Fantasy Baseball 2026: Best 2-Start Pitchers for May 18-24
Lining up your 2-start pitchers prior to weekly waivers is a strategy that wins fantasy baseball leagues. This is especially true in head-to-head leagues, in formats where roster moves are limited, and in leagues in which the scoring rules highly reward starting pitching.
The pitchers below are presented in rank order and divided into Must-Start, Streaming Options, and Avoid or Sit groups. Notes and stats are provided where deemed necessary to help guide your decision making. Any strikeout rate (K%), weighted On Base Average (wOBA), or wRC+ stats included are for the opposing team against the handedness of the pitcher unless otherwise noted.
Top 2-Start Pitchers to Start with Confidence
Must-Start Options in All Formats
Chris Sale (ATL) @ MIA; vs. WSH - The Nats have a 124 wRC+ against LHP. Do you care? No!!
Dylan Cease (TOR) @ NYY; vs. PIT - Striking out 34.6% of batters faced. Absolute filth.
Jacob Misiorowski (MIL) @ CHC; vs. LAD - Le Mis' 39.6% rate makes Cease look like a piker.
Nolan McLean (NYM) @ WSH; @ MIA - Teams are slugging just .284 against his sinker.
Bryan Woo (SEA) vs. CHW; @KC - A pair of easy matchups should help Woo get his strikeout numbers up.
Shota Imanaga (CHC) vs. MIL; vs. HOU - The Brewers have a 78 wRC+ vs. LHP and Imanaga has a 1.74 ERA at home.
Parker Messick (CLE) @ DET; @ PHI - 2.04 ERA on the road. Road Warrior!!
Framber Valdez (DET) vs. CLE; @ BAL - The curveball has been less effective this season resulting in fewer strikeouts. The O's have a 92 wRC+ and the ‘dians a 109. Still, you have to run him out there. Right?
Will Warren (NYY) vs. TOR; vs. TBR - Warren has a 29.8% strikeout rate going.
Michael King (SD) vs. LAD; vs. ATH - LA (119 wRC+) and A's (109) may present some issues to King who is walking a career high 10.7% of batters faced.
Robbie Ray (SF) @ ARI; vs. CWS - The Snakes are slugging .411 and the Pale Hose .437 against southpaws. Just sayin'.
Streaming and Deeper-League 2-Start Candidates
Waiver-Wire and AL/NL-Only Targets
Sonny Gray (BOS) @ KCR; vs. MIN - Both teams have a 100 wRC+ against RHP. Gray appears to be back to form.
Shane McClanahan (TB) vs. BAL; @ NYY - McClanahan has a 2.27 ERA backed by a .250 FIP. The man is back with a vengeance.
Chase Dollander (COL) vs. TEX; @ ARI - Dollander has a 1.42 ERA as a starter.
Christian Scott (NYM) @ WSH; @ MIA - Scott hasn't allowed more than 2 ER in any of his four starts. A 28.6% strikeout rate will do that for you.
Zac Gallen (ARI) vs. SF; vs. COL - Gallen has a 2.61 home ERA and a pair of easy matchups.
JR Ritchie (ATL) @ MIA; vs. WSH - Ritchie has looked good 3.32 ERA and these are two very average hitting teams (both 101 wRC+).
Seth Lugo (KC) vs. BOS; vs. SEA - Start ‘em vs. Boston's 80 wRC+ and sit ‘em vs. da Mariners' 116 wRC+.
Mitch Keller (PIT) @ STL; @ TOR - Road warrior with a 2.65 ERA away from Pittsburgh.
Max Meyer (MIA) vs. ATL; vs. NYM - The Braves (125 wRC+) and the Mets (114 wRC+) will battle Meyers' 2.63 home ERA.
Foster Griffin (WSH) vs. NYM; @ ATL - Great story, even if it's hard to believe in his 2.12 ERA. The Braves hit lefties hard (113 wRC+), but the Mets do not, like, at all (79 wRC+).
MacKenzie Gore (TEX) @ COL; @ LAA - Gore has struggled to a 6.38 ERA on the road. I'd be very careful here despite the favorable matchups.
Reid Detmers (LAA) vs. ATH; vs. TEX - Two of the worst teams against LHP with the A's at 88 wRC+ and the Rangers at (checks notes)....62! Worth a gamble.
Matthew Liberatore (STL) vs. PIT; @ CIN - Liberatore (4.40 ERA) has been rollercoaster rough but neither the Pirates (90 wRC+) nor Reds (84 wRC+) should present a major problem.
2-Start Pitchers to Avoid or Sit
Risky Matchups and Negative Regression Candidates
Noah Schultz (CWS) @ SEA; @ SF - Seattle and SF have wRC+ numbers of 79 and 83 against southpaws. Schultz has a 4.91 ERA. Risky at best. Pull handle and break glass only if you're desperate.
Nick Lodolo (CIN) @ PHI; vs. STL - Lodolo isn't exactly up to a blistering start (see what I did there?). You might want to sit him until he proves he is really back.
Ryne Nelson (ARI) vs. SF; vs. COL - Neither team has a scary offense but Nelson can be scary all on his own with a 9.18 home ERA. Don't do it if you don't have to.
Trevor Rogers (BAL) @ TB; vs. DET - Rogers has not been good with a 5.77 ERA. No thanks.
Lance McCullers Jr. (HOU) @ MIN; @ CHC - McCuller's sweeper is getting slugged at a .387 rate. The rest of his five pitches are at .471 or higher. You don't want to do this!
Braxton Garrett (MIA) vs. ATL; vs. NYM - Garrett just came up from the minors. This could be a rude welcoming party.
Griffin Canning (SD) vs. LAD; vs. ATH - Two tough offenses for a guy just back from injury.
Andrew Painter (PHI) vs. CIN; vs. CLE - Teams are teeing off on Painter's gas and his breaking stuff, and his offspeed pitches, and…you get it.
Griffin Jax (TB) vs. BAL; @ NYY - The matchups are tough despite Jax looking good in his first couple of starts after bombing out in relief early in the season.
Brayan Bello (BOS) @ KC; vs. MIN - Great matchups but Bello has been awful.
Jose Quintana (COL) vs. TEX; @ ARI
Rhett Lowder (CIN) @ PHI; vs. STL
Simeon Woods-Richardson (MIN) vs. HOU; @ BOS
Jake Irvin (WSH) vs. NYM; @ ATL
Keider Montero (DET) vs. CLE; @ BAL
Patrick Corbin (TOR) @ NYY; vs. PIT
Brandon Young (BAL) @ TB; vs. DET
Slade Cecconi (CLE) @ DET; @ PHI
J.T. Ginn (ATH) @ LAA; @ SD
Jacob Lopez (ATH) @ LAA; @ SD
Walbert Urena (LAA) vs. ATH; vs. TEX
Scheduled Game Counts
| Teams with 6 Games | Teams with 7 Games |
|---|---|
BAL, BOS, TB, CWS, KC, MIN, HOU, SEA, TEX, PHI, CHC, CIN, MIL, PIT, STL, LAD, SD, SFG | NYY, TOR, CLE, DET, ATH, LAA, ATL, MIA, NYM, WSH, ARI, COL |
2-Start Pitcher Questions, Answered
Who are the best 2-start pitchers for the week of May 18-24 2026?
Chris Sale, Dylan Cease, Jacob Misiorowski, Nolan McLean, and Shota Imanaga headline the strongest 2-start options this week based on strikeout upside, matchup quality, and recent performance.
Which 2-start pitchers are safe streaming candidates?|
Christian Scott, Zac Gallen, Reid Detmers, and Matthew Liberatore stand out as viable streaming choices depending on league depth and matchup needs.
Which 2-start pitchers should I sit or avoid?
Noah Schultz, Trevor Rogers, Lance McCullers Jr., and Andrew Painter carry significant risk due to poor performance trends or difficult matchups.
How important are home/road splits for 2-start decisions?
Home and road splits can heavily impact streaming value. Parker Messick, Mitch Keller, Zac Gallen, and Max Meyer all show meaningful split-based trends this week.
Should I add any of these 2-start pitchers off waivers?
Christian Scott, Reid Detmers, Matthew Liberatore, and JR Ritchie offer useful upside for managers seeking additional starts or strikeout help.
When should I check weather and lineup news for these starts?
Monitor lineup changes, injuries, weather reports, and rotation updates during the hours leading into each scheduled start since rainouts and late changes can impact two-start schedules.
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This story was originally published May 14, 2026 at 2:16 PM.