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With plenty of teams with seven games on their schedule this week, we're looking at a bunch of two-start pitchers. There are a bunch of risky starts this week, but there are also ample chances for you to get ahead with some of this week's two-start pitchers.
For those new to this recurring column, each week this fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups column will identify starting pitchers expected to make two starts in the upcoming week and can be considered as fantasy baseball streamers ahead of the Sunday night waiver wire runs for leagues with weekly transactions.
There are 32 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
- Bryce Elder (vs. NYM, vs. WAS)
- Hunter Greene (vs. LAD, @ STL)
- Tony Gonsolin (@ CIN, @ PHI)
- Freddy Peralta (vs. BAL, vs. OAK)
- Aaron Nola (vs. DET, vs. LAD)
- Blake Snell (vs. CHC, @ COL)
- Shane Bieber (vs. BOS, vs. HOU)
- Lucas Giolito (@ NYY, vs. MIA)
- Hunter Brown (@ TOR, @ CLE)
- Nestor Cortes (vs. CWS, vs. BOS)
- Martin Perez (vs. STL, @ TB)
- Alek Manoah (vs. HOU, vs. MIN)
- Kevin Gausman (vs. HOU, vs. MIN)
Best Available Two-Start Pitcher Streamers
James Paxton (32% Rostered), Boston Red Sox
Scheduled Starts: @ CLE, @ NYY
James Paxton made his long-awaited return from Tommy John surgery earlier this month and has been dealing since. Through four starts, Big Maple has a 33.8% strikeout rate and a 30.7% whiff rate. His fastball has notably ticked up four mph since 2020, now sitting at 96 mph.
While the Angels rocked him for five runs two starts ago, he rebounded with eight strikeouts and one run allowed in five innings against the Reds on May 31. We are in a James Paxton renaissance; look for him to continue with starts against a Cleveland offense that ranks 29th in OPS and a middling Yankees offense (14th in OPS).
Braxton Garrett (15% Rostered), Miami Marlins
Scheduled Starts: vs. KC, vs. CWS
Braxton Garrett is a solid streamer this week despite an uninspiring 4.22 ERA. But the numbers aren't as bad as they look.
The Atlanta Braves hung 11 runs and 14 hits on Garrett in his first start this month. If you take out that start, Garrett has a stellar 2.57 ERA this season, not to mention a 30% strikeout rate since the Atlanta incident. And recent adjustments to his changeup and cutter have made him especially dangerous in recent starts.
No person deserves to be judged for their worst moments; trust Garrett against two struggling AL Central offenses.
Tommy Henry (7% Rostered), Arizona Diamondbacks
Scheduled Starts: @ WAS, @ DET
Despite offering little in the strikeout category (15% strikeout rate), Tommy Henry was incredible in May. In six games, the 25-year-old sported a 2.87 ERA and 1.12 WHIP. Henry is a solid streamer this week with matchups against Washington and Detroit.
Risky Two-Start Streamer Picks
Kyle Gibson (46% Rostered), Baltimore Orioles
Scheduled Starts: @ MIL, vs. KC
Tied for second in the league with seven wins is... Kyle Gibson?
The 35-year-old has surprisingly become fantasy viable with those seven wins and a 3.89 ERA. But it's only time before that all comes crumbling down.
He'll face off against Milwaukee and Kansas City this week; Gibson already put up a clunker against the latter, allowing six runs and 10 hits in six-and-two-thirds innings. While there is value to having a workhorse starting pitcher on your fantasy roster, it means little to nothing with Gibson's 15.9% strikeout rate, 4.94 SIERA, and .269 xBA.
Brayan Bello (26% Rostered), Boston Red Sox
Scheduled Starts: vs. TB, @ NYY
An unfortunate postponement last week pushed Bello's Sunday start against the Rays to Monday. He'll come into another two-start week, but this week is far more precarious than last week.
As outlined in last week's two-start pitcher analysis, Bello's high groundball percentage has put him in a great position recently. But a matchup against the Rays (10.13 ERA in two starts) presents a risk. Bello could be a rest-of-season hold in deeper leagues, but a stream is risky this week.
Louie Varland (26% Rostered), Minnesota Twins
Scheduled Starts: @ TB, @ TOR
In one of the more pleasant surprises of the year, Twins rookie Louie Varland has a 3.76 SIERA, a 4.8% walk rate, and three wins in seven starts. But with matchups against two top-10 offenses in Tampa and Toronto, it'll likely be a rough week for the 25-year-old. While Varland may be worth holding on to ROS, his matchups this week leave a stream out of the picture.
Carlos Carrasco (18% Rostered), New York Mets
Scheduled Starts: @ ATL, @ PIT
A 5.74 ERA and a 13.9% strikeout rate on the season is scary, but Carrasco has settled down in his last two starts with a 1.42 ERA. With some momentum going into a two-start week, Carrasco doesn't look as scary a pickup as he once was.
Looks can be deceiving. The 36-year-old also had a 4.78 FIP in his last two starts. With matchups against Atlanta and Pittsburgh, avoid Carrasco.
Johan Oviedo (13% Rostered), Pittsburgh Pirates
Scheduled Starts: vs. OAK, vs. NYM
A start against Oakland has become a free win for most opposing pitchers, but Johan Oviedo is a risky stream week in and week out. His command issues make him one of the league's more inconsistent starters. He'll give up seven runs against the Washington Nationals and then two-hit the red-hot Diamondbacks. Despite favorable matchups, Oviedo and his 1.55 WHIP should be avoided this week.
Brandon Bielak (9% Rostered), Houston Astros
Scheduled Starts: @ TOR, @ CLE
A 3.19 ERA for a contending Astros team should be enough to warrant a confident stream for the two-start pitcher, but you can't in good conscience say he's a safe pick this week. Bielak has been good against weak offenses, but Toronto is no weak offense (ninth in OPS). A 5.15 FIP is reason enough to avoid Bielak this week.
Julio Teheran (3% Rostered), Milwaukee Brewers
Scheduled Starts: @ CIN, vs. OAK
After being out of the big league for two years, Julio Teheran has returned with a 0.82 ERA in two starts. While we all love a good comeback story, Teheran has a measly 11.9% strikeout rate and a 5.51 SIERA. While starts against Cincinnati and Oakland give him a chance to keep the good times going, he'll need his luck to continue to be fantasy-relevant this week.
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