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Some iffy matchups for some really good starting pitchers this week.
You'll notice the top dog, Max Scherzer, is actually at Coors Field for his first start -- danger, Will Robinson, danger -- but no pitcher can touch what he's doing right now. Besides, most of the other ace-caliber starting pitchers, who I limit to Nos. 1-6 (apologies to Noah Syndergaard), are facing a top offense in one of their two starts.
The top 14 are must-starts in my eyes, with Matt Moore earning that status because of favorable matchups at his enormous home park, but I wouldn't shy away from the sleepers this week. To me, the risk doesn't outweigh the reward until about No. 28, Martin Perez, who himself isn't a bad sleeper in points leagues, where strikeouts and WHIP aren't as much of a concern. The two Diamondbacks pitchers, Robbie Ray and Braden Shipley, are the ones whose stock improves the most because of matchups, though.
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Rank | Pitcher | Start 1 | Start 2 | |||||
1 | Max Scherzer, WAS | at COL | at ATL | |||||
2 | Jose Fernandez, MIA | at CIN | at PIT | |||||
3 | Corey Kluber, CLE | vs. CHW | vs. TOR | |||||
4 | Justin Verlander, DET | vs. KC | vs. BOS | |||||
5 | Danny Duffy, KC* | at DET | vs. MIN | |||||
6 | Jon Lester, CHC | vs. MIL | at COL | |||||
7 | Jose Quintana, CHW | at CLE | vs. OAK | |||||
8 | Noah Syndergaard, NYM | at ARI | at SF | |||||
9 | Felix Hernandez, SEA | at LAA | vs. MIL | |||||
10 | Kenta Maeda, LAD | at PHI | at CIN | |||||
11 | Matt Moore, SF | vs. PIT | vs. NYM | |||||
12 | Jason Hammel, CHC | vs. MIL | at COL | |||||
13 | Dallas Keuchel, HOU | vs. STL | at BAL | |||||
14 | Drew Pomeranz, BOS* | at CLE | at DET | |||||
15 | Anthony DeSclafani, CIN | vs. MIA | vs. LAD | |||||
16 | Ervin Santana, MIN | at ATL | at KC | |||||
17 | Vince Velasquez, PHI* | vs. LAD | vs. STL | |||||
18 | Jeff Samardzija, SF | vs. PIT | vs. NYM | |||||
19 | Robbie Ray, ARI | vs. NYM | at SD | |||||
20 | Ian Kennedy, KC | at DET | vs. MIN | |||||
21 | Gio Gonzalez, WAS | at COL | at ATL | |||||
22 | Josh Tomlin, CLE | vs. BOS | vs. TOR | |||||
23 | Drew Smyly, TB | vs. SD | vs. TEX | |||||
24 | Braden Shipley, ARI | vs. NYM | at SD | |||||
25 | Eduardo Rodriguez, BOS | at BAL | at DET | |||||
26 | Bartolo Colon, NYM | at ARI | at SF | |||||
27 | David Phelps, MIA* | at CIN | at PIT | |||||
28 | Martin Perez, TEX | vs. OAK | at TB | |||||
29 | Ryan Vogelsong, PIT* | at SF | vs. MIA | |||||
30 | Brandon Finnegan, CIN* | vs. MIA | vs. LAD | |||||
31 | Matt Garza, MIL | at CHC | at SEA | |||||
32 | Ricky Nolasco, LAA | vs. SEA | vs. NYY | |||||
33 | Yovani Gallardo, BAL | vs. BOS | vs. HOU | |||||
34 | Luis Perdomo, SD* | at TB | vs. ARI | |||||
35 | Chase Anderson, MIL | at CHC | at SEA | |||||
36 | Ross Detwiler, OAK | at TEX | at CHW | |||||
37 | Ariel Miranda, SEA | at LAA | MIL | |||||
38 | Daniel Norris, DET | vs. KC | vs. BOS | |||||
39 | Chad Green, NYY | vs. TOR | at LAA | |||||
40 | Jorge De La Rosa, COL | vs. WAS | vs. CHC | |||||
41 | Joel De La Cruz, ATL* | vs. MIN | vs. WAS | |||||
42 | Jhoulys Chacin, LAA | vs. SEA | vs. NYY |