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Welcome RotoBallers to our Two-Start Pitcher Streamers article - Waiver Wire Streamers and Starts for Week 3, from April 8 to April 14. With multiple teams having six or seven games on their schedule, we're looking at a nice variety of two-start pitchers.
Each week of this fantasy baseball season, this fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups column will identify starting pitchers expected to make two starts in the upcoming week. It can be considered as fantasy baseball streamers ahead of the Sunday night waiver wire run for leagues with weekly transactions.
There are 35 pitchers currently scheduled to make two starts during this period. We will be looking at pitchers who are less than 50% owned in Yahoo leagues. Listed will be those who are rostered over 50%, those who are best available under 50%, and risky options under 50%. There are a few other two-start pitchers available, but they should be avoided.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and weekly lineup resources:- Nick Mariano's fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups (Premium)
- Start/Sit recommendations - All Pitcher Matchups for Week Ahead
- Fantasy baseball waiver wire rankings (top 80 players)
- FAAB fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups
- Starting pitcher fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups
- Outfield fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups
- 1B/3B fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups
- 2B/SS fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups
- Catcher fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups
- Hitter streamers - fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups
- Two-start pitcher streamers - fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups
- Cut List - Players To Consider Dropping
Two-Start Pitchers - Over 50% Rostered
- Brayan Bello (vs. BAL, vs. LAA)
- Nestor Cortes (vs. MIA, at CLE)
- Zach Eflin (at LAA, vs. SF)
- Jose Berrios (vs. SEA, vs. COL)
- Cole Ragans (vs. HOU, at NYM)
- Framber Valdez (at TEX, vs. TEX)
- Cristian Javier (at KC, vs. TEX)
- Luis Castillo (at TOR, vs. CHC)
- Nathan Eovaldi (vs. OAK, at HOU)
- Charlie Morton (vs. NYM, at MIA)
- Jesus Luzardo (at NYY, vs. ATL)
- Zack Wheeler (at STL, vs. PIT)
- Frankie Montas (vs. MIL, at CHW)
- Mitch Keller (vs. DET, at PHI)
- Zac Gallen (at COL, vs. STL)
- Yu Darvish (vs. CHC, at LAD)
- Blake Snell (vs. WAS, at TB)
Best Available Two-Start Pitcher Streamers
Reese Olson (19% Rostered), Detroit Tigers
Scheduled Starts: at PIT, vs. MIN
Reese Olson continued his 2023 late-season dominance (1.51 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, and 26.3% strikeout rate in his last six starts) with an impressive 2024 season debut against the New York Mets, throwing 5 2/3 scoreless innings with three strikeouts.
The Pirates' offensive success is largely a result of unchallenging matchups against a decimated Marlins rotation and poor Nationals pitching staff, so there shouldn't be much concern over his first start. The Twins haven't gotten going yet, but Olson's recent success against Minnesota (two wins, 3.21 ERA, and 33% strikeout rate through three starts) is enough to give him the stream.
Reese Olson, Wicked 86mph Slider. 🤢 pic.twitter.com/FwK2j3YsUL
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 1, 2024
Risky Two-Start Streamer Picks
Louie Varland (37% Rostered), Minnesota Twins
Scheduled Starts: vs. LAD, at DET
We're only 10 games deep into the season, but if a two-start pitcher has a matchup against the Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts-led Dodgers offense, we know enough to skip past their name. This dogma more than applies to second-year starting pitcher Louie Varland, who allowed three earned runs in four innings of pitching in his first start of the 2024 season against the Milwaukee Brewers.
James Paxton (26% Rostered), Los Angeles Dodgers
Scheduled Starts: at MIN, vs. SD
James Paxton had a solid season debut, throwing five scoreless innings with four hits, five walks, and five strikeouts against the San Francisco Giants. Backed up by one of the best rosters in recent memory, the 35-year-old should see an inordinate amount of success this season. However, a 21.7% walk rate in that first start should send shivers down your spine. The Dodgers defense may not be able to help him against a Padres offense that ranks second in scoring and third in home runs this season. Paxton should be ignored as a streamer this week.
Reynaldo Lopez (20% Rostered), Atlanta Braves
Scheduled Starts: vs. NYM, at MIA
Reynaldo Lopez wowed in his first start, allowing four hits and one run through six innings with two walks and five strikeouts against the Chicago White Sox. The 30-year-old moved to a bullpen role permanently in 2021, so applause is deserved for the successful first start. However, we should temper expectations. With the White Sox being the lowest-scoring offense in the league, a start against Chicago is not a good benchmark for pitching performance.
While the Mets and Marlins are among the league's worst offenses, they have enough bats at the top of their respective lineups to do damage against a back-end starting pitcher. Let Lopez prove he can pitch to better offenses before giving him the green light.
Andrew Heaney (11% Rostered), Texas Rangers
Scheduled Starts: vs. HOU, at HOU
It's tough enough to fool an offense as talented as the Houston Astros, much less twice in the same week. Heaney's had some success against Houston (2.75 ERA through four appearances against them in 2023), but the Astros are too good to question.
Chris Paddack (9% Rostered), Minnesota Twins
Scheduled Starts: vs. LAD, at DET
The younger Varland may have a chance of eking out a miracle win over the Dodgers, but Chris Paddack -- who hasn't had a sub-4.00 ERA since 2019 -- is practically dead on arrival.
Javier Assad (7% Rostered), Chicago Cubs
Scheduled Starts: at SD, at SEA
While he didn't have much time in the Chicago Cubs rotation in 2023, Assad was decent with a 3.02 ERA and 1.23 WHIP through 53 1/3 innings as a starting pitcher. While a 4.93 FIP and 10.9% K-BB% in that stretch made it difficult to trust him, he opened the 2024 season with six scoreless innings against the Colorado Rockies.
While the Mariners are cold to start the season, Seattle and a strong San Diego Padres offense are far too talented to trust Assad completely.
Graham Ashcraft (6% Rostered), Cincinnati Reds
Scheduled Starts: vs. MIL, at CHW
Graham Ashcraft had a few solid stretches in 2023, but ultimately ended the season with a 4.76 ERA, 5.06 FIP, and 17.8% strikeout rate through 26 starts.
His season debut was solid, with two earned runs allowed and five strikeouts through six innings. However, with two home runs allowed and a 6.35 FIP on the day, Ashcraft still isn't in the clear. He'll likely do fine against a poor White Sox offense, but a hot Milwaukee team (ranked eighth in OPS) may derail his week.
Spencer Turnbull (3% Rostered), Philadelphia Phillies
Scheduled Starts: at STL, vs. PIT
Spencer Turnbull shocked many in his season debut, going five innings with three hits, no earned runs allowed, and seven strikeouts. His brand-new sweeper performed poorly at a 28% usage rate but registered impressive levels of horizontal break.
The Cardinals and Pirates aren't especially dangerous opponents, but we all need to see more of Spencer Turnbull's new sweeper before trusting him.
Spencer Turnbull, Dirty 78mph Curveball. 😨 pic.twitter.com/JCNGX4osnT
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 2, 2024
Trevor Williams (0% Rostered), Washington Nationals
Scheduled Starts: vs. SF, vs. OAK
A pitcher at a 0% rostered rarely deserves the effort of a write-up. Usually, the fantasy baseball community rightfully ignores pitchers who had a 5.55 ERA and 5.98 FIP in the past season. And while Trevor Williams has been hanging onto a major league rotation spot by a thread for the past few seasons, the 31-year-old could shock the world by turning in two decent starts.
He was fantastic in his season debut, allowing two runs and three hits with five strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings against a then-undefeated Pittsburgh Pirates team. While the Pirates may have overperformed out of the gate, it was nevertheless a solid showing by Williams against a hot offense. A 40% whiff rate on his changeup (41-inch vertical break) and a 67% CSW% on his sweeper stood out, but it isn't enough to conclude anything other than him having the number of Pittsburgh that day.
However, with starts against a mediocre Giants offense and a terrible Athletics team, deep-league players can gamble on Williams.
Nasty changeup by Trevor Williams pic.twitter.com/7IF7amvmS1
— Ben Brown 🌻 (@BenBrownPL) April 3, 2024
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