Last week's roster of two-start pitchers was a bit light on stud starters, both on the AL and NL sides. That's hardly the case this week, as the list below is littered with names like Justin Verlander, Jered Weaver, CC Sabathia, Tim Lincecum, Roy Halladay and Stephen Strasburg.
It should be a good week for fantasy owners with aces fronting their staffs, and there are number of other attractive options in addition to those guys. Read on for the full break-down, plus streamers and match-ups.
Going Twice…
American League
Strong Plays
Ricky Romero: TB (Niemann), @KC (Duffy)
James Shields: @BOS (Bard), MIN (Pavano)
CC Sabathia: MIN (Liriano), @BOS (Bard)
Jered Weaver: OAK (McCarthy), BAL (Arrieta)
Dan Haren: OAK (Ross), BAL (Hunter)
Justin Verlander: @KC (Duffy), TEX (Feliz)
Brandon McCarthy: @LAA (Weaver), CLE (Jimenez)
John Danks: BAL (Hunter), @SEA (Millwood)
Decent Plays
Colby Lewis: @BOS (Lester), @DET (Smyly)
Jeff Niemann: @TOR (Romero), MIN (Liriano)
Kevin Millwood: CLE (Tomlin), CWS (Danks)
Freddy Garcia: MIN (Pavano), @BOS (Doubtront)
Philip Humber: BAL (Arrieta), @SEA (Beavan)
Josh Tomlin: @SEA (Millwood), @OAK (Ross)
Daniel Bard: TB (Shields), NYY (Sabathia)
Jake Arrieta: @CWS (Humber), @LAA (Weaver)
Tommy Hunter: @CWS (Danks), @LAA (Haren)
At Your Own Risk
Tyson Ross: @LAA (Haren), CLE (Tomlin)
Carl Pavano: @NYY (Garcia), @TB (Shields)
Francisco Liriano: @NYY (Sabathia), @TB (Niemann)
Drew Smyly: @KC (Chen), TEX (Lewis)
National League
Strong Plays
Stephen Strasburg: HOU (Weiland), MIA (Sanchez)
Tim Lincecum: PHI (Halladay) @NYM (Gee)
Roy Halladay: @SF (Lincecum), @SD (Luebke)
Chad Billingsley: @MIL (Gallardo), @HOU (Rodriguez)
Yovani Gallardo: LAD (Billingsley), COL (Guthrie)
Wandy Rodriguez: @WAS (Gonzalez), LAD (Billingsley)
Tommy Hanson: NYM (Gee), @ARI (Saunders)
Gio Gonzalez: HOU (Rodriguez), MIA (Johnson)
Ryan Dempster: @MIA (Johnson), CIN (Cueto)
Decent Plays
Josh Johnson: CHC (Dempster), @WAS (Gonzalez)
Joe Saunders: PIT (Bedard), ATL (Hanson)
Ian Kennedy: PIT (Karstens), ATL (Delgado)
Kyle Lohse: CIN (Cueto), @PIT (Bedard)
Cory Luebke: @COL (Guthrie), PHI (Halladay)
Erik Bedard: @ARI (Saunders), STL (Lohse)
Joe Blanton: @SF (Bumgarner), @SD (Bass)
Dillon Gee: @ATL (Hanson), SF (Lincecum)
Jeremy Guthrie: SD (Luebke), @MIL (Gallardo)
Johnny Cueto: @STL (Lohse), @CHC (Dempster)
Randall Delgado: NYM (Santana), @ARI (Kennedy)
At Your Own Risk
Anthony Bass: @COL (Moyer), PHI (Blanton)
Kyle Weiland: @WAS (Strasburg), LAD (Kershaw)
Last week's roster of two-start pitchers was a bit light on stud starters, both on the AL and NL sides. That's hardly the case this week, as the list below is littered with names like Justin Verlander, Jered Weaver, CC Sabathia, Tim Lincecum, Roy Halladay and Stephen Strasburg.
It should be a good week for fantasy owners with aces fronting their staffs, and there are number of other attractive options in addition to those guys. Read on for the full break-down, plus streamers and match-ups.
Going Twice…
American League
Strong Plays
Ricky Romero: TB (Niemann), @KC (Duffy)
James Shields: @BOS (Bard), MIN (Pavano)
CC Sabathia: MIN (Liriano), @BOS (Bard)
Jered Weaver: OAK (McCarthy), BAL (Arrieta)
Dan Haren: OAK (Ross), BAL (Hunter)
Justin Verlander: @KC (Duffy), TEX (Feliz)
Brandon McCarthy: @LAA (Weaver), CLE (Jimenez)
John Danks: BAL (Hunter), @SEA (Millwood)
Decent Plays
Colby Lewis: @BOS (Lester), @DET (Smyly)
Jeff Niemann: @TOR (Romero), MIN (Liriano)
Kevin Millwood: CLE (Tomlin), CWS (Danks)
Freddy Garcia: MIN (Pavano), @BOS (Doubtront)
Philip Humber: BAL (Arrieta), @SEA (Beavan)
Josh Tomlin: @SEA (Millwood), @OAK (Ross)
Daniel Bard: TB (Shields), NYY (Sabathia)
Jake Arrieta: @CWS (Humber), @LAA (Weaver)
Tommy Hunter: @CWS (Danks), @LAA (Haren)
At Your Own Risk
Tyson Ross: @LAA (Haren), CLE (Tomlin)
Carl Pavano: @NYY (Garcia), @TB (Shields)
Francisco Liriano: @NYY (Sabathia), @TB (Niemann)
Drew Smyly: @KC (Chen), TEX (Lewis)
National League
Strong Plays
Stephen Strasburg: HOU (Weiland), MIA (Sanchez)
Tim Lincecum: PHI (Halladay) @NYM (Gee)
Roy Halladay: @SF (Lincecum), @SD (Luebke)
Chad Billingsley: @MIL (Gallardo), @HOU (Rodriguez)
Yovani Gallardo: LAD (Billingsley), COL (Guthrie)
Wandy Rodriguez: @WAS (Gonzalez), LAD (Billingsley)
Tommy Hanson: NYM (Gee), @ARI (Saunders)
Gio Gonzalez: HOU (Rodriguez), MIA (Johnson)
Ryan Dempster: @MIA (Johnson), CIN (Cueto)
Decent Plays
Josh Johnson: CHC (Dempster), @WAS (Gonzalez)
Joe Saunders: PIT (Bedard), ATL (Hanson)
Ian Kennedy: PIT (Karstens), ATL (Delgado)
Kyle Lohse: CIN (Cueto), @PIT (Bedard)
Cory Luebke: @COL (Guthrie), PHI (Halladay)
Erik Bedard: @ARI (Saunders), STL (Lohse)
Joe Blanton: @SF (Bumgarner), @SD (Bass)
Dillon Gee: @ATL (Hanson), SF (Lincecum)
Jeremy Guthrie: SD (Luebke), @MIL (Gallardo)
Johnny Cueto: @STL (Lohse), @CHC (Dempster)
Randall Delgado: NYM (Santana), @ARI (Kennedy)
At Your Own Risk
Anthony Bass: @COL (Moyer), PHI (Blanton)
Kyle Weiland: @WAS (Strasburg), LAD (Kershaw)
Streamer City
The following pitchers are generally available in over 50 percent of fantasy leagues and have favorable match-ups this week:
American League
Tuesday, 4/17: Jason Hammel @ CWS
Hammel took a no-hitter into the eighth inning in his season debut against the Twins. He won't fare as well against the AL East, but the White Sox could prove manageable.
Thursday, 4/19: Derek Lowe @ SEA
Lowe shut down the Blue Jays in his first turn, so he figures to fare well against the lesser Mariners.
National League
Tuesday, 4/17: Juan Nicasio vs. SD
Returning from a broken neck, Nicasio is a great story and he was excellent against the Astros earlier this week. Give him a look against the Padres.
Thursday, 4/19: Jeff Samardzija @ MIA
If he can keep the ball in the zone, Samardzija has the stuff to excel. So far so good in that department.
Friday, 4/20: Ross Detwiler vs. MIA
The Nats lefty used a strong March to springboard into a good start to April. We'll see if he can keep it going at home.
Total Games
American League
6: BOS, CLE, KC, SEA, TEX, TOR
7: BAL, CWS, DET, LAA, MIN, NYY, OAK, TB,
National League
6: CHC, CIN, COL, LAD, MIA, MIL, NYM, PIT, SF, STL
7: ARI, ATL, HOU, PHI, SD, WAS
Lefty/Righty Breakdowns
American League
BAL: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
BOS: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
CLE: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
CWS: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
DET: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
KC: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
LAA: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
MIN: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
NYY: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
OAK: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
SEA: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
TB: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
TEX: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
TOR: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
National League
ARI: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
ATL: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
CHC: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
CIN: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
COL: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
HOU: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
LAD: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
MIA: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
MIL: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
NYM: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
PHI: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
PIT: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
SD: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
SF: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
STL: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
WAS: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
The Infirmary
You can get a full listing of injured players at Rotoworld's Injury Page but here's the latest on a few prominent players who have been out of action:
Doug Fister: Out until late April (ribs)
Lorenzo Cain: Out until late April (groin)
Mark Kotsay: Out until mid-April (calf)
Dustin Moseley: Out indefinitely (shoulder)
Drew Storen: Out indefinitely (elbow)