Another mixed bag on the buy side last week, as Patrick Corbin pitched well against the Dodgers, but Jorge de la Rosa was unimpressive and Carlos Rodon had his turn in the rotation skipped. As for the sells, Johnny Cueto and Chris Tillman continued to struggle, but Jake Odorizzi pitched a gem against the Tigers and then beat the Yankees last night.
Starting Pitcher Buys
J.A. Happ (PIT)
As a Phillies fan, I have fond memories of Happ, but he hasn't really been very good since being traded away five years ago. Not until recently, anyway. The southpaw has been a revelation since returning to Pennsylvania with a sparkling 1.96 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 50:9 K/BB ratio in eight starts for the Pirates. Only the Cubs have managed to rain on his parade - twice, after last night's doubleheader. Happ is still available to grab in about half of Yahoo leagues, so jump on the latest Ray Searage miracle and enjoy.
Rick Porcello (BOS)
It's safe to say that Porcello's first season with the Red Sox hasn't gone the way either party hoped. He owns an ugly 5.06 ERA and has allowed 24 homers in just 144 innings. Since returning from a stint on the disabled list, however, he's reeled off four straight quality starts. In that span, he's posted a 2.15 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and struck out a batter per inning. When you consider that two of those games were against the Blue Jays and Yankees, his run is even more impressive.
Anthony DeSclafani (CIN)
The de facto ace of the Reds' all-rookie rotation has been on a roll lately. His last three starts have come against the Cardinals, Pirates, and Cubs - all division rivals, all among the best teams in baseball. The results? A 2.36 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 23 strikeouts against just three walks. Cincinnati can only play a spoiler role at this point, and DeSclafani's certainly doing all he can in that department. He'll have to settle for keeping the momentum going against the other NL Central also-ran in Milwaukee on Friday.
Starting Pitcher Sells
Francisco Liriano (PIT)
Liriano has a hideous 1.64 WHIP since the All-Star break, in large part because he's walking a batter every other inning. He's gotten lit up by the Brewers twice this month already. A date with the Dodgers on Friday night is not a matchup that inspires a whole lot of confidence, given his recent struggles.
Lance Lynn (STL)
Another guy who's allowing way too many baserunners lately - Lynn has a 1.76 WHIP since the end of July. He's also failed to maintain his typically solid strikeout rate, managing only 10 in his last four starts. The Cardinals have hit the skids in September, and Lynn is part of the problem. He does have a favorable matchup with the Brew Crew on tap for tomorrow, but it's tough to trust him at the moment.
Andrew Cashner (SD)
Despite an ERA over 4.00, an ugly 1.43 WHIP and a league-leading 15 losses, Cashner is still owned in nearly two-thirds of Yahoo leagues. Can we safely assume that most of those owners aren't still in the running? Cashner has managed to remain healthy for the first time in...ever, but when you're this bad, that's almost a disappointment unto itself. I've said it before in this space, but the hype around him makes little sense given his track record to this point. He's got the Diamondbacks on the road tomorrow and definitely shouldn't be starting for your fantasy team.
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