Projected Starters:
AL West
Los Angeles Angels
Texas Rangers: 4/13-4/15- Matt Shoemaker vs. Ross Detwiler, Undecided vs. Nick Martinez, Hector Santiago vs. Undecided
4/16-off day
Houston Astros: 4/17-4/19- Jered Weaver vs. Roberto Hernandez, C.J. Wilson vs. Dallas Keuchel, Matt Shoemaker vs. Scott Feldman
Seattle Mariners
Los Angeles Dodgers: 4/13-4/15- James Paxton vs. Brandon McCarthey, Hisashi Irwakuma vs. Scott Baker, Taijuan Walker vs. Brett Anderson
4/16-off day
Texas Rangers: 4/17-4/19- J.A. Happ vs. Yovani Gallardo, Felix Hernandez vs. Colby Lewis, James Paxton vs. Ross Detwiler
Texas Rangers
Los Angeles Angels: 4/13-4/15-Matt Shoemaker vs. Ross Detwiler, Undecided vs. Nick Martinez, Hector Santiago vs. Undecided
4/16-off day
Seattle Mariners: 4/17-4/19-J.A. Happ vs. Yovani Gallardo, Felix Hernandez vs. Colby Lewis, James Paxton vs. Ross Detwiler
Oakland A’s
Houston Astros: 4/13-4/15- Scott Kazmir vs. Scott Feldman, Kendall Graveman vs. Asher Wojciechowski, Drew Pomeranz vs. Colin McHugh
4/16-off day
Kansas City Royals: 4/17-4/19- Sonny Gray vs. Jeremy Guthrie, Jesse Hahn vs. Yordano Ventura, Scott Kazmir vs. Danny Duffy
Houston Astros
Oakland A’s: 4/13-4/15- Scott Kazmir vs. Scott Feldman, Kendall Graveman vs. Asher Wojciechowski, Drew Pomeranz vs. Colin McHugh
4/16-off day
Los Angeles Angels: 4/17-4/19- Jered Weaver vs. Roberto Hernandez, C.J. Wilson vs. Dallas Keuchel, Matt Shoemaker vs. Scott Feldman
AL Central
Detroit Tigers
Pittsburg Pirates: 4/13-4/15- Anibal Sanchez vs. Gerrit Cole, Shane Greene vs. Miguel Gonzalez, Alfredo Simon vs. Jeff Locke
4/16-off day
Chicago White Sox: 4/17-4/19- David Price vs. Jeff Samardzija, Justin Verlander vs. Chris Sale, Anibal Sanchez vs. Jose Quintana
Cleveland Indians
4/13-off day
Chicago White Sox: 4/14-4/15- Carlos Carrasco vs. Jose Quintana, Tevor Bauer vs. John Danks
4/16-off day
Minnesota Twins: 4/17-4/19- T.J. House vs. Mike Pelfrey, Corey Kluber vs. Phil Hughes, Carlos Carrasco vs. Rickey Nolasco
Kansas City Royals
Minnesota Twins: 4/13- Danny Duffy vs. Rickey Nolasco
4/14-off day
Minnesota Twins: 4/15-4/16- Edison Volquez vs. Kyle Gibson, Jason Varges vs. Tommy Milone
Oakland A’s: Kansas City Royals: 4/17-4/19- Sonny Gray vs. Jeremy Guthrie, Jesse Hahn vs. Yordano Ventura, Scott Kazmir vs. Danny Duffy
Chicago White Sox
4/13-off day
Cleveland Indians: 4/14-4/15- Carlos Carrasco vs. Jose Quintana, Tevor Bauer vs. John Danks
4/16-off day
Detroit Tigers: 4/17-4/19- David Price vs. Jeff Samardzija, Justin Verlander vs. Chris Sale, Anibal Sanchez vs. Jose Quintana
Minnesota Twins
Kansas City Royals: 4/13- Danny Duffy vs. Rickey Nolasco
4/14-off day
Kansas City Royals: 4/15-4/16- Edison Volquez vs. Kyle Gibson, Jason Varges vs. Tommy Milone
Cleveland Indians: 4/17-4/19- T.J. House vs. Mike Pelfrey, Corey Kluber vs. Phile Hughes, Carlos Carrasco vs. Rickey Nolasco
AL East
Baltimore Orioles
New York Yankees: 4/14-4/15- Wei-Yen Chen vs. Michael Pineda, Miguel Gonzalez vs. CC Sabathia, Bud Norris vs. Nate Eovaldi
4/16-off day
Boston Red Sox: 4/17-4/19- Ubaldo Jimenez vs. Rick Porcello, Chris Tillman vs. Justin Masterson, Wei-Yen Chen vs. Wade Miley
Boston Red Sox
Washington Nationals: 4/13-4/15- Rick Porcello vs. Jordan Zimmermann, Justin Masterson vs. Steven Strausburg, Wade Miley vs. Gio Gonzalez
4/16-off day
Baltimore Orioles: 4/17-4/19- Ubaldo Jimenez vs. Rick Porcello, Chris Tillman vs. Justin Masterson, Wei-Yen Chen vs. Wade Miley
New York Yankees
Baltimore Orioles: 4/14-4/15- Wei-Yen Chen vs. Michael Pineda, Miguel Gonzalez vs. CC Sabathia, Bud Norris vs. Nate Eovaldi
Tampa Bay Rays: 4/17-4/19- Adam Warren vs. Nathan Karns, Masahiro Tanaka vs. Jake Odorizzi, Michael Pineda vs. Undecided
Tampa Bay Rays
Toronto Blue Jays: 4/13-4/15- Jake Odorizzi vs. R.A. Dickey, Undecided vs. Daniel Norris, Erasmo Ramirez vs. Mark Buehrle
4/16-off day
New York Yankees: 4/17-4/19- Adam Warren vs. Nathan Karns, Masahiro Tanaka vs. Jake Odorizzi, Michael Pineda vs. Undecided
Toronto Blue Jays
Tampa Bay Rays: 4/13-4/15- Jake Odorizzi vs. R.A. Dickey, Undecided vs. Daniel Norris, Erasmo Ramirez vs. Mark Buehrle
Atlanta Braves: 4/17-4/19- Drew Hutchinson vs. Julio Teheran, R.A. Dickey vs. Alex Wood, Daniel Norris vs. Shelby Miller
NL West
Arizona Diamondbacks
San Diego Padres: 4/13-4/15- Rubby De La Rosa vs. Andrew Cashner, Jeremy Hellickson vs. Odrisamer Despaigne, Chase Anderson vs. Brandon Marrow
San Francisco Giants: 4/16-4/19- Archie Bradley vs. Madison Bumgarner, Josh Collmenter vs. Jake Peavy, Rubby De La Rosa vs. Chris Heston, Jeremy Hellickson vs. Tim Hudson
Colorado Rockies
San Francisco Giants: 4/13-4/15- Chris Heston vs. Eddie Butler, Jorge De La Rosa vs. Tim Hudson, Tyler Matzek vs. Tim Lincecum
4/16-off day
Los Angeles Dodgers: 4/17-4/19- Kyle Hendrick vs. Clayton Kershaw, Jordon Lyles vs. Zack Grenkie, Eddie Butler vs. Brandon McCarthy
Los Angeles Dodgers
Seattle Mariners: 4/13-4/15- James Paxton vs. Brandon McCarthey, Hisashi Irwakuma vs. Scott Baker, Taijuan Walker vs. Brett Anderson
4/16-off day
Colorado Rockies: 4/17-4/19- Kyle Hendrick vs. Clayton Kershaw, Jordon Lyles vs. Zack Grenkie, Eddie Butler vs. Brandon McCarthy
San Diego Padres
Arizona Diamondback: 4/13-4/15- Rubby De La Rosa vs. Andrew Cashner, Jeremy Hellickson vs. Odrisamer Despaigne, Chase Anderson vs. Brandon Marrow
4/16-off day
Chicago Cubs: 4/17-4/19- James Shields vs. Jason Hammels, Tyson Ross vs. Kyle Hendricks, Andrew Cashner vs. Jon Lester
San Francisco Giants
Colorado Rockies: 4/13-4/15- Chris Heston vs. Eddie Butler, Jorge De La Rosa vs. Tim Hudson, Tyler Matzek vs. Tim Lincecum
4/16-4/19- Archie Bradley vs. Madison Bumgarner, Josh Collmenter vs. Jake Peavy, Rubby De La Rosa vs. Chris Heston, Jeremy Hellickson vs. Tim Hudson
NL Central
Chicago Cubs
Cincinnati Reds: 4/13-4/15- Mike Leake vs. Jon Lester, Anthony DeSclafani vs. Jake Arrieta, Jason Marquis vs. Travis Wood
4/16-off day
San Diego Padres: 4/17-4/19- James Shields vs. Jason Hammels, Tyson Ross vs. Kyle Hendricks, Andrew Cashner vs. Jon Lester
Cincinnati Reds
Chicago Cubs: 4/13-4/15- Mike Leake vs. Jon Lester, Anthony DeSclafani vs. Jake Arrieta, Jason Marquis vs. Travis Wood
4/16-off day
St. Louis Cardinals: Johnny Cueto vs. Michael Wacha, Undecided vs. Carlos Martinez, Undecided vs. Adam Wainwright
Milwaukee Brewers
St. Louis Cardinals: 4/13- Matt Garza vs. Adam Wainwright
4/14-off day
4/15-4/16- Wily Peralta vs. Lance Lynn, Mike Fiers vs. John Lackey
Pittsburgh Pirates: 4/17-4/19- Jimmey Nelson vs. Vance Worley, Kyle Loshe vs. Francisco Liriano, Matt Garza vs. Gerrit Cole
Pittsburgh Pirates
Detroit Tigers: 4/13-4/15- Anibal Sanchez vs. Gerrit Cole, Shane Greene vs. Miguel Gonzalez, Alfredo Simon vs. Jeff Locke
4/16-off day
Milwaukee Brewers: 4/17-4/19- Jimmey Nelson vs. Vance Worley, Kyle Loshe vs. Francisco Liriano, Matt Garza vs. Gerrit Cole
St. Louis Cardinals
Milwaukee Brewers: 4/13- Matt Garza vs. Adam Wainwright
4/14-off day
4/15-4/16- Wily Peralta vs. Lance Lynn, Mike Fiers vs. John Lackey
Cincinnati Reds: Johnny Cueto vs. Michael Wacha, Undecided vs. Carlos Martinez, Undecided vs. Adam Wainwright
Atlanta Braves
Miami Marlins: 4/13-4/15- Mat Latos - Shelby Miller, Tom Koehler vs. Trevor Cahill, Dan Haren vs. Eric Stults
4/16-off day
Toronto Blue Jays: 4/17-4/19- Drew Hutchinson vs. Julio Teheran, R.A. Dickey vs. Alex Wood, Daniel Norris vs. Shelby Miller
Miami Marlins
Atlanta Braves: 4/13-4/15- Mat Latos vs. Shelby Miller, Tom Koehler vs. Trevor Cahill, Dan Haren vs. Eric Stults
New York Mets: 4/16-4/19- Jarred Cosart vs. Dillon Gee, Henderson Alvarez vs. Bartolo Colon, Mat Latos vs. Jacob DeGrom, Tom Koehler vs. Matt Harvey
New York Mets
Philadelphia Phillies: 4/13-4/15- Aaron Harang vs. Jacob DeGrom, David Buchanan vs. Matt Harvey, Jerome Williams vs. Jonathan Niese
Miami Marlins: 4/16-4/19- Jarred Cosart vs. Dillon Gee, Henderson Alvarez vs. Bartolo Colon, Mat Latos vs. Jacob DeGrom, Tom Koehler vs. Matt Harvey
Philadelphia Phillies
New York Mets: 4/13-4/15- Aaron Harang vs. Jacob DeGrom, David Buchanan vs. Matt Harvey, Jerome Williams vs. Jonathan Niese
Washington Nationals: 4/16-4/19- Cole Hamels vs. Doug Fister, Sean O’Sullivan vs. Max Scherzer, Aaron Harang vs. Jordan Zimmermann, David Buchanan vs. Stephen Strasburg
Washington Nationals
Boston Red Sox: 4/13-4/15- Rick Porcello vs. Jordan Zimmermann, Justin Masterson vs. Steven Strausburg, Wade Miley vs. Gio Gonzalez
Philadelphia Phillies: 4/16-4/19- Cole Hamels vs. Doug Fister, Sean O’Sullivan vs. Max Scherzer, Aaron Harang vs. Jordan Zimmermann, David Buchanan vs. Stephen Strasburg
Two Start Pitchers
Los Angeles Angels: M. Shoemaker- 4/13 and 4/19
Seattle Mariners: J. Paxton- 4/13 and 4/19
Oakland A’s: S. Kazmir- 4/13 and 4/19
Houston Astros: S. Feldman- 4/13 and 4/19
Texas Rangers: R. Detwiler- 4/13 and 4/19
Detroit Tigers: A. Sanchez- 4/13 and 4/19
Cleveland Indians: C. Carrasco- 4/14 and 4/19
Kansas City Royals: D. Duffy- 4/13 and 4/19
Chicago White Sox: J. Quintana- 4/14 and 4/19
Minnesota Twins: R. Nolasco- 4/13 and 4/19
Baltimore Orioles: W. Chen- 4/13 and 4/19
Boston Red Sox: R. Porcello- 4/13 and 4/18, J. Masterson- 4/14 and 4/19
New York Yankees: C. Sabathia- 4/14 and 4/19
Tampa Bay Rays: J. Odorizzi- 4/13 and 4/18, Undecided- 4/14 and 4/19 (this will be whoever the team chooses to go with on that day and it should be noted that it could potentially be two separate pitchers)
Toronto Blue Jays: R. Dickey- 4/13 and 4/18, D. Norris- 4/14 and 4/19
Arizona Diamondbacks: R. De La Rosa- 4/13 and 4/18, J. Hellickson- 4/14 and 4/19
Colorado Rockies: E. Butler-4/13 and 4/19
Los Angeles Dodgers: B. McCarthy- 4/13 and 4/19
San Diego Padres: A. Cashner- 4/13 and 4/19
San Francisco Giants: C. Heston-4/13 and 4/18, T. Hudson- 4/14 and 4/19
Chicago Cubs: J. Lester-4/13 and 4/19
Cincinnati Reds: M. Leake- 4/13 and 4/19
Milwaukee Brewers: M. Garza- 4/13 and 4/19
Pittsburg Pirates: G. Cole- 4/13 and 4/19
St. Louis Cardinals: A. Wainwright- 4/13 and 4/19
Atlanta Braves: S. Miller- 4/13 and 4/19
Miami Marlins: M. Latos-4/13 and 4/18, T. Koehler- 4/14 and 4/19
New York Mets: J. DeGrom- 4/13 and 4/18, M. Harvey- 4/14 and 4/19
Philadelphia Phillies: A. Harang- 4/13 and 4/18, D. Buchanan- 4/14 and 4/19
Washington Nationals: J. Zimmermann- 4/13 and 4/18, S. Strasburg- 4/14 and 4/19
Fantasy Notes
Matt Shoemaker is not only a two-start pitcher, both games at home, but is also facing two of the bottom ten offenses in the first week of play. Shoemaker is a far better pitcher at home having a career .222/.266/.337 versus his .251/.290/.440 away. The Astros and Rangers are starting off slow but are still potent offenses but given the Astros .187/.270/.297 slash line and the Rangers .200/.266/.323 slash line owners should feel comfortable starting Shoemaker.
Dallas Keuchel is strong start as well going against a slow starting Angels. The Angels are actually hitting worse than the Astros with a .200/.246/.338 slash line. Even though owners should already be starting him Chris Carter has had great success against C.J. Wilson. Carter has a career .360/.380/.680 with two home runs in twenty-eight career at-bats against Wilson.
Scott Kazmir may be a two-start pitcher but owners may want to pass. Kazmir has a pretty poor slash line against the Astros .269/.367/.385 even if he has limited the power numbers.
With the injury to Derek Holland the Rangers brought up Stolmy Pimentel to take his spot. It is not clear if he is filling in for Holland in the rotation but Pimentel does have starting experience in the minors. Pittsburgh used him as a low-leverage relief pitcher and Pimentel does not really have the stuff to be anything more than a number five starter in the majors. Owners would not lose any sleep if they choose to pass on him.
Anibal Sanchez is defiantly a star fantasy pitcher but this week is going to be a challenge for him. The Pirates have a .297/.321/.541 slash line in seventy-four at-bats with four home runs and the White Sox have are proud owners of a .332/.338/.395 slash line. The one good thing is very few of the batters have more than fifteen career at-bats against Sanchez but owners of Melky Cabrera will defiantly be playing him. In twenty-four at-bats Cabrera has a .458/.458/.458 granted all are singles.
Cleveland Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer does not have the best track record against the White Sox but that should not deter owners from taking a shot. Bauer did impress during his start against the Astros striking out eleven and giving up no hits but he did walk five. The walks are a concern and likely always will be a concern but the strikeout potential makes him an interesting option moving forward.
T.J. House looked terrible for the Indians against the Tigers giving up six earned runs and walking thee in one and a third innings on April 12th but his next start against the Minnesota Twins could end up being a better match up. In seventy at-bats House has only given up four extra base hits, all doubles, and limited the Twins to a .229/.280/.286 slash line. Twins are tied for third worst in runs scored and has a total of one home run so this could be a strong spot start for owners.
Speaking of the Twins at this point owners should consider pitching anyone against them at this point. Considered one of the worst offenses in the MLB, if not the worst, has lived up to that titled having a combined .195/.258/.256 slash line and as stated before has only scored eleven runs and only a .068 ISO. While it is not a smart idea to pick spot starts on win potential the odds are there is likely one or two Twins pitchers that will break ten wins this year.
Even with the White Sox offense sputtering at the moment owners should likely pass on Justin Verlander’s start agasint them on April 18th. Verlander had some mixed results in his spring and with the recent injury issue it may be smarter to bench him and see what happens.
The Boston Red Sox have a pair of two start pitchers and of the two Rick Porcello is the better option for owners. Even though he has been hit around by both the Nationals and Orioles he has limited those hits to singles and doubles giving up a combined four home runs, all by Baltimore. Both teams have a sub .400 SLG against Porcello and both games are away were, historically, Porcello has played better on the road. It should be noted that this is based on his time in Detroit so keep that in mind.
Toronto Blue Jays have an interesting option for a two-start pitcher in Daniel Norris. The rookie gets pretty lucky facing off against the Tampa Bay Rays and the Atlanta Braves both of which are considered weaker offenses. Owners should feel comfortable throwing Norris out there and seeing if he can capitalize the weak lineups.
Now that San Diego losses Ian Kennedy to an injury and that leaves a gap in the rotation for the Padres. Odrisamer Despaigne is getting the call to take his place in the rotation and has had some success against the D-Backs. In fifty-six at-bats the team has a .250/.323/.304 with only two extra base hits and neither of those are home runs. Considering this is an away game though it could be a good game to watch and see how he does and pick him up for his next start.
Colorado get a two-start week from top pitching prospect Eddie Butler and both are sadly at home. While it may be a fair idea to start him against the struggling Giants it may be better to find a better option if needed since the bats of the Dodgers are far more dangerous.
Adrian Gonzalez has been amazing in week one and it could continue into week two with both the Mariners, who may have lost Felix Hernanedz, and Rockies have weaker pitching. Against the Rockies Gonzalez has enjoyed a healthy slash line of .270/.362/.504 with eight home runs and twenty five RBI’s. In limited time he has had success agaisnt Mariners pitching but has only faced two of the teams starters and of those two only one does he have a significant amount of at-bats. Given his current streak though he should not have an issue facing the back end of the Mariners rotation.
While the Giants have had some weak hitting thus far two names to consider if owners need outfield help are Angel Pagan and Nori Aoki. So far both have more walks than strikeouts and both have a .400 OBP or better. Pagan has the better upside having five extra base hits and the zero stolen bases will not last long. Could be on his way to a big season.
The Cubs are reporting that Mike Olt is not likely to miss any time but Tommy La Stella may be missing a few games. If that is the case Arismendy Alcantra will likely get the time at second base. Alcantra is not a major offensive threat but he is a poor mans Ben Zobrist, able to help in all areas but not going to be a major force in any. Eligible in multiple positions so owners in deeper leagues should keep him in mind.
Gerrit Cole was a popular break out option coming into the season and so far has fallen short. Cole did get roughed up in his first start and his second start is against the dangerous Detroit Tigers so owners need to gauge if they feel comfortable using him or not. The second start in the week is against the Milwaukee Brewers, another dangerous lineup, and the Brewers love seeing Cole. In eighty two at-bats the team has hit .317/.371/.439 with six extra base hits and fourteen strikeouts.
The St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Matt Adams has struggled so far but that could turn around against the Brewers. In seventy-five at-bats he has a .333/.393/.533 slash line and four home runs. The downside is he has struck out twenty times against the Brewers pitching and has only walked seven times.
