This article is part of our Weekly Pitcher Rankings series.
This could be the best week all season in terms of two-start pitchers, at least at the top of the heap. Enjoy it while it lasts as the extra off days this season will deprive fantasy managers of double dippers each week. There aren't many fringe options with a pair of outings, meaning this could be a week to activate your third closer or dominant setup man.
For the week, April 9-15
UPDATED: Sunday, April 8, 10:45 PM
AMERICAN LEAGUE
RANK | PITCHER | TEAM | OPP | COMMENT |
1 | Corey Kluber | CLE | vs. DET, vs. TOR | |
2 | Chris Sale | BOS | vs. NYY, vs. BAL | Like Scherzer, limited to just 11 frames in two outings |
3 | Justin Verlander | HOU | at MIN, vs. TEX | |
4 | Luis Severino | NYY | at BOS, at DET | |
5 | Chris Archer | TB | at CWS, vs. PHI | As usual, skills better than outcomes |
6 | Sean Manaea | OAK | at LAD, at SEA | Meds under control, and so is he, breakout impending |
7 | Dylan Bundy | BAL | vs. TOR, at BOS | 15 K with just 3 BB in initial 13 innings |
8 | Carlos Carrasco | CLE | vs. DET | |
9 | Gerrit Cole | HOU | vs. TEX | Looking dominant, using curve more as expected |
10 | Blake Snell | TB | at CWS, vs. PHI | Jump on a pair of starts out of the AL East |
11 | Jake Junis | KC | vs. SEA, vs. LAA | Pair at home, looking to build on solid spring and strong start |
12 | Jose Berrios | MIN | vs. CWS | |
13 | Garrett Richards | LAA | at TEX, at KC | 13 K |
This could be the best week all season in terms of two-start pitchers, at least at the top of the heap. Enjoy it while it lasts as the extra off days this season will deprive fantasy managers of double dippers each week. There aren't many fringe options with a pair of outings, meaning this could be a week to activate your third closer or dominant setup man.
For the week, April 9-15
UPDATED: Sunday, April 8, 10:45 PM
AMERICAN LEAGUE
RANK | PITCHER | TEAM | OPP | COMMENT |
1 | Corey Kluber | CLE | vs. DET, vs. TOR | |
2 | Chris Sale | BOS | vs. NYY, vs. BAL | Like Scherzer, limited to just 11 frames in two outings |
3 | Justin Verlander | HOU | at MIN, vs. TEX | |
4 | Luis Severino | NYY | at BOS, at DET | |
5 | Chris Archer | TB | at CWS, vs. PHI | As usual, skills better than outcomes |
6 | Sean Manaea | OAK | at LAD, at SEA | Meds under control, and so is he, breakout impending |
7 | Dylan Bundy | BAL | vs. TOR, at BOS | 15 K with just 3 BB in initial 13 innings |
8 | Carlos Carrasco | CLE | vs. DET | |
9 | Gerrit Cole | HOU | vs. TEX | Looking dominant, using curve more as expected |
10 | Blake Snell | TB | at CWS, vs. PHI | Jump on a pair of starts out of the AL East |
11 | Jake Junis | KC | vs. SEA, vs. LAA | Pair at home, looking to build on solid spring and strong start |
12 | Jose Berrios | MIN | vs. CWS | |
13 | Garrett Richards | LAA | at TEX, at KC | 13 K in 10.2 IP nice, 7 BB with 3 HR - not so much |
14 | Charlie Morton | HOU | vs. TEX | |
15 | David Price | BOS | vs. NYY | Looks great so far, keep in mind elbow still could become an issue |
16 | Trevor Bauer | CLE | vs. DET | |
17 | James Paxton | SEA | at KC | |
18 | Lance Lynn | MIN | vs. HOU, vs. CWS | |
19 | Jake Odorizzi | MIN | vs. HOU, vs. CWS | Solid opener then struggled, pair at home though Houston is a problem |
20 | Jacob Faria | TB | vs. PHI | |
21 | Felix Hernandez | SEA | at KC, vs. OAK | Good matchups to rebound from disaster versus the Giants |
22 | Domingo German | NYY | at DET | |
23 | Danny Duffy | KC | vs. SEA | Battled back in last start but still not sharp to open the season |
24 | Mike Clevinger | CLE | vs. TOR | |
25 | Kevin Gausman | BAL | vs. TOR | |
26 | Josh Tomlin | CLE | vs. DET, vs. TOR | Win potential elevates ranking, but risk to ratios |
27 | Shohei Ohtani | LAA | at KC | Not a bad pitcher for a slugger |
28 | Aaron Sanchez | TOR | at BAL, at CHC | Second start better than first, will rise in ranks quickly if trend continues |
29 | Cole Hamels | TEX | at HOU | |
30 | Dallas Keuchel | HOU | at MIN | |
31 | Mike Leake | SEA | vs. OAK | |
32 | Yonny Chirinos | TB | at CWS | Earned more than the first guy out in a bullpen game |
33 | Masahiro Tanaka | NYY | at BOS | |
34 | Andrew Triggs | OAK | at SEA | |
35 | J.A. Happ | TOR | at BAL, at CLE | Tough matchups make Happ borderline start in mixed leagues |
36 | Marco Estrada | TOR | at BAL | |
37 | Mike Minor | TEX | at HOU | |
38 | Michael Fulmer | DET | at CLE | |
39 | Sonny Gray | NYY | at BOS | |
40 | Jaime Garcia | TOR | vs. NYM, at CLE | |
41 | Andrew Cashner | BAL | vs. TOR | |
42 | Marco Gonzales | SEA | at KC, vs. OAK | |
43 | Rick Porcello | BOS | vs. NYY | |
44 | Daniel Mengden | OAK | at LAD | |
45 | Drew Pomeranz | BOS | vs. BAL | |
46 | Ian Kennedy | KC | vs. LAA | |
47 | Lance McCullers Jr. | HOU | at MIN | |
48 | Carson Fulmer | CWS | vs. TB, at MIN | |
49 | Miguel Gonzalez | CWS | vs. TB, at MIN | |
50 | Eduardo Rodriguez | BOS | vs. BAL | |
51 | Eric Skoglund | KC | vs. SEA, vs. LAA | |
52 | Jason Hammel | KC | vs. LAA | |
53 | Jordan Montgomery | NYY | at DET | |
54 | Martin Perez | TEX | vs. LAA | |
55 | Matt Boyd | DET | at CLE, vs. NYY | |
56 | Lucas Giolito | CWS | at MIN | |
57 | Kendall Graveman | OAK | at SEA | |
58 | Matt Moore | TEX | vs. LAA | |
59 | Marcus Stroman | TOR | at CLE | |
60 | James Shields | CWS | vs. TB | |
61 | Alex Cobb | BAL | at BOS | |
62 | Mike Fiers | DET | vs. NYY | |
63 | Reynaldo Lopez | CWS | at MIN | Great start, one more solid effort and will gain my trust |
64 | Francisco Liriano | DET | at CLE, vs. NYY | |
65 | Andrew Heaney | LAA | at KC | |
66 | Nick Tropeano | LAA | at KC | |
67 | Tyler Skaggs | LAA | at TEX | Risky, but if he gets through unscathed, expect ranking to climb quickly |
68 | Phil Hughes | MIN | vs. CWS | |
69 | Doug Fister | TEX | vs. LAA, at HOU | |
70 | Kyle Gibson | MIN | vs. HOU | |
71 | Parker Bridwell | LAA | at TEX | |
72 | Jordan Zimmermann | DET | at CLE | |
73 | Chris Tillman | BAL | at BOS |
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Rank | Pitcher | TEAM | OPP | Comments |
1 | Max Scherzer | WAS | vs. ATL, vs. COL | Tossed only 11 innings in first two games |
2 | Noah Syndergaard | NYM | at MIA, vs. MIL | |
3 | Stephen Strasburg | WAS | vs. ATL, vs. COL | |
4 | Carlos Martinez | STL | vs. MIL, at CIN | Appears over early doldrums |
5 | Zack Godley | ARI | at SF, at LAD | On the road, but great pitching parks |
6 | Johnny Cueto | SF | vs. ARI, at SD | Need to see a few more strikeouts before deeming him back |
7 | Clayton Kershaw | LAD | vs. ARI | |
8 | Miles Mikolas | STL | vs. MIL, at CIN | Rematch versus the Brewers, this time at home |
9 | Jacob deGrom | NYM | at MIA | |
10 | Zack Greinke | ARI | at LAD | |
11 | Alex Wood | LAD | vs. OAK | |
12 | Robbie Ray | ARI | at SF | |
13 | Tyler Chatwood | CHC | vs. PIT, vs. ATL | Can't blame Coors on six walks in Cubs debut |
14 | Aaron Nola | PHI | vs. CIN | |
15 | Rich Hill | LAD | vs. ARI | |
16 | Patrick Corbin | ARI | at SF | I may owe Corbin an apology with increased use and effectiveness of slider |
17 | Jon Gray | COL | vs. SD, at WAS | Facing Padres at home helps soften the blow |
18 | Kyle Hendricks | CHC | vs. PIT | |
19 | Luis Castillo | CIN | at PHI | Sluggish start to season, give him time |
20 | Jon Lester | CHC | vs. PIT | 0 |
21 | Yu Darvish | CHC | vs. ATL | |
22 | Jameson Taillon | PIT | at MIA | Looking dominant early |
23 | Jake Arrieta | PHI | at TB | |
24 | Chase Anderson | MIL | at NYM | Velocity down, but it's early |
25 | Tyler Anderson | COL | vs. SD, at WAS | Coors, then tough draw on the road |
26 | Jose Urena | MIA | vs. NYM, vs. PIT | Not known for punch outs but fanned seven Red Sox last time |
27 | Kenta Maeda | LAD | vs. ARI | Ten whiffs in five frames to kickoff the season |
28 | Hyun-Jin Ryu | LAD | vs. OAK | |
29 | Taijuan Walker | ARI | at LAD | |
30 | Trevor Richards | MIA | vs. PIT | |
31 | Dillon Peters | MIA | vs. PIT | |
32 | Luke Weaver | STL | at CIN | |
33 | Zach Davies | MIL | at NYM | |
34 | Tyler Mahle | CIN | vs. STL | Solid early, but keep expectations in check |
35 | Tanner Roark | WAS | vs. COL | |
36 | Chris Stratton | SF | at SD | Held his own versus Dodgers in opener |
37 | Caleb Smith | MIA | vs. NYM | |
38 | Steven Matz | NYM | vs. MIL | |
39 | Matt Harvey | NYM | vs. MIL | Velocity down but still effective |
40 | Gio Gonzalez | WAS | vs. COL | |
41 | Chad Kuhl | PIT | at MIA | |
42 | Jose Quintana | CHC | vs. ATL | |
43 | Joey Lucchesi | SD | at COL, vs. SF | Big risk in Coors |
44 | Adam Wainwright | STL | vs. MIL | |
45 | Ivan Nova | PIT | at CHC, at MIA | South Beach start helps balance Wrigley affair |
46 | Ben Lively | PHI | vs. CIN, at TB | |
47 | Bryan Mitchell | SD | vs. SF | |
48 | Ty Blach | SF | at SD | |
49 | Cody Reed | CIN | at PHI | |
50 | German Marquez | COL | vs. SD | |
51 | Jhoulys Chacin | MIL | at STL, at NYM | |
52 | Vince Velasquez | PHI | at TB | |
53 | Michael Wacha | STL | at CIN | |
54 | Tyson Ross | SD | vs. SF | |
55 | Derek Holland | SF | vs. ARI, at SD | |
56 | Brandon McCarthy | ATL | at WAS | |
57 | Julio Teheran | ATL | at WAS, at CHC | |
58 | Junior Guerra | MIL | at STL | |
59 | Brent Suter | MIL | at STL | |
60 | Clayton Richard | SD | at COL, vs. SF | |
61 | Sal Romano | CIN | vs. STL | |
62 | Mike Foltynewicz | ATL | at WAS | |
63 | Nick Pivetta | PHI | vs. CIN | |
64 | Homer Bailey | CIN | at PHI, vs. STL | |
65 | Zack Wheeler | NYM | at MIA | |
66 | Brandon Finnegan | CIN | vs. STL | |
67 | Chad Bettis | COL | at WAS | |
68 | Kyle Freeland | COL | at WAS | |
69 | Trevor Williams | PIT | at CHC | |
70 | Sean Newcomb | ATL | at CHC | |
71 | Steven Brault | PIT | at CHC | |
72 | Tyler Beede | SF | vs. ARI | |
73 | A.J. Cole | WAS | vs. ATL | |
74 | Luis Perdomo | SD | at COL |
MLB
RANK | PITCHER | TEAM | OPP | COMMENT |
1 | Max Scherzer | WAS | vs. ATL, vs. COL | Tossed only 11 innings in first two games |
2 | Corey Kluber | CLE | vs. DET, vs. TOR | |
3 | Noah Syndergaard | NYM | at MIA, vs. MIL | |
4 | Stephen Strasburg | WAS | vs. ATL, vs. COL | |
5 | Chris Sale | BOS | vs. NYY, vs. BAL | Like Scherzer, limited to just 11 frames in two outings |
6 | Carlos Martinez | STL | vs. MIL, at CIN | Appears over early doldrums |
7 | Justin Verlander | HOU | at MIN, vs. TEX | |
8 | Zack Godley | ARI | at SF, at LAD | On the road, but great pitching parks |
9 | Luis Severino | NYY | at BOS, at DET | |
10 | Chris Archer | TB | at CWS, vs. PHI | As usual, skills better than outcomes |
11 | Johnny Cueto | SF | vs. ARI, at SD | Need to see a few more strikeouts before deeming him back |
12 | Clayton Kershaw | LAD | vs. ARI | |
13 | Sean Manaea | OAK | at LAD, at SEA | Meds under control, and so is he, breakout impending |
14 | Dylan Bundy | BAL | vs. TOR, at BOS | 15 K with just 3 BB in initial 13 innings |
15 | Carlos Carrasco | CLE | vs. DET | |
16 | Miles Mikolas | STL | vs. MIL, at CIN | Rematch versus the Brewers, this time at home |
17 | Gerrit Cole | HOU | vs. TEX | Looking dominant, using curve more as expected |
18 | Jacob deGrom | NYM | at MIA | |
19 | Zack Greinke | ARI | at LAD | |
20 | Alex Wood | LAD | vs. OAK | |
21 | Robbie Ray | ARI | at SF | |
22 | Blake Snell | TB | at CWS, vs. PHI | Jump on a pair of starts out of the AL East |
23 | Tyler Chatwood | CHC | vs. PIT, vs. ATL | Can't blame Coors on six walks in Cubs debut |
24 | Aaron Nola | PHI | vs. CIN | |
25 | Rich Hill | LAD | vs. ARI | |
26 | Patrick Corbin | ARI | at SF | I may owe Corbin an apology with increased use and effectiveness of slider |
27 | Jake Junis | KC | vs. SEA, vs. LAA | Pair at home, looking to build on solid spring and strong start |
28 | Jon Gray | COL | vs. SD, at WAS | Facing Padres at home helps soften the blow |
29 | Kyle Hendricks | CHC | vs. PIT | |
30 | Jose Berrios | MIN | vs. CWS | |
31 | Luis Castillo | CIN | at PHI | Sluggish start to season, give him time |
32 | Garrett Richards | LAA | at TEX, at KC | 13 K in 10.2 IP nice, 7 BB with 3 HR - not so much |
33 | Jon Lester | CHC | vs. PIT | 0 |
34 | Yu Darvish | CHC | vs. ATL | |
35 | Jameson Taillon | PIT | at MIA | Looking dominant early |
36 | Charlie Morton | HOU | vs. TEX | |
37 | Jake Arrieta | PHI | at TB | |
38 | David Price | BOS | vs. NYY | Looks great so far, keep in mind elbow still could become an issue |
39 | Chase Anderson | MIL | at NYM | Velocity down, but it's early |
40 | Trevor Bauer | CLE | vs. DET | |
41 | Tyler Anderson | COL | vs. SD, at WAS | Coors, then tough draw on the road |
42 | James Paxton | SEA | at KC | |
43 | Jose Urena | MIA | vs. NYM, vs. PIT | Not known for punch outs but fanned seven Red Sox last time |
44 | Lance Lynn | MIN | vs. HOU, vs. CWS | |
45 | Jake Odorizzi | MIN | vs. HOU, vs. CWS | Solid opener then struggled, pair at home though Houston is a problem |
46 | Jacob Faria | TB | vs. PHI | |
47 | Felix Hernandez | SEA | at KC, vs. OAK | Good matchups to rebound from disaster versus the Giants |
48 | Domingo German | NYY | at DET | |
49 | Kenta Maeda | LAD | vs. ARI | Ten whiffs in five frames to kickoff the season |
50 | Hyun-Jin Ryu | LAD | vs. OAK | |
51 | Danny Duffy | KC | vs. SEA | Battled back in last start but still not sharp to open the season |
52 | Taijuan Walker | ARI | at LAD | |
53 | Trevor Richards | MIA | vs. PIT | |
54 | Dillon Peters | MIA | vs. PIT | |
55 | Mike Clevinger | CLE | vs. TOR | |
56 | Kevin Gausman | BAL | vs. TOR | |
57 | Luke Weaver | STL | at CIN | |
58 | Zach Davies | MIL | at NYM | |
59 | Josh Tomlin | CLE | vs. DET, vs. TOR | Win potential elevates ranking, but risk to ratios |
60 | Shohei Ohtani | LAA | at KC | Not a bad pitcher for a slugger |
61 | Tyler Mahle | CIN | vs. STL | Solid early, but keep expectations in check |
62 | Aaron Sanchez | TOR | at BAL, at CHC | Second start better than first, will rise in ranks quickly if trend continues |
63 | Tanner Roark | WAS | vs. COL | |
64 | Chris Stratton | SF | at SD | Held his own versus Dodgers in opener |
65 | Cole Hamels | TEX | at HOU | |
66 | Dallas Keuchel | HOU | at MIN | |
67 | Mike Leake | SEA | vs. OAK | |
68 | Caleb Smith | MIA | vs. NYM | |
69 | Yonny Chirinos | TB | at CWS | Earned more than the first guy out in a bullpen game |
70 | Steven Matz | NYM | vs. MIL | |
71 | Masahiro Tanaka | NYY | at BOS | |
72 | Andrew Triggs | OAK | at SEA | |
73 | J.A. Happ | TOR | at BAL, at CLE | Tough matchups make Happ borderline start in mixed leagues |
74 | Matt Harvey | NYM | vs. MIL | Velocity down but still effective |
75 | Gio Gonzalez | WAS | vs. COL | |
76 | Marco Estrada | TOR | at BAL | |
77 | Chad Kuhl | PIT | at MIA | |
78 | Mike Minor | TEX | at HOU | |
79 | Jose Quintana | CHC | vs. ATL | |
80 | Michael Fulmer | DET | at CLE | |
81 | Joey Lucchesi | SD | at COL, vs. SF | Big risk in Coors |
82 | Adam Wainwright | STL | vs. MIL | |
83 | Ivan Nova | PIT | at CHC, at MIA | South Beach start helps balance Wrigley affair |
84 | Ben Lively | PHI | vs. CIN, at TB | |
85 | Bryan Mitchell | SD | vs. SF | |
86 | Sonny Gray | NYY | at BOS | |
87 | Jaime Garcia | TOR | vs. NYM, at CLE | |
88 | Ty Blach | SF | at SD | |
89 | Andrew Cashner | BAL | vs. TOR | |
90 | Marco Gonzales | SEA | at KC, vs. OAK | |
91 | Rick Porcello | BOS | vs. NYY | |
92 | Cody Reed | CIN | at PHI | |
93 | Daniel Mengden | OAK | at LAD | |
94 | Drew Pomeranz | BOS | vs. BAL | |
95 | German Marquez | COL | vs. SD | |
96 | Ian Kennedy | KC | vs. LAA | |
97 | Lance McCullers Jr. | HOU | at MIN | |
98 | Jhoulys Chacin | MIL | at STL, at NYM | |
99 | Vince Velasquez | PHI | at TB | |
100 | Michael Wacha | STL | at CIN | |
101 | Carson Fulmer | CWS | vs. TB, at MIN | |
102 | Miguel Gonzalez | CWS | vs. TB, at MIN | |
103 | Eduardo Rodriguez | BOS | vs. BAL | |
104 | Eric Skoglund | KC | vs. SEA, vs. LAA | |
105 | Jason Hammel | KC | vs. LAA | |
106 | Tyson Ross | SD | vs. SF | |
107 | Jordan Montgomery | NYY | at DET | |
108 | Derek Holland | SF | vs. ARI, at SD | |
109 | Brandon McCarthy | ATL | at WAS | |
110 | Martin Perez | TEX | vs. LAA | |
111 | Julio Teheran | ATL | at WAS, at CHC | |
112 | Junior Guerra | MIL | at STL | |
113 | Matt Boyd | DET | at CLE, vs. NYY | |
114 | Brent Suter | MIL | at STL | |
115 | Lucas Giolito | CWS | at MIN | |
116 | Clayton Richard | SD | at COL, vs. SF | |
117 | Sal Romano | CIN | vs. STL | |
118 | Kendall Graveman | OAK | at SEA | |
119 | Matt Moore | TEX | vs. LAA | |
120 | Marcus Stroman | TOR | at CLE | |
121 | James Shields | CWS | vs. TB | |
122 | Mike Foltynewicz | ATL | at WAS | |
123 | Nick Pivetta | PHI | vs. CIN | |
124 | Homer Bailey | CIN | at PHI, vs. STL | |
125 | Alex Cobb | BAL | at BOS | |
126 | Zack Wheeler | NYM | at MIA | |
127 | Brandon Finnegan | CIN | vs. STL | |
128 | Mike Fiers | DET | vs. NYY | |
129 | Reynaldo Lopez | CWS | at MIN | Great start, one more solid effort and will gain my trust |
130 | Francisco Liriano | DET | at CLE, vs. NYY | |
131 | Andrew Heaney | LAA | at KC | |
132 | Nick Tropeano | LAA | at KC | |
133 | Tyler Skaggs | LAA | at TEX | Risky, but if he gets through unscathed, expect ranking to climb quickly |
134 | Chad Bettis | COL | at WAS | |
135 | Phil Hughes | MIN | vs. CWS | |
136 | Kyle Freeland | COL | at WAS | |
137 | Doug Fister | TEX | vs. LAA, at HOU | |
138 | Trevor Williams | PIT | at CHC | |
139 | Sean Newcomb | ATL | at CHC | |
140 | Steven Brault | PIT | at CHC | |
141 | Kyle Gibson | MIN | vs. HOU | |
142 | Parker Bridwell | LAA | at TEX | |
143 | Tyler Beede | SF | vs. ARI | |
144 | A.J. Cole | WAS | vs. ATL | |
145 | Luis Perdomo | SD | at COL | |
146 | Jordan Zimmermann | DET | at CLE | |
147 | Chris Tillman | BAL | at BOS |