Gray gets two favorable starts

The MLB trade deadline shook up a lot of starting rotations this week. We saw plenty of big names traded, including Tarik Skubal landing with the Dodgers. As we turn our attention towards the stretch run, there will be a bevy of projected two-start pitchers again during Week 21. Let's highlight five of them and discuss what their matchups could mean for their fantasy production.

Dylan Cease, Toronto Blue Jays: vs. BOS, vs. NYY
The Blue Jays were active at the trade deadline, and their starting rotation looks very different as a result. They traded away Kevin Gausman and acquired Jose Soriano, Jameson Taillon and Spencer Arrighetti (foot). They held onto Cease, who is in the running for the AL Cy Young award. His 2.28 ERA is backed by a 2.78 xERA, and his 36.4% strikeout rate is on pace to be the highest mark of his career.

Cease's first start next week will come against the Red Sox, who are one of the hottest teams in baseball. Their lineup has helped them get back into the playoff hunt, but Cease just faced them July 25th, which was during their recent surge. He dominated, posting 12 strikeouts over nine scoreless innings. He will then face the Yankees, who are limping towards the finish line with an injury-depleted lineup and the fourth-highest strikeout rate in baseball. Cease could provide two more stellar stat lines.

Sonny Gray, Boston Red Sox: at TOR, at PIT
Gray came up big again in his last outing, recording eight strikeouts over six shutout innings versus the White Sox. Across his last eight starts, he allowed one or no runs six times. Although his strikeout rate is down significantly this season at 21.9%, limiting opponents to a 6.4% barrel rate and a 38.0% hard-hit rate has helped him remain successful.

The Blue Jays have been awful at the plate, scoring the fewest runs in baseball. One of the main reasons for their lack of production has been their hitting the second-fewest home runs. In addition to his favorable start against them, facing the Pirates isn't exactly scary right now with Oneil Cruz (hand), Konnor Griffin (finger) and Ryan O'Hearn (quadriceps) all on the injured list. They also swing and miss a lot, posting the fifth-highest strikeout rate in the majors. Start Gray with confidence.

Tanner Bibee, Cleveland Guardians: at DET, vs. SD
The Guardians bolstered their starting rotation by acquiring Foster Griffin from the Nationals. Bibee has been one of the constants for their rotation all season, posting a 3.85 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. Recently, he has allowed three or fewer earned runs in each of his last five outings. His 19.7% strikeout rate does limit his fantasy value, but he did record 10 strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings against the Mets in his last start.

The Tigers have been no match for Bibee. He has already faced them two times this season, allowing three runs to go along with 13 strikeouts over 15 innings. Then he will take on the Padres, who rank inside the bottom-10 in baseball in both runs scored and OPS. Despite his lack of strikeout upside, Bibee is still worth deploying in most formats next week.

Ryan Weathers, New York Yankees: vs. SEA, at TOR
The Yankees could be getting a boost to their starting rotation soon with Carlos Rodon (elbow) nearing a rehab assignment. When he returns, either Weathers or Will Warren figures to shift to the bullpen. Warren might be the more likely option to leave the rotation, considering his 5.80 ERA and 1.46 WHIP over his last eight starts. Meanwhile, Weathers continues to thrive with a 2.89 ERA across his last nine outings. Weathers has missed a lot of bats this season, posting a 26.2% strikeout rate that is well above his career mark of 21.4%.

The Mariners have the eighth-highest strikeout rate in baseball, so Weathers could continue to thrive in that department during his first start of Week 21. Another stat working in his favor is that Seattle only has a .646 OPS against left-handed pitchers. The only team with a worse OPS versus southpaws is the Blue Jays (.632), who Weathers will face in his second outing. For at least next week, Weathers remains a must-start in most fantasy formats.

Christian Scott, New York Mets: at ATL, vs. WAS
Scott missed a lot of bats in the minors, so it was a surprise to see him only have a 19.8% strikeout rate over 47 1/3 innings in the majors last year. Now a regular member of the Mets rotation, he has bounced back with a 28.8% strikeout rate over 16 starts this year, helping him record a 3.15 ERA and a 3.78 xERA that has made him a valuable fantasy option.

As good as Scott has been, his two opponents for Week 21 are scary. The Nationals lead the majors in runs scored, and the Braves aren't far behind them with the sixth-most runs scored. In his lone start against the Nationals this year, Scott allowed three runs over four innings. In two outings against the Braves, he allowed a total of four runs across 10 innings. His strikeout rate still makes him worth taking a chance on in 12-team and deeper leagues, but it's not crazy to consider benching him in shallow formats.

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.