2 Start Pitchers: Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers for Week 17 (2025)

July 20, 2025

Pranav's 2 start pitchers, fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups, streamers, starts for Week 17 of 2025 (July 21 to July 27). His top SP matchups with two starts.

Hi, RotoBallers! Welcome back to another Two-Start Pitchers - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Streamers and Starts article for Week 17 of 2025, from July 21 to July 27. The All-Star break becomes an extension to the week after in some leagues, possibly giving you the chance to stream a three-start pitcher.

Every week of the 2025 fantasy baseball season, this fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups column will identify starting pitchers in line to make two starts in the upcoming week. It will look at fantasy baseball streamers ahead of the Sunday night waiver wire run for leagues with weekly transactions.

There are 33 pitchers who are currently scheduled for two starts in this period. We will examine the best options with roster rates under 50 percent. Pitchers with roster rates over 50 percent will also be listed. The other two-start pitchers are available, but they are not listed, as they should be avoided.

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Two-Start Pitchers - Over 50% Rostered

• Carlos Rodon (@ TOR, vs. PHI)
• Shane Baz (vs. CHW, @ CIN)
• Kevin Gausman (vs NYY, @ DET)
• Tanner Bibee (vs. BAL, @ KC)
• Casey Mize (@ PIT, vs. TOR)
• Jack Flaherty (@ PIT, vs. TOR)
• Framber Valdez (@ ARZ, vs. ATH)
• Bryan Woo (vs. MIL, @ LAA)
• George Kirby (vs. MIL, @ LAA)
• Jacob deGrom (vs. ATH, vs. ATL)
• Eury Perez (vs. SD, @ MIL)
• Kodai Senga (vs. LAA, @ SF)
• Zack Wheeler (vs. BOS, @ NYY)
• Mitch Keller (vs. DET, vs. ARZ)
• Shohei Ohtani (vs. MIN, @ BOS)

Best Available Two-Start Pitcher Streamers

Jacob Lopez (21% Rostered), Athletics

Scheduled Starts: @ TEX, @ HOU

Jacob Lopez is one of the most tantalizing pitchers available on most waiver wires. Through 55 2/3 innings this season, he holds a 4.20 ERA, 4.27 FIP, 1.33 WHIP, 27.9% strikeout rate, and 8.5% walk rate.

While Lopez's away splits are far worse than anyone would like (5.01 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 19.6% strikeout in 23 1/3 innings), it's largely due to a terrifying Toronto start (seven runs allowed in 1 2/3 innings).

Getting away from hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park will benefit most pitchers. The two Texas offenses he'll get this week rank 17th and 22nd in runs scored. Neither offense is bad enough to think this is a risk-free spot for the 27-year-old, but no one has a higher ceiling than Lopez this week.

Lopez has a shot at a great week; stream him, but with caution.

Jacob Lopez, Nasty 85mph Changeup. 👌 pic.twitter.com/xCtuvtA8N2

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 20, 2025

Cade Horton (13% Rostered), Chicago Cubs

Scheduled Starts: vs. KC, @ CHW

Cade Horton has experienced some growing pains in his rookie year, as he carries a 4.45 ERA, 4.39 FIP, 1.41 WHIP, 17.5% strikeout rate, and 7.3% walk rate through 56 2/3 innings.

There's certainly hope for the future, as he's had an incredible 13.8% SwStr rate, 29.7% CSW rate, and 28.3% whiff rate this season. His changeup is morphing into a star secondary pitch, with a 17.5% SwStr rate, 59.6% whiff rate, and .190 xwOBA on 12.6% usage.

A .320 BABIP and 69.1% left-on-base rate should push that ERA down to a more reasonable level. A 12.3% barrel rate is still frightening enough to scare many away, but he should be safe against the American League's two lowest-scoring offenses.

Cade Horton, Filthy 87mph Changeup. 😷 pic.twitter.com/zWpaowemYH

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 4, 2025

Riskier Two-Start Pitcher Streamer Picks

Brady Singer (47% Rostered), Cincinnati Reds

Scheduled Starts: @ WAS, vs. TB

Brady Singer has seemingly not shown much improvement after a stellar start to the season, with a 4.32 ERA, 4.02 FIP, 1.35 WHIP, 21.4% strikeout rate, and 9.3% walk rate through 19 starts. But his numbers have ticked up as of late, with a 4.26 ERA, 2.89 FIP, 1.38 WHIP, 28.6% strikeout rate, and 7.1% walk rate in his last five starts.

While most of his batted ball and plate discipline statistics resemble his season-long numbers, a .373 BABIP should settle down and bring Singer a better string of starts soon. Still, Singer's 10.1% SwStr rate and 27.9% CSW rate this season are too low to bank on him keeping this run going for much longer.

Regardless, you wouldn't want to test him against a Tampa Bay offense ranked third in scoring since June 1.

Max Scherzer (44% Rostered), Toronto Blue Jays

Scheduled Starts: vs. NYY, @ DET

While Toronto Blue Jays fans might not be happy with Max Scherzer's performance since his return to the mound this season, he's offered a very specific appeal in fantasy. Through five starts, Scherzer holds a 4.70 ERA, 4.87 FIP, 1.26 WHIP, 25.5% strikeout rate, and 7.4% walk rate.

His great strikeout numbers are mostly backed up, with the future Hall-of-Famer sporting an 11.9% SwStr rate and 29.6% CSW rate. His run-prevention struggles are mostly uncharacteristic, so a .298 BABIP and 33.3% HR/FB ratio should even out enough to make Scherzer serviceable ROS.

At this moment, Scherzer is a streaming option you deploy for easy strikeouts, but with an awareness that your team's ERA average might take a small hit. This week, he gets two of the top three scoring offenses in the American League; your team's ERA average is going to take a big hit.

Matthew Liberatore (35% Rostered), St. Louis Cardinals

Scheduled Starts: @ COL, vs. SD

Matthew Liberatore's had some great stretches this season, but big blow-ups have sullied an otherwise great year for the 25-year-old. Through 18 starts, he holds a 4.13 ERA, 3.50 FIP, 1.25 WHIP, 19% strikeout rate, and 5.2% walk rate.

The Rockies are one of the worst offenses in the league, but their .743 OPS at home would place them at eighth in the league this season. This is too risky a week to stream Liberatore.

Jake Irvin (17% Rostered), Washington Nationals

Scheduled Starts: vs. CIN, @ MIN

Jake Irvin hasn't done much good this season, but he's certainly eaten innings. Through 20 starts and 116 innings, he holds a 4.58 ERA, 5.20 FIP, 1.29 WHIP, 16.8% strikeout rate, and 7.7% walk rate.

A deeper look reveals even worse numbers, as Irvin holds an 8.2% SwStr rate, 26.3% CSW rate, 17.4% whiff rate, 12.7% barrel rate, 47.4% hard-hit rate, and several other terrible indicators.

A Cincinnati offense on the road and a still-subpar Minnesota offense might have been a good set of matchups for one of the better pitchers in this week's article, but for Irvin, you'll have to let it be.

Hayden Birdsong (15% Rostered), San Francisco Giants

Scheduled Starts: @ ATL, vs. NYM

Since joining the rotation, Hayden Birdsong holds a 5.10 ERA, 4.67 FIP, 1.49 WHIP, 22.5% strikeout rate, and 12% walk rate through nine starts.

Birdsong's solid stint as a reliever warps his season-long statistics enough for most to think they don't need to throw the 23-year-old out with the bathwater. However, his 12% walk rate and 87 Location+ grade make Birdsong too unruly to stream with confidence.

A star-studded New York Mets lineup ranks 14th in scoring this season -- they should be intimidating enough to look the other way with Birdsong this week.

Tomoyuki Sugano (12% Rostered), Baltimore Orioles

Scheduled Starts: @ CLE, vs. COL

Tomoyuki Sugano hasn't set himself apart from a terrible Orioles rotation, with the 35-year-old now holding a 4.44 ERA, 5.17 FIP, 1.30 WHIP, 14% strikeout rate, and 5.2% walk rate through 18 starts in his first MLB season.

Cleveland ranks 26th in scoring this week, so he might have a chance at a relatively good start to the week. A Rockies offense on the road should be an auto-start for most pitchers. Sugano has little to offer in fantasy baseball, but he's got a shot this week.

If you are not able to grab any of the preferred options, Sugano should be a serviceable bargain bin streaming option this week. Still, the strikeout ceiling is far too low for him to be worth the risk in any situation.

Erick Fedde (11% Rostered), St. Louis Cardinals

Scheduled Starts: @ COL, vs. SD

A 4.83 ERA, 4.95 FIP, 1.47 WHIP, 13.5% strikeout rate, and 10.5% walk rate won't fly in Coors Field. Scratch that, there will definitely be things flying when Erick Fedde pitches in Coors Field on Tuesday. Don't even think about streaming Fedde this week.

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