Fantasy Baseball 2024 Two-Start Pitchers & Streaming Starters For Week 7

Another week where the fantasy baseball ace collection featured in the top tier is plentiful. If you have these arms on your roster, congratulations. Plug them into your lineup and reap the benefits. A slightly larger bunch of middle tier pitchers to consider for dual start usage, or perhaps just one of two outings depending on opponent or venue in certain cases discussed more in depth below. As per usual, plenty of two-start pitchers that are best left on the bench, or the waiver wire, but if desperate for starts or innings, a couple may prove less distasteful than others.

These 15 pitchers are the ones to use for both their starts. Do not concern yourself with the matchup or location of the game, these arms are your best options to rack up points for your fantasy squads. Could one or more perform at less than stellar levels? Sure. Fantasy baseball is not a sure thing, ever. Do these aces offer your best potential for success? Yep, they surely do.

Blanco took a six inning no-decision that resulted in his fifth quality start (QS) out of six total trips to the hill this season, racking up six strikeouts. His results have been excellent thus far in the campaign, featuring a superior 2.09 ERA and 0.96 WHIP through his 38.2 IP tossed in 2024. Houston has been struggling to start the year, but Blanco has been a great asset and has two home starts on the slate in Week 7, the first against Oakland while projects nicely for the 30-year-old right-hander to continue to demonstrate dominance on the bump.

Williams also features some excellent ratio stats for his fantasy owners to utilize in the early going of 2024: 1.96 ERA and 1.06 WHIP. He offers average strikeout potential, and average control, but also delivers high ground ball production while toeing the rubber (49% GB rate over 36.2 IP). The team seems intent on keeping a tight reign on his pitch count, limiting him to 81 or less in six of his seven outings thus far. He does have to pitch on the road for his two starts this scoring period, but the first is against the White Sox who have been awful both at home and on the road. 

Ashcraft is on the road for both his Week 7 trips to the mound, but he has been much more of a road warrior this season and last year. He had a bit of a regression in his last outing, taking the loss at home to the Diamondbacks, who he gets to face to open up the scoring period in the desert. It does not get better after that, taking on the Dodgers in the Coliseum. He generates a good share of ground balls, a positive attribute, which coupled with better than average control offsets his average strikeout production. Continuing a trend, his first start projects as his best matchup in this dual start week. 

Sanchez picked up his third quality on the season in his last appearance, tossing 7.0 IP and allowing just a single earned run on six hits and two walks, while striking out five Blue Jays. He had been roughed up in the immediate two preceding times he was called upon to take the ball to start the contest but regained his form against the visiting Toronto squad. He faces a pair of division rivals this week, neither of which are extraordinarily intimidating opponents. He continues to demonstrate exceptional ground ball production (61.8 % over 36.1 IP) which aids in keeping the ball in the park (0.25 HR/9). 

Wesneski may be losing his slot in the starting rotation on the North Side of Chicago, with Justin Steele being reactivated and Kyle Hendricks soon come off the IL, so now would be a great time to take advantage of his superb ratio stats, namely a 1.59 ERA and 0.88 WHIP. He has a tougher matchup in his first scheduled start this week, heading to Atlanta but a home start against the Pirates has nice potential, presuming he sticks in the rotation for a second start in Week 7. He offers excellent control but sub-par K rates.

Manaea notched is second victory and QS in his most recent start against the host Cardinals, collecting just a single K to accompany just one walk and six hits. A road game in Miami to wind up the week looks to be his better chance to find continued success while toeing the rubber, as the Phillies have been dominant thus far in the season no matter the venue. He offers decent K production, but his control has been erratic at best, inflating his WHIP (1.39 over 35.1 IP to date). The 3.31 ERA is attractive and is not far off his FIP of 3.54. 

Rodon has a less attractive ERA than Manaea, but it is due to the effects of one poor outing against the Orioles; his other seven starts have delivered a much more palatable 2.54 ERA and 1.18 WHIP, demonstrating how a bad start can make an effective fantasy asset seem less worthy of rostering at first glance. He offers a K per frame, with average control, although his peripheral metrics indicate he has been the recipient of a certain amount of luck early in the season.

Flexen has been a revitalized hurler over his last five times atop the bump: 1.61 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, two victories against zero losses. His last outing was a victory and QS. It is difficult to find a lot to be excited about fantasy-wise on Chicago’s South Side, but the veteran right-hander has proven useful over his latest 22.1 IP. The trip to Yankee Stadium to wind up the scoring period may not be the best time to plug the 29-year-old hurler into your lineup, however, if truth be told.

Once again, realize that these hurlers are more likely to harm your fantasy results that provide tremendous improvement to your fantasy outcomes if they are part of your Week 7 rotations. There are some streaming options here, however, but not worthy of dual-start consideration, such as Butto in Miami at the end of the scoring period, or Rea at Houston, again at the end of the week. For the most part, though, it is suggested you allow your opponents to employ the services of these pitchers.

Potential Streaming Options for Week 7

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.

Ben Lively, Cleveland Guardians @ Texas Rangers

The Cleveland righty was recommended as a streaming option last week, and while he took a loss against the White Sox, it was not a terrible performance. He did allow the most earned tallies to date this season, the Pale Hose plating three against him over 5.2 IP, but he still offers excellent ratio stats with a 2.63 ERA and 1.21 WHIP accumulated over his five starts. He is striking out nearly a batter per frame, and has allowed just two balls to leave the yard so far this season. It is suggested he be considered a streaming option this week again.

Mitchell Parker, Washington Nationals @ Chicago White Sox

The rookie southpaw is another SP offering his owners a fine set of ratios, with a 2.67 ERA and 1.07 WHIP to his credit over 27.0 IP. He also offers excellent control (1.7 BB/9) and average strikeout production (7.3 K/9), and he gets to face the White Sox, who despite what they handed Lively last week, are not exactly an intimidating opponent.

Cal Quantrill, Colorado Rockies @ San Diego Padres

The veteran righty is working on a two-game victory streak (and two consecutive QS stretch, too), and while he gets to pitch away from Coors Field in this outing, he is not necessarily a poor choice to plug into your rotation as a streamer even when at home. In fact, the opponent in this matchup is playing under .500 at home to open this season. 

Cole Irvin, Baltimore Orioles vs Toronto Blue Jays

The Oriole southpaw was also featured in the article last week, and he fared extremely well, collecting his third straight victory and QS against the host Reds, shutting them out over 6.1 IP. He relies on excellent control and the ability to generate a boatload of groundballs from opposing batters to execute when on the bump. He gets the Blue Jays at home, a promising matchup given the Toronto sub-.500 road record to date.

Casey Mize, Detroit Tigers vs Miami Marlins

The success Mize enjoyed through April ended with him coughing up five earned runs to the Yankees in his last time toeing the rubber for the Tigers. Taking on the Marlins at home gives him a nice shot at getting back on track, although probably not the matchup to improve his average at best K production.

Alec Marsh, Kansas City Royals @ Seattle Mariners

The second-year righthander is back from the IL, after dealing with an elbow issue, and will look to resume his pre-injury production which saw him drop his ERA to a tempting 2.70 with a superb 1.01 WHIP. Over his most recent 10.0 IP, he did not yield any runs, earned or not. The main concern is toiling away on the road, as he has been much more effective pitching in KC.

Cooper Criswell, Boston Red Sox vs Tampa Bay Rays

The 27-year-old righty has appeared in five contests, four of those starts, and brings an appealing set of ratios with him over his 20.2 IP: 1.74 ERA, 1.06 WHIP. He is an average K source, but has great control and also keeps the ball in the yard for the greater part of his time dealing from the hill. Be advised he will start a game at home against the Nationals this weekend, if you want to hesitate about streaming him in this home game against the Rays.

Kyle Gibson, St. Louis Cardinals vs Brayan Bello, Boston Red Sox

Our one game where the suggestion is to pick either arm to plug in, depending on whether one or the other has been snagged by another manager in your league. Strictly on stats, Bello is the preferred option, with the stronger K profile, but realize that he is coming off the IL due to a lat injury. Gibson has strung together four consecutive QS, over his past 25.0 IP. Their ratios are not that dissimilar to distinguish them from one another. Looking for Ks, then go with the BoSox hurler. Trusting the hot hand, Gibson has been on a roll.

Andrew Heaney, Texas Rangers vs Los Angeles Angels

The veteran southpaw has twirled a pair of QS over his last two trips to the mound, allowing just a single earned run in each outing, albeit against the Nationals and A’s. Not that the opponent here is exactly knee-knocking scary. His 7.8 K/9 rate should play well against the visiting Angels.

Simeon Woods Richardson, Minnesota Twins @ Cleveland Guardians

It is a small sample size, having just four starts to his credit this season, and his 1.76 ERA is due to regress at some point, but he was dominant in his most recent start, striking out eight Mariners over 6.0 IP. He collected a QS in the no-decision outing and allowed just a single hit and only one walk. He gets to face the division-leading Guardians at home, where he has been marginally better in his limited action in 2024.

Tyler Alexander, Tampa Bay Rays @ Toronto Blue Jays

Alexander’s time in the Tampa Bay rotation had seemed likely to end with Taj Bradley being activated, but Ryan Pepiot hitting the IL with a leg injury should secure him in place for this start. He has pitched effectively over his recent five starts, rolling up a 3.47 ERA and 1.16 WHIP, bolstered by an 8.5 K/9 rate over those 23.1 IP. He has lasted just 4.0 IP in his last three outings, though, and that is not great if you are seeking victories or QS, obviously. 

Alex Wood, Oakland Athletics @ Kansas City Royals

The veteran lefty has been pitching well over his last three times atop the hill, allowing just three earned tallies, including a 6.0 IP of shutout ball in his first QS of this season. He has been racking up an average number of Ks while toeing the rubber, although his control has left a great deal to be desired (4.3 BB/9 over 37.1 IP). Not the ideal matchup in this contest, pitching on the road against the Royals who play well in their home park heading into the second month of the season.

Patrick Sandoval, Los Angeles Angels @ Texas Rangers

The Angel southpaw is coming off a superb QS where he went 7.0 IP, limiting the host Pirates to just three safeties while striking out seven Pittsburgh batters. His prior outing saw him fan 10 Phillies. Sure, this profiles as a tough matchup, facing the reigning World Series champs in the home park; keep an eye on how he handles the Royals this weekend before making the move to stream him, if you want to exercise discretion with your plug-and-play pitching options.

Bryse Wilson, Milwaukee Brewers @ Houston Astros

The 26-year-old righty is looking to build on a two-game quality start streak, although he will have to deal with the visiting Cardinal offense before taking on the Astros on the road. He currently sports a useful 2.40 ERA combined with a 0.93 WHIP, and 27:10 K/BB ratio over 30.0 IP. A caution: his peripheral metrics hint at negative regression (90.2% LOB, .194 BABIP, 4.29 FIP).