Hello and welcome to the 16th installment of our weekly two-start pitcher article for the 2025 MLB season.
I’ll be here every Friday to highlight some of the best two-start pitcher options in fantasy baseball leagues for the upcoming week, as well as some streaming options to keep in mind.
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Thinking ahead with your weekly strategy can give you an advantage on the waiver wire and hopefully be a difference-maker in the standings at the end of the season.
This is a living document, so we’ll update the options below as the weekend moves along.
Before we get into it, we’ll start with a couple of notes on situations that may be unresolved or teams that may not have a two-start pitcher lined up for the upcoming week:
We’re still in a holding pattern right now with many teams waiting until the last minute to set their rotations for the second half of the season. That includes (as of Friday afternoon), the Royals, Angels and Yankees. We have no info yet on how any of those rotations will line up. We know that the Giants plan to start Justin Verlander on Friday, but after that we don’t have any clarity on how it’ll line up and who may start twice next week. Similarly, we know that the Mariners plan to use Luis Castillo and Logan Evans in their first two games, but how the rest of the rotation falls in line remains a mystery.
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We know that Jacob Lopez is going to double for the Athletics, but we don’t know for sure who their fifth starter is going to be coming out of the break. That person would also line up for two starts. My early lean is they bring back Mitch Spence from Triple-A, but there are a lot of different directions that they could go here.
We also don’t have clarity on the Braves’ full rotation yet. The expectation is that Davis Daniel or Hurston Waldrep will start in Monday against the Giants, in which case they would line up for two starts. It’s also possible that the recently acquired Dane Dunning could slot in there. We’ll update as more information becomes available.
We are still waiting on confirmation on the Red Sox’ rotation as well. It seems likely that Richard Fitts and Walker Buehler will start on Monday and Tuesday in some order, with whoever goes first drawing a two-start week (@ Phillies, vs. Dodgers). Based on those matchups, we aren’t really interested in regardless of which one it eventually is. It’s also possible that Fitts could get bumped in favor of Tanner Houck who is ready to return to the Red Sox in some form. Stay tuned.
The Cubs haven’t given us anything to go off of yet other than Colin Rea and Shota Imanaga starting the first two games out of the break. Matthew Boyd, Cade Horton, and Chris Flexen are likely to follow in some order, but nothing has been finalized. It’s whoever pitches the fourth game on Monday that will draw two starts – vs. Royals and @ White Sox. Whoever it is will be an attractive target based on those matchups. We just need clarity on who it will be.
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It’s a similar story on the south side of Chicago. The White Sox have announced their first three starters coming out of the break, leaving Shane Smith and Sean Burke to fill in the next two days. Whichever one goes first on Monday will draw a two-start week (@ Rays, vs. Cubs). It’s also possible that Davis Martin is ready to return and takes the place of Burke, or slots in someplace with someone else eventually getting bumped. Or the White Sox could go with a six-man rotation this turn through in which case no one would double. We’ll update when we have more information.
While we aren’t looking to use them for fantasy purposes anyways, we don’t have any lean yet on who will get two starts for the Rockies next week. Austin Gomber doesn’t pitch during their first series out of the break, so he’ll go on either Monday or Tuesday. They could bring back Chase Dollander from Triple-A to pitch one of those games as well, or Bradley Blalock could draw the assignment. Either way, the matchups are vs. Cardinals and at Orioles and we don’t want any part of this one regardless of who it is.
We don’t know what the Dodgers are going to do yet either, aside from the fact that Tyler Glasnow, Emmet Sheehan and Clayton Kershaw will start the first three games out of the break. That leaves Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Dustin May and Shohei Ohtani to fill in afterwards in some order. If the Dodgers go with a six-man rotation to accommodate, then no one will draw two starts next week. If Yamamoto goes on Monday, he could potentially start twice – vs. Twins, @ Red Sox.
Beyond Chris Paddack starting for the Twins on Friday and some hints that Zebby Matthews could start on Saturday, we still aren’t sure how the Twins plan to structure their rotation coming out of the break. Someone will get two starts — @ Dodgers, vs. Nationals – and it could be Joe Ryan, Simeon Woods Richardson or David Festa, but for now all we can do is speculate.
For the Pirates, we know that Mitch Keller and Paul Skenes will start on Monday and Tuesday in some order and whichever one goes first will draw a two-start week (vs. Tigers, vs. Diamondbacks). Skenes should be started in all leagues regardless of whether or not he pitches twice, Keller should be used in all leagues if he does get the two-step, though I’d hesitate to use him for a single start against the Tigers.
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Someone on the Rangers is going to start twice next week (vs. Athletics, vs. Braves), we just aren’t sure yet whether it’ll be Jacob deGrom or Jack Leiter. We do know that deGrom should be in fantasy lineups regardless while Leiter would only be an appealing option if he does indeed start Monday and wind up taking the ball twice.
This is going to be an ongoing battle throughout the weekend, so expect many updates each day as we try to keep up and make sure that you get the best possible advice and up-to-date information on each projected double starter as we kick off the second half of the season.
Without further ado, let’s dig into the options for the week of July 21.
Going Twice…
Note:Â Probable pitchers as of Friday, July 18, and are subject to change.
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American League
Strong Plays
Framber Valdez, Astros, LHP (@ Diamondbacks, vs. Athletics)
Valdez had another terrific first half, posting a 10-4 record, 2.75 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and a 125/41 K/BB ratio over 121 innings through his first 19 starts. It had looked like he would pitch on Sunday and that Hunter Brown would line up for two starts, but the Astros wanted to give him an extended break so he’ll start on Monday or Tuesday instead. The matchup against the Diamondbacks in Arizona is a tough one, but Valdez has been a fantasy ace this season and he should be started in 100 percent of all leagues every week without hesitation.
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Tanner Bibee, Guardians, RHP (vs. Orioles, @ Royals)
We don’t know yet whether it will be Monday or Tuesday that Bibee will pitch, but either way the right-hander will line up for two starts. He disappointed relative to expectations in the first half, posting a 4.29 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and a 95/33 K/BB ratio across 109 innings, though his 3.63 xERA hints that he may have been a bit unfortunate in the luck department. He gets to kick off his second half with a two-start week against a pair of middling offenses, which should be a recipe for success. He should be started in all leagues with full confidence this week.
Shane Baz, Rays, RHP (vs. White Sox, @ Reds)
I know it may be a stretch trusting Baz as a strong option for the upcoming week, but with a matchup against the White Sox to kick things off, that pushes him over the top for me. Baz has looked especially sharp since revamping his arsenal a few weeks back, striking out six or more batters in four of his last five starts. He should be easily able to eclipse double-digit punchouts on the week while giving fantasy managers a decent shot at a victory. In the end, that’s more than enough to make him a worthwhile play in all leagues.
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Max Scherzer, Blue Jays, RHP (vs. Yankees, @ Tigers)
It took nearly half of a season, but we’re finally seeing what Max Scherzer can do when healthy in a Blue Jays’ uniform. He has allowed three earned runs or fewer in each of his first five starts, has punched out seven or more batters twice in his last three outings and is coming off of his first victory of the year his last time out. The matchups are definitely on the challenging side this week, but for fantasy managers that have been waiting on Scherzer all season, are you really going to sit him for a two-start week? I didn’t think so.
Casey Mize, Tigers, RHP (@ Pirates, vs. Blue Jays)
Fresh off of his first All-Star Game appearance and a stellar first half to the season, Mize will kick off his second half in style with a strong two-step against the Pirates in Pittsburgh and the Blue Jays in Motown. Mize has been a source of outstanding ratios all season long and his chances of earning a victory and piling up strikeouts are elevated with the two strong matchups. He should be an automatic start in all formats this week.
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Decent Plays
Jack Flaherty, Tigers, RHP (@ Pirates, vs. Blue Jays)
While Flaherty has struggled a bit over the past month, he’s still one of the better pitchers on one of the best teams in all of baseball. That makes him a strong bet to earn victories against inferior competition (see Pirates and Blue Jays) and he should be able to easily eclipse double-digit strikeouts during the upcoming week. While the recent ratio damage that he has saddled fantasy managers with has been frustrating, there’s no reason that you shouldn’t be using him for this two-start week, regardless of league size.
Jacob Lopez, Athletics, LHP (@ Rangers, @ Astros)
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After a disastrous start to the season, Lopez locked in for a two-month stretch where he showed the world what he’s capable of, only to fall back a bit in his final three starts heading into the All-Star break. The matchups aren’t great – especially having to battle the Astros in Houston – but even if Lopez struggles the strikeouts should still be there. That’s more than enough for me to use him in 15-teamers and I’d probably be fine rolling the dice in most 12-team formats as well unless I had a plethora of better options.
Colton Gordon, Astros, LHP (@ Diamondbacks, vs. Athletics)
The Astros’ rookie southpaw has been highly inconsistent through his first 11 appearances (10 starts) in the big leagues, registering a 4.67 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and a 44/9 K/BB ratio across 52 innings of work. Taking on the Diamondbacks in Arizona coming out of the break is a very difficult assignment and will carry some ratio risk before he finishes his week off with a softer matchup at home against the A’s. The strikeouts should be there and his chances of earning a victory will be elevated in that second start, but there is certainly risk involved with this two-step. I’d be fine using it in 15-team leagues, it would depend on my other options whether or not I’d roll with it in shallower formats.
Zach Eflin, Orioles, RHP (@ Guardians, vs. Rockies)
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We’re working under the impression that Eflin is going to get the ball for the Orioles on Tuesday rather than going back to Brandon Young for another start after he has been knocked around his last few starts. Eflin isn’t completely built back up yet, so he may have a limited pitch count in that first start, but with a juicy matchup against the Rockies in that second start he still seems like a viable option in most mixed leagues – presuming he actually does get tabbed for a return this week. It’s also possible that he makes one final rehab start, in which case he could still slot into the rotation over the weekend against the Rockies, which still makes him an attractive streaming target.
Kevin Gausman, Blue Jays, RHP (vs. Yankees, @ Tigers)
I continue to be impressed by this lower WHIP, lower strikeout rate version of Gausman that we have seen this season. The only reason that he’s not a strong play for me this week is because the matchups are so difficult, having to battle two of the top offenses in all of baseball with his win equity lowered in the process. I’d still be rolling him out there in leagues of all sizes, just with lowered expectations than I would normally have from a two-start week from Gausman.
At Your Own Risk
Tomoyuki Sugano, Orioles, RHP (@ Guardians, vs. Rockies)
After a strong start to his big league career, Sugano has fallen on tough times in recent weeks due to his inability to keep the baseball in the yard. Overall he now sports a 4.44 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and an uninspiring 59/22 K/BB ratio across 99 1/3 innings through his first 18 starts. Most weeks I would tend to shy away from him here, but it’s hard to ignore that matchup against the Rockies to finish out the week. Understand that there’s ratio risk involved here and even over two starts he isn’t likely to contribute more than a handful of strikeouts. The chances for a victory will be elevated though based on the matchups and that could make him worth a look if you’re desperate for volume.
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National League
Strong Plays
Eury Pérez, Marlins, RHP (vs. Padres, @ Brewers)
Pérez has been extremely impressive in his first seven starts since returning from Tommy John surgery, registering a 3.18 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and a 35/11 K/BB ratio over 34 innings. The 22-year-old right-hander has been nothing but elite whenever he has taken the big league mound and as long as he’s healthy there’s no reason to expect anything otherwise at the moment. He should be started in every single league with complete confidence this week – and every week going forward.
Brandon Woodruff, Brewers, RHP (@ Mariners, vs. Marlins)
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Speaking of pitchers who have looked incredibly sharp in their returns from major surgery, Brandon Woodruff has defied all expectations and absolutely dominated through his first two starts for the Brewers this season – posting a 2.61 ERA, 0.68 WHIP and a jaw-dropping 18/0 K/BB ratio over 10 1/3 innings. He’s unlikely to continue at that ridiculous pace, but we have seen Woodruff function as an upper-echelon fantasy asset in the past so there’s reason for excitement here. The matchups fall in his favor this week as well, getting to battle the Mariners in Seattle before finishing up with a stellar draw against the Marlins at home. There’s no reason not to trust him this week, fire away and enjoy the rewards.
Zack Wheeler, Phillies, RHP (vs. Red Sox, @ Yankees)
Wheeler is a true fantasy ace and should be started each and every week without question. He has been dominant again this season, compiling a 9-3 record, 2.36 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and a 154/26 K/BB ratio over 122 innings in what has been another spectacular campaign. The matchups are tough on the surface, but that’s no reason to avoid using one of the best pitchers in all of baseball for a two-start week.
Kodai Senga, Mets, RHP (vs. Angels, @ Giants)
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Senga didn’t show any signs of rust in his return from the injured list, firing four scoreless innings with four strikeouts against the Royals in his first start back. He shouldn’t be facing any sort of pitch count limitations this time around and makes for a terrific option with matchups against the Angels and Giants. He should be started in all leagues.
Decent Plays
Zac Gallen, Diamondbacks, RHP (vs. Astros, @ Pirates)
One of the players that I’m most intrigued about heading into the second half of the season is Zac Gallen. While he has been a complete trainwreck for fantasy purposes for the majority of the season, Gallen seemed to have figured things out heading into the All-Star break, with a pair of gems against the Giants and Padres where he struck out a combined 19 batters and allowed just one earned run in 15 innings. Of course he then finished it up with an absolute clunker against the Angels in Los Angeles. I’m still inclined to bet on the track record here and trust the veteran right-hander for his two-start week, especially when it includes a matchup against the Pirates. I’d be using him in all 15 and 12-team formats.
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Brady Singer, Reds, RHP (@ Nationals, vs. Rays)
Singer performed about to expectation in the first half of the season, going 7-7 with a middling 4.32 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 92 punchouts over 100 innings. He’s a player who usually represents a viable streaming option for his two-start weeks and this week shouldn’t be any different. Matchups against the Nationals and Rays are nothing to shy away from and his equity in wins and strikeouts will be elevated with the extra start. He makes for a fine option in both 12 and 15-team formats.
Matthew Liberatore, Cardinals, LHP (@ Rockies, vs. Padres)
Overall, Liberatore did a decent job for the Cardinals in the first half of the season, registering a 4.13 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and an 80/22 K/BB ratio across 100 1/3 innings of work. The matchups are particularly difficult this week though, having to battle the suddenly competent Rockies’ offense at Coors Field before a clash against the Padres to finish the week. I understand that in most 15-team formats you probably have to use him and hope for the best, but I’d be looking to get away from this one in 12-team leagues if I could find alternative options.
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At Your Own Risk
Randy Vasquez, Padres, RHP (@ Marlins, @ Cardinals)
Every time that Vasquez pops up for a two-start week, I try to highlight how all of his underlying metrics point to impending doom and that he should be avoided in all formats, then most weeks he continues to defy logic and dance through the raindrops to post useable lines for fantasy purposes. If you want to keep rolling him out there, be my guest, I just know that it’s all going to come crashing down soon and I don’t want to be there when it happens.
Erick Fedde, Cardinals, RHP (@ Rockies, vs. Padres)
The Cardinals want to continue to give Fedde chances to bolster his trade value before the deadline, but this doesn’t seem like a wise time to do so. He’s only going to damage his ratios further by pitching at Coors Field and then battling a dangerous Padres’ offense at home, and what little trade value he may still have will be wiped away. He most certainly shouldn’t be trusted for fantasy purposes right now.
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Jake Irvin, Nationals, RHP (vs. Reds, @ Twins)
I’m having a tough time trying to find reasons to justify streaming Irvin this week. The matchups are on the tougher side, he doesn’t generate many strikeouts and his chances of earning a victory are hurt by the strong opponents and the fact that he pitches for the Nationals. At best you’re hoping for six or seven strikeouts and an outside shot at a victory while on the rough end of expectations you could wind up with a ratio disaster. It depends on your risk tolerance, but I’d probably stay away.
