You remember the last time I touted Joe Ross as a two-start sleeper? Maybe you blocked it out because of the misery it brought you. Basically, the bad version showed up, allowing a combined nine runs on 18 hits between the two starts for an 0-1 record.
I repented publicly and fervently, with promises never to repeat my mistakes:
Well, guess what? I'm doing it again!
I have to pick a sleeper, right? The cutoff for that designation is normally 80 percent ownership in CBS Sports leagues, and among those who qualify, Ross' matchups against the Mets and Braves are some of the more favorable (better than, say, Sean Newcomb's against the Astros and Nationals), and he seems to have stabilized a bit, throwing three straight quality starts. I can't guarantee greatness -- I can't guarantee anything! -- but the risk/reward scale tilts in his favor.
Newcomb himself is a worthy play despite the poor matchups, and I also like Andrew Moore in his return from the minor leagues. Moore is about where it starts to get fuzzy in categories leagues, though, where you have to safeguard ERA and WHIP. You can make a case to use any of the top 26 in a points league, on the other hand.
Two-start pitchers for Week 14 | ||||||||
Rank | Pitcher | Start 1 | Start 2 | |||||
1 | Clayton Kershaw, LAD | vs. ARI | vs. KC | |||||
2 | Yu Darvish, TEX | vs. BOS | vs. LAA | |||||
3 | Stephen Strasburg, WAS | vs. NYM | vs. ATL | |||||
4 | Jon Lester, CHC | vs. TB | vs. PIT | |||||
5 | Chris Archer, TB | at CHC | vs. BOS | |||||
6 | David Price, BOS | at TEX | at TB | |||||
7 | Jimmy Nelson, MIL | vs. BAL | at NYY | |||||
8 | Masahiro Tanaka, NYY | vs. TOR | vs. MIL | |||||
9 | Marcus Stroman, TOR | at NYY | vs. HOU | |||||
10 | J.A. Happ, TOR | at NYY | vs. HOU | |||||
11 | Ivan Nova, PIT | at PHI | at CHC | |||||
12 | Aaron Nola, PHI | vs. PIT | vs. SD | |||||
13 | Jameson Taillon, PIT | at PHI | at CHC | |||||
14 | Lance Lynn, STL | vs. MIA | vs. NYM | |||||
15 | Steven Matz, NYM | at WAS | at STL | |||||
16 | Joe Ross, WAS | vs. NYM | vs. ATL | |||||
17 | Brad Peacock, HOU* | at ATL | at TOR | |||||
18 | Felix Hernandez, SEA | vs. KC | vs. OAK | |||||
19 | Sean Newcomb, ATL | vs. HOU | at WAS | |||||
20 | Andrew Moore, SEA | vs. KC | vs. OAK | |||||
21 | Trevor Bauer, CLE | vs. SD | vs. DET | |||||
22 | Rick Porcello, BOS | at TEX | at TB | |||||
23 | Trevor Cahill, SD* | at CLE | at PHI | |||||
24 | Adam Wainwright, STL | vs. MIA | vs. NYM | |||||
25 | Alex Meyer, LAA | at MIN | at TEX | |||||
26 | Ian Kennedy, KC | at SEA | at LAD | |||||
27 | Jeff Hoffman, COL | vs. CIN | vs. CHW | |||||
28 | Carlos Rodon, CHW | at OAK | at COL | |||||
29 | Patrick Corbin, ARI* | at LAD | vs. CIN | |||||
30 | Jose Urena, MIA* | at STL | at SF | |||||
31 | Luis Castillo, CIN | at COL | at ARI | |||||
32 | Daniel Gossett, OAK | vs. CHW | at SEA | |||||
33 | Adalberto Mejia, MIN* | vs. LAA | vs. BAL | |||||
34 | Kyle Freeland, COL | vs. CIN | vs. CHW | |||||
35 | Ubaldo Jimenez, BAL | at MIL | at MIN | |||||
36 | Daniel Norris, DET | vs. SF | at CLE | |||||
37 | Kyle Gibson, MIN | vs. LAA | vs. BAL | |||||
38 | Jeff Locke, MIA* | at STL | at SF | |||||
39 | Matt Cain, SF | at DET | vs. MIA | |||||
40 | Wade Miley, BAL | at MIL | at MIN | |||||
41 | Jesse Hahn, OAK | vs. CHW | at SEA | |||||
42 | Homer Bailey, CIN | at COL | at ARI |
*RP-eligible