Two-start pitcher fantasy rankings for Week 5

By Fred Zinkie, Yahoo.com | April 29, 2024

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This is a great week for two-start pitchers, as many borderline starters are set to make one or two outings against the weakest offenses in baseball. On the hitting side, managers who are willing to take the less-traveled path could find surprising production from the Marlins and Twins.

Two-Start Pitchers (listed in order of preference)

Javier Assad, 51% (@NYM, vs. MIL)
Assad is not nearly as good as his ratios (2.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP) indicate, as he has benefited greatly from a .235 BABIP and an 87.3% strand rate. But the right-hander could regress and still maintain an ERA in the mid-3.00s, which is plenty good enough for roster inclusion during almost any two-start week.

MacKenzie Gore, 53% (@TEX, vs. TOR)
Gore comes into this two-start week with a solid 3.12 ERA and can be given some grace for his 1.38 WHIP, as he has worked through an unlucky .400 BABIP. His first outing this week is a challenging one, even though the Rangers offense has been slightly disappointing thus far. He should find life easier on Sunday when he works at home against a Blue Jays lineup that ranks 23rd in OPS.

Trevor Rogers, 5% (vs. WSH, @OAK)
Rogers has posted unimpressive ratios (4.10 ERA, 1.52 WHIP) despite logging a solid 24:9 K:BB ratio. Control problems in his initial two starts tell part of the story, as does a .353 BABIP. He is well-positioned to enjoy his best week of the season when he faces two unimposing offenses.

Jon Gray, 30% (vs. WSH, @KC)
Gray is the third straight starter in this article who has had to work past an unfavorable BABIP (.354). The right-hander is keeping the ball in the yard and has posted an elite 11.7 K/9 rate, which makes me happy to stream him in a favorable matchup against the Nats and a respectable one vs. the Royals.

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Clarke Schmidt, 35% (@BAL, vs. DET)
Yet another pitcher with an unlucky BABIP (.375), Schmidt has allowed just three homers in five starts while recording a 29:10 K:BB ratio. He will face a tough Orioles lineup, albeit in a pitcher-friendly park, before enjoying a favorable matchup against a Tigers lineup that ranks 26th in OPS.

Bailey Falter, 9% (@OAK, vs. COL)
Falter has been a smoke-and-mirrors pitcher in 2024, posting outstanding ratios (3.33 ERA, 0.89 WHIP) on the strength of a .173 BABIP. The southpaw lacks velocity on his fastball (91.3 mph), and his 4.68 FIP is a better indicator of his true ability. All of that being said, Falter has a dream two-start schedule this week and can be streamed in most leagues.

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Jake Irvin, 5% (@MIA, vs. TOR)
Irvin carried impressive ratios (3.13 ERA, 1.00 WHIP) in his most recent starts before being hit hard (4.2 IP, 12 H, 6 ER) against a dynamic Dodgers lineup. I’m willing to give him a chance for a pair of matchups against teams that are bottom-10 in both runs scored and OPS.

Jameson Taillon, 20% (@NYM, vs. MIL)
After a delayed start to the season, Taillon has produced a 1.69 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP across two starts. While he isn’t as good as those numbers indicate, he owns a respectable 3.98 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP over nearly 1,000 career innings. Taillon wasn’t pushed too high on this list because the Brewers rank fourth in the Majors in OPS.

Sean Manaea, 27% (vs. CHC, @TB)
After enjoying a terrific start to the season, Manaea has been less impressive in his past three starts, which included a 13:10 K:BB ratio across 13.1 innings. Last time out, he walked four batters and fell one out short of finishing five innings despite being spotted a large lead. He’s worth starting in head-to-head formats but has limited upside in roto leagues.

Steven Matz, 6% (@DET, vs. CWS)
Matz hasn’t pitched well this year. His ratios are awful (5.55 ERA, 1.60 WHIP) and his 16:9 K:BB ratio shows that the poor results have been well-deserved. So, why is he on the list? Well, two-start weeks don’t get much more favorable than this one, as the Tigers and White Sox rank 26th and 30th respectively in OPS. Still, Matz is only worth the risk in deep formats.

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One-Start Streamers

In order, here are the best streamers for the week, with their start date and Yahoo! roster rate in parentheses.

Favorable Monday-Thursday hitting matchups

Marlins vs. Nats, Rockies: Although it’s hard to recommend hitters from an offense that ranks 29th in OPS, Miami is scheduled to face four right-handed starters who each own an ERA over 4.50. Bryan De La Cruz (50%) regularly hits second in the lineup, making him an option in shallow leagues. In deeper formats, lefty slugger Jesús Sánchez (1%) is the man to target.

Twins vs. White Sox: The Twins will face three starters with an ERA over 5.00 each. The Tuesday and Wednesday starters throw from the right side, which makes it wise to add Edouard Julien (56%) in shallow leagues. Despite cooling from a hot start, Alex Kirilloff (10%) is a decent streamer. Finally, Ryan Jeffers (38%) can be considered by those who need a catcher.

A version of this story first appeared on Yahoo.com.

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