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Welcome RotoBallers to our Two-Start Pitcher Streamers article - Waiver Wire Streamers and Starts for Week 4, from April 15 to April 21. 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.
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Two-Start Pitchers - Over 50% Rostered
- Kutter Crawford (vs. CLE, @ PIT)
- Garrett Whitlock (vs. CLE, @ PIT)
- Zach Eflin (vs. LAA, @ NYY)
- Aaron Civale (vs. LAA, @ NYY)
- Chris Bassitt (vs. NYY, @ SD)
- Tanner Bibee (@ BOS, vs. OAK)
- George Kirby (vs. CIN, @ COL)
- Cody Bradford (@ DET, @ ATL)
- Aaron Nola (vs. COL, vs. CHW)
- Sonny Gray (@ OAK, vs. MIL)
- Merrill Kelly (vs. CHC, @ SF)
- Tyler Glasnow (vs. WAS, vs. NYM)
- Joe Musgrove (@ MIL, vs. TOR)
- Kyle Harrison (@ MIA, vs. ARZ)
- Jordan Hicks (@ MIA, vs. ARZ)
Best Available Two-Start Pitcher Streamers
Martin Perez (24% Rostered), Pittsburgh Pirates
Scheduled Starts: @ NYM, vs. BOS
Martin Perez made the most of starts against the bottom-feeding Marlins, Nationals, and Tigers, with a 1.89 ERA, 3.15 FIP, 1.21 WHIP, and 19.2% strikeout rate through 19 innings. Opponent difficulty will ratchet up slightly this week, with underperforming Mets and Red Sox offenses on the slate. While there's still risk with the 33-year-old, you don't have many great options this week.
Martín Pérez with some nasty stuff today
📹 @MLBVenezuela pic.twitter.com/9bZV5fTmeO
— RotoBaller MLB (@RotoBallerMLB) April 9, 2024
Risky Two-Start Streamer Picks
Reynaldo Lopez (36% Rostered), Atlanta Braves
Scheduled Starts: @ HOU, vs. TEX
Reynaldo Lopez proved his first start against the lowly White Sox wasn't an aberration, throwing six scoreless innings with six strikeouts against the New York Mets.
At this point, there should be some confidence in Lopez to replicate that effort against most MLB lineups; unfortunately, Houston and Texas aren't most lineups. Lopez isn't your best pick this week.
Seth Lugo (32% Rostered), Kansas City Royals
Scheduled Starts: @ CHW, vs. BAL
Seth Lugo's had a fantastic start to the season, with a 1.45 ERA, 3.25 FIP, and 1.18 WHIP through three starts. However, a career-low 11.8% strikeout rate and career-high 52.5% ground-ball rate tells us that the 34-year-old's first three starts probably won't define his season. Maybe this is a brand-new Seth Lugo, but regardless, I would err on the side of caution with the Orioles coming up.
Luis Gil (30% Rostered), New York Yankees
Scheduled Starts: @ TOR, vs. TB
Luis Gil has filled in marvelously in the last spot of the New York Yankees rotation, with a 3.00 ERA, 2.81 FIP, and 36.8% strikeout rate through two starts against the Diamondbacks and Blue Jays.
The concern lies with his issues with longevity (just nine innings pitched this season), control issues (18.4% walk rate), and the upcoming match-up against a cold, but still talented Rays offense. Gil is close to streaming quality, but he's not quite there yet.
Luis Gil's 3Ks in the 4th. pic.twitter.com/jIRp1usjs0
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 7, 2024
Louie Varland (28% Rostered), Minnesota Twins
Scheduled Starts: @ BAL, vs. DET
Louie Varland drew the short straw when it came to match-up difficulty, with the white-hot Brewers and stacked Dodgers lineup dealing Varland a 9.00 ERA through two starts. The Orioles are his next foe, so this may not be the week he stops the bleeding.
A.J. Puk (21% Rostered), Miami Marlins
Scheduled Starts: vs. SF, @ CHC
Starting a major-league game isn't as easy as it looks; career reliever A.J. Puk is proving just that, with a 5.91 ERA, 6.91 FIP, and 24.1% walk rate through his first three starts. Puk won't get too much of a breather this week, with a start against the 10th-ranked Cubs offense (by runs scored) in Wrigley later next week.
Jon Gray (21% Rostered), Texas Rangers
Scheduled Starts: @ DET, @ ATL
Expectedly, Jon Gray opens with a 4.38 ERA, 4.79 FIP, and 1.78 WHIP through his first three starts. Gray will get some shine in better weeks, but his start against the Atlanta Braves likely won't be pretty.
Casey Mize (19% Rostered), Detroit Tigers
Scheduled Starts: vs. TEX, @ MIN
Casey Mize hasn't performed spectacularly to open the season, with a 4.82 ERA, 4.64 FIP, 1.39 WHIP, and 14.3% strikeout rate in two starts against the Mets and Pirates. It has been two years since he last saw an MLB mound, so some clunkers to open his season should've been expected.
Any vitriol directed his way is undeserved, but it isn't the week to stream Mize. His first start against the Texas Rangers is a tough ask for any pitcher. Ranking fourth in OPS in this young season, the Seager and Semien-led Texas Rangers offense should not be messed with.
Reese Olson (17% Rostered), Detroit Tigers
Scheduled Starts: vs. TEX, @ MIN
After breaking our hearts with his first blow-up start in a while last week against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Reese Olson's start moves back for another two-start week. This time, not much deliberation is necessary. As is the case with Reynaldo Lopez and Casey Mize, it's best to not mess with Texas this week.
Ben Brown (4% Rostered), Chicago Cubs
Scheduled Starts: @ ARZ, vs. MIA
After a disastrous debut appearance against the Texas Rangers (six runs allowed in 1 2/3 innings), Ben Brown settled in nicely with a 1.01 ERA, 1.64 FIP, 0.92 WHIP, 32.3% strikeout rate, and 6.5% walk rate through eight innings in the two appearances since against the Rockies and Padres.
The Diamondbacks are a strong opponent, and the Miami Marlins are anything but strong on offense. The talent is there, but Brown had his fair share of blow-up starts last season in Triple-A, making it hard to trust him against Arizona.
Ben Brown, Dirty 89mph Knuckle Curve. 😨 pic.twitter.com/qfzJ54MmhZ
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 10, 2024
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