More Fantasy Baseball: Week 8 sleeper hitters | Stash Rankings | Prospects Report
In a typical week, I can usually identify one or two two-start pitchers who are both available enough and promising enough to classify as sleepers.
This week, it might be a half dozen. We're talking a loaded list of mid-range pitchers who become much more compelling with a second start.
Part of what makes it possible is that so few out-and-out studs are in line for two starts this week, so if you have a particularly high-end pitching staff, you're almost at a disadvantage. Then again, if you don't, the pressure's on to take the most of this week's usable surplus -- or at least to obstruct your opponent from doing so.
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Look, you wouldn't play a two-start Tyler Anderson or Trevor Williams over a one-start Stephen Strasburg or Shohei Ohtani, but if you can make room for them in your lineup, you have to like their matchups this week. And both excel at generating weak contact, which lessens the threat of a disaster start. Mike Minor, Nick Pivetta and Tyler Mahle are also favorable plays among those owned in less than 80 percent of CBS Sports leagues, though there's a chance Mahle makes only one start if the Reds bring in a spot starter for their Saturday doubleheader. Jack Flaherty is in a similar spot, being scheduled to start Tuesday, but we don't know exactly when Carlos Martinez is returning from the DL.
On the higher end, Eduardo Rodriguez, Mike Foltynewicz and Joey Lucchesi are three fringies you can trust, with each benefiting from at least one stellar matchup. Any of the top 17, really, is automatic for me this week, and if you're looking to bulk up in a stream-them-like-crazy points league, you could push it as far as 22.
Two-start pitchers for Week 8 | ||||||||
Rank | Pitcher | Start 1 | Start 2 | |||||
1 | Carlos Carrasco, CLE | at DET | at HOU | |||||
2 | Patrick Corbin, ARI | vs. MIL | at NYM | |||||
3 | Rick Porcello, BOS | vs. OAK | vs. BAL | |||||
4 | Jose Quintana, CHC | vs. ATL | at CIN | |||||
5 | Lance McCullers, HOU | at LAA | vs. CLE | |||||
6 | Sean Manaea, OAK | at BOS | at TOR | |||||
7 | Yu Darvish, CHC | at ATL | at CIN | |||||
8 | Alex Wood, LAD | at MIA | at WAS | |||||
9 | Julio Teheran, ATL | at CHC | vs. MIA | |||||
10 | Eduardo Rodriguez, BOS | vs. OAK | vs. BAL | |||||
11 | Mike Foltynewicz, ATL | vs. CHC | vs. MIA | |||||
12 | Tyler Anderson, COL | at SD | at SF | |||||
13 | Trevor Williams, PIT | vs. CHW | vs. SD | |||||
14 | Joey Lucchesi, SD | vs. COL | at PIT | |||||
15 | Mike Minor, TEX* | at SEA | at CHW | |||||
16 | Jack Flaherty, STL | at MIN | vs. PHI | |||||
17 | Nick Pivetta, PHI | at BAL | at STL | |||||
18 | Tyler Mahle, CIN | at SF | vs. CHC | |||||
19 | Reynaldo Lopez, CHW | at PIT | vs. TEX | |||||
20 | Chris Stratton, SF | vs. CIN | vs. COL | |||||
21 | Tyler Chatwood, CHC | at ATL | at CIN | |||||
22 | Jake Odorizzi, MIN | vs. SEA | vs. MIL | |||||
23 | Andrew Heaney, LAA | vs. HOU | vs. TB | |||||
24 | Daniel Mengden, OAK | at BOS | at TOR | |||||
25 | Junior Guerra, MIL | at ARI | at MIN | |||||
26 | Ty Blach, SF | vs. CIN | vs. COL | |||||
27 | Andrew Cashner, BAL | vs. PHI | at BOS | |||||
28 | Jaime Garcia, TOR | at NYM | vs. OAK | |||||
29 | Sal Romano, CIN | at SF | vs. CHC | |||||
30 | Wade LeBlanc, SEA* | at MIN | vs. DET | |||||
31 | Mike Fiers, DET | vs. CLE | at SEA | |||||
32 | Eric Skoglund, KC | vs. TB | vs. NYY | |||||
33 | Wei-Yin Chen, MIA | vs. LAD | at ATL |
*RP-eligible