The introduction of year-round interleague play a couple years ago also introduced us to the five-game week, at least with more regularity than we had seen previously. Rare is the week when all 30 teams play either six or seven games, and so when it happens, it's like we're drowning in two-start options.
There may be even more than shown here. Someone will start Tuesday for the Angels in place of Matt Shoemaker (forearm), but if Shoemaker returns before the end of the week, that someone isn't making a second start. The same goes for the Astros' Francis Martes and the Marlins' Vance Worley if Lance McCullers (back) and Justin Nicolino (finger) return mid-week. The Braves are currently employing a six-man rotation, but if that were to change, Julio Teheran would be in line for a second start.
But you know what? We don't need them. Not only is the total number of two-start pitchers higher than usual but the potential sleepers (those owned in less than 80 percent of CBS Sports leagues, that is) are more plentiful as well. They begin with Zack Wheeler at No. 13 and extend through Robert Gsellman at 21.
Which isn't to say I'd start all eight of them. My own aversion to risk would probably force me to stop with No. 17, Francisco Liriano, with Brad Peacock and his 14.3 strikeouts per nine innings as a starter being the only true priority.
But particularly in points leagues, where you don't have to be as careful about ERA and WHIP, rolling the dice on any of Nos. 18-21 (or even 22-25) isn't so crazy if you have the roster space.
| Two-start pitchers for Week 12 | ||||||||
| Rank | Pitchers | Start 1 | Start 2 | |||||
| 1 | Clayton Kershaw, LAD | vs. NYM | vs. COL | |||||
| 2 | Corey Kluber, CLE | at BAL | vs. MIN | |||||
| 3 | Jon Lester, CHC | vs. SD | at MIA | |||||
| 4 | Johnny Cueto, SF | at ATL | vs. NYM | |||||
| 5 | Zack Greinke, ARI | at COL | vs. PHI | |||||
| 6 | Michael Pineda, NYY | vs. LAA | vs. TEX | |||||
| 7 | Marco Estrada, TOR | at TEX | at KC | |||||
| 8 | Ervin Santana, MIN | vs. CHW | at CLE | |||||
| 9 | Dylan Bundy, BAL* | vs. CLE | at TB | |||||
| 10 | Gerrit Cole, PIT | at MIL | at STL | |||||
| 11 | Sonny Gray, OAK | vs. HOU | at CHW | |||||
| 12 | Mike Leake, STL | at PHI | vs. PIT | |||||
| 13 | Zack Wheeler, NYM | at LAD | at SF | |||||
| 14 | Brad Peacock, HOU* | at OAK | at SEA | |||||
| 15 | Brandon McCarthy, LAD | vs. NYM | vs. COL | |||||
| 16 | Jake Odorizzi, TB | vs. CIN | vs. BAL | |||||
| 17 | Francisco Liriano, TOR | at TEX | at KC | |||||
| 18 | Ariel Miranda, SEA | vs. DET | vs. HOU | |||||
| 19 | Derek Holland, CHW | at MIN | vs. OAK | |||||
| 20 | Jordan Zimmermann, DET | at SEA | at SD | |||||
| 21 | Robert Gsellman, NYM | at LAD | at SF | |||||
| 22 | Matt Moore, SF | at ATL | vs. NYM | |||||
| 23 | Tanner Roark, WAS | at MIA | vs. CIN | |||||
| 24 | Edinson Volquez, MIA | vs. WAS | vs. CHC | |||||
| 25 | Matt Garza, MIL | vs. PIT | at ATL | |||||
| 26 | Mike Montgomery, CHC* | vs. SD | at MIA | |||||
| 27 | German Marquez, COL | vs. ARI | at LAD | |||||
| 28 | Scott Feldman, CIN* | at TB | at WAS | |||||
| 29 | Josh Tomlin, CLE | at BAL | vs. MIN | |||||
| 30 | R.A. Dickey, ATL | vs. SF | vs. MIL | |||||
| 31 | Jeremy Hellickson, PHI | vs. STL | at ARI | |||||
| 32 | Jason Hammel, KC | vs. BOS | vs. TOR | |||||
| 33 | Clayton Richard, SD* | at CHC | vs. DET | |||||
| 34 | Zach Davies, MIL | vs. PIT | at ATL | |||||
| 35 | Hector Velaquez, BOS | at KC | vs. LAA | |||||
| 36 | Chad Kuhl, PIT | at MIL | at STL | |||||
| 37 | Sam Gaviglio, SEA* | vs. DET | vs. HOU | |||||
| 38 | Austin Bibens-Dirkx, TEX | vs. TOR | at NYY | |||||
| 39 | Nick Martinez, TEX | vs. TOR | at NYY | |||||
| 40 | Anibal Sanchez, DET | at SEA | at SD | |||||
| 41 | Daniel Gossett, OAK | vs. HOU | at CHW | |||||
| 42 | Chris Tillman, BAL | vs. CLE | at TB | |||||
*RP-eligible
