Two Start Cookie Shop: June 2-8

Hey, look! A decent batch of two start options! After a couple weeks of pretty unappealing offerings, this week provides some sweet relief. That said, it isn’t without some sour notes of its own. For instance, Nathan Eovaldi was originally lined up for double duty this week, but left his last start early and is likely getting bumped back a few days. Hopefully, that’s all he misses, but I don’t blame anyone who’s skeptical.

Besides that situation, we also have Spencer Strider not looking like the guy we all hoped he’d be coming back from a lost season. The Oatmeal Cookies look set to live up to their status as boom-or-bust types, but there are many matchups that one would hope can be exploited for fantasy gain. So let’s get to it, shall we?

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.

• Wheeler’s last outing was gross. A frustrating reminder that even at the top of the rankings, things can occasionally go sideways. Alas.

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.

• Strider was expected to start twice this past week, which he obviously didn’t. That’s ok, though! He’s still not being back to the fire-breathing dragon we saw back in 2023, but his most recent start went better, so hopefully he’s getting on track. There’s still more risk here than you’d like, but it doesn’t feel quite as scary to start him as it did a week ago.
• At the time of writing Mahle hasn’t officially been named as Tuesday’s starter. However, the expectation is that off days last Thursday and Monday will allow everyone to pitch on regular rest with Eovaldi being pushed back to hopefully start over the weekend sometime. So if anyone for Texas is going to get two starts this week, it’s going to be Mahle.

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.

• As mentioned in the intro, we once again have a batch that fits the description of the tier. Meyer started off looking great, but has been pretty rough of late. McCullers is a mystery box. Is Kirby actually healthy? Can Singer keep winning games with an ERA of 4.60? Is there a more annoying sight for a borderline pitcher than seeing the Dodgers on the schedule? This tier, folks. It’s not for the faint of heart.
• Gallen is no exception to this being a tier for the bold. Originally, it was Ryne Nelson lined up for two this week, but he got pressed into bulk duty after Brandon Pfaadt got burnt to a crisp by the Nationals on Saturday. Like with Mahle above, there hasn’t been official confirmation at the time of submission that Gallen will take the bump on Tuesday, but it would be the easiest move for Arizona to make. With as bad as he’s looked most of this season, it would be a much harder decision for you to start him and risk completely ruining your week.

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.

• It’s a bummer to see Kershaw down here in this area. But, here he is. Also, he may not actually make both those starts. Because Dodgers.
• I liked what Fitts was doing before he got hurt. However, he only went 3 innings in his first start back. If he does start twice, there probably won’t be much quantity.