Welcome to the 11th installment of our weekly two-start pitcher article for the 2026 MLB season. It's a marathon, not a sprint, and now is not the time to panic or give up on your fantasy baseball teams. Keep putting in the work and plugging away, striving to improve each week, and you'll reap rewards at the end of this season. This is a living document, so we'll update the options below as the weekend moves along. Before we dive in, let's address some unresolved situations and teams without a two-start pitcher lined up for the upcoming week.
American League
Strong Plays
Gerrit Cole, Yankees, RHP (at Guardians, at Blue Jays): Cole hasn't shown any signs of rust after missing the entirety of the 2025 season. Through his first three starts, he has looked like the Cole of old, posting a 2.00 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and a 14/4 K/BB ratio across 18 innings of work. The matchups look strong on paper this week, and I fully expect the 35-year-old right-hander to perform as one of the top overall options on the board.
Payton Tolle, Red Sox, LHP (at Rays, vs. Rangers): Tolle has performed as one of the best pitchers in baseball through his first eight starts, posting a 2.28 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, and a 51/13 K/BB ratio across 47 1/3 innings of work. He spun six innings of shutout ball against the Orioles his last time out and shows no signs of slowing down. The Rays and Rangers both struggle against southpaws, making Tolle an excellent option in all leagues.
Emerson Hancock, Mariners, RHP (at Orioles, at Nationals): Hancock was set to be one of the top overall two-start options last week, but the Mariners' decision to put Luis Castillo back in their rotation pushed his two-start week back. He enters on a serious roll, allowing two earned runs or fewer in each of his last four starts and posting a 20/6 K/BB ratio during that stretch. He should be started in all leagues.
Gavin Williams, Guardians, RHP (vs. Yankees, vs. Tigers): Williams has been exceptional for the Guardians through his first 13 starts, posting a 9-3 record, 3.20 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and a 94/25 K/BB ratio over 81 2/3 innings. He has been an absolute monster for fantasy purposes, and the underlying numbers don't give us any reason to believe he's going to slow down. Having to battle the Yankees is always tough, but with Aaron Judge on the injured list, it's a bit less so. Williams should be locked into fantasy lineups each week.
Troy Melton, Tigers, RHP (vs. Twins, at Guardians): Melton has been the first arm in a wave of rotation reinforcements that have been sent to save the Tigers' crumbling season. Through his first three starts, he holds a brilliant 1.74 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, and a 9/6 K/BB ratio over 20 2/3 innings. While he might not continue at this pace, he's expected to be viable in mixed leagues for the remainder of the season, making him an excellent option this week against familiar divisional foes.
Decent Plays
Davis Martin, White Sox, RHP (vs. Braves, vs. Dodgers): Martin continues to be one of the most surprising stories in the first half of the 2026 season. The 29-year-old right-hander sits at 8-2 with a brilliant 2.61 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and a 73/17 K/BB ratio over 72 1/3 innings through his first 12 starts. This week presents a real test for him, as he battles two of the top offenses in all of baseball in the Braves and Dodgers. While he may get knocked around a bit more than usual, you can't sit him for a two-start week.
Trevor Rogers, Orioles, LHP (vs. Mariners, vs. Padres): Rogers was high on before the 2025 season, and I'm encouraged by what we saw from him his last time out against the Red Sox. The Mariners and Padres rank as the two worst teams in baseball in OPS against left-handers, giving me reason to buy back in. While Rogers is waiver wire fodder in most leagues, he strikes me as a solid option for this week.
Taj Bradley, Twins, RHP (at Tigers, vs. Cardinals): Bradley's overall line on the season looks strong with a 3.56 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, and a 70/26 K/BB ratio over 60 2/3 innings through his first 11 starts. However, I have concerns after he hasn't looked like himself the last two times out. I'd still roll with him in 15-teamers but may shy away in 12's if I had a viable alternative.
At Your Own Risk
Chris Bassitt, Orioles, RHP (vs. Mariners, vs. Padres): Bassitt hasn't stabilized the back end of the Orioles' rotation, posting an underwhelming 5.27 ERA and 1.63 WHIP with only 37 strikeouts over 56 1/3 innings of work. The matchups are a mixed bag, with the Mariners hitting right-handed pitching well and the Padres struggling mightily against them. In deeper leagues, you can understand it as a volume play if you're chasing wins and can handle some ratio risk. Otherwise, I'd probably stay away from this one.
Grayson Rodriguez, Angels, RHP (vs. Astros, vs. Rays): Rodriguez has had an inconsistent season after missing the entire 2025 campaign. He has made four starts for the Angels, with one gem against the Tigers, one middling outing against the Rangers, and two disasters against the Dodgers and Rockies. If you're concerned about your ratios, you may want to keep him on the sidelines until he regains consistency.
Jeffrey Springs, Athletics, LHP (vs. Brewers, vs. Rockies): Springs has gone downhill after a strong start, posting a 5.96 ERA and 1.50 WHIP over 45 1/3 innings over his last nine starts. While his overall numbers look decent, I find it difficult to trust him in West Sacramento after what we've seen from him for the past two months. The matchups against the Rockies look appealing, but the risk is very real.
National League
Strong Plays
Cristopher Sanchez, Phillies, LHP (at Blue Jays, at Brewers): Sanchez did something unusual his last time out against the Padres, giving up a run in the seventh inning. This was the first time he had been scored upon in 50 2/3 innings, the longest streak in baseball by a left-hander since 1920. He holds a remarkable 1.46 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and a 103/17 K/BB ratio over 86 1/3 innings on the season. He's an automatic start every week.
Paul Skenes, Pirates, RHP (vs. Dodgers, vs. Marlins): Skenes is a very strong option despite the matchup against the Dodgers to kick things off on Tuesday. The 24-year-old righty sits at 6-5 on the season with a 3.09 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and 81 strikeouts across 70 innings of work. There are no actionable items here as Skenes should be locked into 100% of lineups every week.
Kyle Harrison, Brewers, LHP (at Athletics, vs. Phillies): Harrison was lined up for a strong two-start week last week, but the Brewers opted to give Coleman Crow a start in the middle of the week. He's still one of the top options on the board. The 24-year-old southpaw has been amazing for the Brewers, posting a 7-1 record, 1.57 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and a 73/16 K/BB ratio over 57 1/3 innings. He should be an automatic weekly start in all fantasy leagues.
Logan Webb, Giants, RHP (vs. Nationals, vs. Cubs): Webb hasn't looked like himself for most of the season but appears to be in much better form after a stint on the injured list. Since returning, he has allowed just one run over 11 1/3 innings, including seven scoreless frames against the Brewers. Trust the recent performance and make sure he's active for what looks like a very strong two-start week.
Decent Plays
Grant Holmes, Braves, RHP (at White Sox, at Mets): Holmes has shown some inconsistency this season, but the results overall have been positive, with a 3.86 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, and a 57/27 K/BB ratio over 63 innings through his first 12 starts. The Mets have been better of late, but they still rate as the worst team in the league against right-handed pitching. The White Sox have been middle of the pack, which is no reason to be scared away. Pitching for the Braves, Holmes is a threat to win every time he takes the mound.
Andrew Abbott, Reds, LHP (at Padres, vs. Diamondbacks): Abbott's season-long numbers might leave most fantasy managers to ignore him, but he has pitched well since his brutal start to the 2026 campaign. Over his last seven starts, he is 4-1 with a tidy 2.25 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and a 28/18 K/BB ratio over 40 innings. The matchups are a bit of a wash, but given how good he has been, I'd be very comfortable rolling him out for this two-start week.
Colin Rea, Cubs, RHP (at Rockies, at Giants): Rea hasn't been quite as dependable as in years past, posting an uninspiring 4.59 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, and a 52/22 K/BB ratio over 64 2/3 innings through his first 13 appearances (10 starts). Now he needs to travel to Coors Field to take on the Rockies before finishing the week with a strong matchup against the Giants. If you're looking to make up ground in wins and strikeouts in deeper leagues, you could give Rea a shot.
Walker Buehler, Padres, RHP (vs. Reds, at Orioles): Buehler has been serviceable for the Padres but hasn't quite risen to the level of mixed league viability from a fantasy perspective. However, in two-start weeks where the matchups line up right, he could be worth a look in deeper formats. This is exactly the scenario we're staring at, with matchups against the Reds at home and the O's in Baltimore.
Dustin May, Cardinals, RHP (at Mets, at Twins): May has done a decent job for the Cardinals, posting a 4.59 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and a 60/19 K/BB ratio over 66 2/3 innings of work. This makes him intriguing in two-start weeks where the matchups fall in his favor, and anytime you get to take on the Mets' offense, it's a good matchup for the pitcher. He's worth a look as a streaming option in deeper leagues.
At Your Own Risk
Zac Gallen, Diamondbacks, RHP (at Marlins, at Reds): You'd like to think you can trust Gallen for a two-start week, but the 2026 version of the right-hander has been anything but trustworthy. He sports a miserable 5.32 ERA and 1.52 WHIP with just 43 strikeouts across 64 1/3 innings of work through 13 starts. He also enters the start in poor form, having allowed five runs in each of his last two starts. The ratio risk is very real.
Tomoyuki Sugano, Rockies, RHP (vs. Cubs, at Athletics): Never Rockies. It's that simple, especially when it includes a start at home and a start at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento. Sugano has pitched decently this season but isn't likely to win many games and doesn't record strikeouts. There's just no reason to do this to yourself.
