The two-start selection isn’t as good as some weeks
• 1 min read
Not that you’d sit just any pitcher, of course, but if you’re looking to stream with a spot or two, you’ve come to the right place. Scott White has 10 recommendations for the upcoming scoring period, all rostered in less 80 percent of CBS Sports leagues. Most likely, they’re the best you’ll find off the waiver wire.
- Week 5: Two-start pitchers | Sleeper hitters
All information is up to date as of Sunday evening.
Sleeper pitchers for Week 5 (April 22-28)
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PHI Philadelphia • #61 • Age: 27 For all the angst surrounding Cristopher Sanchez early on, three of his four starts have been good, with the most recent living up to our greatest hopes for him. You could ask for better matchups than the Reds and Padres, but he’s basically a must with two starts. |
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KC Kansas City • #52 • Age: 32 Michael Wacha is the sort of high-floor pitcher who’s pretty much always worth recommending when he’s in line for two starts, but particularly when the matchups are as good as the Blue Jays and Tigers. |
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DET Detroit • #9 • Age: 28 The ERA has come in a little high for Jack Flaherty so far, but the underlying numbers look the best they have in years. There’s nothing special about his matchup against the Rays, so consider Flaherty’s placement here as sort of a baseline for how applicable the remaining recommendations are for your league. |
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MIA Miami • #27 • Age: 26 The ultimate Charizard due to his fleeting command, Edward Cabrera is either going to scorch your opponent, like in his 10-strikeout effort against the Giants two turns ago, or scorch you. I’m betting on the former with the Nationals on tap this week. |
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ARI Arizona • #32 • Age: 25 Though the results for Brandon Pfaadt have been (and likely will remain) hit or miss, he generally works deep into games, which should work out well enough for points leagues in a two-start week. It just so happens that the matchups (Cardinals and Mariners) are pretty favorable, too. |
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TEX Texas • #22 • Age: 32 Jon Gray’s slider has played up in his past two starts, leading to 16 strikeouts compared to just six hits over 11 innings. Granted, his opponents were the Athletics and Tigers, but his matchup against the Mariners this week is nearly as favorable. |
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SF San Francisco • #67 • Age: 26 Matchupsvs. NYM , vs. PIT Keaton Winn’s heavy splitter use gives him a high ground-ball rate and a decent enough floor even though he’s unlikely to be a game-changer. He’s a solid play in points leagues with two starts against middle-of-the-road lineups (Mets and Pirates). |
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LAA L.A. Angels • #59 • Age: 25 Jose Soriano has shown impressive stuff since his move to the rotation, with his curveball in particular grading out as a plus pitch, and he’s facing a lineup this week (Twins) with a sub-.600 OPS against righties so far. |
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STL St. Louis • #31 • Age: 36 Lance Lynn was so combustible last year that you may be gun-shy about using him again (I know I am). But he’s been pretty stable so far and lines up for two starts, which makes him worth considering if you’re looking to maximize volume in a points league. |
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TEX Texas • #33 • Age: 29 Matchupsvs. SEA, vs. CIN Another volume play best left for points leagues, Dane Dunning has gone the minimum required for a win in all four of his starts so far and is backed by a Rangers lineup that should help him to secure some wins. His first matchup against the Mariners is a particularly favorable one. |
