Welcome to another edition of the 2024 Two-Start Pitcher Rankings!
My ranking is divided into four levels: “Set and forget,” “Likely to launch,” “Questionable,” and “Avoid.” Set and forget Starters are just that; get them in your lineup and don’t think twice about it. Most likely start This tier includes players who have a mix of skills and matchups that almost certainly make them two-start players, but come with a slightly higher risk compared to the top tier. Questionable Starters are the ones that are best suited for daily lineup leagues where you can use them against the tougher of your two opponents, or they are more situational in weekly leagues. Finally, we have the Avoid Level that includes two starting SPs that should remain on your bench or on the wire.
Every week I choose my Two-Start Streamer of the Week. The criteria for a streamer is a squad quota of under 50% in Yahoo leagues. The streamer of the week will be highlighted in green in the tables. Contact me in the PL+ Discord or on Twitter. @AnthonyTucker81 and let me know if you would consider the weekly streamer a success or a failure.
As a reminder, the predicted starters are only forecasts and are subject to change.
Set and forget
- Pablo Lopez And Freddy Peralta entered the season with expectations as SP1s and potential Cy Young candidates. Instead, both have ERAs above 4.00 as of mid-August. López in particular has been particularly inconsistent this year. Despite the frustrations, both have strikeout rates above 27%, making them must-start options for the rest of the game.
Most likely
- With the return of the weekend Merrill Kelly Regarding Arizona’s rotation, it is unclear whether the DBacks will move to a six-man rotation. If they stay with five starters, Brandon Pfaadt is well positioned against the away Rockies and a weakened Rays lineup.
- Paul Blackburn looks to be one of the biggest fantasy risers since the trade deadline, having gone from the last-place A’s to a Mets team that is in the thick of the Wild Card race. He has made two good starts since arriving in Queens and is well positioned to keep the momentum going. After pitching for an Oakland organization in full-tank mode the last couple of seasons, Blackburn should be especially motivated in his first start of the week. Combined with a weekend visit from a Marlins team that has scored the fewest runs in the NL, Blackburn is an easy pick for Two-star streamer of the week.
Questionable
- Joe Musgrove returns to the Padres’ rotation after an extended stay on the IL. It remains to be seen what we can expect from Musgrove, although the results before the IL were not what we expected from Musgrove. The decision to use Java Joe after just one rehab outing depends entirely on your risk tolerance. The Pirates and Rockies are both in the bottom five in wRC+, which makes the decision to take the risk especially tempting.
- Charlie Morton is no longer a trustworthy fantasy option, as he has bloated rates due to some disastrous performances, most recently his 8 earned run performance in 2.2 innings. Morton has seemingly delivered pitching lines this season that are either really good or really bad, with little in between. It’s up to you if you’re willing to run the wheel with Morton, but he’s best suited as a points league option.
