Fantasy Baseball Week 25 Preview: Two-start pitcher rankings address Trevor Bauer, Jose Berrios concerns and highlight some sleepers

Two of the more bankable starting pitchers in Fantasy Baseball this year, Trevor Bauer and Jose Berrios, have been in free fall at a point in the year when you can least afford a misstep. And it just so happens each is in line for two starts this week.

So what do you do? Well, if you've been following this column all year, you know that streaming starting pitchers off the waiver wire is a dubious approach in the most power-laden environment the game has ever known. As bad as Bauer and Berrios have been in recent starts, anyone you might pick up instead is liable to be just as bad no matter who they're facing. If not, he wouldn't be available to you. Such is the nature of today's MLB.

So while I don't include Bauer and Berrios among the must-start two-start options, I don't think it's realistic to suggest a viable alternative is just waiting there to be added. Maybe you already have one on your roster if you're one of those lucky few who actually has depth at the position, but if you're consulting this list for two-start players, you probably aren't. And if I were you, I'd stick with the guys who brought me there and trust in their capacity to turn things around. The downside is just as apparent but the upside significantly more.

But if you actually do need a two-start sleeper for other, more defensible reasons, someone like Johnny Cueto may actually be your best bet. Yeah, he's fresh off Tommy John surgery, but he threw six shutout innings in the hitter-friendly PCL in his last rehab start and of course has a lengthy track record of success. Mostly, though, it's his two terrific matchups against the Pirates and Marlins that make him worthy of the gamble, but there's no doubting it is a gamble. If not, he wouldn't be available to you.

Such is the nature of today's MLB.

Week 25 Preview

Two-Start Pitchers

Two-start pitcher rankings

Must-starts, all formats

Sleepers and questionables

Better left for points leagues

No thanks

must

Must-starts, all formats

1	J. deGrom SP TEX	vs ARI	vs LAD
2	S. Bieber SP CLE	@ LAA	vs MIN
3	W. Buehler SP LAD	@ BAL	@ NYM
4	Z. Greinke SP KC	vs OAK	@ KC
5	A. Nola SP PHI	vs ATL	vs BOS
6	K. Hendricks SP CHC	@ SD	vs PIT
7	M. Bumgarner SP ARI	vs PIT	vs MIA
8	J. Paxton SP LAD	@ BOS	@ TOR
9	L. Lynn SP STL	vs TB	vs OAK
10	J. Quintana SP NYM	@ SD	vs PIT
11	Z. Gallen SP ARI	@ NYM	vs CIN
12	M. Fried SP ATL	@ PHI	@ WAS
13	R. Yarbrough RP LAD	@ TEX	@ LAA

Sleepers and questionables

14	T. Bauer SP LAD	@ SEA	@ ARI
15	J. Berrios SP TOR	vs WAS	@ CLE
16	E. Rodriguez SP ARI	vs NYY	@ PHI
17	W. Miley SP MIL	vs OAK	@ KC
18	Z. Wheeler SP PHI	vs ARI	vs LAD
19	M. Foltynewicz SP TEX	@ PHI	@ WAS
20	J. Cueto SP TEX	vs PIT	vs MIA

Better left for points leagues

21	M. Fiers SP OAK	@ HOU	@ TEX
22	M. Kelly SP ARI	@ NYM	vs CIN
23	T. Williams SP WAS	@ SF	@ CHC
24	J. Junis RP MIL	@ CHW	vs HOU

No thanks

25	J. Lyles RP KC	@ MIA	@ STL
26	A. Sanchez SP WAS	@ MIN	vs ATL
27	I. Nova SP PHI	vs KC	@ SEA
28	M. Keller SP PIT	@ SF	@ CHC
29	E. Hernandez RP LAD	vs MIL	@ SF
30	C. Anderson RP BOS	@ MIA	@ STL
31	J. Sheffield RP SEA	vs CIN	vs CHW
32	P. Sandoval SP LAA	vs CLE	vs TB
33	R. Dugger RP CIN	vs MIL	@ SF
34	T. Blach RP COL	vs LAD	@ DET
35	M. Wacha SP KC	@ COL	vs MIL
36	C. Quantrill SP COL	vs CHC	@ COL
37	E. Jackson SP ARI	vs NYY	vs BAL
38	T. Zeuch SP COL	vs BOS	vs NYY
39	C. Gonzalez RP MIA	vs STL	vs SD