign when choosing your starting pitchers. I just love Oakland SPs, have for years. Despaigne is filling in for <a style=Ian Kennedy, who is on the DL. His first start is an issue, as his road and home splits are dramatic and pitching at Coors Field is not necessarily the best venue for him to ply his trade. I do like the second start at home against the Dodgers, even if we do not know who will face off against him for LA. Wood was not good in his first start (at Coors-seeing a trend?), but bounced back nicely with a three hit shutout effort over seven innings against the Reds at home. If he keeps missing bats and demonstrating good control, he becomes a valuable back-of-the-rotation guy in fantasy. Matzek concerns me despite his early success in 2015, as he calls Coors Field home. Still, he has been getting lucky in his first couple of starts with a 3.90 FIP as opposed to his 1.80 ERA. He is a spot starter for me, and I am going to avoid having him in my lineup when he is at home. Miley has the propensity to pitch effectively, then toss up a stinker the next time out. If he cannot throw his fastball for strikes, as against the Nationals in his most recent start, he is not useful for fantasy purposes.

Not On My Roster

Starting Pitcher

First Start/Opponent/Date

Second Start/Opponent/Date

Wily Peralta MIL

vs. CIN Anthony DeSclafani

vs. STL Adam Wainwright

 

Mon 4/20 7:00 PM ET

Sat 4/25 7:00 PM ET

Mike Fiers MIL

vs. CIN Jason Marquis

vs. STL Lance Lynn

 

Tue 4/21 7:00 PM ET

Sun 4/26 7:00 PM ET

Justin Masterson BOS

vs. BAL Wei-Yin Chen

@ BAL Wei-Yin Chen

 

Mon 4/20 7:00 PM ET

Sat 4/25 7:00 PM ET

CC Sabathia NYY

@ DET Alfredo Simon

vs. NYM Matt Harvey

 

Mon 4/20 7:00 PM ET

Sat 4/25 7:00 PM ET

Nathan Eovaldi NYY

@ DET Kyle Lobstein

vs. NYM Jon Niese

 

Tue 4/21 7:00 PM ET

Sun 4/26 7:00 PM ET

Jason Vargas KC

vs. MIN Tommy Milone

@ CHW John Danks

 

Tue 4/21 7:00 PM ET

Sun 4/26 7:00 PM ET

Tim Lincecum SF

vs. LAD Brett Anderson

@ COL Tyler Matzek

 

Tue 4/21 7:00 PM ET

Sun 4/26 7:00 PM ET

Bud Norris BAL

@ TOR Mark Buehrle

vs. BOS Wade Miley

 

Tue 4/21 7:00 PM ET

Sun 4/26 7:00 PM ET

Kyle Gibson MIN

@ KC Edinson Volquez

@ SEA James Paxton

 

Mon 4/20 7:00 PM ET

Sun 4/26 7:00 PM ET

Hector Santiago LAA

vs. OAK Drew Pomeranz

vs. TEX Nick Martinez

 

Tue 4/21 7:00 PM ET

Sun 4/26 7:00 PM ET

Trevor Cahill ATL

@ NYM Jon Niese

@ PHI Jerome Williams

 

Tue 4/21 7:00 PM ET

Sun 4/26 7:00 PM ET

Jerome Williams  PHI

vs. MIA Dan Haren

vs. ATL Trevor Cahill

 

Tue 4/21 7:00 PM ET

Sun 4/26 7:00 PM ET

John Danks CHW

vs. CLE Trevor Bauer

vs. KC Jason Vargas

 

Tue 4/21 7:00 PM ET

Sun 4/26 7:00 PM ET

Jorge De La Rosa COL

vs. SD Odrisamer Despaigne

vs. SF Tim Hudson

 

Mon 4/20 7:00 PM ET

Sat 4/25 7:00 PM ET

Jason Marquis CIN

@ MIL Mike Fiers

vs. CHC Travis Wood

 

Tue 4/21 7:00 PM ET

Sun 4/26 7:00 PM ET

Asher Wojciechowski HOU

@ SEA Hisashi Iwakuma

@ OAK Drew Pomeranz

 

Mon 4/20 7:00 PM ET

Sun 4/26 7:00 PM ET

There are a ton of names in this tier, and some may be surprising. My approach to ranking two start pitchers is to decide who can help me with the least amount of risk. With this bunch, the risk/reward is Tim Lincecum San Francisco Giantstoo far pushed to the risk side of the ledger. The two Milwaukee starters are struggling, just like their team. I expect they will pitch better at some point, but it is not right now and for the nonce, I would avoid both. know that Lincecum has looked good, but he has burned me too often the past few seasons. Let's see what he is doing when May rolls around, and if he is still being effective, then maybe I would consider adding him if he is still available. Noesi and Santiago have decent enough stat lines so far, but again, not in my trust zone. De La Rosa is coming off an injury, so I am witholding my support for him just now. Wojciechowski is a short term solution while Drew Pomeranz is on the DL, and certainly has not shown that he is the next ace to join the Houston rotation. Masterson, Sabathia, Vargas, Norris, Gibson, Cahill, Williams and Marquis all sport ERAs that make them extremely unpalatable early in 2015. No need to take a chande on any of them.

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