This will be one of my favorite articles to post every week and I should have one for every week of the 2021 MLB season.
This week's fantasy baseball pitchers with two starts has plenty of three star pitchers. They are mostly players that could go either way and are giving us mixed signals. Read below to see all the pitchers with two starts this week.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Madison Bumgarner: Monday vs Oak, Sunday @ WSH *
Bumgarner has started two games in 2021 for a total of nine innings. He's allowed 15 hits, five walks and 11 earned runs.
Facing two tough teams next week and off to a bad start, I'm leaving Bumgarner in free agency until he shows better production. Unlikely to happen against Oakland and Washington.
Atlanta Braves
Max Fried: Monday vs MIA, Saturday @ CHC ***
Huascar Ynoa: Tuesday vs MIA, Sunday vs CHC ***
Fried struggled in his last appearance, allowing five earned runs in two innings against the Washington Nationals. He was hit in the calf by a line drive in the second inning and able to finish the inning but did not return in the third. Fried has been above average since joining the Braves rotation as a rookie in 2017. My only concern this week is how the calf will hold up bringing his ranking down to three stars.
Ynoa is a top-15 Braves prospect with some MLB time under his belt. He showed some potential in 2020, starting five games and making four relief appearances. In those games his opponents batted .277 against him. He was solid at limiting home runs, however he struggled with control and allowed 13 walks-17 strikeouts in 21.2 IP. Ynoa has pitched six innings in 2021 with only three hits and one walk while striking out five. Hopefully Ynoa can keep this up and be one of this seasons biggest surprises. He is only owned in 0.9% of ESPN leagues and 1% of Yahoo leagues so fantasy managers across the board should be adding Ynoa for his two start week.
Ynoa has yet to throw his changeup in 2021 compared to the 9% from a year ago. Having a two pitch arsenal can be dangerous for pitchers, we will see how Ynoa does despite this.
Baltimore Orioles
Dean Kremer: Monday vs SEA, Saturday @ TEX **
John Means: Tuesday vs SEA, Sunday @ TEX ****
Kremer has five career starts for the Orioles pitching 21.2 innings with an ERA of 5.40. However his FIP is a great 3.51 and impressive 11.22 K/9. This shows Kremer has the talent to pitch well in the majors but he is still risky in fantasy play.
Means has been a breakout candidate the last three seasons and it just hasn't happened yet, but 2021 could be the year. He currently has a 0.86 WHIP through 11.2 IP. Means should be able to continue his success against below average teams Seattle and Texas.
Boston Red Sox
Martin Perez: Monday @ MIN, Sunday vs CHW **
Nathan Eovaldi: Tuesday @ MIN, Sunday vs CHW ***
Perez was not awful in his first start of 2021 against the rival Tampa Bay Rays. Over five IP he allowed five hits, two walks and three earned runs while striking out six. He is going to have another tough week ahead but is a safer bet than Kremer or Alzolay and the other young two star pitchers this week.
Eovaldi could be ranked as a four star pitcher this week if it weren't for the two teams he has to face. Minnesota and the Chicago White Sox are both top five in OPS and rank in the top-10 for every other hitting statistic. Eovaldi has the skills to put a solid performances but he will have to earn it this week.
Chicago Cubs
Adbert Alzolay: Monday @ MIL, Sunday vs ATL **
Alzolay struggled in his first appearance of 2021 against the Brewers and will look for redemption when he faces them again on Monday. The Brewers offense is in the bottom of the league for runs scored and the Braves are even lower. Still I would not trust Alzolay yet, both these teams can get their offense going quickly.
Chicago White Sox
Carlos Rodon: Monday vs CLE, Saturday @ BOS ***
Lucas Giolito: Tuesday vs CLE, Sunday @ BOS *****
Rodon has 237.1 innings pitched since 2017 due to a plethora of injuries. I've been a fan of Rodon's for a while due to his above average fastball which he is now throwing at a career high velocity. He recorded nine strikeouts in only five innings of work against Seattle. I would start him with confidence and hope his body stays healthy.
I predicted Giolito to finish as a top five pitcher this season, and while he's been good he has yet to make it past the sixth inning while allowing five total earned runs in 10.2 IP. He has only allowed six hits and three walks but struck out 18 batters in that span. Giolito is a must start.
Cincinnati Reds
Wade Miley: Monday @ SF, Sunday vs CLE ***
Miley has pitched one game thus far going six innings, striking out six, and allowing only three base-runners on without any scoring. He is a much safer play this week than Keuchel while being owned in far fewer fantasy leagues. I'm not saying you should drop Keuchel for Miley, it's a long season, but if you can stream Miley this week I would do so.
Cleveland Indians
Shane Bieber: Monday @ CHW, Saturday @ CIN *****
Triston McKenzie: Tuesday @ CHW, Sunday @ CIN ***
Bieber is the best young pitcher in the game and is must watch TV anytime he's on the mound.
McKenzie burst onto the scene in 2020 with 10 strikeouts in his MLB debut. He continued to rack up the strikeouts but struggled to pitch late in the game as his pitch velocity got lower every appearance. McKenzie has made one appearance in 2021 pitching 3.2 innings of relief against the Royals. I believe McKenzie has the tools to be a great MLB pitcher but is still young and might struggle against two hard hitting teams this week.
Colorado Rockies
Antonio Senzatela: Tuesday @ LAD, Sunday vs NYM **
I had high hopes for Senzatela entering the season. His two games have been an A-F difference thus far. Firstly he allowed seven earned runs against the Dodgers in only 3.2 IP. Lastly he pitched eight innings of four hit ball and didn't allow a single run against the D-Backs. I think he falls somewhere in between but after a solid 2020 he can be starting to turn the edge. I gave him two stars instead of three because of the two tough teams he plays this week.
Detroit Tigers
Casey Mize: Monday @ HOU, Saturday vs OAK **
Matthew Boyd: Tuesday @ HOU, Sunday vs OAK **
Mize has all the potential in the world and is a consensus top 20 prospect in baseball. Fangraphs rates his future value as a 55 but he needs to prove himself against some of baseballs tougher teams. The Astros currently rank second in runs scored and hard hit balls. They will continue performing at this level no matter who is pitching against them. For this reason Mize in only worth two stars this week.
Boyd was expected to break out in 2020 but did the exact opposite when he went 3-7 with a 6.71 ERA. However, Boyd has been better than expected this season by going 12.2 innings with only 10 hits, three earned runs and 10 strikeouts. While Houston will be a tough matchup, Oakland should be somewhat easier as they haven't found their stroke just yet. Still my expectations of Boyd are tempered for the time being.
Houston Astros
Zack Greinke: Monday vs DET, Sunday @ SEA *****
Greinke is heading into the week with two favorable matchups. Both Detroit and Seattle rank in the bottom five MLB teams for hard hit percentage making it easy on the defenders. Look for Greinke to have stellar outings.
Brady Singer: Monday vs LAA, Saturday vs TOR **
Danny Duffy : Tuesday vs LAA, Sunday vs TOR **
Heading into his second MLB season Singer carried a 4.06 ERA from 2020 with a 4-5 record. 2021 has not started the way fans were expecting. He pitched 3.1 innings against the Texas Rangers and allowed five hits and three walks for five earned runs. I believe Singer can be a solid pitcher but it will be hard going against two top offensive teams this week.
Duffy hasn't been very good the last couple of seasons but in a contract season this year he looks to turn it around. Versus Cleveland he went six innings and allowed five base runners while striking out five and allowing zero earned runs. This week he will have to face Mike Trout and the Angels but also the young and star filled Blue Jays, both unfavorable.
Los Angeles Angels
Dylan Bundy: Tuesday vs KC, Sunday vs MIN ****
Bundy has pitched six innings in both of his 2021 starts but has allowed five earned runs and walked away with two no-decisions. His strikeouts were high in both his starts, recording 16 over the 12 IP compared to only three walks. Bundy has been dominant since joining the Angels in 2020 and is proving valuable to fantasy managers.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Dustin May: Tuesday vs COL, Sunday @ SD ****
May had his start bumped back from Sunday to Tuesday and fantasy managers will benefit from this next week. He was dominant in his first appearance of 2021 pitching six innings with two hits, two walks, and eight strikeouts. He showed why he is projected to be one of the best pitchers and why the Dodgers chose him over David Price as the fifth starter.
Miami Marlins
Sandy Alcantara: Monday @ ATL, Saturday vs SF ****
Pablo Lopez: Tuesday @ ATL, Sunday vs SF ***
Alcantara and Lopez are my two favorite Marlins pitchers. Alcantara has only walked four batters in 2021 to 18 strikeouts proving his value for fantasy purposes. I expect him to get better as the season goes on.
Lopez K-BB is 10-4. Not as good as Alcantara but still solid. I expect him to get better as well but is limited due to fewer strikeouts. It's possible Lopez strings together some nice starts and moves into four star territory.
Milwaukee Brewers
Freddy Peralta: Monday vs CHC, Sunday vs PIT ***
Peralta has two divisional games this week and I believe will be a valuable asset for fantasy managers. Neither the Cubs or Pirates have performed well to start 2021 and Peralta can take advantage.
Minnesota Twins
J.A. Happ: Monday vs BOS, Saturday @ LAA **
Kenta Maeda: Tuesday vs BOS, Sunday @ LAA ****
I get the sense Happ is going to be a weekly streaming option in 12-14 team leagues. Playing on a good team will help with run support so all Happ needs to do is pitch well and get some wins. Much easier said than done. He gets to play Red Sox and Angels this week, both top-10 offensive teams so far. He will probably finish with positive points in both contests but there should be better options to stream this week.
Maeda is as good of a four star pitcher as their can be. I fully expect him to finish as a top 15 pitcher and playing well against these teams will go a long way.
New York Yankees
Gerrit Cole: Monday @ TOR, Sunday vs TB *****
Cole has been on fire to start the season with 12.1 IP, nine hits, two ER, and a 21-2 K-BB. He's making his case to be the best fantasy baseball player in 2021 over deGrom thus far.
New York Mets
David Peterson: Monday vs PHI, Saturday @ COL *
Taijuan Walker: Tuesday vs PHI, Sunday @ COL ***
Peterson is untrustworthy as a fantasy option this week. He only made it four innings on 78 pitches, allowing six ER and two HR. He plays the same Phillies team again on Monday and they will be looking to repeat their performance against him. Then Peterson has to go to Coors Field to play the Rockies(sixth in runs). Peterson already allowed two home runs and will probably allow more this week.
Walker on the other hand should be started with confidence this week after a good performance against the Miami Marlins. Walker has pitched only 67.1 innings since 2018. It's nice to see him pitch six quality innings allowing only two ER. His strikeouts were low but Walker limited damage and only allowed four hits and two walks. He will get you points from innings pitched even against tough matchups if he can stay healthy for a season.
Oakland Athletics
Chris Bassitt: Monday @ ARI, Sunday vs DET **
Bassitt has started off rough compared to 2020 when he finished 5-2 with a 2.29 ERA. Currently he is 0-2 with seven ER through 11.1 IP. Bassitt started against the Dodgers and Astros, however. Bassitt will get the opportunity to pitch against a lower ranked offense in both games this week and has a solid chance of getting his first win of 2021.
Philadelphia Phillies
Chase Anderson: Monday @ NYM, Saturday vs STL *
Aaron Nola: Tuesday @NYM, Sunday vs STL *****
Anderson is not a viable fantasy option heading into the week. While he only allowed a two run home run in his first appearance he only managed three strikeouts through five IP. Anderson was performed too poorly in 2020 to be trusted this early in 2021.
Nola's only allowed three ER through 10.2 IP in his two games thus far but does not have a win yet. His 11-2 K-BB is excellent and fantasy managers are hoping the Phillies offense gives Nola more run support going forward.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Trevor Cahill: Monday vs SD, Saturday @ MIL *
Chad Kuhl: Tuesday vs SD, Sunday @ MIL **
After his most recent performance Cahill should not be started under any circumstance.
Kuhl hasn't made it past the fifth inning yet but still holds more value than Cahill and could finish with a positive score but it will be tough if he is unable to get a quality start.
San Diego Padres
Yu Darvish: Monday @ PIT, Saturday vs LAD *****
Blake Snell: Tuesday @ PIT, Sunday vs LAD *****
The San Diego Padres are the only team to have two five star pitchers with two starts this week. Darvish faced some trouble in his first outing but came back with a near perfect six innings his next game. Snell has yet to make it into the sixth inning but has still pitched very well. He needs to do better at limiting his walks helping him stay in the game longer.
Seattle Mariners
Justus Sheffield: Monday @ BAL, Saturday vs HOU **
Sheffield had an impressive 2020 season and a little hype headed into 2021 due to the low amount of barreled balls limiting his home runs. He did get burnt against the White Sox to start 2021 but is facing a much different team this week in Baltimore. Sheffield will be a nice streaming option to start the week but it would be hard to trust him against the Astros.
San Francisco Giants
Aaron Sanchez: Monday vs CIN, Sunday @ MIA ***
Sanchez allowed only one ER versus the Padres. This was the first time he's pitched a regular season game since August 2019. He is rostered in 0.9% of ESPN leagues and should be added going forward. I'm excited to see if he can continue pitching well.
John Gant: Monday vs WSH, Sunday @ PHI **
Gant faced some trouble against the Marlins when he loaded the bases in the first inning, but didn't allow a single earned run through four innings and struck out four along the way. Gant is used to being a reliever and might need some more time to be comfortable throwing six or seven innings, limiting his production.
Tampa Bay Rays
Tyler Glasnow: Monday vs TEX, Saturday @ NYY *****
Ryan Yarbrough: Tuesday vs TEX, Sunday @ NYY ***
Glasnow has been brilliant through 12 innings this season allowing five hits, two walks, and one earned run, while striking out 15. Glasnow has shown the potential for this breakout for years and now it may finally be happening. Going forward Glasnow should be looked at as a five star pitcher.
Yarbrough pitched well his first game against the Marlins but struggled mightily the game after against the Red Sox. He faces tough teams this week and could struggle some more. If he does I would be patient with him and not sell low on him.
Texas Rangers
Dane Dunning: Monday @ TB, Saturday vs BAL ***
Kyle Gibson: Tuesday @ TB, Sunday vs BAL ***
Dunning has pitched one game with Texas after being sent over in the offseason from the Chicago White Sox. He allowed three hits and one earned run versus Toronto and struck out six through five innings. Dunning is only rostered in 9.4% of ESPN leagues and is one of the best waiver wire options.
Gibson couldn't make it out of the first inning during the season opener when he allowed five ER and only got one out. However his next appearance Gibson went six innings and struck out eight while not allowing a single earned run. Gibson is available in most fantasy leagues and could be a risky but rewarding streamer this week.
Toronto Blue Jays
Hyun Jin Ryu: Monday vs NYY, Saturday @ KC ****
Ross Stripling: Tuesday vs NYY, Sunday @ KC **
Ryu has allowed two ER in each of his first two games this season but fantasy managers should not worry. He was able to finish seven innings and strike out seven his last appearance.
Stripling has some value from strikeouts but only if he can limit the earned runs. I wouldn't trust him over the other two star options listed here, however.
Washington Nationals
Stephen Strasburg: Monday @ STL, Saturday vs ARI *****
Strasburg only made two starts in 2020 but is back for 2021 and already showing fans why we missed him. He allowed only one hit and two walks through six innings against the Braves while striking out eight. If Strasburg can stay healthy all year he'll have no problem finishing in the top 12 pitchers.
Feel free to leave a comment, question or suggestion down below. You can reach out to me on social media as I am always available for a conversation about baseball or any sport.
All stats from Fangraphs, Baseball Reference, and MLB.com.
Featured Image courtesy of AP.
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