30, 29, 23, 18, 11. No, that’s not my horrible attempt to remember the lottery numbers from LOST, but rather the team wOBA rankings over the past 14 days. Yep, dead last. Next to dead last. Basically dead last. And more mediocre than any fantasy advice you’ll receive from ESPN or the #facepalm that happens every time you log in to Yahoo’s fantasy site. And what’s wOBA? Lemme learn ya somethin…
Who fills those strugglin’ ranking slots? The NL East. The Braves, Phillies, Mets, Marlins and Nationals, respectively, feature not a single team over the past two weeks with anything resembling an elite offense. Outside of Daniel Murphy, Marcell Ozuna, Yoenis Cespedes, Odubel Herrera and Freddie Freeman each lineup has a ton of outs. Haha, hell…Madison Bumgarner would have the third most home runs on the Braves right now! So, if you’re a fan of an NL East team, you pray for either time to fly and the future to arrive faster than Byron Buxton cruising to a triple (see: Braves, Phillies), your team to remember how to hit (see: all non-Cespedes Mets), your star to return to form (see: Marlins/Giancarlo) or pitchers to actually give Bryce Harper something to hit (see: Nationals).
But…if you’re a starting pitcher…you pray, nay, petition, for the NL East. Like, ‘Oh, sweet baby Jesus, please let me face them this week!’ Facing one of these teams is hitting the jackpot. But, good heavens, why stop at one? Double down on those prayers and let’s get two of them! Two dragons! That’s exactly what the king of the castle for the Two-Start Pitchers gets in Week 10. Prayers answered!
Pitchers are listed in order by rank. Colors represent worst 8 or best 8 opponents according to team wOBA for last 30 days.
The Best – It. Gets. No. Better. The two worst hitting teams in baseball over the last two weeks, if not the entire season, face off against one of the strongest SP in the game this season. Oh, and the best team in the NL. Two wins are easily foreseeable here, with a lot of Ks. It doesn’t matter if he’s on the road, in a week with some other top-flight options, Lester’s in a thereby himself.
| Player | Opponents | ERA/FIP | K9/BB9 |
| Jon Lester (CHC) | @PHI, @ATL | 2.29/3.22 | 8.79/2.17 |
The Replicas – I had each of these guys in the top tier until I realized just how juicy Lester’s matchups were this week. Bumgarner’s been better than ever, but I don’t care if it’s Pedro in the early 2000’s pitching against his own team, I’m at least a half a shade hesitant for any pitcher going against the Red Sox lineup right now. You don’t sit any of these, regardless of matchup or location (road starts knock the Mets guys).
| Player | Opponents | ERA/FIP | K9/BB9 |
| Madison Bumgarner (SF) | BOS, LAD | 2.12/2.94 | 10.33/2.74 |
| Steven Matz (NYM) | @PIT, @MIL | 2.60/2.85 | 8.62/1.79 |
| Jacob DeGrom (NYM) | @PIT, @MIL | 2.62/3.28 | 7.69/2.62 |
| Masahiro Tanaka (NYY) | LAA, DET | 2.78/3.23 | 7.07/1.64 |
| Joe Ross (WSH) | @CWS, PHI | 2.37/3.45 | 6.82/2.67 |
The Standards – I love that Carrasco is back, but the Mariners are the only lineup that has rivaled Boston’s this year. And totally under the radar, too. The Mariners have a juggernaut lineup? Still doesn’t seem real. Also unreal are Fulmer’s past three starts (22.1 IP/9H/1ER/4BB/22K), Hamels peripherals (sheesh!), and Chatswood’s upside this week. Dodgers (27th wOBA) and Padres (19th)? Even at Coors I’d take it for someone who’s been pitching well.
| Player | Opponents | ERA/FIP | K9/BB9 |
| Carlos Carrasco (CLE) | @SEA, @LAA | 2.45/4.35 | 8.18/2.05 |
| Aaron Sanchez (TOR) | @DET, BAL | 2.99/3.15 | 7.96/3.11 |
| Chris Archer (TB) | @ARI, HOU | 4.75/4.58 | 10.31/4.21 |
| Michael Fulmer (DET) | TOR, @NYY | 3.24/3.57 | 9.50/2.81 |
| Danny Duffy (KC) | @BAL, @CWS | 3.44/3.09 | 9.82/1.72 |
| Dallas Keuchel (HOU) | @TEX, @TB | 5.58/4.11 | 7.53/3.38 |
| Cole Hamels (TEX) | HOU, @SEA | 3.39/4.87 | 9.39/3.39 |
| Mike Leake (STL) | @CIN, @PIT | 3.82/4.85 | 5.53/1.84 |
| J.A. Happ (TOR) | @DET, BAL | 3.06/4.19 | 5.73/2.80 |
| Tyler Chatwood (COL) | @LAD, SD | 2.99/3.84 | 5.71/2.47 |
The Knockoffs – Matt Shoemaker’s been a top 5 SP the past two weeks, but I don’t know that we can fully trust him just yet. I’ve picked him up in multiple RCL’s and am targeting him in some other leagues, but his 2015 and first few months were so bad that he needs to prove he’s back to 2014 Shoemaker before he rises in the rankings when facing a hot lineup like the Indians (8th). Notice a trend in the other starters here? N. L. E. A. S. T. Yep. They’re the least.
| Player | Opponents | ERA/FIP | K9/BB9 |
| Matt Shoemaker (LAA) | @NYY, CLE | 5.50/3.58 | 9.11/2.24 |
| Adam Conley (MIA) | @MIN, @ARI | 3.72/3.48 | 8.84/4.19 |
| Williams Perez (ATL) | @SD, CHC | 3.86/4.07 | 4.26/2.84 |
| Hector Santiago (LAA) | @NYY, CLE | 4.96/5.60 | 7.59/3.36 |
| Juan Nicasio (PIT) | NYM, STL | 4.79/4.54 | 9.00/3.45 |
| Christian Friedrich (SD) | ATL, @COL | 2.53/4.49 | 6.33/5.91 |
| Jonathon Niese (PIT) | NYM, STL | 4.36/5.26 | 6.61/3.09 |
| Colby Lewis (TEX) | HOU, @SEA | 3.09/4.32 | 6.04/1.93 |
| Eddie Butler (COL) | @LAD, SD | 4.13/3.98 | 5.79/1.10 |
| Zach Davies (MIL) | OAK, NYM | 4.53/4.45 | 6.89/2.72 |
The 
– While Pineda should turn it around according to his peripheral stats, Ray is guaranteed for some solid K numbers and guys like Fiers and Bauer could string together some strong starts, you shouldn’t be selecting any of these guys over a top 1-start pitcher. The emoji says it all. And for all you Baby Boomers or anti-Millennials out there…that’s a pile of stinky.
| Player | Opponents | ERA/FIP | K9/BB9 |
| Robbie Ray (ARI) | TB, MIA | 4.74/4.33 | 10.42/4.42 |
| Michael Pineda (NYY) | LAA, DET | 6.92/4.66 | 9.96/2.53 |
| Trevor Bauer (CLE) | @SEA, @LAA | 4.27/4.24 | 8.03/3.59 |
| Mike Fiers (HOU) | @TEX, @TB | 4.84/4.36 | 6.60/1.61 |
| Michael Bolsinger (LAD) | COL, @SF | 4.20/5.25 | 8.40/3.00 |
| Sean Manaea (OAK) | @MIL, @CIN | 6.16/4.41 | 6.87/3.08 |
| Pat Dean (MIN) | MIA, BOS | 4.15/4.16 | 7.96/2.42 |
| Wade Miley (SEA) | CLE, TEX | 4.95/5.10 | 7.05/2.55 |
| Mat Latos (CWS) | WSH, KC | 4.02/5.28 | 4.98/3.38 |
| John Lamb (CIN) | STL, OAK | 5.58/5.56 | 4.70/3.82 |
| Ubaldo Jimenez (BAL) | KC, @TOR | 6.36/4.48 | 7.74/5.16 |
| Mike Wright (BAL) | KC, @TOR | 5.88/5.26 | 6.61/2.94 |
| Adam Morgan (PHI) | CHC, @WSH | 7.07/5.33 | 6.06/2.52 |
All players listed are projected for two starts, and this list is subject to changes after the article is posted.
Good luck in Week 10! Crazy we’re already 2.5 months in. Use these options to gain in the standings and gather some more wins. Drop a comment with your thoughts, and check back next weekend for the Week 11 options!
