We go around baseball's rotations every Sunday of the season in our weekly Pitching Planner. We highlight every matchup, recommended two-start options, sleepers and busts and much more. The means we consider them a recommended start. The means we suggest you consider a replacement option.

Arizona Diamondbacks

  1. Dan Haren vs STL Lohse, vs PHI Kendrick
  2. Edwin Jackson vs STL Carpenter
  3. Kris Benson vs PHI Moyer
  4. Ian Kennedy vs PHI Hamels
  5. Rodrigo Lopez vs STL Penny

Two-starter(s): Haren. He is a must-start in all leagues even if he only starts once Tuesday.
Who is getting skipped: Lopez. We figure the D-Backs will keep Haren on regular rest Sunday, which takes away a two-start week from Lopez, who starts Monday.
One-week sleeper: Benson. He was decent in his first start and he draws a struggling Jamie Moyer. You have to be a gambling man to take this No. 5 starter against the potent Phillies', though.
One-week bust: Kennedy. We like his potential as a sleeper in deeper leagues, but his matchup against the Phillies is one to keep him reserved for.

Atlanta Braves

  1. Tommy Hanson vs. PHI Kendrick, at NYM Pelfrey
  2. Tim Hudson vs PHI Happ
  3. Derek Lowe vs PHI Halladay
  4. Kenshin Kawakami at NYM Maine
  5. Jair Jurrjens at NYM Niese

Two-starter(s): Hanson. He is a must-start option in all leagues.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Kawakami. He posted a 2.19 ERA against the Mets last year, which makes him a one-start sleeper in deeper formats.
One-week bust: Lowe. He is 6-1 against the Phillies in his career, but that is a tough matchup, especially against that opposing ace. You are justified sitting him in mixed leagues.

Baltimore Orioles

  1. Kevin Millwood at SEA Hernandez
  2. Jeremy Guthrie at BOS Lester
  3. Brian Matusz at BOS Lackey
  4. Brad Bergesen at SEA Fister, at BOS Wakefield
  5. David Hernandez at SEA Vargas
This week's two-start pitchers
Must-start options Own % Start %
John Lackey BOS 97 90
Matt Cain SF 97 89
Dan Haren ARI 97 88
Tommy Hanson ATL 96 86
Chad Billingsley LA 97 82
Kevin Slowey MIN 90 67
Advisable options Own % Start %
Carlos Zambrano CHC 96 82
Jorge De La Rosa COL 95 82
David Price TB 95 80
John Danks CHW 94 77
Javier Vazquez NYY 97 76
Brad Penny STL 82 66
Rick Porcello DET 87 63
Randy Wells CHC 66 49
Jeff Niemann TB 77 48
Aaron Cook COL 38 22
Questionable options Own % Start %
Scott Kazmir ANA 95 50
Joel Pineiro ANA 65 42
Justin Masterson CLE 60 41
Mike Pelfrey NYM 49 30
Homer Bailey CIN 62 29
Brett Myers HOU 49 28
Colby Lewis TEX 45 28
Brandon Morrow TOR 41 20
Gio Gonzalez OAK 35 19
Chris Volstad FLA 31 19
Tim Wakefield BOS 22 14
Dontrelle Willis DET 19 10
Brian Bannister KC 10 7
Dave Bush MIL 10 6
Jonathon Niese NYM 12 5
Doug W. Fister SEA 6 4
High-risk options Own % Start %
Clayton Richard SD 26 16
Brad Bergesen BAL 10 3
Kyle Kendrick PHI 5 2
Charlie Morton PIT 3 1
Scott Olsen WAS 2 1
Craig Stammen WAS 1 0

Two-starter(s): Bergesen. He has one favorable start and one very unfavorable one, which makes him a high-risk option.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Millwood. He is off to a good start with a 20-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. That Mariners offense shouldn't scare you, even if he is facing a top-five ace.
One-week bust: Guthrie. He is coming off a solid start, but we cannot advise him at Boston, obviously.

Boston Red Sox

  1. Josh Beckett vs TEX Harrison
  2. Jon Lester vs BAL Guthrie
  3. John Lackey vs TB Niemann, vs BAL Matusz
  4. Tim Wakefield vs TEX Lewis, vs BAL Bergesen
  5. Clay Buchholz vs TEX Wilson

Two-starter(s): Lackey and Wakefield. Lackey is an obvious must-start, while Wakefield is a questionable option we say keep out of most mixed league lineups this week.
Who is getting skipped: None. Daisuke Matsuzaka (neck) is making perhaps his final rehab start April 21, which could position him to take Buchholz's rotation spot for Fantasy Week 4 (April 26-May 2) as a two-start pitcher.
One-week sleeper: Wakefield. He gets a favorable second start, which makes him a risk worth taking in deeper leagues, despite his slow start to the season.
One-week bust: Buchholz. He is pitching for his rotation spot, but he hasn't pitched well enough to trust against a potentially potent Rangers lineup this week.

Chicago Cubs

  1. Carlos Zambrano at NYM Pelfrey, at MIL Bush
  2. Ryan Dempster at MIL Davis
  3. Randy Wells at NYM Niese, at MIL Suppan
  4. Carlos Silva at NYM Perez
  5. Tom Gorzelanny at NYM Santana

Two-starter(s): Zambrano and Wells. They are both advisable options at this point.
Who is getting skipped: None. Ted Lilly (shoulder) might make is final rehab start Monday, which could position him to take a second start from Wells next Saturday or Zambrano next Sunday. We figure the Cubs will be cautious and hold him out to slot over Gorzelanny, who should make his final start Thursday at the Mets.
One-week sleeper: Silva. He was awesome the last time out and draws a favorable matchup in a pitcher's park.
One-week bust: Gorzelanny. He is pitching for his job and is a bit banged up at this point. You are justified cutting him for another flier in mixed leagues at this point.

Chicago White Sox

  1. Mark Buehrle vs TB Davis
  2. Jake Peavy vs TB Shields
  3. Gavin Floyd vs SEA Rowland-Smith
  4. John Danks vs TB Price, vs SEA Fister
  5. Freddy An. Garcia vs SEA Snell

Two-starter(s): Danks. He is an advisable option in all leagues.
Who is getting skipped: Garcia. The White Sox will keep their top four starters on regular rest, which forces Garcia back a few days in Fantasy Week 3 (April 19-25). He will still get one start, though.
One-week sleeper: Garcia. He is coming off a bad start and is getting skipped, but he slots in a favorable matchup that will make him useful in real deep leagues.
One-week bust: Peavy. He is off to a disappointing start and draws a contending team with their staff ace on the mound. It is reason enough to sit him if you have more effective options this week.

Cincinnati Reds

  1. Johnny Cueto vs SD Correia
  2. Bronson Arroyo vs SD LeBlanc
  3. Homer Bailey vs LAD Billingsley, vs SD Richard
  4. Aaron Harang vs LAD Kuroda
  5. Mike Leake vs LAD Padilla

Two-starter(s): Bailey. He is a questionable option but a risk worth taking in deeper formats because of that favorable second matchup.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Arroyo. He works deep into games and should post a quality start, if not a victory, against the Padres.
One-week bust: Leake. We love the straight-to-the-majors rookie, but he has had a lot of walks and could paint himself into a corner against the potent Dodgers. We would own him but sit him this week.

Cleveland Indians

  1. Fausto Carmona at OAK Anderson
  2. Justin Masterson at MIN Slowey, at OAK Gonzalez
  3. David Huff at MIN Liriano
  4. Mitch Talbot at MIN Baker
  5. Jake Westbrook at OAK Duchscherer

Two-starter(s): Masterson. He is a questionable option who is useful in most leagues with that favorable second matchup in his two-start week. Relief-eligibility certainly helps, too.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Masterson. If you're ever going to slot him in the RP spot, this is the week to do it.
One-week bust: Huff. He is off to a great start, but he has a 5.82 ERA in his career against the Twins in four starts. Heck, his ERA is about that high for his career. He needs a string of more successful outings for him to the trusted.

Colorado Rockies

  1. Ubaldo Jimenez at WAS Hernandez
  2. Aaron Cook at WAS Stammen, vs FLA Robertson
  3. Jorge De La Rosa at WAS Olsen, vs FLA Volstad
  4. Jason Hammel at WAS Lannan
  5. Greg Smith vs FLA Nolasco

Two-starter(s): Cook and De La Rosa. The matchups make them advisable options in most leagues.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Cook. He is better than he has pitched and draws a favorable matchup in his first start.
One-week bust: Hammel and Smith. We wouldn't trust these guys in mixed leagues this week.

Top 10 Pitchers Added
Player % Change
1. Kevin Gregg, RP, Toronto 45
2. Fernando Rodney, RP, L.A. Angels 30
3. Colby Lewis, SP, Texas 27
4. Mike Pelfrey, SP, N.Y. Mets 23
5. Dana Eveland, SP, Toronto 18
6. Ricky Romero, SP, Toronto 15
7. Carl Pavano, SP, Minnesota 15
8. Jaime Garcia, SP, St. Louis 14
9. Dallas Braden, SP, Oakland 13
10. Justin Duchscherer, SP, Oakland 13

Detroit Tigers

  1. Justin Verlander at LAA Saunders
  2. Max Scherzer at TEX Feldman
  3. Dontrelle Willis at LAA Pineiro, at TEX Harden
  4. Rick Porcello at LAA Kazmir, at TEX Lewis
  5. Jeremy Bonderman at LAA Weaver

Two-starter(s): Willis and Porcello. Willis is questionable and best avoided in those matchups if you have alternatives. Porcello is advisable at this point.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Willis. We cannot advise trusting him in most formats, but he does have decent numbers in a small sample size against the Angels (0.00) and Rangers (3.94). It is hard to find AL teams Willis has pitched well against. You have to be a gambler to take this shot, though.
One-week bust: Bonderman. He was awful his last time out and draws a contender with their ace on the mound.

Florida Marlins

  1. Josh Johnson at HOU Norris
  2. Ricky Nolasco at COL Smith
  3. Nate Robertson at COL Cook
  4. Chris Volstad at HOU Myers, at COL De La Rosa
  5. Anibal Sanchez at HOU Paulino

Two-starter(s): Volstad. He is a questionable option at two hitter-friendly parks, but he is a risk worth taking in deeper leagues.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Volstad. He is off to a decent start in his third year as a starter, which could lead to a breakout. His 31 percent ownership is far too low.
One-week bust: Sanchez. He is coming off a bad start and likely has to be reserved in mixed leagues until he proves effective and lineup-worthy.

Houston Astros

  1. Roy Oswalt vs PIT Maholm
  2. Wandy Rodriguez vs PIT TBD
  3. Brett Myers vs FLA Volstad, vs PIT Morton
  4. Bud Norris vs FLA Johnson
  5. Felipe Paulino vs FLA Sanchez

Two-starter(s): Myers. He is a questionable option that qualifies as a sleeper for deeper leagues in his two-start week, especially with that favorable second matchup.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Myers. He is historically bad against the Marlins and great against the Pirates, but we would use him in deeper leagues.
One-week bust: Paulino. He is off to a bad start and shouldn't be trusted outside of deeper NL-only leagues at this point.

Kansas City Royals

  1. Zack Greinke at TOR Marcum
  2. Gil Meche vs MIN Blackburn
  3. Luke Hochevar vs MIN Pavano
  4. Brian Bannister at TOR Morrow, vs MIN Slowey
  5. Kyle Davies at TOR Eveland

Two-starter(s): Bannister. He is a questionable option we don't have the guts to trust in mixed leagues this week.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Bannister. He is off to a good start at 2.19 if you feel like taking a gamble on a two-start pitcher.
One-week bust: Meche. He has been terrible off the DL and cannot be trusted in any format right now.

Los Angeles Angels

  1. Jered Weaver vs DET Bonderman
  2. Joe Saunders vs DET Verlander
  3. Ervin Santana vs NYY Burnett
  4. Joel Pineiro vs DET Willis, vs NYY Pettitte
  5. Scott Kazmir vs DET Porcello, vs NYY Vazquez

Two-starter(s): Pineiro and Kazmir. They are questionable options with those difficult matchups, particularly the second one(s).
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Kazmir. Despite his awful first start off the DL and difficult second matchup, we still like the talent enough to advise using him in mixed leagues.
One-week bust: Saunders. He is coming off a great start, but the Tigers have hit him pretty good in his career (5.18), which makes him a candidate to sit if you have better alternatives.

Los Angeles Dodgers

  1. Clayton Kershaw at WAS Stammen
  2. Chad Billingsley at CIN Bailey, at WAS Olsen
  3. Hiroki Kuroda at CIN Harang
  4. Vicente Padilla at CIN Leake
  5. Charlie Haeger at WAS Marquis

Two-starter(s): Billingsley. He is a must-start option in all leagues.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Kuroda. We cannot figure why he is starting in only 48 percent of leagues. This is an ace, folks. The third-year starting pitcher will have his best year yet.
One-week bust: Padilla. He is coming off a good start, but you still have to be sour over his Week 1 implosion. He is difficult to trust in mixed leagues until he strings some quality starts together.

Milwaukee Brewers

  1. Yovani Gallardo at PIT Duke
  2. Randy Wolf at PIT McCutchen
  3. Doug Davis vs. CHC Dempster
  4. Jeff Suppan vs CHC Wells
  5. Dave Bush at PIT Morton, vs CHC Zambrano

Two-starter(s): Bush. He is a questionable option that should be left for deeper leagues at this point.
Who is getting skipped: None. Suppan could be moved back to keep the top four starters on regular rest, but he will still get a start against the Cubs before the end of Fantasy Week 3 (April 19-25).
One-week sleeper: Bush. The favorable first matchup makes him useful as a stopgap in mixed formats this week.
One-week bust: Davis and Suppan. We wouldn't trust them in mixed leagues against the Cubs.

Minnesota Twins

  1. Kevin Slowey vs CLE Masterson, at KC Bannister
  2. Francisco Liriano vs CLE Huff
  3. Scott Baker vs CLE Talbot
  4. Nick Blackburn at KC Meche
  5. Carl Pavano at KC Hochevar

Two-starter(s): Slowey. He is a must-start ace in all leagues, especially with those matchups.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Pavano. All of the Twins starters are useful this week with those matchups. Before a bad outing Sunday, Pavano was rising in Fantasy.
One-week bust: Blackburn. He struggled against those Royals last time out, which makes him a bit riskier. We would still expect a solid start out of him, though.

New York Mets

  1. Johan Santana vs CHC Gorzelanny
  2. John Maine vs ATL Kawakami
  3. Oliver Perez vs CHC Silva
  4. Mike Pelfrey vs CHC Zambrano, vs ATL Hanson
  5. Jonathon Niese vs CHC Wells, vs ATL Jurrjens

Two-starter(s): Pelfrey and Niese. They are questionable options best left for deeper leagues. Pelfrey is off to a good start, but he has real tough opposing pitchers.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Perez. He looked rejuvenated against the Cardinals and is worth a shot in deeper leagues at home vs. the Cubs and the currently overachieving Silva.
One-week bust: Maine. He is struggling with his velocity and his command, which makes him a risk in most mixed leagues against the Braves, against which he has a 5.06 ERA in his career.

New York Yankees

  1. CC Sabathia at OAK Braden
  2. A.J. Burnett at LAA Santana
  3. Andy Pettitte at LAA Pineiro
  4. Javier Vazquez at OAK Gonzalez, at LAA Kazmir
  5. Phil Hughes at OAK Sheets

Two-starter(s): Vazquez. He is off to another bad start with the Yankees, but he should be better in this two-start week away from those Bronx cheers.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Hughes. We have a feeling he is going to be a must-start option in all leagues on a regular basis. Facing the punchless A's offense should help you trust him in mixed leagues.
One-week bust: Pettitte. We would start all Yankees, but Pettitte hasn't been great against the Angels in his career with a 4.55 ERA.

Oakland Athletics

  1. Ben Sheets vs NYY Hughes
  2. Dallas Braden vs NYY Sabathia
  3. Justin Duchscherer vs CLE Westbrook
  4. Brett Anderson vs CLE Carmona
  5. Gio Gonzalez vs NYY Vazquez, vs CLE Masterson

Two-starter(s): Gonzalez. He is a questionable option, but his great first start and favorable second matchup are reasons enough to take a shot on him in deeper leagues at this point.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Duchscherer. He is worth using in any format with this favorable one-start matchup this week.
One-week bust: Braden. He is off to a good start, but his matchup this week makes him difficult to trust if you have other alternatives.

Philadelphia Phillies

  1. Roy Halladay at ATL Lowe
  2. Cole Hamels at ARI Kennedy
  3. J.A. Happ? at ATL Hudson
  4. Jamie Moyer at ARI Benson
  5. Kyle Kendrick at ATL Hanson, at ARI Haren

Two-starter(s): Kendrick. He is a high-risk option best left for NL-only leagues amid his putrid start to the season.
Who is getting skipped: Happ, perhaps. He was tentatively slated to start Wednesday, but forearm soreness could get him skipped until the weekend series at Arizona. Also, Joe Blanton (oblique) is starting a three-start rehab assignment early this week.
One-week sleeper: Kendrick. We have advised using him each of the first two weeks to our detriment. This risky two-start week could be useful to some real loyal types who like to take two-start gambles.
One-week bust: Happ. He is getting moved back and might even be at risk of not making a start. The uncertainty makes him someone to sit in all leagues right now.

Pittsburgh Pirates

  1. Zach Duke vs MIL Gallardo
  2. Daniel McCutchen vs MIL Wolf
  3. Paul Maholm at HOU Oswalt
  4. Charlie Morton vs MIL Bush, at HOU Myers
  5. TBD (perhaps Brian Burres) at HOU Rodriguez

Two-starter(s): Morton. He is a high-risk option even in the deepest of NL-only leagues amid his bad start to the season.
Who is getting skipped: Ross Ohlendorf (back spasms). He won't be ready the next time the Pirates need a No. 5 starter April 24. Burres remains with the team in long relief and could be the stopgap starter this one turn before Ohlendorf returns in Fantasy Week 4 (April 26-May 2).
One-week sleeper: Duke. He is off to a good start and is still worth using in deeper leagues, despite his tough matchup.
One-week bust: Maholm. You might be lured into taking advantage of the struggling Astros, but Maholm isn't trustworthy enough.

San Diego Padres

  1. Jon Garland vs SF Wellemeyer
  2. Kevin Correia at CIN Cueto
  3. Wade LeBlanc at CIN Arroyo
  4. Clayton Richard vs SF Cain, at CIN Bailey
  5. Mat Latos vs SF Sanchez

Two-starter(s): Richard. He is a high-risk option best left for the deepest of NL-only leagues at this point.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Garland. He draws a winnable matchup against a starter that could help get him good run support.
One-week bust: Correia. He is 5-1 against the Reds in his career and is off to a great start this season, but he has a career 4.85 ERA in 12 games against the Reds. It also hurts that his one start is on the road in that hitter's park.

San Francisco Giants

  1. Tim Lincecum vs STL Garcia
  2. Barry Zito vs STL Wainwright
  3. Matt Cain at SD Richard, vs STL Penny
  4. Jonathan O. Sanchez at SD Latos
  5. Todd Wellemeyer at SD Garland

Two-starter(s): Cain. He is a must-start in all leagues, even amid a so-so start to the season.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Sanchez. He was starting in only 45 percent of leagues this week. That is unjustifiably low for this third-year starting pitcher breakout.
One-week bust: Zito. He is 0-4 with a 5.54 ERA in his career against the Cardinals. It makes sense since Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday make a living off hanging breaking balls from left-handers.

Seattle Mariners

  1. Felix Hernandez vs BAL Millwood
  2. Ryan Rowland-Smith at CHW Floyd
  3. Ian Snell at CHW Garcia
  4. Doug W. Fister vs BAL Bergesen, at CHW Danks
  5. Jason M. Vargas vs BAL Hernandez

Two-starter(s): Fister. He is a questionable option we aren't ready to advise, despite that very favorable first matchup.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Fister. He is off to a good start this season, so go ahead and use the hot hand in deeper leagues if you need a stopgap.
One-week bust: Vargas. A favorable matchup makes him intriguing, but we have a feeling he will manage to wake up the Orioles' bats.

St. Louis Cardinals

  1. Chris Carpenter at ARI Jackson
  2. Adam Wainwright at SF Zito
  3. Jaime Garcia at SF Lincecum
  4. Brad Penny at ARI Lopez, at SF Cain
  5. Kyle Lohse at ARI Haren

Two-starter(s): Penny. He is an advisable option in all leagues amid his hot start.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Penny. There is a reason Dave Duncan is known as the pitching guru. He has made a pitch-to-contact guy out of Penny -- and has gotten outstanding results to date. Those are good matchups, too.
One-week bust: Garcia. We advise you buy on this rookie in any league, but this might be a week to bench him against a top-five ace.

Tampa Bay Rays

  1. James Shields at CHW Peavy
  2. Matt Garza vs TOR Tallet
  3. Jeff Niemann at BOS Lackey, vs TOR Romero
  4. David Price at CHW Danks
  5. Wade Davis at CHW Buehrle

Two-starter(s): Niemann. He is an advisable option in any league, despite that first matchup. It might not be all that tough, though. The Red Sox are struggling right now.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Davis. He is coming off a solid start and is trustworthy in most formats as a rookie for this contender.
One-week bust: None. All five Rays starters are advisable options in all leagues. This is the deepest rotation in baseball, perhaps.

Texas Rangers

  1. Rich Harden vs DET Willis
  2. Colby Lewis at BOS Wakefield, vs DET Porcello
  3. Matt Harrison at BOS Beckett
  4. C.J. Wilson at BOS Buchholz
  5. Scott Feldman vs DET Scherzer

Two-starter(s): Lewis. He is a questionable option that qualifies as a sleeper for deeper leagues amid his hot start to the season.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Lewis. Japanese baseball has rejuvenated his career and his two-start week makes him someone to use in deeper formats at this point. We have no reason not to trust him right now.
One-week bust: Wilson. He has had one great start and one bad one. We would still trust him in most leagues, but a one-start week against the Red Sox -- even if they are struggling -- is reason enough to sit Wilson.

Toronto Blue Jays

  1. Shaun Marcum vs KC Greinke
  2. Ricky Romero at TB Niemann
  3. Brandon Morrow vs KC Bannister, at TB Price
  4. Dana Eveland vs KC Davies
  5. Brian Tallet at TB Garza

Two-starter(s): Morrow. He is a questionable option who is best left for deeper AL-only leagues amid his slow start to the season. If he had gotten off to a better start, we would have been inclined to consider him a nice sleeper.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Marcum and Romero. They have earned your trust in any format through the early going here.
One-week bust: Morrow. The young talent isn't pitching well enough to trust in his two-start week.

Washington Nationals

  1. John Lannan vs COL Hammel
  2. Livan Hernandez vs COL Jimenez
  3. Jason Marquis vs LAD Haeger
  4. Craig Stammen vs COL Cook, vs LAD Kershaw
  5. Scott Olsen vs COL De La Rosa, vs LAD Billingsley

Two-starter(s): Stammen and Olsen. They are high-risk options even in the deepest of NL-only leagues with any matchups, much less those difficult ones.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Hernandez. He is red hot right now, but he is facing a potentially potent Rockies team with a starter coming off a no-hitter. Use him at your own peril, err risk.
One-week bust: Olsen. He is tempting as a talent amid a rotation full of Nationals cannon-fodder, but those are tough matchups.

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