Fantasy Baseball 2018: Two-Start Pitchers for Week 19

This article looks at some two-start pitchers for the upcoming week that you should consider for your Fantasy Baseball team. 

Tyler Anderson– Colorado Rockies

Opponents: at St. Louis, at Milwaukee

Rockies’ pitchers are usually not ideal for Fantasy Baseball. The Rockies have always had elite offensive talent, but every year, it seems as though pitching has let them down. However, this year might be different. The Rockies have gone 16-5 in the month of July, and they have the second-best team ERA in that span (3.13) only behind the Dodgers. A big part of that has been Tyler Anderson.

Anderson started off the season slowly. He posted a 4.10 and a 5.28 ERA in April and May respectively. He improved in June, putting up a 3.52 ERA. Through four starts in July, he has been exceptional, going 1-0 with a 1.32 ERA. He has not given up more than two earned runs in any of his July starts, and all four starts have been at hitter-friendly Coors Field.

This week, Anderson will be on the road for both starts against St. Louis and Milwaukee. He doesn’t have a lot of experience with either team, but he was able to handle an elite offense like the Houston Astros in last start, so he should be able to handle these two lineups. Anderson also has yet to lose a start on the road this season, so we’ll see if that trend continues.

Anibal Sanchez– Atlanta Braves

Opponents: vs. Miami, at New York Mets

In regards to starting pitching, the Braves are second in baseball in opponents’ batting average and sixth in ERA. Anibal Sanchez has been one of the more underrated starters in their rotation this season. He is fourth out of the five Braves’ starters in fantasy ownership (55% in Yahoo Leagues, 42.7% in ESPN Leagues), and has completely revamped his career. He posted ERAs of 4.99, 5.87, and 6.41 in 2015, 2016, and 2017 respectively. Through 13 starts this season, he is 5-3 with a 3.00 ERA. His WHIP is 1.090, which has dropped from 1.595 a year ago, and he is giving up less home runs. He did have a rough outing against the Dodgers his last time out, but before that, Sanchez threw four straight quality starts in which he struck out 26 and walked six.

Both matchups favor Sanchez this week. Both the Mets and Marlins are near the bottom of the league in a multitude of offensive categories. The Mets lineup has gotten weaker over the past week; they lost Yoenis Cespedes for the season, and they traded Asdrubal Cabrera to the Phillies. The Marlins have some good offensive talent in J.T. Realmuto, Starlin Castro, and Derek Dietrich, but are clearly sellers and therefore there is a good chance at least one, if not all of those players are traded by Tuesday’s deadline.

Edwin Jackson– Oakland Athletics

Opponents: vs. Toronto, vs. Detroit

When you have the third-lowest payroll in baseball, you have to get creative. The Athletics have always dealt with this issue, and Billy Beane has a knack for finding production from lots of players that most teams wouldn’t even consider. Oakland lost both Jharel Cotton and Kendall Graveman to Tommy John surgery, and therefore had to get another starter. For now, that starter is Edwin Jackson.

Jackson signed a minor-league deal with Oakland on June 6th, and has gone 1-2 with a 3.86 ERA in six starts. In five of his six starts, Jackson has given up no more than three earned runs, and has given up two earned runs or less in four of those five starts. His last start at Texas didn’t go great, but Globe Life Park is a nightmare for pitchers, so I’m not too concerned. Both starts are at home, which is good for Jackson. His home ERA is 3.46, compared to his road ERA of 4.09. The Oakland Coliseum is really tough on hitters, and the Blue Jays and the Tigers are ranked 20th and 29th in runs scored in July respectively. Oakland is also in a playoff push, so these starts will be incredibly meaningful for a veteran like Edwin Jackson.

Best of luck this season, and stay tuned to Fantasy CPR for all the latest Fantasy Baseball news and analysis!