Fantasy Baseball Two-Start Pitchers/Streaming Starters Week 20: Max Scherzer With Two Home Starts In The Heart Of Texas

This week’s fantasy baseball slate of dual start options is not as bountiful as it has been, at the top level or in the basement, either. Still only a handful of pitchers occupying the middle tier to aid you in setting your fantasy rotations. Not nearly as many streaming options popping up on the useful radar screen, unfortunately, as some that have had recent success are not, due to matchup or venue, worthy of continued trust as plug and play options. As always, though, once you have perused the starting pitcher information, make it a point to review the Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire article and MLB Streaks & Trends article, both published yesterday. And consider this a suggestion to begin your fantasy football draft preparation to get a leg up on your opponents in any fantasy leagues you participate in, whatever the format. Without further ado, here are this week’s fantasy baseball two-start pitchers and streamers.

These ten arms are the cream of the dual start crop this week. The Baltimore rookie sensation, Grayson Rodriguez, makes his second appearance in two weeks in the top tier. Some other pitchers with limited big-league experience are also worthy of rotation usage this scoring period, such as Bobby Miller with the Dodgers, and Ashcroft of the Reds. All these in the top group of hurlers should engender two-start consideration, no matter where they are toeing the rubber or against whom they toil.

Singer has discovered the key to being an effective SP since the All-Star break, tossing 33.2 IP with superb ratios: 2.94 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and collecting three victories. The 31:5 K/BB ratio is fantasy favorable as well. He does not have the best matchups on the schedule, but then again, he pitches for the cellar-dwelling Royals so no matchup is great.

Pivetta is another SP who has been shining brightly since the leagues paused to play the All-Star Game last month. He has compiled a sparkling 2.54 ERA and 0.88 WHIP over those 28.1 IP, with a useful 39:7 K/BB ratio and a 3-1 record. His first time on the hill in Week 20 while visiting the Nationals projects as the best time to employ his skills, although his home/road splits indicate that a trip to Yankee Stadium to wrap up the scoring period is not necessarily a bad situation.

Schmidt will be facing Pivetta in that end of the week contest, making that Sunday afternoon contest one where both SPs have value. Schmidt has been dealing for much longer that his opponent, with 15 consecutive games where he has allowed three or fewer earned runs. His ratios over that 90.0 IP stretch are an admirable 3.50 ERA and 1.18 WHIP. 

Miley heads into this coming week, sporting a 2.90 ERA and 1.13 WHIP, showing the game that he knows how to pitch effectively despite not missing a ton of bats (6.1 K/9 over 15 starts). He has two road contests in Week 20, but has been more effective away from his home park this season. Neither of his starts profile as great matchups, but his skills should make his efforts for his fantasy owners of value.

Martinez has not been pitching deep into games that he starts, so that limits his value if you are seeking wins or QS. He has been providing useful ratio numbers, with a 3.55 ERA and 1.24 WHIP over his mixed 83.2 IP as a starter and out of the bullpen. He offers better than average K potential, too, but that is limited by his use as a shortened inning pitcher.

Littell has produced two QS among his three starts as a traditional SP, and has only allowed one free pass over those 17.0 IP. He is not a great source of Ks, though, with just 10 over that stretch of games. As a road warrior arm, the fact that he has two contests away from his home park this scoring period is actually a positive point for the 27-year-old righthander.

Peterson is now locked into the Met rotation with the departure of Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, and he is being stretched out. Thus, do not anticipate any victories in the immediate future until he can go five innings or better. His two upcoming contests are good matchups, facing the Pirates at home and then visiting the Cardinals in St. Louis. His limited innings are the main reason he is the final entry in the middle tier, as he has been pitching well in short stints as a new addition to the starting staff.

The pitchers that you should generally avoid, unless pressed for some innings to satisfy league requirements, are not as plentiful this week. Not that the other tiers are overstocked with arms, just due to the vagaries of how the schedules work out and rotations are shaking out in Week 20. 

Potential Streaming Options for Week 20

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:

Emerson Hancock, Seattle Mariners @ Kansas City Royals

The rookie right-hander has made just a single MLB start, so extremely limited data to work from aside from his Double-A stats. He has a nice matchup here, and despite his propensity to hand out free passes during his minor league starts, the Royals are not an overly patient offensive group, and they are known to swing and miss frequently. There is not much in the streaming realm on this day, so the Mariner SP gets the nod.

Mike Clevinger, Chicago White Sox @ Chicago Cubs

The veteran tossed a quality start (QS) against the visiting Yankees in his third start since coming off the IL, and he collected six Ks against three walks in that effort. His peripherals are not as attractive as his ratio stats would indicate, so start him on the road without huge expectations.

Paul Blackburn, Oakland Athletics @ St. Louis Cardinals

The 29-year-old righty has twirled a pair of consecutive QS, and has allowed just three earned tallies over his last three starts comprising 17.1 IP. He also has collected 19 whiffs from the opposition over those contests, and the opponent here is middle of the pack in terms of swings and misses. Unlike Clevinger profiled a few inches above, his metrics hint that he has been unlucky and better results are likely in his future, although he has been looking solid of late already.

Jose Quintana, New York Mets @ St. Louis Cardinals

The veteran southpaw has a mere four starts under his belt as this is being scripted, but he has looked sharp, and is working on a three game QS streak heading into Week 20. He is on the road for another trip to the hill, but that has not seemed to bother him thus far in his limited action. He offers below-average K potential, but the matchup here is attractive.

Xzavion Curry, Cleveland Guardians vs Detroit Tigers

The rookie seems destined to stick in the Cleveland rotation for the immediate future due to pitching staff injuries, and comes off a strong effort against the visiting White Sox: two earned tallies, four Ks over 5.0 IP, and no walks allowed. He has a good matchup on the slate, facing the Tigers at home. 

Cole Ragans, Kansas City Royals @ Chicago Cubs

The second-year southpaw is working on a pair of QS heading into this scoring period, and has racked up an impressive 19 Ks over his last 12.2 IP in those quality efforts. Despite an inflated season walk rate of 3.9 BB/9, his control has been much better recently, making him easier to plug in for a streaming appearance on the mound.

Luis Medina, Oakland Athletics vs Baltimore Orioles

The rookie certainly stumbled a bit in his most recent time toeing the rubber, but over his last four outings, including that less-than-stellar effort against the visiting Giants, he has been worthy of plugging into fantasy lineups. Since mid-July, he has been striking out batters at better than a K per frame (9.8 K/9 over 19.1 IP) and has posted an attractive 2.79 ERA. The matchup here is not great, by any stretch, but his recent success on the mound shows his potential to shine.

Chase Silseth, Los Angeles Angels vs Tampa Bay Rays

The reliever converted to starter has been dealing in the Angel rotation, racking up the Ks while also demonstrating better control than he showed as a reliever. His stay in the rotation may be short lived with Griffin Canning due to return from his calf issue soon. This matchup is not ideal, but it would take place at his home park, which is a positive.