Each week for the rest of the season, I’ll be here to break down and tier-rank all the two-start pitching options for the upcoming week. Two-start pitchers are especially important in weekly head-to-head leagues and in season-long formats that only allow weekly lineup adjustments. I’ll break them down into four tiers:

• Auto-Starts
• Good Bets
• On the Fence
• Leave on the Bench

Auto-Starts

• Jacob deGrom (vs TOR / STL)
  • Jacob deGrom is back in our lives, reminding us what dominance looks like. He’s no longer breaking Statcast, but a 2.33 ERA and 2.86 xERA are more than enough. He’s gone seven innings in back-to-back starts, and his strikeout rate, walk rate, chase rate, and whiff rate are above the 80th percentile. There’s not a matchup in the league that makes you think twice; enjoy it while it lasts.
• Yoshinobu Yamamoto (@CLE / vs NYY)
  • Yamamoto is starting to live up to the hype that earned him a $300 million deal. His sub-2.00 ERA is incredible, and he pairs it with a 91st-percentile strikeout rate. A tough matchup against the Yankees looms, but with the way he’s pitching, you’re starting him no matter what.
• Hunter Brown (vs ATH / vs TBR)
  • Hunter Brown looks like the latest gem from the Astros’ pitching factory. The 2.04 ERA stands out, but the peripherals are just as strong: a 30.6% K rate, a 95th-percentile hard-hit rate, and a 98th-percentile exit velocity allowed. On top of that, he gets to face two non-scary opponents, even though the A’s new ballpark has been a bit of a bandbox. No reason to bench him in any format.
• Joe Ryan (vs TBR / @SEA)
  • Joe Ryan doesn’t rely on velocity, but he makes up for it with precision and consistency. He’s always had an elite walk rate, but this year he’s upped his K rate into the 90th percentile. That, combined with his continued command, is a combo usually reserved for elite-tier starters. He’s a bit home run-prone, but with a pair of solid matchups (vs. the Rays, then at Seattle), that flaw is less likely to hurt you. Ryan belongs in your lineup without hesitation.
• Clay Holmes (vs CHW / COL)
  • The Clay Holmes starter experiment has worked out so far. Who knows how long into the year he’ll be able to keep it up, but for now, I’d keep going with him. I wouldn’t call him elite like most of the other pitchers in this tier, but two home matchups against the White Sox and Rockies? That’s as good as it gets for wins and just favorable matchups in general.
• Spencer Strider (@PHI / vs BOS)
  • Spencer Strider hasn’t looked like the fantasy ace you drafted, yet. But it’s way too early to panic. I know he was on the two-start list last week, but that didn’t happen due to his return from injury. He’s only made two starts, so it’s hard to make any grand conclusions, but in the few innings I’ve seen, his natural skills still seem to be there. Even if the matchups this week are less than ideal, this isn’t someone you sit unless you have an embarrassment of pitching riches. Stick with him.
    
    

Good Bets

• Ranger Suarez (vs ATL / vs MIL)
  • Ranger Suarez continues to be one of the most overlooked arms in fantasy. He’s not blowing anyone away with a 91.9 mph fastball, but he’s been incredibly effective, boasting a 2.39 xERA with stellar contact suppression metrics. People forget how this guy was being talked about as an ace at the All-Star break last year. He isn’t quite that, but a crazy run could be in order with the right matchups. He’s been steady all season, and at this point, there’s no reason to take him out of your lineup. I would honestly look for upside against his matchups.
• Kevin Gausman (@TEX / vs ATH)
  • Kevin Gausman has been a rollercoaster this season, but is coming off a gem: seven scoreless innings with nine strikeouts vs. the Padres. I guess I’m still a believer. His H/9 and BB/9 are substantially down from last year, and we’re not that far removed from him being a consistent ace. His offspeed and fastball run values are both in the 95th percentile, and I think he’ll start to show that more. He has good matchups this week.
• Hayden Birdsong (@DET / @MIA)
  • Hayden Birdsong has shocked me; I never expected him to be a starter I’d be recommending. Coming out of the bullpen with pristine stats, he followed that up with a five-inning, zero-run outing in his first start. He probably won’t go deep into games, but five innings could be enough to nab a win, especially against the Marlins in his second matchup.
• Ryan Weathers (@SDP / vs SFG)
  • Ryan Weathers has always had good stuff; he’s just been an injury question. But he’s healthy right now. The former top-100 prospect has allowed just one earned run in each of his first two starts, with nine total strikeouts and a hard-hit rate under 30%. While I don’t trust his long-term health, he’s here right now. He’s still more of a deep-league or matchup-based play, and the Padres aren’t the softest draw, but he looks like a guy on the upswing.
• Gavin Williams (vs LAD / vs LAA)
  • Gavin Williams is turning heads lately after a slow start. He’s allowed two or fewer runs in four straight starts and has recorded at least six strikeouts in each outing. As I’ve stated previously, he has great velocity and great extension, and while he hasn’t put it all together yet, he’s pitched well and can only go up. The Dodgers matchup is rough, but if you can weather that, Williams looks like a pitcher trending in the right direction.
• Jameson Taillon (vs COL / CIN)
  • Jameson Taillon, to be clear, is not someone I love. I’m a Yankees fan—I had the experience—but… he’s a matchup play, plain and simple, and a strong one in this case. Fire him up if you need innings.

On the Fence

• Taj Bradley (vs MIN / @HOU)
  • Taj Bradley gets two starts this week, and while the full breakout still hasn’t arrived, he’s at least trending in the right direction. The strikeouts aren’t where you’d expect (just a 20.3% K rate), but his 3.50 xERA is a notable improvement over past years. He’s coming off a strong outing with seven strikeouts over six innings of two-run ball, and with favorable matchups ahead, he’s earned another shot in your lineup.
• Nick Martinez (@KCR / @CHC)
  • Nick Martinez offers a steady, if unspectacular, option. His 3.43 ERA and 3.50 xERA are nearly identical, making him reliable. I trust his skills of reducing hard contact as his barrel and hard hit rate are both in the 75th percentile. Strikeouts aren’t his thing, so he should be used as more of an innings eater, but they should be safe innings for your ratios. I would rate him higher, but I don’t love his matchups. KC isn’t a great opportunity for wins (maybe strikeouts), and the Cubs have been great this year.
• Ryne Nelson (vs PIT / WSH)
  • Ryne Nelson has elite matchups this week that you can’t ignore as a streamer. The Pirates literally can’t score more than four runs a game! If you don’t know much about him, he throws his fastball about 60% of the time, but it still plays well thanks to its 96 MPH velocity. He mixes it with a cutter and slider. His strikeout percentage is up this year, and he looks to build upon a good start.
• Mitchell Parker (@SEA / @ARI)
  • Mitchell Parker might be flying under the radar a bit. His peripherals are better than his surface numbers; a 4.65% barrel rate is impressive, despite him not having an elite fastball. His 3.88 xERA suggests he should be better than his ERA shows. He gets to face the Mariners in Seattle, one of the friendliest parks for pitchers. If you’re looking for upside in a tough schedule week, Parker’s worth a look.
• Tomoyuki Sugano (vs STL / vs CHW)
  • Tomoyuki Sugano keeps outpitching his peripherals this season. His 3.07 ERA is impressive, but the 4.36 xERA suggests some regression might be coming. He could be a Kyle Hendricks-type arm, but he also might be due for a blowup. Still, his low walk rate and tendency to induce soft contact could keep him afloat, especially against softer lineups like the White Sox and Cardinals. Those matchups should keep him in your lineup this week.
• Eric Fedde (@BAL / @TEX)
  • Against contemporary belief, I like Eric Fedde. He reminds me of Sugano as he came back from Asia and started pitching better than his peripherals suggest. He has two road matchups this week, but they aren’t extremely intimidating. I would use him.
• Ryan Yarbrough (@LAA / @LAD)
  • Ryan Yarbrough transitioned from the Yankees’ bullpen to the rotation with promising results. He hasn’t given up more than two runs in any start and has gone five innings in each of his last two outings. Facing the Dodgers is risky, but the Angels provide a safer matchup. Still, I would proceed with caution; the Angels are third in MLB in home runs, and the Dodgers are a start I’d want to avoid.

Keep on the Bench

This is the “you must be desperate” group. Maybe you can justify one start here, but you’d have to squint hard, cross your fingers, and maybe say a prayer. Your best strategy? Just stay away.

• Taijuan Walker (vs ATL / vs MIL)
• Zach Littell (vs MIN / @HOU)
• Logan Evans (vs WAS / MIN)
• Michael Lorenzon (vs CIN / DET)
• Andrew Heaney (@ARI / @SDP)
• Keider Montero (vs SFG / @KCR)
• J.P. Sears (@HOU / @TOR)
• Adrian Houser (@NYM / @BAL)
• Jack Kochanowicz (vs NYY / @CLE)
• Bowden Francis (@TEX / vs ATH)
• Carson Palmquist (@CHC / @NYM)