Two Start Cookie Shop: August 4-10

I apologize for calling last week’s slate rough. I wish we had last week’s batch back. This week is…well, you’ll see.

The trade deadline, as expected, wreaked some havoc with rotation orders, albeit more on the backend than with any top of the line names. As a result, there are a few clubs with fairly unsettled rotations going into this week. That’s annoying for our purposes, because it means some of what you see below ends up being erroneous by the time you lay eyes on it. On the other hand, most of the question marks are around options you wouldn’t want to choose anyway, such as who’s starting Tuesday and Sunday for the Nationals, for example. I’m not even bothering to try and guess who that’s going to be, but I’m entirely confident you don’t want to use whoever it is. So that’s something, I suppose.

That’s enough dilly-dallying. Let’s get to it.

What follows are our projections at time of writing as to who will be making two-starts this week, but weather, injuries, and secretive team management mean they are just that: projections. To stay as up-to-date as possible, consult Rudy Gamble’s invaluable Streamonator.

Chocolate Chip Cookies (Must Start)

They are kings of the cookie world for a reason. A warm, freshly baked chocolate chip cookie just makes you feel happy. Sort of like getting to set your rosters knowing you get two starts this week from these guys.

• I told you it’s a bad week.

Sugar Cookies (Should Start)

They’re fine. You could certainly do worse than having these guys in your lineup, but don’t expect it to be remarkable.

• Luzardo is a lot more boom-or-bust than I really like for this tier. I also can’t imagine actually benching him this week.
• It’s not 100% confirmed Houser is going Monday, but he hasn’t pitched in over a week, so one would assume Tampa would want to make use of their new acquisition sooner rather than later.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (Could Start)

These aren’t for everyone. These are the pitchers that may be a pleasant surprise, or they could ruin your week. Tread lightly.

• I really wish Corbin had better matchups, because these are rough. But beggars can’t be choosers this week. It’s still weird to me that he’s become someone you’d even consider using at all, considering how the last several years had gone. Pitchers are weird.
• Then there’s Mize, who has great matchups and was an All Star just a few weeks ago, but has been really struggling lately.
• Burrows feels like he should be in the tier below. On the other hand, he’s had three pretty good starts in a row and Streamonator likes him decently enough for this week. So, here he is.

Fortune Cookies (Do Not Start)

Yeah, they’re technically cookies. Hold on, what does that little slip of paper say? “Bad times are heading your way.” Oh. Okay, then.

• If you really wanted to take a chance on Severino this week, I could kind of sort of see it.
• Quantrill has made three consecutive solid starts. I still don’t trust him.
• These last two names may not be the guys who actually make those starts. It really, really doesn’t matter.