Two-Start Pitchers: Week 20 (Aug. 19-25)

With MLB super excited about its newest instant replay proposal (even if nobody else is), I thought I'd play along and suggest four pitchers I've recommended in the past. And like the proposed replay changes, you can challenge my picks in the comments below.

Start!

David Price (TB) -- Mon-@BAL (Gonzalez), Sun-NYY (Nova)
Jose Fernandez (MIA) -- Mon-LAD (Ryu), Sat-COL (Manship)
Francisco Liriano (PIT) -- Mon-@SD (Cashner), Sat-@SF (Lincecum)
Jered Weaver (LAA) -- Mon-CLE (Salazar), Sun-@SEA (Harang)
Ervin Santana (KC) -- Tue-CWS (Danks), Sun-WSH (Haren)
Patrick Corbin (ARI) -- Tue-@CIN (Cingrani), Sun-@PHI (TBD)
Lance Lynn (STL) -- Tue-@MIL (Lohse), Sun-ATL (Medlen)
A.J. Burnett (PIT) -- Tue-@SD (Ross), Sun-@SF (Vogelsong)
Jordan Zimmermann (WSH) -- Mon-@CHC (Samardzija), Sat-@KC (Chen)
Hyun-Jin Ryu (LAD) -- Mon-@MIA (Fernandez), Sat-BOS (Dempster)

Pretty, pretty good

Jon Lester (BOS) -- Mon-@SF (Lincecum), Sun-@LAD (Capuano)
Shelby Miller (STL) -- Mon-@MIL (Estrada), Sat-ATL (Teheran)
Jeff Samardzija (CHC) -- Mon-WSH (Zimmermann), Sat-@SD (Stults)
**Dan Haren (WSH) -- Tue-@CHC (Rusin), Sun-@KC (Santana)
Ivan Nova (NYY) -- Tue-TOR, Gm. 1 (Rogers), Sun-@TB (Price)
Rick Porcello (DET) -- Tue-MIN (Pelfrey), Sun-@NYM (Gee)
Tony Cingrani (CIN) -- Tue-ARI (Corbin), Sun-MIL (Estrada)
Jarrod Parker (OAK) -- Mon-SEA (Harang), Sun-@BAL (Gonzalez)
Tim Lincecum (SF) -- Mon-BOS (Lester), Sat-PIT (Liriano)
Bronson Arroyo (CIN) -- Mon-ARI (Delgado), Sat-MIL (Peralta)
Dillon Gee (NYM) -- Mon-@MIN (Gibson), Sun-DET (Porcello)
Andrew Cashner (SD) -- Mon-PIT (Liriano), Sun-CHC (Rusin)
Marco Estrada (MIL) -- Mon-STL (Miller), Sun-@CIN (Cingrani)
Jacob Turner (MIA) -- Tue-LAD (Capuano), Sun-COL (De La Rosa)
Danny Salazar (CLE) -- Mon-@LAA (Weaver), Sun-MIN (Pelfrey)
Miguel Gonzalez (BAL) -- Mon-TB (Price), Sun-OAK (Parker)
Jorge De La Rosa (COL) -- Tue-@PHI (TBD), Sun-@MIA (Turner)

Play the matchups

**Kris Medlen (ATL) -- *Tue-@NYM (Wheeler), Sun-@STL (Lynn)
Chris Rusin (CHC) -- Tue-WSH (Haren), *Sun-@SD (Cashner)
Randall Delgado (ARI) -- Mon-@CIN (Arroyo), *Sat-@PHI (Martin)
John Danks (CWS) -- *Tue-@KC (Santana), Sun-TEX (Ogando)
Chris Capuano (LAD) -- *Tue-@MIA (Turner), Sun-BOS (Lester)
Kyle Gibson (MIN) -- *Mon-NYM (Gee), Sat-@CLE (Kazmir)

Not this week

Aaron Harang (SEA) -- Mon-@OAK (Parker), Sun-LAA (Weaver)
Jeff Manship (COL) -- Mon-@PHI (Martin), Sat-@MIA (Fernandez)
Ethan Martin (PHI) -- Mon-COL (Manship), Sat-ARI (Delgado)
Alexi Ogando (TEX) -- Mon-HOU (Lyles), Sun-@CWS (Danks)
Esmil Rogers (TOR) -- Tue-@NYY, Gm. 1 (Nova), Sun-@HOU (Oberholtzer)
Ryan Vogelsong (SF) -- Tue-BOS (Peavy), Sun-PIT (Burnett)
Mike Pelfrey (MIN) -- Tue-@DET (Porcello), Sun-@CLE (Salazar)

**Dan Haren and Kris Medlen pitched in relief over the weekend, so their two-start status is up in the air.

My picks

Rick Porcello (18.2% ESPN; 21% Yahoo!)
2013: 9-6, 131 IP, 6.73 K/9, 1.92 BB/9, 4.33 ERA, 1.30 WHIP

I've recommended Rick Porcello once or twice before and each time he flops I promise to never do it again, so, naturally, here I am recommending him to you again. Detroit's fifth starter has recorded a quality start seven out of his last eight turns, giving up three runs or fewer in all eight starts. While Porcello's 4.33 ERA and 1.30 WHIP aren't pretty to look at, his 3.42 FIP, which ranks 31st out of 90 qualified starters, tells a completely different story -- for comparison, Tigers teammate Justin Verlander has a 3.43 FIP. With a little more help from his gloved friends, Porcello's 2013 campaign might be getting a little more attention outside of Michigan. On tap for Porcello is a pair of friendlies against the Twins (home) and Mets (away). In his last start against Minnesota, the 24-year old righty tossed seven innings of shutout ball with five strikeouts and no walks. And I shouldn't have to tell you how bad a David Wright-less New York is. Start Porcello with confidence...again.

Dillon Gee (7.5% ESPN; 21% Yahoo!)
2013: 8-8, 145 IP, 6.52 K/9, 2.36 BB/9, 3.79 ERA, 1.32 WHIP

Gee-z Louise, what's it going to take people? Since the start of June, Dillon Gee has gone 5-2 with a 2.56 ERA, 1.15 WHIP in 13 starts (10 quality starts). After opening the season with a 5.96 ERA in April and a 5.46 ERA in May, Gee found his groove with a 2.73 ERA in June and a 2.88 ERA in July -- in addition to a 1.74 ERA through three August starts. Despite pitching like a rock star, the Mets right-hander remains un-owned in 92 percent of ESPN leagues and 79 percent of Yahoo! leagues. Gee travels to Minnesota on Monday and finishes with the Tigers in New York on Sunday. It may seem odd, but you should feel more confident in Gee's second matchup against Detroit because he owns a 2.21 ERA at home compared to a 5.23 ERA on the road. With Gee pitching so well over the last two-months plus, you're running him out there every time regardless of the matchup.

Andrew Cashner (6.3% ESPN; 26% Yahoo!)
2013: 8-7, 130.1 IP, 6.21 K/9, 2.76 BB/9, 3.87 ERA, 1.27 WHIP

From a fantasy perspective, Andrew Cashner has been a bit of a disappointment. After averaging 97.7 mph on his fast ball last season, all you ever heard about the well-bearded pitcher in San Diego was how he was going to light up major league box scores with K's on top of K's. But a quick glance of his most recent strikeout totals -- seven, three, two, five, six, five, zero -- and you're left scratching your brow. How can someone with so much beard produce so few strikeouts? Well, for one, he's not throwing 97 anymore. He's down to 94.4 and his strikeout numbers have suffered as a result (26.5 percent K-rate in 2012; 16.5 percent in 2013). But even without the gaudy strikeout numbers, Cashner has found a way to remain useful in fantasy leagues, winning eight games and posting a sub-4.00 ERA across 20 starts. Not surprisingly, he's been much better at home (2.51 ERA) than on the road (4.93 ERA), holding opposing batters to a .241/.278/.344 line at Petco Park. Cashner welcomes a pair of NL Central offenses (Pirates, Cubs) to California in Week 20, and I predict two quality starts with plenty of beard.

Jacob Turner (9.8% ESPN; 19% Yahoo!)
2013: 3-4, 87.1 IP, 6.18 K/9, 3.71 BB/9, 2.89 ERA, 1.27 WHIP

Jacob Turner is another repeat offender when it comes to my two-start recommendations. It's been a mixed bag of results so far, but like I do with Porcello I continue to go to the same well again and again with Turner. The Marlins young hurler recorded a donut in the strikeout column his last time out against the Royals, but the second-year starter is usually good for five or six punch outs every fifth day, and, interestingly, he has an 18.8 percent strikeout rate at home compared to a 14.5 percent strikeout rate on the road. That's important because both of Turner's Week 20 starts (Dodgers, Rockies) come in Miami, where the right-hander is 3-0 with a 2.34 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in six starts. The Dodgers are hot, but Turner has been fantastic in the lime green eye sore, allowing 32 hits in 42 1/3 innings, including zero home runs.

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Alex Kantecki also writes for Vigilante Baseball and The Dynasty Guru. You can poke him on Twitter at @rotodealer.