Fantasy Baseball 2024 Two-Start Pitchers & Streaming Starters For Week 11

Major League Baseball heads across the pond for some NL East this week between the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies. Historically, those games have seen plenty of offense so we may be wise to avoid any available pitchers for streaming purposes. But for the two-start pitchers in the upcoming week? We have you covered.

Another batch of top-notch arms to employ in pursuing your fantasy baseball championships shows up in the upper tier this week with players like Dylan Cease, Logan Gilbert, Zack Wheeler, Carlos Rodon, and others taking the mound twice. There are also a decent number of middle tier hurlers you might consider, if not for two starts, at the minimum for one trip to the mound. There are plenty of pitchers to avoid using for both their times toeing the rubber, but if desperate, one or two could be useful for a streaming start. Speaking of streaming, why not consider those in the second part of this article if you seek a starting pitcher for just a plug-in option?

As is the usual situation, this baker’s dozen of aces are the pitchers you want to insert into your fantasy rotations and let them work their magic for your squad(s). The opponent or venue should not be a concern, as these arms have proven their value. Could there be a stumble? To be certain, but the better course of action is to trust the hurler occupying the top tier.

Pepiot dealt a quality start against the Marlins in his last start, picking up the victory and maintaining a sub-1.00 WHIP (0.96) to go with his 3.96 ERA. He has struck out 15 hitters over his last two starts, and currently has a superb 10.1 K/9 rate over his 52.1 innings on the season. A home start against the Orioles is not an ideal matchup to open the scoring period, and then heading to Atlanta has its risks, too, but he is pitching ace-like currently.

Estes also sports a 0.96 WHIP, although his is a smaller sample size with just five starts at the big-league level in 2024. He does have a 25:6 K/BB ratio over his 27.0 IP this season. He does have a pair of road starts on the schedule in Week 11, and his best results (small sample size, remember) have been in Oakland thus far.

Megill has two home starts on his menu for Week 11, and he has been superb at Citi Field, albeit in a limited number of games where he has toed the rubber for the Mets. Certainly, the first start of the scoring period against the Marlins at home projects favorably. Against the Padres, not so much, especially given his team’s poor record at home.

Mikolas is working on a three-game quality start streak and has been credited with seven such efforts over his 13 times atop the hill this season. He offers great control but only mediocre strikeout production: 1.8 BB/9, 6.7 K/9 over 71.0 IP. He has been slowly working his inflated ERA down, which still sits at an unappetizing 5.32. The home game against the Pirates profiles as the better of his two matchups this week.

Arrighetti is not guaranteed to make both his starts this week, as he was struck by a batted ball on his calf in his last outing, but the rookie has indicated he expects to take the ball on Monday in San Francisco. He had settled into the Astros’ rotation, racking up a useful 3.55 ERA and 10.7 K/9 rate over his last five outings consisting of 25.1 IP. His control needs work (5.0 BB/9), but his peripheral metrics indicate that he has potential, especially in a dual start week.

Hudson gets to open the week on the road, a good portent given his home/road splits this year. He had tossed a pair of consecutive quality starts against a pair of tough opponents before the Reds tagged him for four earned tallies in his last start. Facing the Pirates to wind up the week is not a terrible matchup, even at Coors Field.

Eflin was limited to just 55 pitches in his return to action after a back injury sidelined him, and he will probably ramp up gradually to full use as a pitcher over the next couple of starts. Facing the Cubs at home is the better of his two Week 11 matchups.

Lopez, were he not dealing from the home mound for both his Week 11 starts, would be relegated to the bottom tier given his struggles this season so far. He gets the Rockies at home and follows up with a team that struggles mightily away from their home park, the A’s. He offers his owners superior strikeout potential with his 10.1 K/9 rate, and the excellent control (1.5 BB/9 over 67.0 IP) has kept his WHIP at an admirable 1.15. 

These are the pitchers that you sit on the bench despite their dual start lure in Week 11. The potential is great that their limited counting stat production will not outweigh any damage they cause to your ratios with their two trips to climb the bump this scoring period. Only in limited streaming roles against the correct opponent should you consider employing the services of these starters, say, if the hurler is facing the White Sox, Marlins or the Rockies on the road.

Potential Streaming Options for Week 11

There is no promise that each game day will provide a streaming option. First of all, the pitcher must be available in at least 50% of leagues to be a viable candidate to snag off the wire. Then, the pitchers discussed above are not included as they have a different sort of value, even though some might be available as free agents in your league. Plus, some days the matchups and/or venues just do not figure as positive enough factors to favor plugging the arm into your rotation, even for one start. That all being said, here are this week’s best streaming candidates…

Cal Quantrill, Colorado Rockies vs. Minnesota Twins

After dealing out five quality starts over the course of his May starts, he has not been nearly as successful when atop the hill in June. Not much of a strikeout producer, he has but two strikeouts in his June appearances, one in each outing. He has been much better at keeping the ball in the park when not operating at Coors Field, and his road numbers are better than when on the mound in Denver, so he gets a nod to open Week 11 in the streaming option world. 

Daniel Lynch, Kansas City Royals vs. Cody Poteet, New York Yankees

This contest sees a pair of pitchers with limited time as starters in the majors this season, although neither actually qualifies as minor due to prior MLB experience. Poteet has a limited time in the Yankee rotation with Gerrit Cole due to return from the IL soon, and has fared well in his two previous road starts, posting an attractive 2.45 ERA and 0.91 WHIP with 10 strikeouts over his 11.0 innings. Lynch has even better ratios (1.50 ERA, 0.75 WHIP) but is producing below-average strikeout numbers (6.0 K/9 over 12.0 IP). 

Griffin Canning, Los Angeles Angels vs. Arizona Diamondbacks

Canning is coming off a quality start against the Mariners where he took the loss due to lack of offensive support, and he has had a good run of late, three or fewer earned tallies in each of his last six trips climbing atop the bump for the Angels. He still carries an inflated ERA despite his success recently, but has demonstrated skills which make him worthy of utilizing, especially in the right matchup, such as against the below .500 Diamondbacks.

Jose Urena, Texas Rangers vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

This start is not guaranteed for the Texas veteran righty, presuming Jon Gray is ready to resume his role in the Ranger rotation, but if he does get the nod, he is coming off an impressive outing against the visiting Tigers, allowing just a single earned run on one hit (a homer, the first hit of Justyn-Henry Malloy’s major league career) and one walk, while striking out six. It is not exactly a top-notch matchup, so his getting pushed out of the rotation might not be a terrible thing, if it helps you avoid a start in LA against the host Dodgers.

Austin Gomber, Colorado Rockies vs. Minnesota Twins

Gomber had been dealing from the hill, until the Dodgers roughed him up over three innings for three earned runs, including two dingers. Here is a better matchup for him to recover his form, and he gets to pitch away from Coors Field, to boot. His peripherals, however, had been hinting at a potential negative readjustment, so maybe two Rockies pitchers in the streaming article for Week 11 is pushing our luck?

Michael Lorenzen, Texas Rangers vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Lorenzen possesses a four consecutive quality start game streak, and has gone at least six innings in eight of his nine starts in 2024. His road numbers are great this season, too, so a trip to LA to take on the Dodgers while not ideal, is not a deal breaker either. Average strikeout numbers, good groundball production and an improved ability to keep the ball in the park are pluses.

Jake Irvin, Washington Nationals vs. Detroit Tigers

His third straight QS (seven total this season) earned him a long-sought after third victory on the season. He has been effective overall since the end of April, posting a 3.39 ERA and 1.03 WHIP after the road win in Cleveland. Good control with average strikeout numbers, as well as excellent home/road splits make the trip to Comerica Park one to opt in on if you need to add a starter this scoring period.

Simeon Woods Richardson, Minnesota Twins vs. Luis Medina, Oakland Athletics

The first pitcher listed here, Woods Richardson, gets a favorable home start here against the A’s, who have been awful away from Oakland Coliseum this season. He is an average strikeout producer, and has above-average control (2.2 BB/9 through 44.1 IP) while generally keeping the ball from traveling over the fence, despite yielding two dingers in his last outing.

On the other side of the field, the A’s will feature the re-activated 25-year-old right-hander Medina, who two-hit the Braves over 5.2 inning in his first start of 2024. He came out throwing strikes, racking up six strikeouts, although his control was off. Note, though, the A’s lack of success on the road this season when deciding which arm to stream.

Andrew Heaney, Texas Rangers vs. Seattle Mariners

Since the month of May began, the Ranger veteran southpaw has settled in, posting a 2.43 ERA over his 33.1 IP, with excellent control (1.3 BB/9) and good strikeout production (8.4 K/9). He has also been much more of a road warrior this season, and his peripheral metrics all indicate there is no fluke to his recent success.

Adam Mazur, San Diego Padres vs. New York Mets

The rookie was called up from Triple-A to help fill the roster spots vacated when Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove were both placed on the IL. He pitched adequately against the host Angels, tossing a two-hit quality start (where he allowed four free passes, alas) and struck out only two hitters. The host opponent, the Mets, are playing well below .500 at Citi Field thus far, so the matchup is favorable on that front.

Frankie Montas, Cincinnati Reds vs. Milwaukee Brewers

Montas had his second consecutive quality start, where he tossed a one-hit gem against the Rockies, racking up nine strikeouts and dropping his inflated ERA to an even 4.00 on the season. He is not the best away from The Great American Ballpark, amazingly enough, but is the best streaming option to wind up the week.