Two-Start Pitchers: Week 21 (Aug. 31-Sept. 6)

My results so far

35-41 (108 starts, 57 quality starts)
4.52 ERA
1.33 WHIP
6.52 K/9
2.64 BB/9

Start!

Chris Sale: Tue-@MIN (Duffey), Sun-@KC (Cueto)
Zack Greinke: Tue-SF (Bumgarner), Sun-@SD (Cashner)
Johnny Cueto: Tue-DET (Verlander), Sun-CWS (Sale)
David Price: Mon-CLE (Tomlin), Sun-BAL (Chen)
Madison Bumgarner: Tue-@LAD (Greinke), Sun-@COL (Flande)
Felix Hernandez: Mon-@HOU (Feldman), Sun-@OAK (Bassitt)
Chris Archer: Mon-@BAL (Chen), Sun-@NYY (Nova)

Tier 1

Tyson Ross: Mon-TEX (Lewis), Sat-LAD (Anderson)
Shelby Miller: Tue-MIA (Nicolino), Sun-@WSH (Ross)
Justin Verlander: Tue-@KC (Cueto), Sun-CLE (Tomlin)
Bartolo Colon: Mon-PHI (Eickhoff), Sun-@MIA (Narveson)
Brett Anderson: Mon-SF (Peavy), Sat-@SD (Ross)
John Lackey: Mon-WSH (Gonzalez), Sun-PIT (Locke)

Tier 2

Andrew Cashner: Tue-TEX (Gallardo), Sun-LAD (Greinke)
Kyle Hendricks: Mon-CIN (Holmberg), Sun-ARI (Corbin)
Colby Lewis: Mon-@SD (Ross), Sun-@LAA (Santiago)
Chris Bassitt: Mon-LAA (Santiago), Sun-SEA (Hernandez)
Wei-Yin Chen: Mon-TB (Archer), Sun-@TOR (Price)
Hector Santiago: Mon-@OAK (Bassitt), Sun-TEX (Lewis)
Gio Gonzalez: Mon-@STL (Lackey), Sat-ATL (Foltynewicz)

Tier 3

Jimmy Nelson: Tue-PIT (Locke), Sun-@CIN (Holmberg)
Joe Ross: Tue-@STL (Martinez), Sun-ATL (Miller)
Tyler Duffey: Tue-CWS (Sale), Sun-@HOU (McCullers)
Mike Foltynewicz: Mon-MIA (Narveson), Sat-@WSH (Gonzalez)
Jeff Locke: Tue-@MIL (Nelson), Sun-@STL (Lackey)

Not this week

Chad Bettis: Mon-ARI (Corbin), Sat-SF (Peavy)
Patrick Corbin: Mon-@COL (Bettis), Sun-@CHC (Hendricks)
Jerad Eickhoff: Mon-@NYM (Colon), Sun-@BOS (Porcello)
Yohan Flande: Tue-ARI, Gm. 1 (De La Rosa), Sun-SF (Bumgarner)
David Holmberg: Mon-@CHC (Hendricks), Sun-MIL (Nelson)
Chris Narveson: Mon-@ATL (Foltynewicz), Sun-NYM (Colon)
Ivan Nova: Mon-@BOS (Porcello), Sun-TB (Archer)
Jake Peavy: Mon-@LAD (Anderson), Sat-@COL (Bettis)
Rick Porcello: Mon-NYY (Nova), Sun-PHI (Eickhoff)
Josh Tomlin: Mon-@TOR (Price), Sun-@DET (Verlander)

My Week 21 Picks

Bartolo Colon, Mets (PHI, @MIA)

Colon has been maddening to own, mixing quality starts with duds. But it's difficult to ignore the veteran's two favorable starts in Week 21 against the Phillies and Marlins, two of the NL's bottom feeders. Two starts ago, Colon coughed up seven runs against the Rockies (in Denver). Before that, there was a start quick pull against the Padres that resulted in his shortest outing of the year (2 1/3 innings, 6 runs). However, Colon has delivered the goods against the Phillies and Marlins in 2015, going a combined 6-1 in seven starts, including 20 strikeouts and a 3.32 ERA against Philadelphia in 19 innings. Against Miami, Colon is 3-1 with a 2.83 ERA without allowing a walk. You have to feel good about starting the big man this week.

Brett Anderson, Dodgers (SF, @SD)

Anderson is another popular two-start streamer of mine who hasn’t always come through. I’m going to live and die by the Dodgers 27-year-old left-hander one more time, however, with very winnable starts against the Giants (in Los Angeles) and the Padres (in San Diego). The Padres, especially, struggle against southpaws, ranking 26th in wOBA and 24th in wRC+. While Anderson (oddly) hasn’t faced the Padres in the NL West, he’s already seen the Giants four times this year. The last two times, he held down San Francisco to three runs or fewer and posted a pair of quality starts and earned a victory. He should be able to do something similar in Week 21, because the Giants play into Anderson’s strengths as a groundball pitcher. In his past 13 starts, Anderson has recorded a quality start 10 times.

Chris Bassitt, Athletics (LAA, SEA)

Bassitt had a string of seven quality starts before walking four and allowing four runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings against the Mariners. Wins are hard to come by in Oakland (he’s an unlucky 1-6 in nine starts with the Athletics, but some home cooking is just what the 26-year-old right-hander needs to turn it back around. At O.co Coliseum, Bassitt has posted a commanding 1.83 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and a .203/.276/.291 slash line against in 44 1/3 innings, compared to a 4.34 ERA, 1.34 WHIP with a .250/.350/.402 in 29 innings. The Angels are a great matchup, while the Mariners pose a bigger risk in the form of slugger Nelson Cruz. There’s enough here to like to give Bassitt two starts in Week 21.

Stats from FanGraphs.com