Kirby is worth using this week

There are only a few teams across baseball that don’t have at least one pitcher scheduled to make two starts during Week 11. While some could be difference makers in fantasy baseball, others could torpedo fantasy managers in their ratios. Let’s highlight five pitchers set to take the mound twice each and discuss what their matchups might mean for their fantasy value.

George Kirby, Seattle Mariners: vs. BAL, at LAA

Since he entered the league, Kirby has been a valuable fantasy option. He has never finished a season with an ERA above 3.53 or a WHIP above 1.21. The last two seasons, he produced a 1.04 and 1.07 WHIP. However, he began this season on the IL with a shoulder injury and didn’t make his debut until just over a week ago. In his first start, the Astros roughed him up for five runs over 3 2/3 innings. In his second outing, he gave up six runs over five innings against the Nationals.

It might take some time for Kirby to shake off the rust from being sidelined for so long. He threw 78 pitches in his last start, so he shouldn’t be on much of a pitch limit moving forward. The Orioles have scored the sixth-fewest runs in baseball and have stuck out the sixth-most times. The Angels have struck out the second-most times. As bad as Kirby has been so far, he’s still worth deploying in fantasy for this two-start week.

Carlos Rodon, New York Yankees: vs. CLE, vs. BOS

Rodon is in the midst of his best season since joining the Yankees. After posting a 3.96 ERA and 4.09 xFIP last season, he has a 2.60 ERA and 3.04 xFIP through 12 starts this year. His strikeout rate sits at 31.7%, which is more than five percentage points higher than last season. He has also lowered his barrel rate allowed to 7.7%. He had allowed a barrel rate of at least 11.0% in both of his first two seasons with the Yankees.

Rodon already faced the Guardians once this season, allowing one unearned run and recording eight strikeouts over seven innings. They only have a .637 OPS against left-handed pitchers, so Rodon could also thrive against them in their rematch. The Red Sox are a more dangerous matchup, but they are currently without one of their best hitters in Alex Bregman (quadriceps). Rodon has the potential to provide two valuable stat lines in Week 11.

Drew Rasmussen, Tampa Bay Rays: vs. TEX, vs. MIA

Rasmussen logged six scoreless innings against the Twins in his last outing. That marked the third straight start in which he pitched six scoreless innings. Of his 11 starts, he has allowed one or no runs seven times. One of the keys to his success has been his 0.93 WHIP. However, he hasn’t missed a ton of bats, given his 21.6% strikeout rate.

Rasmussen has already faced both the Rangers and Marlins this season. The first time he started against the Rangers, he allowed one run and had four strikeouts over five innings. Against the Marlins, he finished with five strikeouts over six scoreless innings. The Marlins have been middle-of-the-pack in most offensive categories, but the Rangers are tied for the worst OPS in baseball. This is a great opportunity for Rasmussen to continue his recent run of success.

Jack Flaherty, Detroit Tigers: at CWS, vs. CHC

Flaherty dominated the Giants in his last start, posting eight strikeouts over six scoreless innings. He gave up just two hits and one walk in the outing. His ERA now sits at 3.94 for the season, while his xFIP has been even better at 3.31. However, there are some red flags. After posting a 5.9% walk rate last season, he has a 7.9% walk rate this year.  He has also allowed an 11.5% barrel rate and a 42.6% hard-hit rate, which are on pace to be the highest marks of his career.

A matchup against the White Sox is certainly not anything to worry about. They have scored the fifth-fewest runs and they have the third-worst OPS in baseball. However, a start against the Cubs is daunting. They have scored the most runs in baseball while posting the third-highest OPS. Flaherty is still worth starting in 12-team leagues, but it wouldn’t be a crazy idea to bench him in 10-team formats.

Luis Severino, Athletics: vs. MIN, vs. BAL

Signing Severino was a rare occurrence of the Athletics spending money to add an established player in free agency. He has largely duplicated his production from last season with the Mets, posting a 3.89 ERA and 4.06 xFIP through 12 starts. A big plus is that he has allowed just 0.5 HR/9. On the negative side of things, his strikeout rate has declined from 21.5% last season to 17.7% this season.

Given his lack of strikeout upside, Severino is more of a streaming option for fantasy who should only be deployed when he has favorable matchups. The Twins and Orioles both rank inside the bottom-10 in baseball in runs scored, so this might seem like a good week to roll with Severino in fantasy. However, both of his starts will be at home, where he has a 1.45 WHIP this season. He has allowed at least five runs in three of his seven home starts. Those desperate for viable starting pitchers should consider starting Severino in Week 11, but proceed with caution in 10 and 12-team leagues.

Mike Barner has been covering fantasy sports since 2007. His work has appeared in Sports Illustrated, Yahoo, SportsLine and RotoWire. Mike was also a finalist for the 2018 FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. Follow Mike on Twitter @rotomikebarner.