Under the Radar Pitchers Who Start Two Games Week 24
The fantasy baseball playoffs are in full swing and if you’re reading this, then you could be one of the lucky few to still be in contention. We all know that it’s important to get the most out of your pitching staff each week and now that you’re deep in the playoffs, every start your pitchers make is crucial. Therefore, effectively utilizing two-start pitchers will help maximize your innings potential and can give you an advantage over your opponent. To help you do that, we’ll be going over some two-start pitchers that possess favorable matchups and are likely out there on your waiver wire for you to grab.
Jeff Samardzija – SF (vs. SD, vs. StL)
The year for Samardzija has been an overall disappointment as he struggles to regain his 2014 form in which he struck out over 200 batters and posted a 2.99 ERA. Having said that, he has quietly put together a nice little stretch, allowing 12 earned runs over his last six starts. He has two favorable matchups at home this week, first against the Padres followed by the Cardinals. This season, Samardzjia has been much better at home (3.57 ERA) than on the road (4.29 ERA) and should benefit from his two home starts this week.
Ivan Nova – Pit (at Phi, at Cin)
We highlighted Nova in last week’s waiver wire piece so hopefully you jumped on him already if he was available in your league. Nova has been excellent since joining the Pirates last month, with a 2.53 ERA and 0.93 WHIP. During that time, he has a respectable 3.52 ERA in three road starts, including two wins. He’ll be pitching in two hitter-friendly ballparks but the respective lineups are not all that daunting. Nova is a must-start this week given how well he has been pitching lately.
Mike Foltynewicz – Atl (vs. Mia, vs. Was)
Here’s a name you probably weren’t expecting to be on this list but Foltynewicz is someone that has been fantastic at Turner Field this season and has a decent schedule this week in Miami and Washington. The Nationals game will pose a decent challenge but they rank only 24th in ISO and 25th in wOBA over the last two weeks. Further, Miami has really been struggling as of late, with a .285 wOBA in the last month, ranking 27th in all of baseball. As for Foltynewicz, in his eight home starts this season, has a .194 batting average against and a K/9 of 8.0.
Matt Boyd – Det (vs. Min, at Cle)
Generally, it’s a good idea to fade the Minnesota Twins offense. With the exception of Brian Dozier; not much has been happening for the ball club this year. Boyd is 2-0 in three career starts against the Twins with a 2.50 ERA, a 9.0 K/9 and will bring with him a 2.98 home ERA on the year. He follows that up with a trip to Cleveland where the Indians have cooled off just a bit since being red hot in June and July. Cleveland has limited at-bats against Boyd, and are just 5-22 as a team against him.
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