Howdy, folks! My name is Steve, and I’ll be taking on the daunting task of leading you through the foggy haze of each week’s two-start pitcher question: namely, “Do I play the bum or not?”
As you well know, starting a two-start pitcher in any format, but especially rotisserie, can be a real double-edged sword. As much as two good starts (or even one good, one mediocre start) can be a boost to your overall standings in the pitching categories, so too can two bad starts just sink your chances.
And no one wants that.
So, welcome to the Two-Start Dive Bar. Each week I’ll be your bartender, and each week I’ll call out three categories of pitchers likely (I said likely, nothing in this life is guaranteed) to get two starts in the upcoming Monday-through-Sunday week of games: The Top Shelf, The Well, and The Bar Mat.
In case you need a quick explainer:
- The Top Shelf of the dive bar is where we keep all the good booze. When you want the best, reach here, and you’re likely to pull down your Basil Hayden’s bourbon, Don Julio tequila, or Hendrick’s gin. This is the good stuff.
- The Well is down in front of the bartender here. It’s where we keep our default of each liquor, and it’s… ok. It’s fine. When you don’t really care as much about quality, you just ask for a “rum and coke” or a “whiskey sour” and I’ll reach down here for the Early Times. If you want an easy way to remember, “Well” is also the answer to “should you play these guys?”… Weelllllllll…
- The Bar Mat is on the bar and catching all the crap that I spill all night long. It’s filled with bacteria along with every kind of booze anyone ordered all night, and drinking from the bar mat is as likely to get you diseased as buzzed. Don’t do it. Stay away.
With those categories in mind, on to the pitchers!
The Top Shelf
| Pitcher | First Start | Second Start | Waiver Target? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zack Wheeler, PHI | vs NYM | at MIA | |
| Yu Darvish, SD | at SF | vs ATL | |
| Alek Manoah, TOR | at NYY | vs OAK | |
| Ryan Yarbrough, TB | vs OAK | at CHW | |
| Alex Wood, SF | vs SD | at CLE | |
| Luis Patino, TB | vs OAK | at CHW | YES |
| Jose Quintana, PIT | vs CHC | vs WAS | YES |
| Eric Lauer, MIL | at BAL | vs STL | YES |
| Aaron Civale, CLE | at KC | vs SF |
Notes
- Zack Wheeler, Yu Darvish, and Alek Manoah are the easiest “YES” calls this week. Real no-brainers. But of course, if you drafted them, would you be benching them under any circumstances, anyway?
- Ryan Yarborough’s juicy matchup against the AAA’s easily overshadows any concerns about going to the Southside later in the week. Plus he’s just really good.
- Luis Patino, Jose Quintana, and Eric Lauer are the most likely to be on the waiver wire in your leagues. Go check it out before your FAAB or Waiver request deadline hits. These are some great streaming choices this week.
The Well
| Pitcher | First Start | Second Start | Waiver Target? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jameson Taillon, NYY | vs TOR | at BAL | |
| Nestor Cortes, NYY | vs TOR | at BAL | Maybe? |
| Ranger Suarez, PHI | vs NYM | at MIA | Maybe? |
| Matt Brash, SEA | at CHW | vs HOU | Maybe? |
| Yusei Kikuchi, TOR | at NYY | vs OAK | |
| Tarik Skubal, DET | vs BOS | at KC | Maybe? |
| Dakota Hudson, STL | vs PIT | at MIL | Maybe? |
| Huascar Ynoa, ATL | vs WAS | at SD | |
| Carlos Hernandez, KC | vs CLE | vs DET | Maybe? |
| Tyler Mahle, CIN | vs CLE | at LAD | |
| Taijuan Walker, NYM | at PHI | vs ARI | |
| Reynaldo Lopez, CHW | vs SEA | vs TB | Maybe? |
| Tony Gonsolin, LAD | at MIN | vs CIN | Maybe? |
| Patrick Corbin, WAS | at ATL | at PIT | |
| Michael Wacha, BOS | at DET | vs MIN | Maybe? |
| Chris Flexen, SEA | at MIN | vs HOU | Maybe? |
Notes
- This whole group makes me a little uneasy, but they’re basically ranked top-to-bottom by my confidence that they’ll perform. The top five here, from Jameson Taillon through Yusei Kikuchi, are my favorites for talent+matchup.
- Lots of pitchers here, no surprise, should be available in your league. But proceed with caution. Especially if you have a limit on your streaming (FAAB budget, moves limit). No sure things in the bunch.
The Bar Mat
| Pitcher | First Start | Second Start |
|---|---|---|
| Dylan Bundy, MIN | vs SEA | at BOS |
| Zack Thompson, PIT | at STL | vs WAS |
| Elieser Hernandez, MIA | at LAA | vs PHI |
| Tyler Alexander, DET | vs BOS | at KC |
| Taylor Hearn, TEX | vs COL | vs LAA |
| Austin Gomber, COL | at TEX | vs CHC |
| Bruce Zimmermann, BAL | vs MIL | vs NYY |
| Jordan Hicks, STL | vs KC | at MIL |
| Paul Blackburn, OAK | at TB | at TOR |
| Joan Adon, WAS | at ATL | at PIT |
| Adam Oller, OAK | at TB | at TOR |
| Alec Mills, CHC | at PIT | at COL |
Notes
- Don’t play these guys. It’s the bar mat, for Pete’s sake!
- That having been said, the easiest “NO!” calls this week are the Oakland A’s pitchers, Paul Blackburn and Adam Oller. Not only will A’s pitchers hurt for run support all season, but on the road against Tampa Bay and Toronto? GTFOH.
- Dylan Bundy, Elieser Hernandez, and Jordan Hicks are the most likely from this group to be on your roster. Think five times before keeping them in your lineups this week. Seriously. Now go think again.
