Pitchers are a fickle breed. One week they can dominate, the next they get shelled. Our jobs as fantasy players (and writers) is to guess which weeks they will be good. Its an educated guess, but its still just a guess.
Starting this week, I will be posting the prior results for each category of pitchers listed below, for the most recently completed week(s) and year-to-date, so you (and I) can see my track record.
Here are the two-start pitchers and those with favorable matchups for week 5 in the NL:
Two-Start Pitchers
No-Brainers
Matt Cain: 5/1 vs MIA; 5/6 vs MIL – Cain is living up to his big contract so far
Cole Hamels: 5/1 @ ATL; 5/6 @ WAS – only 3 walks in 4 starts this year
Jordan Zimmermann: 5/1 vs ARI; 5/6 vs PHI – the Nats other ace has a sparkling 1.33 ERA so far
No-Brainers results
Week 2 – 6 GS, 4 QS, 2 W, 35.1 IP, 32 H+BB, 41 K’s, 11 ER, 2.80 ERA, 0.91 whip
Week 3 – 10 GS, 9 QS, 4 W, 65 IP, 79 H+BB, 60 K’s, 17 ER, 2.35 ERA, 1.22 whip
YTD – 16 GS, 13 QS, 6 W, 100.1 IP, 111 H+BB, 101 K’s, 28 ER, 2.51 ERA, 1.11 whip
Not too shabby
Bronson Arroyo: 5/1 vs CHC; 5/6 @ PIT – has pitched well and gets to face lowly Cubs and Pirates
Brandon Beachy: 5/1 vs PHI; 5/6 @ COL – only concern is his start at Coors (11.57 ERA in only start)
Mark Buehrle: 4/30 vs ARI; 5/5 @ SD – still looking for some run support
Trevor Cahill: 5/1 @ WAS; 5/6 @ NYM – has been shaky in his last two starts (4 ER apiece)
R.A. Dickey: 4/30 @ HOU; 5/6 vs ARI – solid in his last start and gets to face the punchless Astros.
James McDonald: 4/30 @ ATL; 5/5 vs CIN – flying under the radar (18% owned in CBS) despite good start (2.79 ERA)
Mike Minor: 4/30 vs PIT; 5/5 @ COL – again, beware of Coors, but has pitched well so far
Charlie Morton: 5/1 @ STL; 5/6 vs CIN – has pitched well, but two difficult matchups
Juan Nicasio: 4/30 vs LAD; 5/6 vs ATL – beware of Matt Kemp
Ricky Nolasco: 5/1 @ SF; 5/6 @ SD – below average pitcher against weak hitting teams
Jeff Samardzija: 4/30 @ PHI; 5/5 vs LAD – may finally have learned to harness his stuff (only 8 walks in 4 starts)
Joe Wieland: 4/30 vs MIL; 5/6 vs MIA – has bounced back well after rough rookie debut
Randy Wolf: 4/30 @ SD; 5/5 @ SF – favorable matchups for the veteran lefty
Vance Worley: 4/30 vs CHC; 5/5 @ WAS – last year’s surprise rookie continues to impress
Not too shabby results
Week 2 – 18 GS, 12 QS, 7 W, 109.2 IP, 125 H+BB, 78 K’s, 31 ER, 2.55 ERA, 1.14 whip
Week 3 – 22 GS, 15 QS, 8 W, 140 IP, 158 H+BB, 110 K’s, 45 ER, 2.89 ERA, 1.13 whip
YTD – 40 GS, 27 QS, 15 W, 249.2 IP, 283 H+BB, 188 K’s, 76 ER, 2.74 ERA, 1.13 whip
Risky at best
Josh Collmenter: 4/30 @ MIA; 5/5 @ NYM – may be sent to the pen
J.A. Happ: 4/30 vs NYM; 5/6 vs STL – 4.70 ERA on the season and has to face the Cardinals offense
Aaron Harang: 4/30 @ COL; 5/6 @ CHC – 5.16 ERA so far and has to go to Coors (6.08 career ERA)
Chris Volstad: 5/1 @ CIN; 5/6 vs LAD – 6.14 ERA screams stay away
Risky at best results
Week 2 – 14 GS, 6 QS, 4 W, 77.2 IP, 99 H+BB, 56 K’s, 40 ER, 4.63 ERA, 1.27 whip
Week 3 -8 GS, 5 QS, 3 W, 53.1 IP, 71 H+BB, 31 K’s, 27 ER, 4.56 ERA, 1.33 whip
YTD – 22 GS, 11 QS, 7 W, 131 IP, 170 H+BB, 87 K’s, 67 ER, 4.60 ERA, 1.30 whip
Other Favorable Matchups
Jonathon Niese: 5/1 @ HOU
Niese has pitched well so far this year and is 1-1 with a 1.80 ERA in his career against the Astros.
Roy Halladay: 5/2 @ ATL
Doc is 4-1 with a 1.78 ERA in his career against the Braves
Johnny Cueto: 5/4 @ PIT
Cueto is 10-3 with a 2.70 ERA against the Pirates
Johan Santana: 5/5 vs ARI
Santana owns the Diamondback to the tune of 2-0 with a minuscule 0.62 ERA against
Other favorable matchups results
Week 2 – 4 GS, 2 QS, 3 W, 23 IP, 28 H+BB, 23 K’s, 6 ER, 2.35 ERA, 1.22 whip
Week 3 – 5 GS, 3 QS, 3 W, 29.2 IP, 35 H+BB, 24 K’s, 8 ER, 2.43 ERA, 1.18 whip
YTD – 9 GS, 5 QS, 6 W, 52.2 IP, 63 H+BB, 47 K’s, 14 ER, 2.40 ERA, 1.20 whip
Up next, I’ll take a look at the AL matchups for week 5.
