Flaherty has value this week

No team is scheduled to have more than one off day during Week 16. That means there are a bevy of projected two-start pitchers. Some of them are among the best starting pitchers in the league. Let’s highlight five projected two-start pitchers and discuss what their matchups might mean for their fantasy baseball value.

Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates: at KC, at MIN

Skenes is coming off yet another scoreless outing in which he pitched five innings and had five strikeouts against the Cardinals. His ERA sits at 2.03 for the season and is backed by a 2.52 xERA. He has allowed just 0.4 HR/9 to go along with his 0.92 WHIP. His strikeout rate is down compared to last season, but it’s still an asset to fantasy managers at 26.8%.

Anytime Skenes has two starts in a week, he can carry his fantasy managers in the pitching department. What makes Week 16 even more appealing for him is that he has two great matchups. The Royals have the third-worst OPS and have scored the fewest runs in baseball. The Twins have the ninth-worst OPS and have scored the 10th-fewest runs. Skenes has the potential to produce two dominant stat lines.

Shota Imanaga, Chicago Cubs: at MIN, at NYY

Imanaga allowed three runs over 5 1/3 innings against the Guardians on Wednesday. He threw 81 pitches in what was his second start off the IL. He threw 77 pitches in his first outing back, so it wasn’t exactly a significant increase in his workload. However, he should be cleared to throw at least 85 pitches in his next start. He has a 1.02 WHIP in his career, so even when he is on a limited pitch count, he can pitch deep enough into games to qualify for wins because he doesn’t allow many base runners.

The Twins really struggle against left-handed pitchers, recording a .671 OPS against them this season. The Yankees have a much more dangerous lineup, but they aren’t a great contact team. They have struck out the fourth-most time in baseball. Don’t let a matchup against the Yankees prevent you from being confident in Imanaga for his two-start week.

Jack Flaherty, Detroit Tigers: vs. TB, vs. SEA

After two horrendous outings against the Reds and Rays in which he allowed a total of 15 runs, Flaherty has somewhat righted the ship by allowing six runs over 11 innings in his last two starts. What stands out even more is that he produced 16 strikeouts across his last two outings. He has a 29.1% strikeout rate for the season and his 4.10 xERA and 3.69 xFIP indicate that he hasn’t pitched as poorly as his 4.84 ERA would lead one to believe.

A key for Flaherty in Week 16 is that both of his starts will come at home. He has a 1.11 WHIP and a 32.7% strikeout rate at home, compared to a 1.40 WHIP and a 25.0% strikeout rate on the road. The Mariners have struck out the fifth-most times in baseball, which further boosts Flaherty’s strikeout upside. Despite getting hit hard the last time he faced the Rays, this is still a week to deploy Flaherty in most fantasy leagues.

Nick Martinez, Cincinnati Reds: vs. MIA, vs. COL

Martinez began this season as a starter before moving to the bullpen. He made just two appearances in that role before injuries forced him back into the starting rotation. He’s not an overpowering force on the mound, posting just a 17.4% strikeout rate this season. However, he has a 1.17 WHIP on the strength of his 5.1% walk rate.

Martinez has a 0.97 WHIP at home this season, which is where both of his starts will be for Week 16. First is a matchup against the Marlins, who have scored the 11th-fewest runs in baseball. His second matchup is even more appealing because the Rockies are tied for the fourth-fewest runs scored. The Rockies also have just a .612 OPS on the road this season. This is a good week to stream Martinez in 12-team and deeper leagues.

Will Warren, New York Yankees: vs. SEA, vs. CHC

Warren allowed seven runs in the first inning against the Blue Jays in his last start. He pitched four total innings in the game, allowing eight runs. Not only did he give up 10 hits in that game, but he walked four batters. Despite his appealing 28.7% strikeout rate, Warren has been hurting fantasy managers with his 1.42 WHIP.

The Mariners are not a matchup to worry about, but facing the Cubs is about as scary as it gets. They have scored the second-most runs and hit the fifth-most home runs in baseball. They even have the highest road OPS (.804) in baseball. Those who are desperate for strikeouts could consider starting Warren for Week 16, but the matchup against the Cubs alone might make him worth benching if you have other viable sources for strikeouts.

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.