Fantasy Baseball 2026 Two-Start Pitchers & Streaming Starters - 8/1

As the trade deadline approaches, some of the Fantasy Baseball 2026 Two-Start Pitchers and  Fantasy Baseball 2026 Streaming Starters profiled in this week’s report may be shuffling off to different and new home parks and donning new uniforms, so keep an eye on those trade reports before setting your rotations. The moves that teams make over the next several days have the potential to upset fantasy baseball owners’ best laid plans for Week 19.

As ever, there are plenty of bottom tier SPs with two-starts on their cards that you would be well advised to avoid inserting into your fantasy rotations. Instead, choose among the Fantasy Baseball 2026 Streaming Starters discussed in the second half of this week’s report for short-term pitching help.

Please realize that these articles feature the most recent rotation information available at the time they are written, but circumstances can 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:

Should these dual start designations hold for the upcoming scoring period, these are the arms you want to be plugging into your fantasy baseball rotations without worrying about where these hurlers are scheduled to toe the rubber or against whom. Put them into your rotations and allow them to provide the benefits they have been providing during the course of the season thus far.

Boyd has collected three quality starts (QS) over his past four trips to the hill, posting excellent ratio stats over his July starts: 2.13 ERA and 1.03 WHIP over 25.1 IP. His strikeout rate has declined over that stretch of games, although it does sit at a useful 8.4 K/9 over the course of 2026. He has to face the Dodgers to open the week, but then gets to head on the road where his success has been greater than at Wrigley Field this season to take on the Royals.

The veteran Manaea has had one sub-par outing over his last five times toeing the rubber, and if that start against the host Phillies is discarded, he has delivered a useful 3.05 ERA and 1.10 WHIP over those other 23.2 IP. His season rate of nearly a K per frame has seen a dip of late, but he is still demonstrating good control (2.5 BB/9 since the end of June). He has a pair of road contests on tap, which while not ideal, are not against insurmountable foes, either. 

Pfaadt went seven frames against the host Pirates, holding them scoreless on six hits and one free pass. He struck out four over the course of that outing, which is fairly typical for the below-average K producer. He is working on a two QS game streak heading into Week 19, and while he does have two home starts on tap, that is not where his best results have occurred this season. He will continue to rely on his groundball inducing methods and efficient control against a pair of division foes.

Yesavage has been continuing to miss bats as he heads through his second season in the big leagues, with a 8.9 K/9 rate accumulated over his 91.2 IP this season to date. He has been credited with five QS over the course of his last times on the hill. His main issue is lack of control (4.4 BB/9). His home/road splits indicate that two road games play into his strength this year.

Sandoval, the 29-year-old right-hander, owns an attractive ERA (3.21) and an ugly WHIP (1.64) but it must be admitted that those ratios are accumulated over limited time on the mound, notably just 14.0 IP in three starts. He is being stretched out, though, and does deliver good strikeout numbers. Plus, in Week 19 he gets to pitch at home in both his trips to toe the rubber at Fenway Park.

Dobnak flaunts a stellar 1.42 over a limited sample size of 19.0 IP, although the inflated WHIP (1.37) and a 10:9 K/BB ratio suggest that his great good fortune may suffer some negative regression. His peripheral metrics hint at the same potential. He does have a decent first start in Week 19 against the visiting Twins, but the second of his two starts against the Cubs is shakier for his fantasy managers to trust starting him.

Assad has pitched well since suffering some early season struggles, and has put up a useful 2.52 ERA and 1.02 WHIP during his 39.1 IP since June began. The strikeout numbers are below average (5.8 K/9 over the 2026 season) but he has been demonstrating excellent control, as evidenced by his 2.2 BB/9 rate through 65.1 IP. His more problematic upcoming start against the Dodgers is at home, and the road game against the Royals is not overly daunting.

As is the normal situation, there are plenty of arms you should give pass to this week, despite their glamour as two-start pitchers. Getting a pair of mediocre starts does not benefit your stretch run fantasy efforts, so let these SPs sit on the bench or remain on the waiver wire. Any counting stat benefits will likely be outweighed by the damage to your ratio stats, and when seeking a fantasy title, missteps should be avoided in the realm of your pitching options.

Potential Streaming Options for Week 19

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 Fantasy Baseball 2026 Streaming Starters candidates:

Tuesday, August 4, 2026

Eric Lauer, Los Angeles Dodgers @ Chicago Cubs

Lauer’s time with the Dodgers has seen him toss five QS as part of his nine starts since the end of May, racking up an attractive 2.96 ERA and 0.99 WHIP through those 51.2 IP. His strikeout production is well below league average (5.7 K/9 overall in 2026, 5.2 K/9 with Los Angeles). This is a road contest in the Windy City against a tough opponent but that is a positive for him generally this season... the pitching on the road, that is.

Hayden Wesneski, Houston Astros vs. Toronto Blue Jays

The 28-year-old right-hander had not appeared in a MLB game for more than a year before he collected a victory over the host Angels. He lasted 5.2 innings while giving up three earned runs on seven hits, a pair of walks and a hit batter, so not exactly a dominant performance. He did strike out four hitters, and did look relatively effective during his minor league efforts leading up to his return to the majors following his Tommy John surgery (TJS). He may be on a modest pitch count restriction for a bit, but has another good matchup on tap when he faces the Blue Jays at Daikin Park in Houston.

Gabriel Hughes, Colorado Rockies vs. Tampa Bay Rays

The rookie righty has been extremely effective while working on the hill at Coors Field this season thus far, allowing just two earned runs over those admittedly limited 13.1 IP. This is not an easy matchup by any means, although it should be noted that the Rays are a sub-.500 team when playing away from Tropicana Field this year. He is profiling as a slightly below average K producer who show good control. Not the most rousing endorsement but then again, this is a Colorado SP…pitching at Coors Field in this particular start.

Wednesday, August 5, 2026

Kyle Leahy, St. Louis Cardinals @ New York Yankees

The right-hander collected his fifth QS of the season, and his second consecutive such effort. He now owns an attractive 3.55 ERA, which he has been steadily working to drive down. His WHIP is still inflated at 1.34, due in part to his 3.0 BB/9 rate on the year. Despite his success, realize this is an away game and he has been much more effective at home this season. It is also against the Yankees, but on the positive side, his team has a above .500 record on the road in 2026.

Grant Holmes, Atlanta Braves vs. Miami Marlins

The third year righty has been remarkably consistent over his last four times on the mound, tossing 5.0 IP each outing and allowing three or fewer earned tallies each start. He is also demonstrating improved control, posting a functional 2.7 BB/9 over his most recent 20.0 IP, as opposed to the bloated 4.0 he has over the entire season. This is a good matchup, as the Marlins are playing well under .500 on the road this year.

JP Sears, San Diego Padres @ Arizona Diamondbacks

The 30-year-old southpaw had some recent success as a bulk-reliever but has also seen his time as a true SP for the Padres, and is lined up here as the starter. Keep an eye on his usage, though, before slotting him in as a member of your Week 19 rotation. Aside from one tough start in Chicago at Wrigley Field in his second appearance for the Padres, he has been effective on the hill, and currently boasts a 3.86 ERA and 1.18 WHIP through his six appearances.

Thursday, August 6, 2026

David Peterson, Chicago Cubs vs. Toronto Blue Jays

The move out of New York to the Windy City has revitalized the season for the veteran southpaw. Over his last three appearances consisting of 17.1 IP, he has posted a stellar 1.56  ERA and 0.87 WHIP, in addition to winning his last two outings, coming an out short of having two QS as well. The opponent here has been struggling both at home and on the road, and the Cubs are solid at home.

Friday, August 7, 2026

Mitch Keller, Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

The veteran hurler has pitched well over his last two appearances on the hill for Pittsburgh, allowing just two earned tallies over those contests (both in his last game against the visiting Diamondbacks), and has struck out 10 hitters over those 10.1 IP. The Dodgers are not a preferred opponent, even when facing them at home, so passing on this streaming opportunity could be understood as proper discretion being exercised in managing your fantasy baseball rotation(s). 

Connor Prielipp, Minnesota Twins @ Milwaukee Brewers

The rookie southpaw looked good in his return to action, recovered from the blister that sidelined him for most of July, holding the Athletic hitters to just a single earned run on two hits and one walk, and being credited with the win. He offers better than a K per inning strikeout production, but that comes with some questionable control. His home/road splits do not portend this to be his best potential matchup although he did have a QS effort against the Brew Crew earlier this season (at home at Target Field, not on the road at American Family Field, to provide full disclosure).

Tyler Mahle, San Francisco Giants vs. Detroit Tigers

The veteran righty has been sharp over his last three outings, credited with two QS over those 18.0 IP, where his ERA is a stellar 2.00 coupled with a first-class 1.06 WHIP. This is a home start and his results when tossing the pill at Oracle Park have been spectacular, especially when contrasted to his less-than-estimable results on the road, plus the opponent in this contest is playing well below .500 road ball.

Saturday, August 8, 2026

Kumar Rocker, Texas Rangers vs. Baltimore Orioles

The third-year righty is working on a two consecutive QS streak where he has continued to rack up the Ks, collecting 13 over his most recent 12.2 IP. He is also working to reduce his ERA to a sub-4.00 level-it currently resides at 4.03 which is not terrible, just not great. Getting to face the Orioles away from Oriole Park at Camden Yards (quite the moniker for a stadium, eh?) is a plus.

Anthony Kay, Chicago White Sox vs. Cleveland Guardians

The 31-year-old southpaw only has a 1-2 record over his last five starts, although he has pitched well enough to be better rewarded in the win column: 3.80 ERA, 1.04 WHIP with 22 Ks over those 23.2 IP. Of course, he did walk 10 during that stretch, not helping himself with the bloated 3.8 BB/9 rate, replicating to a great measure his season long 3.6 BB/9 rate. He gets to pitch at home in this game, however, and that is a positive factor given his home/road splits on the season.