Fantasy Baseball 2-Start Pitcher Rankings: Last call for Brayan Bello!

Yahoo

3 days ago

This week's list of two-start pitchers isn't especially long, but there are still a few good options, depending on league size. On the hitting side, the Blue Jays and Brewers will offer plenty of excellent options between now and Thursday.
Two-Start Pitchers (listed in order of preference)
Brayan Bello, Red Sox, 50% (vs. KC, @SD)
Bello has emerged as one of baseball's most consistent starters, having allowed more than three earned runs in just one of his 18 starts. He should excel against a Royals lineup that ranks 29th in runs scored before holding his own vs. the Padres. He's easily the top player to grab in shallow leagues.
Slade Cecconi, Guardians, 27% (@NYM, @CWS)
I mentioned Cecconi in this space last week, as he was expected to be a two-start pitcher during the past 7-day stretch. Unfortunately, a rainout pushed him back a day, and he will now enjoy a two-start week. Cecconi has become a reliable starter, posting a 3.39 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP in his past 10 starts. And his two road starts against the Mets and White Sox are reasonable matchups.
Adrian Houser, Rays, 34% (@LAA, @SEA)
Houser is an interesting gamble this week, as he has a wide range of outcomes. The 32-year-old has come out of nowhere to excel this year, posting a 2.10 ERA in 11 starts with the White Sox. And although he has dramatically outperformed his expected stats, Houser's 3.22 FIP is still an excellent mark. The veteran has joined an organization that is known for finding success with their hurlers, and he has reasonable matchups for his initial two starts with the club.
Michael Soroka, Cubs, 13% (vs. CIN, @STL)
By virtue of holding a 4.87 ERA, Soroka has mostly fallen off the fantasy radar. But he is intriguing as a member of the Cubs, as he moves from a losing team that plays terrible defense to a contending club with a strong defensive group and productive lineup. Soroka maintained a solid 1.13 WHIP during his struggles in Washington, and he could be successful in Chicago by continuing to limit baserunners.
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Luis Severino, Athletics, 22% (@WSH, @BAL)
Severino has been vocal about the fact that he can't succeed at his hitter-friendly home park, and the numbers back him up, as the righty owns a 6.34 ERA at home and a 3.03 mark on the road. Fortunately, Severino has two reasonable road starts this week. His low strikeout rate limits his upside, but he may be able to slide into a few lineups in 12-team leagues.
Patrick Corbin, Rangers, 29% (vs. NYY, vs. PHI)
Corbin shows up in this column for a second straight week by virtue of being pushed back a day. He has maximized his strikeout skills of late, recording at least six strikeouts in six of his past seven starts. And he has been consistent, allowing two earned runs or fewer in each of his past five outings. The lefty with respectable ratios (3.78 ERA, 1.27 WHIP) would rank higher on this list if not for a pair of tough matchups. At least the starts are at home, where Corbin has logged a 3.10 ERA this year.
Mike Burrows, Pirates, 7% (vs. SF, vs. CIN)
Burrows has been hot of late, allowing three runs across 17 innings while posting an 18:4 K:BB ratio in his past three starts. The right-hander doesn't have enough of a track record to be considered in most formats and his win potential is poor thanks to an expected lack of run support from a low-scoring lineup. Still, he could rack up 10-12 whiffs for those in deep leagues.
Justin Verlander, Giants, 18% (@PIT, vs. WSH)
Verlander's results have been all over the map this year, and his overall production over 18 starts (4.53 ERA, 1.49 WHIP) has simply not been good enough for fantasy consideration. Still, the veteran has allowed just one run over 10 innings in his past two starts, which will be good enough to convince those who are desperate for wins to consider him in a two-start week against two teams who sit last in their respective divisions.
One-Start Streamers
In order, here are the best streamers for the week, with their start date and Yahoo roster rate in parentheses.
Clayton Kershaw vs. TOR (Friday, 50)
Logan Henderson vs. NYM (Saturday, 33)
Brady Singer @PIT (Thursday, 45)
José Soriano vs. TB (Tuesday, 41)
Eduardo Rodríguez vs. COL (Saturday, 18)
Ryne Nelson vs. SD (Tuesday, 49)
Cade Horton vs. CIN (Wednesday, 31)
Jeffrey Springs @WSH (Wednesday, 42)
Joe Boyle @SEA (Saturday, 22)
Dustin May vs. KC (Wednesday, 29)
J.T. Ginn @BAL (Friday, 11)
Andrew Heaney vs. SF (Wednesday, 13)
Favorable Monday-Thursday hitting matchups
Blue Jays @ Rockies: Toronto's productive offense gets its chance to visit Coors Field and face a pitching staff with a 5.76 ERA. The Rockies are set to start righties in two of the three games, which makes leadoff hitter Nathan Lukes (2%) and slugger Joey Loperfido (5%) the top men to add.
Brewers @ Braves: Atlanta has run out of effective starting pitchers, which will allow the Brewers to face Joey Wentz and Erick Fedde during this series. Fortunately, there are many Milwaukee hitters who are widely available and have plenty of potential. Leadoff hitter Sal Frelick (38%) is a great fit for those who need steals and runs, while Andrew Vaughn (39%) is a strong power source. In deeper leagues, Caleb Durbin (13%) and Joey Ortiz (5%) warrant consideration.