With 101 games on the schedule for Fantasy Week 12 (June 17-23), there is no shortage of two-start pitchers for owners to roster. Many of them are high-end options whom you would probably start anyway, so while the scoring in Fantasy leagues could be high this week, it doesn't necessarily mean that you'll get much of a boost from waiver pickups.
If you do go that route, Dan Straily (72 percent ownership rate), Jason Vargas (69 percent) and Ross Detwiler (41 percent) are still somewhat underowned and are among the best options you're likely to find among the free agents.
|
||
Player Name | % change | |
1. | Jordan Lyles, SP, Astros | 23 |
2. | Rick Porcello, SP, Tigers | 19 |
3. | Dillon Gee, SP, Mets | 16 |
4. | Dan Straily, SP, Athletics | 14 |
5. | Alfredo Figaro, SP, Brewers | 14 |
6. | Mike Leake, SP, Reds | 13 |
7. | Corey Kluber, SP, Indians | 13 |
8. | Andrew Cashner, SP, Padres | 12 |
9. | Jose Quintana, SP, White Sox | 12 |
10. | Jacob Turner, SP, Marlins | 11 |
Zack Wheeler is one of the one-start options likely to get the most attention, as he is scheduled to make his major league debut on Tuesday at Atlanta, and he could still be available in some of your standard and shallow mixed leagues. While Wheeler's current owners may be itching to finally get him into their rotation, this may not be the best week to do it. Wheeler could pile up some strikeouts against the Braves, but as the team with the second-highest Isolated Power in the National League, they could give the 23-year-old a rude welcome to the bigs.
Not all of Wheeler's struggles at Triple-A Las Vegas can be blamed on hitter-friendly parks, as he has posted the highest flyball and line drive rates of his minor league career this season, according to StatCorner.com. Though he was left out of the initial top 70 published on Friday, the removal of Clay Buchholz, Alex Cobb, Brandon Beachy and Ubaldo Jimenez has helped to create room for Wheeler at No. 68.
Monday update: Going into the weekend, it appeared that Buchholz (neck) had a chance at a two-start week, but at best, he will make one start, and at worst, the Red Sox will place him on the disabled list. He could still face the Tigers this weekend, but if he can't, Allen Webster and Rubby De La Rosa are the top candidates to fill in.
Beachy was expected to make his 2013 debut Tuesday, but now that he has fluid on his elbow, his return from Tommy John surgery will have to wait at least a little longer. Rookie Alex Wood will move from the bullpen to the rotation to take what would have been Beachy's spot. Wood will likely be one-and-done in the Braves' rotation after Tuesday's outing, regardless of when Beachy might return.
Finally, the Brewers still have an opening in their rotation for a starter on Saturday against the Braves. They could go with Tom Gorzelanny, who got the nod the last time the team needed a fifth starter, but the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that they could call on Donovan Hand from the bullpen, Chris Narveson (finger) from the disabled list or Johnny Hellweg from Triple-A Nashville. Should Hellweg get recalled, he would be worth a pickup in NL-only leagues.
|
||||
Rank | Player | Start 1 | Start 2 | |
1 | Justin Verlander | BAL (Hammel) | BOS (Doubront) | |
2 | Adam Wainwright | CHC (Samardzija) | TEX (Darvish) | |
3 | Matt Cain | SD (Cashner) | MIA (Eovaldi) | |
4 | Max Scherzer | BAL (Arrieta) | BOS (Buchholz) | |
5 | Yu Darvish | OAK (Parker) | @STL (Wainwright) | |
6 | Mat Latos | PIT (Morton) | @ARI (Corbin) | |
7 | Clayton Kershaw | @SD (Marquis) | N/A | |
8 | James Shields | @CLE (Carrasco) | CHW (Axelrod) | |
9 | Matt Harvey | @ATL (Wood) | @PHI (Lannan) | |
10 | Shelby Miller | CHC (Wood) | TEX (Tepesch) | |
11 | Felix Hernandez | @LAA (Hanson) | N/A | |
12 | Jeff Samardzija | @STL (Wainwright) | HOU (Lyles) | |
13 | Chris Sale | @MIN (Correia) | N/A | |
14 | Madison Bumgarner | SD (Stults) | N/A | |
15 | Zack Greinke | @SD (Richard) | N/A | |
16 | Cliff Lee | WAS (Detwiler) | N/A | |
17 | Jered Weaver | PIT (Cole) | N/A | |
18 | Hisashi Iwakuma | OAK (Colon) | N/A | |
19 | Cole Hamels | NYM (Gee) | N/A | |
20 | Stephen Strasburg | COL (Chacin) | N/A | |
21 | Hyun-Jin Ryu | @NYY (Hughes) | @SD (Cashner) | |
22 | Anibal Sanchez | BOS (Lackey) | N/A | |
23 | Josh Johnson | COL (De La Rosa) | BAL (Hammel) | |
24 | Johnny Cueto | @ARI (Miley) | N/A | |
25 | Doug Fister | BOS (Lester) | N/A | |
26 | Jordan Zimmermann | COL (Chatwood) | N/A | |
27 | Gio Gonzalez | @PHI (Kendrick) | N/A | |
28 | Matt Moore | @NYY (Pettitte) | N/A | |
29 | Lance Lynn | CHC (Feldman) | N/A | |
30 | Patrick Corbin | MIA (Turner) | CIN (Latos) | |
31 | Mike Minor | NYM (Niese) | N/A | |
32 | Andrew Cashner | @SF (Cain) | LAD (Ryu) | |
33 | Jason Vargas | SEA (Harang) | PIT (Liriano) | |
34 | Homer Bailey | PIT (Cumpton) | N/A | |
35 | Hiroki Kuroda | LAD (Capuano) | N/A | |
36 | CC Sabathia | TB (Colome) | N/A | |
37 | Dan Straily | @TEX (Tepesch) | @SEA (Harang) | |
38 | Justin Masterson | KC (Mendoza) | N/A | |
39 | C.J. Wilson | SEA (Saunders) | N/A | |
40 | Mike Leake | PIT (Liriano) | @ARI (Kennedy) | |
41 | Kris Medlen | NYM (Marcum) | N/A | |
42 | Jon Lester | @DET (Fister) | N/A | |
43 | Francisco Liriano | @CIN (Leake) | @LAA (Vargas) | |
44 | Andy Pettitte | TB (Moore) | N/A | |
45 | Trevor Cahill | MIA (Slowey) | N/A | |
46 | Travis Wood | @STL (Miller) | HOU (Norris) | |
47 | Derek Holland | @STL (Lyons) | N/A | |
48 | Jonathon Niese | @ATL (Minor) | N/A | |
49 | Tim Hudson | NYM (Gee) | @MIL (Gorzelanny) | |
50 | Paul Maholm | NYM (Harvey) | @MIL (Figaro) | |
51 | Ross Detwiler | @PHI (Lee) | COL (Francis) | |
52 | A.J. Griffin | @TEX (Lindblom) | N/A | |
53 | Jarrod Parker | @TEX (Darvish) | @SEA (Bonderman) | |
54 | Bartolo Colon | @SEA (Iwakuma) | N/A | |
55 | John Lackey | @DET (Sanchez) | N/A | |
56 | Jose Fernandez | @SF (Gaudin) | N/A | |
57 | Ryan Dempster | TB (Hellickson) | N/A | |
58 | Shaun Marcum | @ATL (Medlen) | N/A | |
59 | Gerrit Cole | @LAA (Weaver) | N/A | |
60 | Julio Teheran | @MIL (Peralta) | N/A | |
61 | Matt Garza | HOU (Keuchel) | N/A | |
62 | R.A. Dickey | BAL (Garcia) | N/A | |
63 | Jose Quintana | @HOU (Norris) | @KC (Davis) | |
64 | Ervin Santana | @CLE (Jimenez) | N/A | |
65 | Yovani Gallardo | @HOU (Harrell) | N/A | |
66 | Nick Tepesch | OAK (Straily) | @STL (Miller) | |
67 | Dillon Gee | @ATL (Hudson) | @PHI (Hamels) | |
68 | Zack Wheeler | @ATL (Maholm) | N/A | |
69 | David Phelps | TB (Hernandez) | N/A | |
70 | Bud Norris | CHW (Quintana) | @CHC (Wood) |
Honorable mention: Bronson Arroyo (PIT), Ubaldo Jimenez (KC), Jordan Lyles (MIL, @CHC), Wade Miley (CIN), Jacob Turner (@ARI, @SF).
Two-Start Options to Consider
Josh Johnson, Blue Jays (COL, BAL): Johnson had his next
start pushed to Monday due to a blister, so he's a late addition to the
two-start list. His command has slipped over the last two-plus seasons,
but then again, 2012 was the only one of those years in which he
provided a large sample of innings. It's a trend to watch, but he's
shown in his better starts this year that he can still be a highly
effective pitcher. Especially with two starts, it's time for Johnson to
be started in close to double the 37 percent of leagues that he's
currently active in on CBSSports.com.
This week's rank: 23
My
take: Solid standard mixed league start
Andrew Cashner, Padres (@SF, LAD): Fantasy owners may
bemoan Cashner's lack of strikeouts, but the hard-throwing righty has
made control his calling card this season, and the results have been
impressive. He has pitched at least six innings in seven straight
starts, and he has put together a 3.17 ERA and 1.10 WHIP over that span.
The Giants and Dodgers have some holes in their lineups, so this could
be an especially good week for the 26-year-old.
This week's rank:
32
My take: Solid standard mixed league start
Jason Vargas, Angels (SEA, PIT): Vargas has failed to notch
a quality start only twice in his last 10, and oddly enough it's been
the Astros and Cubs who have gotten to him. It's helped that Vargas has
made only two trips to a hitter-friendly venue during that span, as he
has a history of thriving when the venue is a favorable one for
pitchers. The schedule does Vargas a favor once again, giving him two
starts at home in Week 12, and better yet, he gets a pair of foes -- the
Mariners and Pirates -- who have struggled to put runs on the board.
This
week's rank: 33
My take: Solid standard mixed league start
Dan Straily, Athletics (@TEX, @SEA): Since enduring a
string of four poor starts earlier this year, Straily has been on a
roll. He has a 2.20 ERA and 0.77 WHIP over his last five starts, but
with only 20 strikeouts in 32 2/3 innings. Don't be surprised, though,
if Straily's strikeout rate starts to sneak back towards a
one-per-inning rate. During his recent stretch, he is still getting
swings-and-misses at a healthy 11 percent rate. Especially against the
contact-challenged Mariners, Straily could have a field day.
This
week's rank: 37
My take: Solid standard mixed league start
Mike Leake, Reds (PIT, @ARI): Through his first 13 starts,
Leake has made marginal improvements in his strikeout, walk and ground
ball rates over previous seasons, yet he is boasting an ERA that is more
than a run lower than his career-best mark of 3.86 from 2011. An
avoidance of extra-base hits has made the difference for Leake, as he
has allowed only seven home runs and 10 doubles to date. Leake's flyball
BABIP (.082) and home run-to-flyball ratio (6.2 percent) are well below
his norms and, even though he is getting more ground balls with his
sinker this year (per BrooksBaseball.net), those rates could rise
somewhat. Leake probably didn't need to improve to be trusted in a
two-start week, but he has shown at least some mild progress.
This
week's rank: 40
My take: Solid standard mixed league start
Francisco Liriano, Pirates (@CIN, @LAA): Liriano is already
starting in 72 percent of the leagues on CBSSports.com, so many standard
mixed league owners won't need convincing that he is worth using in a
two-start week. Though his walk rate is a bit elevated, Liriano looks to
be close to prime form this season, but he has stumbled against some of
his tougher opponents. He did dominate the Reds, but he yielded four
runs to both the Tigers and Giants. Liriano gets the Reds again -- this
time at Great American Ball Park -- and the Angels could give him
trouble, too. He's worth starting in most leagues, but owners in
shallower formats need to investigate all their options first.
This
week's rank: 43
My take: Solid standard mixed league start
Travis Wood, Cubs (@STL, HOU): Wood's shortest start of the
season was 5 2/3 innings against the Reds, and that was the only time
that he failed to pitch at least six frames. He hasn't been especially
efficient, just merely effective. Eventually, Wood will have some early
exits, and as I explained in my recent
column on outliers, he's not destined to remain in the top 30
among Fantasy starting pitchers. As long as he continues to get infield
flies at a high rate, Wood is good enough to use in a two-start week.
This
week's rank: 46
My take: Solid standard mixed league start
Tim Hudson, Braves (NYM, @MIL): Hudson has bounced back
from a difficult May which left him with a 7.33 ERA over five starts.
While he's had examplary control over his last three outings, it's also
helped that Hudson is back to stranding runners at a rate closer to his
customary level over 70 percent. He's been better than his 4-6 record
and 4.41 ERA would indicate, and he is reasonably safe to put in your
rotation for a two-start week.
This week's rank: 49
My
take: Marginal standard mixed league start
Ross Detwiler, Nationals (@PHI, COL): Detwiler's first
start since mid-May was a short one, lasting only five innings, but he
continued this season's run of outings with sharp control. He didn't
walk a batter and has yet to yield more than two walks in a start this
year. He's not on a par with Bartolo Colon
in terms of his ability to pound the strike zone, but then again, he's
had a much better history with avoiding the long ball. That combination
of control and aversion to homers gives Detwiler some low-end appeal in
standard mixed leagues this week.
This week's rank: 51
My
take: Marginal standard mixed league start
Jarrod Parker, Athletics (@TEX, @SEA): In fewer than half
the innings, Parker has already allowed more home runs this season (13)
than he did all of last year (11). The gopher ball has been a much
bigger problem for Parker on the road this season, yet his ERA in away
games is just 3.86. According to FanGraphs.com, he has stranded an
astounding 91 percent of his baserunners in those six road starts, so
Parker could exhibit some regression this week. The Rangers, who rank
third in most home runs at home, look like an especially dangerous
opponent.
This week's rank: 53
My take: Marginal
standard mixed league start
Jose Quintana, White Sox (@HOU, @KC): Quintana has very
ordinary peripherals, and his K/9 (6.4) and ground ball (43 percent)
rates are even a little below major league average. His 1.23 WHIP is not
exactly run-of-the-mill, though. He's helped himself by leading the
majors with the highest infield fly-to-flyball ratio, according to
Baseball-Reference.com. That's a new trend for Quintana, and it may not
last, but he could at least sustain it against an Astros team that pops
out quite a bit.
This week's rank: 63
My take:
Marginal standard mixed league start
Nick Tepesch, Rangers (OAK, @STL): Tepesch is coming off
poor back-to-back starts, but it was only in his most recent start that
he allowed his opponent to clog up the bases with runners. Overall,
Tepesch still has an appealing profile. He has handed out two walks or
fewer in nine of his dozen starts and is getting grounders at a 53
percent rate. He has had a largely favorable schedule and gets two tough
opponents this week, but he's shown he can handle good competition with
decent starts against the Rays and Tigers. Tepesch is a reasonable
low-end add in standard mixed leagues.
This week's rank: 66
My
take: Marginal standard mixed league start
Dillon Gee, Mets (@ATL, @PHI): The good news for Gee's
owners is that he has been sensational in his last three starts,
compiling a 1.29 ERA with 26 strikeouts over 21 innings. Given the
strides that Gee has made over his career as a strikeout pitcher, that
would seem reason enough to start him this week. The bad news that makes
him a risky start is that he has been dealing with elbow tendinitis.
Should he continue to feel tightness, he may need extra rest, and that
could potentially put his two-start status at risk. Owners willing to
roll the dice have some good reasons to start Gee, but given the news on
his health status, the prudent move is to start him in standard mixed
leagues only as a last resort.
This week's rank: 67
My
take: Marginal standard mixed league start
Bud Norris, Astros (CHW, @CHC): Norris is quietly putting
together a nice run, as he has posted a 3.06 ERA over his last eight
starts, and that even includes a seven-run shellacking at the hands
(paws?) of the Tigers. Though he doesn't have many strikeouts to show
for it, Norris has been inducing whiffs at an 11 percent rate, and his
control issues may now be a thing of the past. If he can build on his
recent success, Norris may eventually be a solid standard mixed league
option in two-start weeks, but too many seasons of high walk and homer
rates should breed at least some skepticism.
This week's rank:
70
My take: Marginal standard mixed league start
Jacob Turner, Marlins (@ARI, @SF): Turner has done some
impressive things in his three starts with the Marlins, getting whiffs
at a surprisingly-high 11 percent rate and grounders at an even more
eye-popping 59 percent rate. Still, those small-sample stats don't match
up with his prior numbers, mostly attained in the minors. He also isn't
likely to sustain the .118 batting average he's allowed on grounders.
Turner still has plenty of long-term potential, and just maybe this is
the start of a breakout. Until we have more evidence, though, he's too
risky to start outside of deeper mixed and NL-only leagues.
This
week's rank: N/A
My take: Deeper mixed league start
Jordan Lyles, Astros (MIL, @CHC): His 10-strikeout binge
against the Mariners aside, Lyles can't be counted on for strikeouts, as
he relies on ground balls and decent control to succeed. It was actually
just last season that Lyles started becoming a reliable source of
grounders, but it didn't translate into a low ERA, because he stranded
only 67 percent of his baserunners. This season, that rate has risen to
76 percent, which along with his minor league numbers, suggests that it
won't be a chronic problem. That makes Lyles safe to activate in far
more than the nine percent of leagues in which he is currently starting.
This
week's rank: N/A
My take: Deeper mixed league start
Phil Hughes, Yankees (LAD, TB): Hughes allows home runs in
copious quantities. He gives them up even more frequently at home. While
the Rays could be a particularly troublesome opponent, matchups don't
matter much for Hughes, as he could get rocked at any time. He can also
be brilliant at times, so Hughes is worth stashing in many formats, but
with two starts at Yankee Stadium, he can sit this one out in standard
mixed leagues.
This week's rank: N/A
My take: Deeper
mixed league start.
Jason Hammel, Orioles (@DET, @TOR): Hammel's performances
have been a little more respectable of late, but they're still a far cry
from 2012. In all fairness, he hasn't had too many easy matchups this
season, but life won't get any easier this week, when he faces the
Tigers and Blue Jays. There don't look to be many favorable schedules in
the weeks ahead, so unless Hammel starts getting whiffs and grounders
again, he can be benched or ignored in most mixed leagues for awhile.
Even in leagues where you would feel safe starting Hammel, you may need
to look at other alternatives, as he could lose his first start of the
week due to a stomach virus.
This week's rank: N/A
My
take: Deeper mixed league start.
Dan Haren, WAS (@PHI, COL): The 17 home runs that Haren has
allowed in 13 starts is just one of sign of how hittable he has been.
He's also been giving up liners at a scorching 27 percent rate, which
has contributed to opponents hitting a bloated .296 against him. It's
not safe to start Haren outside of deeper leagues at all right now, but
a start at Philadelphia followed by a visit from the Rockies does not
make for a promising week.
This week's rank: N/A
My take:
Deeper mixed league start.
Jorge De La Rosa, Rockies (@TOR, @WAS): De La Rosa's skill
stats have been unimpressive this season, but prior to his last two
starts, he had been looking like a major overachiever. He has regressed
to the mean by allowing 15 hits and seven earned runs over his last 10
1/3 innings. De La Rosa has been allowing a lot of contact, and much of
it has been hard, as evidenced by a 30 percent line drive rate. Unless
those trends improve, there will be even more regression to come.
This
week's rank: N/A
My take: NL-only start.
Barry Zito, Giants (SD, MIA): Zito's strong early-season
run is now a distant memory, as he has had miserable results since
mid-May. He has just one quality start over his last six outings and has
posted a 7.15 ERA over that stretch. There's no way to sugar-coat it;
escalating walk and line drive rates show that Zito has just been plain
ineffective. Even with good matchups at home, Zito should be avoided in
nearly all formats.
This week's rank: N/A
My take:
NL-only start.
Stay in touch with the most passionate Fantasy staff in the business by following us on Twitter @CBSFantasyBB or Al Melchior at @almelccbs . You can also e-mail us at fantasybaseball@cbsinteractive.com .