Fantasy411: 2-start pitchers for Week 5

April 27th, 2017

For owners in weekly leagues, two-start pitchers are a key to maximizing wins and strikeouts. And oftentimes -- perhaps more often than you'd think -- they can be found on waivers, or even your bench.
Let's take a look at the top two-start options heading into Week 5 of the fantasy baseball season.
(vs. Blue Jays, at Cubs)
Coming off a disappointing 2016 campaign in which he spent much of the season in the Minors, Severino seems to be back on the right track at the big league level. Through four starts this year, the former top prospect boasts a 3.00 ERA and a 0.78 WHIP to go along with 33 strikeouts across 27 innings. He should be started in all leagues next week, despite the tough matchup against a Cubs team that ranks among the top eight clubs in the Majors in runs scored, batting average and OPS. As for the Blue Jays, the Toronto lineup has gotten off to a slow start, ranking among the bottom four teams in the Majors in runs, average and OPS.
(at Mariners, vs. Astros)
Following a solid bounceback season in 2016, Shoemaker was expected to serve as a steady back-of-the-rotation mixed-league starter this year. However, the Angels righty has underwhelmed thus far, recording only one quality start in five tries. But his best outing of the year -- a seven-inning, two-run performance last Thursday -- came against the same Astros team that he will be facing next week. Plus, Shoemaker has allowed only six runs combined over his past three starts, spanning 17 1/3 innings, while racking up 20 strikeouts. The Mariners, meanwhile, lead the American League in runs -- and Shoemaker did not fare well against Seattle back on April 9 (4 1/3 innings, six earned runs) -- so pitching him next week does carry some risk. Still, his recent performance and strikeout ability make him a viable two-start option in all formats.

(vs. A's, vs. Red Sox)
Santiago's streak of three straight quality starts came to an end on Wednesday, but the Twins southpaw did pitch reasonably well (five innings, two earned runs, six strikeouts) in a tough matchup on the road against the Rangers. The 29-year-old now carries his 2.43 ERA and 1.15 WHIP into a two-start stanza, with both outings coming at Target Field, where he is 2-0 with a 1.96 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP through three starts this season. So far, the A's and Red Sox both rank in the bottom half of the Majors in runs scored.
(vs. Rays, at Mets)
While Chen has been far from consistent this season, he still warrants starting consideration for next week in deeper mixed leagues. The southpaw could rack up a handful of whiffs when he faces a Rays lineup that ranks second in the Majors with 227 strikeouts. His second start comes against a Mets lineup that sits 21st in baseball with 81 runs scored and was limited to one run across six innings when Chen worked at Citi Field on April 7.

Alex Cobb (at Marlins, vs. Blue Jays)
Taking into account his uneven start to 2017, Cobb's two-start appeal lies mainly in deep mixed leagues and AL-only formats. But the Rays righty, who holds a career 3.50 ERA and 1.23 WHIP, could surface on the standard mixed-league radar if he can string together multiple strong outings. Next week, Cobb will get an opportunity to do just that when he pitches against the Marlins and Blue Jays -- a pair of clubs that rank in the bottom half of the Majors in runs scored and OPS.

Did you like this story?

Zach Steinhorn is a fantasy baseball writer for MLB.com.