Not too many aces having two-starts this week, but Madison Bumgarner, Danny Salazar, Dallas Keuchel, and David Price headline week eight. Before you read any further, go pick up Clay Buchholz for two-starts this week. He heads on the road for both his starts, at Texas, and at Minnesota, both offenses in the bottom ten against right-handed pitching. He has pitched better on the road, allowing a .274 wOBA, compared to .363 wOBA at home. He has a great 25.6% strikeout rate, and can really help out in that department this week. He is only 46% owned in ESPN, and 37% owned in Yahoo.
| Pitcher | Team | Opponents |
| Madison Bumgarner | SF | @MIL, vs. ATL |
| David Price | DET | @OAK, @LAA |
| Danny Salazar | CLE | vs. TEX, @SEA |
| Jake Odorizzi | TB | vs. SEA, @BAL |
| Dallas Keuchel | HOU | @BAL, vs. CWS |
| Tyson Ross | SD | @LAA, vs. PIT |
| Chase Anderson | ARI | @STL, @MIL |
| David Phelps | MIA | @PIT, @NYM |
| Clay Buchholz | BOS | @MIN, @TEX |
| Tim Lincecum | SF | @MIL, vs. ATL |
| Matt Shoemaker | LAA | vs. SD, vs. DET |
| Tsuyoshi Wada | CHC | vs. WAS, vs. KC |
| Danny Duffy | KC | @NYY, @CHC |
| Wandy Rodriguez | TEX | @CLE, vs. BOS |
| Kyle Lohse | MIL | vs. SF, vs. ARI |
| Nathan Eovaldi | NYY | vs. KC, @OAK |
| Joe Kelly | BOS | @MIN, @TEX |
| Jeff Locke | PIT | vs. MIA, @SD |
| Chris Tillman | BAL | vs. HOU, vs. TB |
| John Danks | CWS | @TOR, @HOU |
| Adam Warren | NYY | vs. KC, @OAK |
| Charlie Morton | PIT | vs. MIA, @SD |
| Jeremy Guthrie | KC | @NYY, @CHC |
| Eddie Butler | COL | @CIN, @PHI |
| Odrisamer Despaigne | SD | @LAA, vs. PIT |
| Ricky Nolasco | MIN | vs. BOS, vs. TOR |
| Williams Perez | ATL | @LAD, @SF |
| Phil Klein | TEX | @CLE, vs. BOS |
| Severino Gonzalez | PHI | @NYM, vs. COL |
| J.A. Happ | SEA | @TB, vs. CLE |
| Carlos Martinez | STL | vs. ARI, vs. LAD |
| Julio Teheran | ATL | @LAD, @SF |
| Bartolo Colon | NYM | vs. PHI, vs. MIA |
| Tanner Roark | WAS | @CHC, @CIN |
| Jered Weaver | LAA | vs. SD, vs. DET |
| Wei-Yin Chen | BAL | vs. HOU, vs. TB |
| Shane Greene | DET | @OAK, @LAA |
| Jesse Hahn | OAK | vs. DET, vs. NYY |
| Jesse Chavez | OAK | vs. DET, vs. NYY |
| Brett Anderson | LAD | vs. ATL, @STL |
| Roenis Elias | SEA | @TB, vs. CLE |
| Drew Hutchison | TOR | vs. CWS, @MIN |
Tier One
Bumgarner and Price are always going to be started regardless of the matchup, so not much to touch on there. Price heads out to make two California starts, which he should enjoy. Salazar is beginning to be a must-start, his strikeout potential makes up for allowing 3-4 earned runs. He has a 33.7% strikeout rate, which is why we drafted him in the first place, despite starting in the minors. His matchups are average, and I like his odds for two wins. Jake Odorizzi faces Seattle at home, and Baltimore on the road, and the matchup against the Orioles is high risk-high reward. He allows a hefty amount of flyballs, which could be troublesome in a park like Camden Yards. In 2014, he had a home ERA of 2.62, but 6.32 ERA on the road. He allowed quadruple the amount of home runs as he did at home. The high reward aspect of this matchup, is that the Orioles have a 23.1% strikeout rate against right-handed pitching. One of my favorite two-start pitchers this week is Tyson Ross. He takes on the Angels on the road, and the Pirates at home. Both teams are in the bottom ten in wRC+ against right-handed pitching this season, and both hover around the league average in strikeouts. Buchholz and Tim Lincecum are both two that I am firing up for both starts this week. Lincecum in Milwaukee is a little scary, but has done a good job of keeping the ball on the ground. He has a 3.28 FIP, which close to where he was when he won his Cy Young.
Tier Two
There are two lefties I am eyeing this week, and they are moderately under-owned with their success this season. J.A. Happ takes on the Rays, who have a 24% strikeout rate against left-handed pitching, but a little risk as they have a .336 wOBA. He has an average 7.2 K/9, and a 3.59 FIP, which is about what you are going to get off the waiver wire. He takes on Cleveland at home, who are weaker, but not awful against lefties, but the benefit of pitching in Safeco makes this a great start. With all the injuries in the Dodgers’ back end, Brett Anderson has stepped up and really has helped out. The Braves are one of the worst teams in the league against lefties, with a 23% strikeout rate, and a 74 wRC+. He also takes on the Cardinals, who strikeout at a 22% clip, and sport a league average offense against lefties. Two quality starts, and a for sure win against Atlanta is a solid week for Anderson. Tanner Roark is making two starts this week, one against the Cubs, and the Reds. He would be a starter on most clubs, but a stacked Nationals rotation has him the odd man out. He has a career 2.70 ERA as a starter, and has given plenty of quality starts in his young career. I am looking to add him to my teams, and keep him there as long as he is in the rotation, which could be for some time, depending on Doug Fister. Julio Teheran heads out for two California starts, which I am only starting him in one, which is against the Giants. Teheran has always had big home/away splits, and even though he is on the road this week, SF is a big time pitcher’s ballpark. Dodger Stadium is not as highly recognized as a pitcher’s park as one thinks, plus a lot of power from that Dodgers lineup does not matchup well with his flyball tendencies. He has a groundball rate under 40% from both sides, and a 1.60 HR/9. Jesse Chavez and Jesse Hahn have the same schedule this week at home, I am skipping their starts against the Tigers, but starting them against the Yankees.
Tier Three
Now it starts to get ugly, Matt Shoemaker has been serving up the long ball like no other this year, allowing 13. He faces the Padres, whom are struggling to find offense since Wil Myers went down. I will take a gamble and start him at home, but against the Tigers, no way. If you haven’t given up hope on Shoemaker, those are the plans you should take this week. Joe Kelly has been up and down this season, but I am starting him against the Twins, who rank in the bottom five in offense against right-handed pitching. There is a clear difference between him and Buchholz, which is why I won’t start him against Texas. Kyle Lohse, Nathan Eovaldi, and Jeff Locke are the better of these tier three guys, but I have no hope for them and their matchups this week, if you own them in deeper leagues, I am skipping their starts. Chris Tillman has an interesting two-start week I am willing to gamble on. He faces Houston and Tampa, both at home. Houston has a 25% strikeout rate against right-handed pitching, while the Rays rank in the bottom half against right-handed pitching. Tillman is my long shot pick to have a decent week in his two starts, but like I said, he is a long shot…
