NBC and Peacock in 2026<\/a>! In addition to becoming the exclusive home of Sunday Night Baseball, NBC Sports will broadcast MLB Sunday Leadoff, \u201cOpening Day\u201d and Labor Day primetime games, the first round of the MLB Draft, the entire Wild Card round of the postseason, and much more.<\/p>\nSomeone is likely to make two starts for the Astros next week (at Yankees, at Mets), but as of now we still aren\u2019t quite sure who that\u2019s going to be. Ethan Pecko worked 3 2\/3 innings in that spot last time through and he hasn\u2019t been optioned out or moved to the bullpen as of yet, so as things currently stand he\u2019s most likely to take the ball there. Pecko held a 4.94 ERA and 71\/28 K\/BB ratio across 74 2\/3 innings in his time at Triple-A Sugar Land and makes for a particularly tough sell from a fantasy perspective, especially with two starts on the road. We\u2019ll update here if we get confirmation or if anything changes over the weekend.<\/p>\n
The Dodgers continue to operate with a six-man rotation, even with Justin Wrobleski on the injured list, so expect them to fire off with a spot starter or a bullpen game on Tuesday. With a six-game week on tap, that\u2019ll mean that none of their hurlers will take the mound twice. It\u2019s possible that they could have Eric Lauer pitch on Tuesday on regular rest, which would then line him up to start on Sunday as well (at Braves, at Tigers), in which case he would make for a solid streaming option. As always, we\u2019ll update here when\/if we get additional clarity.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s possible that someone will wind up making two starts for the Marlins next week (vs. Red Sox, at Nationals), but as of now we\u2019re not completely sure what their plan will be. The last time this spot in the rotation came around they went with a bullpen game, though the Fish could opt to move Sandy Alcantara up to Monday, or have him stay on Tuesday and pitch on regular rest on Sunday. If he draws two starts, he\u2019ll make for a viable option in all formats.<\/p>\n
Like the Dodgers, the Brewers continue to operate with the luxury of a full six-man rotation, meaning that once again in a six- game week, none of their starters will take the mound twice. Kyle Harrison starts on Tuesday and would be the most likely to get a two-start week (at Mets, vs. Rangers) if the Brewers were to suffer any injuries or skip any starters this time through.<\/p>\n
With the Mariners adding Kade Anderson to their rotation on Saturday, and not removing anyone from the mix, they\u2019ll be back to the six-man setup they employed earlier in the season before Luis Castillo was dealt to the White Sox. That means, unfortunately, that no one will pitch twice. The best shot will be Bryce Miller who pitches on Monday, but his recent struggles also make him the most likely to be skipped or pushed back.<\/p>\n
Going Twice\u2026<\/p>\n
Note: Probable pitchers as of August 21 and are subject to change.<\/p>\n
American League\u25b6 Strong Plays<\/p>\n
Parker Messick, Guardians, LHP (at Angels, vs. Royals)<\/p>\n
Messick has performed as one of the best pitchers in all of baseball this season, posting a minuscule 2.54 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and a 152\/40 K\/BB ratio across 149 innings through his first 25 starts. He has been in especially good form recently, as he hasn\u2019t allowed more than two earned runs in a start since June 29. He also gets the added benefit of two very strong matchups this week, getting to battle the bottom-feeding Angels and Royals. Messick could be the top overall play on the board this week and obviously needs to be started in all leagues.<\/p>\n
Payton Tolle, Red Sox, LHP (at Marlins, at Yankees)<\/p>\n
Tolle is in the midst of a very impressive rookie campaign, registering a 3.08 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and a 134\/33 K\/BB ratio over 120 innings through his first 21 starts. He looks to be getting stronger as the season goes on, with a 2.37 ERA and a 38\/7 K\/BB ratio across 30 1\/3 innings over his last five starts. At this point, he should be locked into fantasy lineups every week regardless of matchups. The fact that he gets to toe the rubber twice is just an added bonus.<\/p>\n
Drew Rasmussen, Rays, RHP (at Tigers, vs. Padres)<\/p>\n
Rasmussen continues to be vastly underrated despite performing as one of the true elite starting pitchers in baseball whenever he has taken the mound for the Rays. Through 24 starts on the season he holds a terrific 3.01 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and a 138\/25 K\/BB ratio over 134 1\/3 innings. Expect him to continue to provide elite production for the remainder of the season \u2013 starting with a strong two-start week against the Tigers and Padres. There\u2019s no reason Rasmussen should ever be left out of fantasy lineups.<\/p>\n
Walbert Ure\u00f1a, Angels, RHP (vs. Guardians, vs. Phillies)<\/p>\n
The 22-year-old rookie right-hander is having an exceptional season for the Angels, posting a stellar 2.80 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and a 109\/59 K\/BB ratio over 112 2\/3 innings. He\u2019s walking too many people to continue to operate with strong ratios like that, but there\u2019s an awful lot to like about this young right-hander. He gets to make a pair of starts at home this week, and while the matchup against the Phillies over the weekend is on the tougher side, it\u2019s not enough to shy away from using him for a two-start week. He\u2019s an easy start in all leagues right now.<\/p>\n
\u25b6 Decent Plays<\/p>\n
Ranger Suarez, Red Sox, LHP (at Marlins, at Yankees)<\/p>\n
While Suarez has been terrific overall on the season, we have seen him struggle a bit recently, posting a 4.50 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and a 16\/7 K\/BB ratio over 22 innings in five starts since he returned from the injured list. The matchups this week aren\u2019t terribly imposing, and Suarez has done enough to earn the trust of fantasy managers, just be prepared that you may end up with numbers more in line with his recent work than his impeccable ratios to start the season. He\u2019s still an easy start in all formats.<\/p>\n
Framber Valdez, Tigers, LHP (vs. Rays, vs. Dodgers)<\/p>\n
It has been tough sledding for Valdez in his first season away from the Astros, posting an uninspiring 4.35 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and a 111\/54 K\/BB ratio over 138 2\/3 innings. He\u2019ll get an extra day of rest before this one, but the matchups don\u2019t do him any favors, having to battle a pair of the toughest offenses in the league. At least it works in his favor that he gets to make both of those starts at Comerica Park. He\u2019s fine to start in all league sizes, just don\u2019t expect much more than he has given you so far this season.<\/p>\n
Zebby Matthews, Twins, RHP (at Athletics, vs. White Sox)<\/p>\n
The 26-year-old hurler has been a major disappointment through his first 17 starts on the season, posting a miserable 5.12 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and an 81\/31 K\/BB ratio across 96 2\/3 innings of work. He has pitched a bit better recently, and emerged victorious in each of his last three starts. To continue that trend this week, he\u2019ll need to survive a tough battle against the Athletics in West Sacramento before taking on a familiar divisional foe at home over the weekend. I don\u2019t mind the play in 15-team formats but it may be a bit too thin for me to trust in 12-teamers.<\/p>\n
\u25b6 At Your Own Risk<\/p>\n
Jos\u00e9 Urquidy, White Sox, RHP (vs. Rangers, at Twins)<\/p>\n
Urquidy has struggled to a 5.06 ERA and 1.50 WHIP over 16 innings in total on the season, but he looked exceptional his last time out with six scoreless innings and eight strikeouts in a bulk role against the Cubs at Wrigley field. Whether or not that\u2019s a sign of things to come remains to be seen. We can expect inconsistency from him over the final six weeks of the season, but we have also seen Urquidy be a viable streaming option for fantasy managers in the past. The matchups aren\u2019t terrible and part of me is inclined to roll the dice on this one in deeper leagues.<\/p>\n
Max Scherzer, Blue Jays, RHP (vs. Royals, vs. Mariners)<\/p>\n
As much as it pains me to say it, this might be the end of the line for Max Scherzer. The future Hall of Famer has struggled to a brutal 7.40 ERA and 1.51 WHIP over 45 innings in his 11 starts on the season and is coming off of a terrible outing where he gave up seven runs over four innings against the Rays in Tampa Bay. I\u2019d love to give him the benefit of the doubt against a pair of soft opponents, and I may still in leagues that aren\u2019t competitive if I\u2019m feeling nostalgic, he\u2019s just not a viable mixed league option any longer.<\/p>\n
Will Warren, Yankees, RHP (vs. Astros, vs. Red Sox)<\/p>\n
Warren has had a tumultuous season in the Yankees\u2019 rotation, which has led to plenty of frustration for fantasy managers. He has been especially bad recently, with a 6.34 ERA and a 1.59 WHIP over 32 2\/3 innings in his last eight appearances. The assignment isn\u2019t going to get any easier this week, having to battle two of the most potent offenses in the American League. With as poor as he has been pitching, it\u2019s difficult to trust him for a two-start week, even in the deepest of leagues.<\/p>\n
Kumar Rocker, Rangers, RHP (at White Sox, at Brewers)<\/p>\n
Rocker\u2019s overall 2026 season should be classified as a major disappointment. Always long on talent but short on health, Rocker has been able to stay on the mound this season, but he has struggled to a 4.46 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and a 109\/48 K\/BB ratio over 121 innings in 24 appearances (22 starts) while notching just four victories. Pitching against a pair of strong offenses on the road isn\u2019t going to be the elixir that he needs to magically turn things around. I\u2019d stay away from this one personally.<\/p>\n
Chris Bassitt, Orioles, RHP (at Cardinals, at Athletics)<\/p>\n
The 37-year-old right-hander has shown no noticeable signs of rust in his return from a lengthy stay on the injured list, allowing five runs over 11 innings with a 9\/4 K\/BB ratio over his first two starts. The issue this week is the matchups. The Cardinals have been hitting the ball well against right-handed pitching and you never want to be pitching against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park. If the matchups were better, maybe I could consider it, but I think there are just better streaming options on the board this week.<\/p>\n
Seth Lugo, Royals, RHP (at Blue Jays, at Guardians)<\/p>\n
Lugo has had a bit of a rough season for the Royals in 2026, posting an uninspiring 4.71 ERA and 1.38 WHIP over 145 1\/3 innings in his 26 starts while notching only five victories. He has been hit especially hard as of late, surrendering five or more earned runs in three of his last four outings. He has never been a strong strikeout option and he\u2019s not going to be a favorite to earn a victory in either of those starts, so unless he\u2019s delivering quality ratios (which he isn\u2019t right now) there\u2019s really no reason to go here.<\/p>\n
Jeffrey Springs, Athletics, LHP (vs. Twins, vs. Orioles)<\/p>\n
There are so many reasons to stay away from this two-start week, we shouldn\u2019t even have to go through all of them. Springs has been terrible this season, going 3-11 with a 6.02 ERA and 1.48 WHIP over 113 2\/3 innings. He has pitched even worse recently, with an 8.75 ERA over 47 1\/3 innings in his last 11 starts. He also has to make both of these starts at home, in a minor league ballpark where the ball flies out of the yard in the summer and where Springs holds a 6.63 ERA and 1.59 WHIP on the season. There\u2019s no justification for going here this week. Stay far, far away.<\/p>\n
National League\u25b6 Strong Plays<\/p>\n
Zack Wheeler, Phillies, RHP (at Mariners, at Angels)<\/p>\n
Wheeler\u2019s dominance in his return from last August\u2019s surgery to address thoracic outlet syndrome has been one the best stories of the 2026 season. The 36-year-old hurler sports an elite 2.92 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and a 144\/33 K\/BB ratio over 120 1\/3 innings in his first 21 starts, numbers right in line with his career norms. He may be the top overall play on the board this week as he gets a pair of juicy matchups against the Mariners and Angels \u2013 both in pitcher\u2019s parks. He\u2019s obviously an every week start in all leagues already, so just sit back and enjoy double the production from one of the game\u2019s best pitchers this week.<\/p>\n
Chase Burns, Reds, RHP (at Giants, at Cubs)<\/p>\n
Burns has been one of the breakout pitching stars of the 2026 season so far, going 14-2 with a 2.51 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and a 159\/48 K\/BB ratio across his 136 innings of work. Fantasy managers that have enjoyed his outstanding production all season long know the drill by now, he should be started every week regardless of opponent. The matchups are a mixed bag this week, getting a dream spot against the Giants in San Francisco before having to battle the Cubs at Wrigley over the weekend. He\u2019s one of the top overall plays on the board this week and should be started in 100 percent of leagues.<\/p>\n
Brandon Pfaadt, Diamondbacks, RHP (vs. Cubs, at Giants)<\/p>\n
Since rejoining the team\u2019s rotation at the end of June, Pfaadt has been absolutely brilliant, going 7-0 with a 1.79 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and a 38\/7 K\/BB ratio over 60 1\/3 innings in his 10 starts. Those numbers include a rough outing his last time out where he gave up five runs against the Red Sox. With as well as he\u2019s throwing the ball right now, we aren\u2019t worried about a tough matchup against the Cubs, especially when he gets to finish the week battling the Giants in San Francisco. Pfaadt makes for a strong option in all leagues this week.<\/p>\n
Braxton Ashcraft, Pirates, RHP (at Padres, at Cardinals)<\/p>\n
Ashcraft has been perhaps the most consistent starter in the Pirates\u2019 rotation this season, going 13-5 with a 3.68 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and a 159\/33 K\/BB ratio across 149 1\/3 innings in 25 starts. He has gone at least eight innings and allowed just one run in each of his last two starts, including a 10-strikeout complete game gem against the Marlins in Miami. He should be started every week in all leagues until further notice.<\/p>\n
Cade Cavalli, Nationals, RHP (vs. Rockies, vs. Marlins)<\/p>\n
Cavalli has been a shining bright spot in an otherwise dismal Nationals\u2019 rotation this season, pitching to a strong 3.22 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and a 162\/42 K\/BB ratio over 142 2\/3 innings in his 27 starts while piling up 11 victories. He now gets a fun two-step in which he gets to take on both the Rockies and Marlins at home, which should lead to plenty of goodness. He\u2019s a very strong option this week and should be started in all league sizes without hesitation.<\/p>\n
\u25b6 Decent Plays<\/p>\n
Robbie Ray, Padres, LHP (vs. Pirates, at Rays)<\/p>\n
Ray has struggled a bit since moving to the Padres at the trade deadline, posting a 4.20 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and a 10\/11 K\/BB ratio over 15 innings through his first three starts. He has a long enough track record that we\u2019re certain he\u2019ll figure out the command issues soon enough. A matchup against a struggling Pirates\u2019 offense to begin the week should be just what the doctor ordered. Fantasy managers should stay the course and continue to have him active in all formats for this two-start week.<\/p>\n
Tyler Mahle, Braves, RHP (vs. Dodgers, vs. Rockies)<\/p>\n
Mahle has looked impressive in his three starts since joining the Braves, registering a 1.45 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and a 19\/3 K\/BB ratio over 18 2\/3 innings of work. A matchup against the Dodgers is never ideal, but it gets balanced out by getting to battle the Rockies at home over the weekend. His win equity has certainly been increased with the backing of the powerful Braves\u2019 offense and we have seen Mahle be a dependable mixed league option in the past, so this isn\u2019t completely out of nowhere. I trust him enough that I\u2019d be using him in both 15 and 12-team formats for this two-start week.<\/p>\n
Landen Roupp, Giants, RHP (vs. Reds, vs. Diamondbacks)<\/p>\n
Roupp has been fine as an innings eater for the Giants this season, even though his poor run support has led to an unsightly 7-13 record to go with a middling 4.34 ERA and 1.31 WHIP over 134 2\/3 innings. He\u2019s fine as a streaming option when the matchups line up in his favor, and that\u2019s the situation this week as he gets to make a pair of starts at home against the Reds and Diamondbacks. Count on around 10 strikeouts and a shot at a victory to go with decent ratios and limited chances of a blowup. That makes him worth a look in all formats.<\/p>\n
Kevin Gausman, Cubs, RHP (at Diamondbacks, vs. Reds)<\/p>\n
After pitching well in his first start with the Cubs, Gausman has been knocked around in each of his last two starts and now holds a troublesome 6.19 ERA and 1.38 WHIP over 16 innings with his new squad despite a solid 16\/4 K\/BB ratio. It\u2019s not going to get any easier for him this week, having to battle the Diamondbacks in Arizona before taking on a strong Reds\u2019 offense at Wrigley Field on Sunday. Gausman has enough of a track record that I\u2019m still using him in 15-teamers and may even take the plunge in 12\u2019s depending on my alternative options.<\/p>\n
Andrew Alvarez, Nationals, LHP (vs. Rockies, vs. Marlins)<\/p>\n
Alvarez has been solid, if unspectacular in 19 appearances (11 starts) for the Nats this season, posting a respectable 3.60 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and a 74\/36 K\/BB ratio across 80 innings. He\u2019s the type of arm that\u2019s almost always available on the waiver wire and makes for a decent streaming option when the matchups line up in his favor. That\u2019s definitely the case this week. His chances of a blow up are low while he should be able to approach 10 strikeouts on the week with a good shot at picking up a victory. For sure I\u2019d take the plunge in 15-teamers and I may even try in 12\u2019s if I needed the volume.<\/p>\n
Zac Thornton, Mets, LHP (vs. Brewers, vs. Astros)<\/p>\n
Thornton has pitched well through his first nine MLB starts, compiling a 3.04 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and a 36\/14 K\/BB ratio across his 50 1\/3 innings of work. Unfortunately, his 4.85 xERA and 4.12 xFIP hint that those stellar ratios may not be sustainable. It\u2019s possible that there will be a correction coming this week with a pair of tough starts against the Brewers and Astros. I know the numbers look good on the surface, and he\u2019s fine if all you\u2019re looking for is extra volume with an outside shot at a victory, but I\u2019d be looking for more overall upside if taking shots at streaming two-start weeks.<\/p>\n
Matthew Liberatore, Cardinals, LHP (vs. Orioles, vs. Pirates)<\/p>\n
Liberatore has been a major disappointment for the Cardinals and for fantasy managers this season, going 5-11 with a miserable 5.04 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and a 125\/44 K\/BB ratio across 125 innings. Aside from the strikeouts, that\u2019s not helping anyone. The matchups aren\u2019t terrible this week though, so if you are looking for volume to try to gain ground in wins and strikeouts, he\u2019s not a terrible option. I certainly like his chances of success much more than I do the options further down on the list. I could get behind using him in 15-team leagues.<\/p>\n
\u25b6 At Your Own Risk<\/p>\n
Merrill Kelly, Diamondbacks, RHP (vs. Cubs, at Giants)<\/p>\n
It has been a very rough season overall for the 37-year-old right-hander, as he sports a miserable 5.37 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and an 84\/57 K\/BB ratio across 129 innings through his first 23 starts. He also appears to be getting worse as the season goes on, allowing five runs or more in three of his four starts since the calendar flipped to August. Trotting him out there in a two-start week that includes a tough matchup against the Cubs just feels like playing with fire at this stage. The minimal upside in strikeouts isn\u2019t worth the ratio risk. Avoid this one.<\/p>\n
Ryan Feltner, Rockies, RHP (at Nationals, at Braves)<\/p>\n
Never Rockies. Never. Even if both starts are on the road. We saw how poorly that ended up with Gabriel Hughes last time. Just stay away. That\u2019s without even considering Feltner\u2019s 5.97 ERA and 1.53 WHIP over 92 innings on the season. Unless you have punted ratios and just need the volume for wins and strikeouts, there\u2019s no reason to go here.<\/p>\n
Kyle Freeland, Rockies, LHP (at Nationals, at Braves)<\/p>\n
Never Rockies. Never. Even if both starts are on the road. We saw how poorly that ended up with Gabriel Hughes last time. Just stay away. Freeland has been terrible, even by his standards this season, posting a cringe-inducing 6.37 ERA and 1.46 WHIP across 124 1\/3 frames. It\u2019s possible that he could deliver a good outing in one of these starts, but expecting him to survive both of them seems like a fool\u2019s errand. There are better risks to take.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Hello and welcome to the 21st installment of our weekly two-start pitcher article for the 2026 MLB season.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":824053,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[65],"tags":[363,99],"class_list":["post-824052","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mlb","tag-mlb","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/824052","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=824052"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/824052\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/824053"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=824052"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=824052"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=824052"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}