Here is a complete look at the fantasy baseball two-start pitchers for week 25. Obviously the top tier pitchers are going to be left in your line up, but here is a look at some of the more border line pitchers for mixed league starts and who they face in those starts.
2 start pitchers week 25: remember again that the list below is more focused on mixed leagues since in AL or NL only leagues in most cases you do not have the option to rotate too many starting pitchers with the smaller player pool. The pitchers below are listed in alphabetical order by team name per category.
American League:
Start them:
Gavin Floyd (CHC) ~ @OAK (Gonzalez), @LAA (Weaver)
Zack Greinke (KC) ~ @DET (Porcello), @CLE (Gomez)
Jered Weaver (LAA) ~ TEX (Holland), CWS (Floyd)
Brian Duensing (MIN) ~ CLE (Gomez), @DET (Porcello)
Gio Gonzalez (OAK) ~ CWS (Floyd), TEX (Holland)
Trevor Cahill (OAK) ~ CWS (Buehrle), TEX (Lewis)
Colby Lewis (TEX) ~ @LAA (Santana), @OAK (Cahill)
Roll the Dice:
Fausto Carmona (CLE) ~ @MIN (Pavano), KC (Chen)
Rick Porcello (DET) ~ KC (Greinke), MIN (Duensing)
Phil Hughes (NYY) ~ TB (Shields), BOS (Matsuzaka)
Matt Garza (TB) ~ @NYY (Nova), SEA (Fister)
James Shields (TB) ~ @NYY (Hughes), SEA (French)
Derek Holland (TEX) ~ @LAA (Weaver), @OAK (Gonzalez)
Porcello has turned it around since the beginning of August, going 5-1 in seven starts. Since the All-Star break, he has a 4.09 ERA with a 1.07 WHIP and is holding hitters to a .232 batting average. Hughes has two tough divisional starts next week and has been scuffling the second half of the season with a drop in strikeouts and a jump in his home run rate (13 allowed in 62 innings). Garza has faded lately, allowing six runs in each of his last two starts, one against the Yankees whom he faces next week. His has also struck out four or less in five straight starts as well. Despite Shields unimpressive overall numbers, he has been money against the Bronx Bombers this year with a 2.51 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in five starts. In two starts vs. the Mariners, he has a 2.25 ERA and a .088 WHIP. Holland is borderline, having made it two five innings in two of his last five starts. He has allowed one run in 10 2/3 innings in two starts vs. the A’s this season. Carmona has turned it back around his last four starts with six runs allowed in 30 2/3 innings.
Sit Them:
Daisuke Matsuzaka (BOS) ~ BAL (Matusz), @NYY (Hughes)
Jeanmar Gomez (CLE) ~ @MIN (Duensing), KC (Greinke)
Bruce Chen (KC) ~ @DET (Galarraga), @CLE (Carmona)
Luke French (SEA) ~ @TOR (Hill), @TB (Shields)
Shawn Hill (TOR) ~ SEA (French), BAL (Tillman)
Gomez started out winning three of his first four starts, but since that time is 0-4 in his last five outings. His ERA has been okay for the American League, but his stuff is average, leading to a .298 batting average against and a 1.53 WHIP which leaves him little margin for error. Dice-K has three wins in his last 10 starts and has given up four runs or more in six straight starts. Chen has faced Detroit twice in his last five starts with not much success, allowing 9 runs in 9 innings. Against the Indians whom he has faced twice in his last six starts, he has surrendered 6 runs in 11 2/3 innings. Stay away from French on the road where he has a 5.67 ERA and 1.44 WHIP vs. 2.58 and 1.04 at home. What you need to know about Shawn Hill, his last win was back on April 10, 2009.
National League:
Start them:
J.A. Happ (HOU) ~ @WAS (Lannan), @PIT (Maholm)
Chad Billingsley (LAD) ~ SD (Richard), @ARI (Saunders)
Cole Hamels (PHI) ~ ATL (Jurrjens), NYM (Dickey)
Matt Cain (SF) ~ @CHC (Wells), @COL (de la Rosa)
Chris Carpenter (STL) ~ @FLA (Banedhop), @CHC (Samardzija)
Roll the Dice:
Randy Wells (CHC) ~ SF (Cain), STL (Westbrook)
Homer Bailey (CIN) ~ @MIL (Capuano), @SD (Richard)
Jorge de la Rosa (COL) ~ @ARI (Saunders), SF (Cain)
Bud Norris (HOU) ~ @WAS (Hernandez), @PIT (Duke)
Chris Capuano (MIL) ~ CIN (Bailey), FLA (Volstad)
Clayton Richard (SD) ~ @LAD (Billingsley), CIN (Volquez)
Jake Westbrook (STL) ~ @PIT (Maholm), @CHC (Wells)
Livan Hernandez (WAS) ~ HOU (Norris), ATL (Lowe)
John Lannan (WAS) ~ HOU (Happ), ATL (Jurrjens)
Richard has one road start next week where he has a 4.85 ERA and a 1.67 WHIP vs. 2.77 and 1.19 at home. He has allowed two runs or less in six of his last seven starts. Wells has been a mixed bagged this year with much inconsistency. He allowed one run in eight innings against the Cardinals in his last start and in his lone start agains the Giants this season, he allowed six runs in five innings. Bailey has been much better in his second trip to the major leagues this season, posting a 4.02 ERA and 1.24 WHIP since the All-Star break. He also has two road starts next week where he has been slighlty better than pitching at home. Norris has been better the second part of the year with a 4.07 ERA and 1.33 WHIP since the break. He has allowed two runs or less in five of his last seven starts and is 6-1 in his last 10 outings. Capuano has been solid over his last three starts with five runs allowed in 18 1/3 innings, despite a 1-2 record. Westbrook has been stellar since coming to the Cardinals, posting a 3.26 ERA with a 1.24 WHIP. His lack of wins has been due to a lack of run support and not a lack of performance. Lannan has allowed two runs or less in seven of his last nine starts, going 6-2 in those outings while dropping his ERA by a full run for the season.
Sit Them:
Joe Saunders (ARI) ~ COL (de la Rosa), LAD (Billingsley)
Jair Jurrjens (ATL) ~ @PHI (Hamels), @WAS (Lannan)
Dave Bush (MIL) ~ CIN (Volquez), FLA (Mendez)
Paul Maholm (PIT) ~ STL (Westbrook), HOU (Happ)
Saunders has not shown any increase in performance since the move to the National League, leaving you with no real reason to start him. Jurrjens has faded down the stretch with a 4.67 ERA and 1.56 WHIP between August and September. Bush’s ERA has been 1.5 runs higher since the All-Star break and he has been even easier to hit. Maholm is 0-6 in his last eight starts and allowing a .308 average to opposing hitters.
