Fantasy Baseball Two-Star Options: Week 10 (June 7-13)

It’s time to look at the potential two-start options for the upcoming fantasy week.  If I have someone rated as a three, four or five-star option, they are someone I would definitely use.  A two-star option is someone who is borderline, but I’d strongly lean against it unless I have no other options.  The one-star options are an absolutely not scenario.

So, with that said, let’s take a look at the players available to you this week:

Five-Star Options:

• None

Four-Star Options:

• Matt Cain - San Francisco Giants - @ Cin, vs. Oak
• Yovani Gallardo - Milwaukee Brewers - vs. CHC, vs. Tex
• Dan Haren - Arizona Diamondbacks - vs. Atl, vs. Stl
• Felix Hernandez - Seattle Mariners - @ Tex, @ SD
• Phil Hughes - New York Yankees - @ Bal, vs. Hou
• Cliff Lee - Seattle Mariners - @ Tex, @ SD
• Mike Pelfrey - New York Mets - vs. SD, @ Bal
• Jered Weaver - Los Angeles Angels - @ Oak, @ LAD

Three-Star Options:

• Johnny Cueto - Cincinnati Reds - vs. SF, vs. KC
• Cole Hamels - Philadelphia Phillies - vs. SD, @ Bos
• Ted Lilly - Chicago Cubs - @ Mil, vs. CWS
• Derek Lowe - Atlanta Braves - @ Ari, @ Min
• Shaun Marcum - Toronto Blue Jays - @ TB, @ Col
• Jeff Niemann - Tampa Bay Rays - vs. Tor, vs. Fla
• Clayton Richard - San Diego Padres - @ NYM, vs. Sea
• Carlos Silva - Chicago Cubs - @ Pit, vs. CWS
• Kevin Slowey - Minnesota Twins - vs. KC, vs. Atl
• Stephen Strasburg - Washington Nationals - vs. Pit, @ Cle
• Barry Zito - San Francisco Giants - @ Cin, vs. Oak

Two-Star Options:

• Fausto Carmona - Cleveland Indians - vs. Bos, vs. Was
• Gavin Floyd - Chicago White Sox - vs. Det, @ CHC
• Jeff Francis - Colorado Rockies - vs. Hou, vs. Tor
• Armando Galarraga - Detroit Tigers - @ CWS, vs. Pit
• Edwin Jackson - Arizona Diamondbacks - vs. Atl, vs. Stl
• Scott Kazmir - Tampa Bay Rays - @ Oak, @ LAD
• Colby Lewis - Texas Rangers - vs. Sea, @ Mil
• Daisuke Matsuzaka - Boston Red Sox - @ Cle, vs. Phi
• Kris Medlen - Atlanta Braves - @ Ari, @ Min
• Kevin Millwood - Baltimore Orioles - vs. NYY, vs. NYM
• Wandy Rodriguez - Houston Astros - @ Col, @ NYY
• Ben Sheets - Oakland Athletics - vs. LAA, @ SF

One-Star Options:

• Kyle Davies - Kansas City Royals - @ Min, @ Cin
• Dana Eveland - Pittsburgh Pirates - vs. CHC, @ Det
• Scott Feldman - Texas Rangers - vs. Sea, @ Mil
• Jason Hammel - Colorado Rockies - vs. Hou, vs. Tor
• David Huff - Cleveland Indians - vs. Bos, vs. Was
• Jeff Karstens - Pittsburgh Pirates - @ Was, @ Det
• Kyle Kendrick - Philadelphia Phillies - vs. Fla, @ Bos
• Wade LeBlanc - San Diego Padres - @ Phi, vs. Sea
• Sam LeCure - Cincinnati Reds - vs. SF, vs. KC
• Vin Mazarro - Oakland Athletics - vs. LAA, @ SF
• Brian Moehler - Houston Astros - @ Col, @ NYY
• Carlos Monasterios - Los Angeles Dodgers - vs. Stl, vs. LAA
• Tim Wakefield - Boston Red Sox - @ Cle, vs. Phi
• P.J. Walters - St. Louis Cardinals - @ LAD, @ Ari
• Chris Volstad - Florida Marlins - @ Phi, @ TB

Scheduling News:

• Will it be P.J. Walters or Chris Carpenter taking the ball on Monday?  If it’s Carpenter, another top option is added to the list.  The truth is, it doesn’t really matter.  Carpenter is a must use option no matter what and Walters is someone you just can’t trust yet.

Thoughts:

• I know Stephen Strasburg has the potential to be the best pitcher of our generation and has two favorable match ups, but he is still making his major league debut.  He also is going to be on a pitch count, which may limit his ability to go deep into games.  He’s a must use option, for sure, but I just can’t put him above a three-star option for the week.
• Wandy Rodriguez may have had a decent start against the Nationals, but that’s all it was (1 ER on 5 H and 3 BB over 5.0 IP).  Now, give him starts in Colorado and New York (against the Yankees), and is he really an option you would consider trusting?  Maybe the Rodriguez from the past few years, but not the 2010 version, that’s for sure.  Unless I had no other viable option, I’d probably leave him on my bench.
• People may not want to consider Daisuke Matsuzaka, but he’s proven that he could pitch against the Phillies (8 shutout innings in Philadelphia on May 22) and the Phillies offense is still sputtering.  Match that with a start against the Indians and he certainly is worth considering.  His 5.49 ERA and 1.42 WHIP hold him as a two-star option, but if you need someone he’s worth the gamble.
• Should Armando Galarraga be a better option coming off what should have been a perfect game?  He’s never pitched well against the White Sox (1-2 with a 5.06 ERA) and it’s not like he was overpowering at Triple-A (3.92 ERA over 41.1 innings).  Keep that in mind before getting too caught up in one performance.
• Colby Lewis has a 3.62 ERA and 1.19 WHIP, but does that mean we should trust him?  He’s had over 6 Ks just once over his last six starts.  He has only 1 W over his last seven starts.  In his last six starts he has an ERA of 4.38.  There certainly are reasons not to believe.

What are your thoughts?  Who have I ranked too high?  Who do you think will outperform my rankings?

THIS ARTICLE IS ALSO FEATURED ON WWW.ROTOPROFESSOR.COM

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com