Fantasy Baseball 2-Start Pitcher Rankings: Solid options to target, including ones with long-term upside

Yahoo

5 days ago

This may be the best week for two-start pitchers to this point in the 2025 fantasy baseball season. There are three men atop the list who have plenty of long-term potential. And that trio is followed by several starters who have at least one appealing matchup. Things are less exciting on the hitting side, as 28 teams have six games this week, which makes for a balanced schedule across the league.
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Weathers has looked great in two starts since returning from a season-opening IL stint, allowing two runs over 10 innings and posting a 9:1 K:BB ratio. Even more impressive, both outings came against the Cubs, who lead MLB in runs scored. There is a real chance that the left-hander will be rostered in most leagues by the middle of June, which makes him an exciting streamer for a week with midlevel matchups.
Birdsong fared well in his first start since transitioning from the bullpen, allowing five hits and one unearned run across five innings. Even more impressive, the right-hander who sometimes has control issues did not issue a walk. Birdsong's strikeout skills give him plenty of upside, and he has more long-term potential than most of the pitchers on this list.
Normally a high-strikeout hurler, Bradley has emerged from a month-long dip in his strikeout rate by collecting 18 whiffs across his past three starts. Now that the strikeouts are back, the right-hander can be considered in most leagues for a two-start week with average matchups. He could wind up remaining on rosters for the long haul.
Taillon sometimes surrenders long balls, but his struggles reached an extreme level when he allowed eight homers across his past three starts. To make matters worse, the homers can't be blamed on park effects and two of the starts came against a below average Marlins lineup. I would normally recommend benching the veteran until he gets back on track, but his home start against the 9-44 Rockies is so appealing that I would roll him out in 12-team leagues.
By mostly keeping the ball in the yard (5 HR), Vasquez has managed to minimize the damage (3.49 ERA) that comes with an inability to dominate the strike zone (27:26 K:BB ratio) or keep the bases clean (1.43 WHIP). I would normally leave a pitcher with this skill set off the list, but his matchups are so favorable — the Marlins rank 21st in runs scored and the Pirates place 30th — that I need to recommend him as a high-floor play in 12-team leagues.
Martinez is coming off two of his best starts of the season (13 IP, 1 ER), albeit against two of the weakest offenses in baseball (CWS, PIT). Still, the right-hander deserves credit for doing two things in the past month that lead to success, as he has allowed two walks in his past four starts and hasn't surrendered a homer since April 16. He would rank high on this list if not for a scary matchup against a potent Cubs lineup.
Fedde has plenty of similarities to Vasquez, having danced around a poor K:BB ratio (34:25) to post respectable fantasy numbers (3.77 ERA, 1.27 WHIP). And similar to Vasquez, Fedde finds himself on this list solely because he's scheduled to face two teams that are among the bottom-10 in runs scored.
Since allowing nine runs in his 2025 debut, Paddack has posted a 2.59 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP across nine starts. He has benefited from a .245 BABIP over that nine-start stretch, but his 33:15 K:BB in those games is good enough to get him into 12-team lineups for a two-start week with reasonable matchups.
Despite having shown modest dominance over the strike zone (42:21 K:BB ratio in 55.2 innings), Heaney has been a fantasy asset who has logged a 2.91 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. Still, I hesitate to use him this week, as the D-backs are a tough matchup (5th in baseball in runs scored), and the Padres were doing well offensively prior to a mid-May slump. Backed by baseball's worst offense, Heaney has limited upside.
The wheels are starting to come off for Sears, who outperformed his skill set for about six weeks before allowing 10 runs over nine innings in his past two starts. Going forward, managers should use the lefty's lifetime 4.32 ERA and 1.24 WHIP as a guideline for expectations, which puts him squarely in the streamer category. With average matchups this week, Sears is a fringe option in 12-team leagues.
Williams has had more success since the calendar flipped to May, producing two wins, a 2.25 ERA and 29 punchouts in four starts. He still isn't a finished product, as he walked 12 batters in those four outings, but at least there are signs that he could be a viable fantasy option in the coming weeks. His matchups this week are difficult — the Dodgers rank third in runs scored and the Angels are the 6th highest scoring offense in May — which keeps him down on this list.
Lorenzen has been the definition of a streamer, logging respectable ratios (3.77 ERA, 1.27 WHIP) and a modest 7.9 K/9 rate. His ceiling is low for two starts against offenses that rank among the top half of the league in runs scored, but he has enough of a floor to be considered in leagues that are deeper than 12 teams.
In order, here are the best streamers for the week, with their start date and Yahoo roster rate in brackets.
Cade Horton vs. COL (Tuesday, 20)
Dean Kremer vs. CWS (Saturday, 6)
Michael Wacha vs. DET (Friday, 48)
Landen Roupp @DET (Wednesday, 17)
Dustin May @CLE (Tuesday, 39)
José Soriano @CLE (Friday, 27)
Clarke Schmidt @LAA (Wednesday, 49)
Jackson Jobe vs. SF (Wednesday, 42)
Luis L. Ortiz vs. LAA (Friday, 17)
Logan Evans vs. WSH (Tuesday, 7)
Shane Smith @NYM (Tuesday, 26)
Tomoyuki Sugano vs. STL (Tuesday, 35)
Gunnar Hoglund @TOR (Saturday, 9)
Hunter Dobbins @ATL (Saturday, 8)
Noah Cameron vs. CIN (Wednesday, 28)
Jacob Lopez @TOR (Thursday, 0)
Cubs vs. Rockies: Sure, this series won't take place at offense-inducing Coors Field, but a Rockies pitching staff that ranks last in baseball with a 5.73 ERA will be no match for the league's highest scoring team. Most Cubs are widely rostered, but those in 10-team leagues should make sure that Michael Busch, Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner are in their lineups. And in 12-team leagues, Matt Shaw (52%) is a good option from the waiver wire.
Rays vs. Twins, @Astros: Although there are some formidable starters on the docket, the Rays should provide fantasy managers with a few solid options by virtue of being the only team that is facing four right-handed starters over the next four days. Left-handed hitters Jonathan Aranda (48%), Brandon Lowe (54%), Chandler Simpson (30%) and Kameron Misner (2%) are the men to add.