Below are Fantasy Baseball Two-Start Pitchers for Week 3 (Apr. 14 – Apr. 20). Heading into your week you can see how many starts are expected from your pitchers and how many starts your opponent has lined up for the week in case you need to stream for the win. You can also see which pitchers available on the waiver wire are worth an add. Two starts for the most part, are better than one and even the slightest edge will go along way. There are a few must starts as well as a few starts fantasy owners might want to think twice about.
No doubt about it:
Stephen Strasburg – Washington Nationals (1-1, 4.24 ERA) @ MIA (Tom Koehler) & vs STL (Shelby Miller)
Cliff Lee – Philadelphia Phillies (2-1, 5.50 ERA) vs David Hale & @ COL (Juan Nicasio)
Anibal Sanchez – Detroit Tigers (0-0, 3.00 ERA) vs Zach McAllister & vs LAA (Hector Santiago)
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Look for Jordan Zimmerman to have a nice bounce back week with Two-Starts in Week 3. (Unknown)
Jordan Zimmerman – Washington Nationals (0-0, 8.10) @ MIA (Brad Hand) & vs STL (Lance Lynn)
Don’t let the ERA fool you, Zimmerman is a great play for Week 3. He was excellent in his first start of 2014 against the Braves allowing only four hits through five innings while striking out nine. Zimmerman had an unlucky outing and didn’t get the win after getting roughed up in 1.2 innings in his second start against the Marlins. Zimmerman gave up five runs on seven hits, but I wouldn’t count on the Marlins getting to him again. He won all three starts against Miami last season while striking out 16 batters. He cracks the top of the list because of his matchup against the Mariners.
Potential is there:
Gerrit Cole – Pittsburgh Pirates (2-0, 3.46 ERA) @ CIN (Mike Leake) & MIL (Marco Estrada)
Masahiro Tanaka – New York Yankees (1-0, 3.21 ERA) vs CHC (Jason Hammel) & @ TB (Jake Odorizzi)
Yordano Ventura – Kansas City Royals (0-0, 0.00 ERA) @ HOU (Lucas Harrell) & vs MIN (Phil Hughes)
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Watching Yordano Ventura this year is going to be an over sized slice of awesome.
— Neil Parker (@naparker77) April 9, 2014
Especially if you own him! If last year wasn’t a big enough sample size, his six scoreless effort with six strikeouts against the Rays last week was just another example of what is on the way from this kid. Problem is, you should have already bought into Yordano Ventura a long time ago. The flame-thrower hit 102.9 mph on the gun yet again last week and he has two favorable matchups in Week 3 with the Astros and Twins. I’d like to see Ventura go deeper into a game and we may not see that for a bit, because of how hard he throws. Word is the Royals want 200 innings from Ventura, but we haven’t seen him pitch into the seventh just yet.
Lance Lynn – St. Louis Cardinals (2-0, 6.55 ERA) @ MIL (Matt Garza) & @ WAS (Jordan Zimmermann)
Homer Bailey – Cincinnati Reds (0-1, 7.71 ERA) vs PIT (Wandy Rodriguez) & @ CHC (Edwin Jackson)
Ervin Santana – Atlanta Braves (1-0, 0.00 ERA) @ Phi (Roberto Hernandez) & @ NYM (Bartolo Colon)
Santana threw eight scoreless innings in his Atlanta debut and has a very good chance to win his next two starts as well with the Phillies and Mets on the schedule for Week 3. Santana will always provide a few strikeouts to your Fantasy Baseball squad and should get enough run support for double digits wins in 2014. Santana had a 6.87 K/9 rate with a 3.24 ERA over 211.0 innings last year with the Royals, pitching against the majority of his games against potent American League teams. His career high K/9 is 8.91 which is most likely not reachable for Santana, but I think he can touch close to eight strikeouts per game.
Shelby Miller – St. Louis Cardinals (0-2, 6.35 ERA) @ MIL (Marco Estrada) & @ WAS (Stephen Strasburg)
Chris Archer – Tampa Bay Rays (1-0, 1.38 ERA) @ BAL (Wei-Yin Chen) & vs NYY (Ivan Nova)
Archer almost made the ‘hope for the best’ list because he has two very tough matchups in the Orioles and Yankees, but Archer is a must start despite his opponents for Week 3. He went head to head with Ventura last week, tossing seven scoreless innings. It’s a small sample size because Archer is in his second season in the bigs, but he won all three starts against the Yankees three earned runs over 22 innings. He pitched a complete game two hit shutout back July, but keep in mind this Yankee team is much different. Archer was hammered against the O’s in a start last September in where he lasted only 4.1 innings giving up four runs on five hits.
Hope for the best:
Zack Wheeler – New York Mets (0-2, 5.73 ERA) @ ARI (Bronson Arroyo) & vs ATL (David Hale)
I wouldn’t give up on Wheeler yet, especially in a keeper league, but if he starts to go on a hot streak I would think hard about dealing him. New York will have trouble scoring runs all season so the wins will be hard to come by. Even though he gave up eight hits in his last start against the Braves he gave his team a chance to win the game, but couldn’t get the run support. That will happen a ton this season. Wheeler is a great source for strikeouts though, but sell high when he gets going.
Phil Hughes – Minnesota Twins (0-0, 7.20 ERA) vs TOR (Brandon Morrow) & @ KC (Yordano Ventura)
Marco Estrada – Milwaukee Brewers (1-0, 2.31 ERA) vs STL (Shelby Miller) & @ PIT (Gerrit Cole)
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Marco Estrada went into Fenway Park in his first start of 2014 and allowed only one earned run on four hits while striking out six. (Mark Hirsch/Getty Images North America)
I like the Brewers a lot this year. If healthy, I think they have an offense to compete with the likes of the Reds, Cards and certainly the Pirates. Estrada is a guy who can provide a few strikeouts with a chance to grab a win. This might be the biggest test for Marco with Miller and Cole on the schedule for Week 3. If Estrada can escape the Cards and Pirates then I think he is worth hanging on to, if not already owned. Right now he is owned in 65 percent of Yahoo! leagues and Estrada won all three starts against the Pirates last season striking out 19 batters over 19 innings.
Matt Garza – Milwaukee Brewers (0-1, 2.57 ERA) vs STL (Lance Lynn) & @ PIT (Wandy Rodriguez)
Jake Peavy – Boston Red Sox (0-0, 2.13 ERA) @ CWS (Erik Johnson) & vs BAL (Wei-Yin Chen)
Brandon Morrow – Toronto Blue Jays (1-1, 5.73 ERA) @ MIN (Phil Hughes) & @ CLE (Zach McAllister)
David Hale – Atlanta Braves (0-0, 2.98 ERA) @ PHI (Cliff Lee) & @ NYM (Zack Wheeler)
David Hale is only four percent owned in Yahoo! leagues, a number which is far too low. Simply put, Hale makes batters swing and miss. He had 14 strikeouts over 11 innings in 2013 and had four in five scoreless in his first start of the year against the Nationals. The reason? An elite 12.4% SwStr%. Hale did struggle in his second turn against the Mets failing to get out of the fifth inning and walking five batters. He’s worth a shot in Week 3 with the Phillies and Mets again. Maybe he learned a thing or two having faced them already. With all the injuries the Braves have in the rotation, Hale has a spot for now.
Bronson Arroyo – Arizona Diamondbacks (1-0, 7.20 ERA) vs NYM (Zack Wheeler) & @ LAD (Josh Beckett)
Jesse Chavez – Oakland Athletics (0-0, 1.38 ERA) @ LAA (Hector Santiago) & vs HOU (Lucas Harrell)
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Jesse Chavez is owned in only 13 percent of Yahoo! leagues. (Getty Images)
Chavez has been very impressive since the start of spring training to now. He has 38 punch outs over 41.1 innings from camp on. He has Houston on the schedule for Week 3 which should add to his 23.8 strikeout rate. He was phenomenal in his last start against the Twins allowing only one run on six hits while striking out nine over seven innings. If it wasn’t for Jim Johnson, he would have a win to his name already. Chavez may be in tough against the Angels, but he’ll get the the Astros in his second start. Chavez has allowed only two runs in 13 innings.
Jordan Lyles – Colorado Rockies (2-0, 3.86 ERA) @ SD (Eric Stults) & vs PHI (Roberto Hernandez)
Hector Santiago – Los Angeles Angels (0-2, 7.71 ERA) vs OAK (Jesse Chavez) & @ DET (Anibal Sanchez)
Wandy Rodriguez – Pittsburgh Pirates (0-2, 5.73 ERA) @ CIN (Homer Bailey) & vs MIL (Matt Garza)
Zach McAllister – Cleveland Indians (1-0, 2.31 ERA) @ 7DET (Anibal Sanchez) & vs TOR (Brandon Morrow)
Tim Lincecum – San Francisco Giants (0-1, 9.90 ERA) vs LAD (Josh Beckett) & @ SD (Eric Stults)
Eric Stults – San Diego Padres (1-0, 1.35 ERA) vs COL (Jordan Lyles) & SF (Tim Lincecum)
Risky business:
Juan Nicasio – Colorado Rockies (1-0, 3.75 ERA) @ SD (Eric Stults) & vs PHI (Cliff Lee)
Robbie Erlin – San Diego Padres (1-0, 1.35 ERA) vs COL (TBA) & vs SF (Tim Hudson)
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If you were to take a risk on a Two-Start Pitcher for Week 3, Robbie Erlin is a good bet at a solid week. (Norm Hall/Getty Images North America)
Erlin was fantastic in his first start of the season allowing only one run on four Cleveland hits while striking out six. Erlin is a decent option for Week 3 if you are in a deep Fantasy Baseball league. He is owned in only three percent of Yahoo! leagues so he should be available in yours, but he may not be for long. Erlin earned his stripes last year by finishing the season with back-to-back seven strikeout games against the Diamondbacks and Dodgers. He allowed only four Dodger hits in 7.2 scoreless innings. That start speaks for the potential Erlin has in this just his second season in the bigs.
Erik Johnson – Chicago White Sox (0-1, 9.58 ERA) vs BOS (Jake Peavy) & @ TEX (Colby Lewis)
Lucas Harrell – Houston Astros (0-2, 11.05 ERA) vs KC (Yordano Ventura) & @ OAK (Jesse Chavez)
Jake Odorizzi – Tampa Bay Rays (1-1, 5.73 ERA) @ BAL (Miguel Gonzalez) & vs NYY (Masahiro Tanaka)
Colby Lewis – Texas Rangers (N/A) vs SEA (TBA) & vs CWS (Erik Johnson)
Lewis isn’t the best option for Week 3, in fact he might be the worst! He hasn’t pitched since 2012 and when looking back to that season Lewis had a 7.97 K/9 rate which was a third straight year in which he struck out seven batters per nine innings. In 2010 he fanned 8.78 batters per nine nine innings. Lewis is a wait and see Fantasy Baseball option. If the Rangers can get their offense going Lewis could provide a few wins, but don’t risk it yet. He is only one percent owned in Yahoo! leagues, you’ll have plenty of time to gamble on the 34-year-old.
Roenis Elias – Seattle Mariners (0-1, 2.70 ERA) @ TEX (Robbie Ross) & @ MIA (Henderson Alvarez)
Robbie Ross – Texas Rangers (0-0, 1.74 ERA) vs SEA (Roenis Elias) & vs CHW (Jose Quintana)
Robbie Ross is only owned in three percent of Yahoo! leagues and although he has been wild with his walks, eight in 10.1 innings, he has been effective. Despite six walks against the Red Sox he managed to pitch 5.1 scoreless innings allowing only two hits. Ross fanned seven in five innings in his first start against the Phillies and we can expect a few more K’s in Week 3 with two starts. Last year Ross had 58 strikeouts over 62.1 innings, all out of the pen.
Wei-Yin Chen – Baltimore Orioles (1-1, 6.75 ERA) vs TB (Chris Archer) & @ BOS (Jake Peavy)
Josh Beckett – Los Angeles Dodgers (0-0, 9.00 ERA) @ SF (Tim Lincecum) & ARI (Bronson Arroyo)
Roberto Hernandez – Philadelphia Phillies (1-0, 4.35 ERA) vs ATL (Ervin Santana) & @ COL (Jordan Lyles)
If your Fantasy Baseball team is in need of a few strikeouts Roberto Hernandez can provide just that. He has 14 strikeouts over 10.1 innings in 2014. He is coming off a nine punch-out performance against the Brewers. Don’t expect a great line in either, but you can count on K’s.
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