Double Up! Two-Start Pitchers For August 13-18

How’s August treating you? Just about two weeks into August we’ve seen a number of pitchers on the move and make their debuts for their new team. In a lot of cases, these guys were brought on to help their team make a playoff push. For fantasy owners, many may be doing exactly the same. If you’re looking for a boost to help secure that playoff spot, check out these two-start pitchers for next week.

For more help setting this week’s lineups, check out Eric Cross’ Waiver Wire Pickups.

Keep up with all the latest Fantasy Baseball happenings with Van Lee, Jeff Zimmerman and Rob Silver on the Launch Angle Podcast.

Two-Start Pitchers for Week of August 13

*As always, keep in mind that these are the probable two-start pitchers as of Saturday, August 11 and are subject to change. 

No-Brainer Two-Start Pitchers

It’s simple. These are the two-start pitchers you should slot into your roster and not worry about. These are the guys that have a pair of favorable matchups, are hot of late, or are just plain studs.

• Justin Verlander – 8/14 vs. COL, 8/19 @OAK
  
• Clayton Kershaw – 8/13 vs. SF, 8/19 @SEA
  
• Jacob deGrom – 8/13 @NYY, 8/18 @PHI
• Zack Greinke – 8/13 @TEX, 8/19 @SD
• Luis Severino – 8/13 vs. NYM, 8/18 vs. TOR
  
• Rick Porcello – 8/14 @ PHI, 8/19 vs. TB
• Mike Clevinger – 8/13 @CIN, 8/19 vs. BAL
• Madison Bumgarner – 8/13 @ LAD, 8/18 @ CIN
• Miles Mikolas – 8/13 vs. WAS, 8/18 vs. MIL
• Mike Foltynewicz – 8/13 vs. MIA, 8/18 vs. COL

You never quite know what you’re going to end up with when heading into the week. Rainouts, injuries, and managerial decisions love to pop up and make planning a nightmare for fantasy owners. Sometimes though, the stars align and you’re left with a huge crop of top-tier two-start pitchers. That’s what we have this week.

Safe Bets

There’s no doubt that these guys could go out there and keep opposing hitters at bay. They’re the kind of pitchers you can lean on to give you six quality innings. They’re solid, safe bets and should be relied on to put forth respectable outings.

• Chris Archer – 8/14 @ MIN, 8/19 vs. CHC: Archer hasn’t been quite what Pittsburgh had hoped when they brought him over from the Rays. In two starts, he’s allowed six earned runs and has failed to pitch past the fifth inning both times. As we know with Archer, the strikeout potential is always there. Fortunately for him, he gets to face the Twins, who traded away most of their firepower at the deadline.
• Andrew Heaney – 8/13 @ SD, 8/18 @ TEX: Heaney just recently ended a six-start streak of six innings or more. He hasn’t been dominant by any means but he’s getting the job done and rewarding fantasy owners. This week he draws the Padres and Rangers, who rank sixth and fifth, respectively in strikeouts against the southpaw. Expect Heaney to not only give you length but throw up some K’s as well.
• J.A. Happ – 8/14 vs. TB, 8/19 vs. TOR: Happ will get a chance to pitch against his former team in the coming week. Aside from that though, there’s a lot to like about the southpaw. In his first two starts in pinstripes, Happ put together back-to-back quality starts and collected 11 strikeouts. Look for the veteran to keep the ball rolling.
• German Marquez – 8/14 @ HOU, 8/19 @ ATL: As is the case with most Rockies starters, Marquez is a different pitcher on the road than he is at home. His home ERA sits at an unsightly 6.42 while his road is a tidy 3.09. Batters are hitting just .206 off the righty on the road compared to .319 at home. Marquez gets two starts on the road this week, and while they’re tough opponents, I like my chances.
• Reynaldo Lopez – 8/13 @ DET, 8/19 vs. KC: Lopez gets the good fortune of facing two struggling offenses in Detroit and Kansas City. The Tigers rank dead last in average versus righties, hitting .229, while the Royals aren’t much better at .240. Lopez is coming off two straight seven-inning performances and I don’t see why he can’t keep it up with these two matchups.
• Sean Manaea – 8/13 vs. SEA, 8/19 vs. HOU

Proceed With Caution

It’s never a sure thing what you’re going to get from these guys. Their matchups aren’t overly challenging, which could allow them to turn in some really solid numbers. There’s always risk, though, so don’t expect too much.

• Marco Gonzales – 8/13 @ OAK, 8/19 vs. LAD: What do you get when you put a struggling pitcher up against two relentless offenses? A bad time. Over his last four starts, Gonzales has allowed 15 runs and six homers. With Oakland as hot as they come and the always dangerous Dodgers on his schedule, I’m not taking my chances.
• Anibal Sanchez – 8/14 vs. MIA, 8/19 vs. COL: Based off of the matchups alone, I wouldn’t be too afraid to run Sanchez out there for two starts. However, he left his last start with a calf injury and has been nursing it since then. While the Braves say he’ll be ready to go, monitor his status and adjust accordingly.
• Jose Quintana – 8/14 vs. MIL, 8/19 @ PIT
• Nick Pivetta – 8/14 vs. BOS, 8/19 vs. NYM
• Jake Odorizzi – 8/14 vs. PIT, 8/19 vs. DET

Nothing To See Here

Stay away from these two-start pitchers. I know the thought of two starts in a week is tempting, but it’s more likely these guys put you in the negative than help you.

• Jamie Barria 
• Ryan Borucki
• Clayton Richard
• Andrew Suarez
• Brad Keller
• Tommy Milone
• Blaine Hardy
• John Grant
• Pablo Lopez
• Jason Vargas
• Heath Fillmyer
• Jacob Turner 
• David Hess