Fantasy Baseball Two-Start Options: Week 13 (June 28: July 4)

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:

• Ubaldo Jimenez - Colorado Rockies - @ SD, vs. SF

Four-Star Options:

• Matt Cain - San Francisco Giants - vs. LAD, @ Col
• Chris Carpenter - St. Louis Cardinals - vs. Ari, vs. Mil
• Yovani Gallardo - Milwaukee Brewers - vs. Hou, @ Stl
• Dan Haren - Arizona Diamondbacks - @ Stl, vs. LAD
• Tim Hudson - Atlanta Braves - vs. Was, vs. Fla
• Phil Hughes - New York Yankees - vs. Sea, vs. Tor
• Cliff Lee - Seattle Mariners - @ NYY, @ Det
• Francisco Liriano - Minnesota Twins - vs. Det, vs. TB
• Stephen Strasburg - Washington Nationals - @ Atl, vs. NYM
• Adam Wainwright - St. Louis Cardinals - vs. Ari, vs. Mil

Three-Star Options:

• Chad Billingsley - Los Angeles Dodgers - @ SF, @ Ari
• Mark Buerhle - Chicago White Sox - @ KC, @ Tex
• Fausto Carmona - Cleveland Indians - vs. Tor, vs. Oak
• Johnny Cueto - Cincinnati Reds - vs. Phi, @ CHC
• R.A. Dickey - New York Mets - @ Fla, @ Was
• Ted Lilly - Chicago Cubs - vs. Pit, vs. Cin
• Brett Myers - Houston Astros - @ Mil, @ SD
• Ricky Nolasco - Florida Marlins - vs. NYM, @ Atl
• Joel Pineiro - Los Angeles Angels - vs. Tex, vs. KC
• Ricky Romero - Toronto Blue Jays - @ Cle, @ NYY
• Barry Zito - San Francisco Giants - vs. LAD, @ Col

Two-Star Options:

• Dallas Braden - Oakland Athletics - @ Bal, @ Cle
• Jeremy Bonderman - Detroit Tigers - @ Min, vs. Sea
• Jason Hammel - Colorado Rockies - @ SD, vs. SF
• Mike Leake - Cincinnati Reds - vs. Phi, @ CHC
• Wade LeBlanc - San Diego Padres - vs. Col, vs. Hou
• Brandon Morrow - Toronto Blue Jays - @ Cle, @ NYY
• Manny Parra - Milwaukee Brewers - vs. Hou, @ Stl
• Wandy Rodriguez - Houston Astros - @ Mil, @ SD
• James Shields - Tampa Bay Rays - @ Bos, @ Min
• Hisanori Takahashi - New York Mets - @ Fla, @ Was

One-Star Options:

• Nick Blackburn - Minnesota Twins - vs. Det, vs. TB
• Joe Blanton - Philadelphia Phillies - @ Cin, @ Pit
• Kevin Correia - San Diego Padres - vs. Col, vs. Hou
• Jeff Karstens - Pittsburgh Pirates - @ CHC, vs. Phi
• Kyle Kendrick - Philadelphia Phillies - @ Cin, @ Pit
• Anthony Lerew - Kansas City Royals - vs. CWS, @ LAA
• Paul Maholm - Pittsburgh Pirates - @ CHC, vs. Phi
• Brian Matusz - Baltimore Orioles - vs. Oak, @ Bos
• Dustin Nippert - Texas Rangers - @ LAA, vs. CWS
• Randy Wells - Chicago Cubs - vs. Pit, vs. Cin
• Jake Westbrook - Cleveland Indians - vs. Tor, vs. Oak

Scheduling Notes:

• While we aren’t sure who the second two-start pitcher is for the Nationals yet, does it matter? Outside of Strasburg, none of their starters are overly attractive options for fantasy owners.

Thoughts:

• While Fausto Carmona is coming off a bad start, it was against the Phillies in Philadelphia. That’s one of those times where you have to be willing to give a pitcher a pass. He enters the week with a 3.64 ERA and 1.27 WHIP and gets to go against a Blue Jays lineup that is struggling and a weaker hitting A’s team. Needless to say, he’s worth using.
• Dallas Braden may have tossed a perfect game, but since then he has been far from perfect. In fact, he’s 0-5 allowing four ER or more four times in eight starts. Good matchups or not, I wouldn’t consider him a must use option.
• I want to consider James Shields a must use option. I mean, I really want to. He has a track record of success, but thus far in 2010 he just hasn’t had it. In his last outing against San Diego, he allowed four ER over seven innings. Just another disappointing outing. If he had better matchups, I’d probably slide him into the three-star range. Starting in Boston and in Minnesota, I just can’t do it. The truth is, I’d probably still use him if I owned him (unless I had tremendous other options), but with the way he’s pitched, he deserves to be a two-star option.
• It was a tremendous start for Mike Leake, but back-to-back five ER starts against the Giants and Dodgers earlier this month had to open some eyes. I know he bounced back strong in Oakland, but he’s drawing the Phillies and Cubs this week. He’s far from a must use option.
• Generally, I am against starting a pitcher in his first game back from the DL, but there are exceptions. One is when you are in a weekly league and the pitcher has two-starts. The other is when you come back against a weaker hitting Giants team.  Add one-and-one together, and you get Chad Billingsley being a usable option this week.

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

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