Fantasy Two-Start Pitchers: Week 19

It’s time to look at the potential two-start options for the upcoming fantasy week.  If I have someone rated as a three, four or five-star option, they are someone I would definitely use. 

A two-star option is someone who is borderline, but I’d strongly lean against it unless I have no other options.  The one-star options are an "absolutely not" scenario.

So, with that said, let’s take a look at the players available to you this week:

Five-Star Options:

• None

Four-Star Options:

• Edwin Jackson - Detroit Tigers - @ Bos, vs. KC
• Rich Harden - Chicago Cubs - vs. Phi, vs. Pit
• Gavin Floyd - Chicago White Sox - @ Sea, @ Oak
• Matt Garza - Tampa Bay Rays - @ LAA, vs. Tor

Three-Star Options:

• Joba Chamberlain - New York Yankees - vs. Tor, @ Sea
• J.A. Happ - Philadelphia Phillies - @ CHC, @ Atl

Two-Star Options:

• Chris Volstad - Florida Marlins - vs. Hou, vs. Col
• Aaron Cook - Colorado Rockies - vs. Pit, @ Atl
• Jorge De La Rosa - Colorado Rockies - vs. CHC, @ Fla
• Johnny Cueto - Cincinnati Reds - @ Stl, vs. Was
• Francisco Liriano - Minnesota Twins - vs. KC, vs. Cle
• Rick Porcello - Detroit Tigers - @ Bos, vs. KC
• John Lannan - Washington Nationals - @ Atl, @ Cin
• Jonathan Sanchez - San Francisco Giants - vs. LAD, @ NYM
• Doug Davis - Arizona Diamondbacks - vs. NYM, vs. LAD
• Kyle Lohse - St. Louis Cardinals - vs. Cin, vs. SD
• Dallas Braden - Oakland Athletics - @ Bal, vs. CWS

One-Star Options:

• John Smoltz - Boston Red Sox - vs. Det, @ Tex
• Mike Hampton - Houston Astros @ Fla, @ Mil
• Brad Penny - Boston Red Sox - vs. Det, @ Tex
• Jason Schmidt - Los Angeles Dodgers - @ SF, @ Ari
• Ross Ohlendorf - Pittsburgh Pirates - @ Col, @ CHC
• Braden Looper - Milwaukee Brewers - vs. SD, vs. Hou
• Chad Gaudin - San Diego Padres - @ Mil, @ Stl
• Jeremy Guthrie - Baltimore Orioles - vs. Oak, vs. LAA
• Vicente Padilla - Texas Rangers - @ Cle, vs. Bos
• Rick VandenHurk - Florida Marlins - vs. Hou, vs. Col
• Tom Gorzelanny - Chicago Cubs - @ Col, vs. Pit
• Marc Rzepczynski - Toronto Blue Jays - @ NYY, @ TB
• Brian Moehler - Houston Astros - @ Fla, @ Mil
• Luke French - Seattle Mariners - vs. CWS, vs. NYY
• Kyle Davies - Kansas City Royals - @ Min, @ Det
• Aaron Laffey - Cleveland Indians - vs. Tex, @ Min
• Sergio Mitre - New York Yankees - vs. Tor, @ Sea
• Sean O’Sullivan - Los Angeles Angels - vs. TB, @ Bal
• Jason Vargas - Seattle Mariners - vs. CWS, vs. NYY
• Justin Lehr - Cincinnati Reds - @ Stl, vs. Was

Scheduling Notes:

• With Jonathan Niese tearing his hamstring, it currently is unknown who will take the ball for the Mets.  It is likely, however, that Mike Pelfrey, who is getting pushed back due to the birth of his child, could take that spot and become a two-start pitcher.  He would be a two-star option, but any other pitcher would basically be unusable.

General Thoughts:

• For those who like to utilize a pitch-and-ditch with two-start pitchers, this is not the best week for it, is it?  There are a couple of two-star pitchers who I could see gambling on, but many of them carry a ton of risk.
• Jorge De La Rosa, despite his rough start his last time out, is one who would be worth considering.  A start in Philadelphia is tough for anyone, so struggling there should not be held against him too much. 
  
  He had been tremendous in his previous five starts (with a relief appearance sandwiched in there) and his match-ups could be significantly worse.  I own him in my keeper league and will definitely be using him (thanks to injuries and limited options).
• I listed Johnny Cueto and Francisco Liriano as two-star options, but honestly, they are both borderline unusable.  Liriano is significantly closer, but with the way Cueto has been throwing it’s hard to depend on him as well.  I’ll call them 1.5-star options, usable only if you have no other option available.
• Rick Porcello seemed to get back into his groove against the Indians and Orioles, but that start in Boston scares me.  He faced them once earlier in the season, giving up three runs over 4.1 innings and that was before Victor Martinez was in the mix.  It could mean bad things, so I would avoid using him if possible.
• John Lannan has pitched well enough to be a three-star option, but he offers little in the strikeout department and, pitching for the Nationals, what are the chances he gets victories?  That knocks him down a notch here, but if you need to use someone, he is one of the more usable low-end options.

Which two-start pitchers do you like for next week?  Which ones are you trying to avoid?

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