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Pitching Primer: Week 11

Fri May 31 10:51am ET
By MIKE BARNER
Contributing Writer

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Gil has emerged as elite pitcher


Another packed schedule for Week 11 leaves a lot of projected two-start pitchers. There are some aces among them, including Tyler Glasnow. Let’s discuss five other pitchers who are set to take the mound twice each and what to expect from them in fantasy baseball.

Luis Gil, New York Yankees: vs. MIN, vs. LAD

Gil earned a spot in the Yankees starting rotation after Gerrit Cole (elbow) landed on the injured list. It’s going to be difficult to ever take him out of the rotation based on how well he has pitched. Over 11 starts, he has a 1.99 ERA and a 2.97 FIP. Not only does he have a 31.7 percent strikeout rate, but he has given up just 29 hits over 63 1/3 innings.

These are not easy matchups for Gil. The Dodgers have scored the second-most runs in baseball, while the Twins have scored the 12th-most runs. However, with how dominant Gil has been, fantasy managers shouldn’t think about benching him.

Bailey Ober, Minnesota Twins: at NYY, at PIT

Ober must have nightmares about the Royals. In two starts against them this season, he has allowed 14 runs across 6 1/3 innings. Over his other nine starts, he has a 3.02 ERA and a 0.87 WHIP. Of the 10 home runs that he has allowed this season, six of them were hit by the Royals.

Facing the Yankees is a difficult way for Ober to start Week 11. They rank inside the top-six in baseball in runs scored, home runs and OBP. They have been especially lethal at home, where they have a .779 OPS. The Pirates are a favorable foe, but the damage could have already been done to Ober’s ERA and WHIP by the time he gets to them. Benching him for the week might be the best course of action.

Seth Lugo, Kansas City Royals: at CLE, vs. SEA

Lugo has proven to be an excellent offseason addition by the Royals. The veteran doesn’t blow hitters away at the plate, but he has limited them to a 38.2 percent hard-hit rate this season. With his 1.01 WHIP, he has recorded a 1.72 ERA and a 3.20 FIP.

Lugo’s 21.2 percent strikeout rate this season does limit his upside, but that doesn’t mean that he can’t help fantasy managers with his ERA and WHIP. If he is going to have one of his better strikeout performances of the season, it would likely come against the Mariners, who have struck out the most times in baseball. The Guardians’ lineup is no cake walk, but Lugo is still worth starting in most leagues.

Kutter Crawford, Boston Red Sox: vs. ATL, at CWS

The Red Sox have had a surprisingly strong starting rotation this season. Part of that can be attributed to Crawford, who has a 3.29 ERA and an identical 3.29 FIP. After giving up 17 home runs over 129 1/3 innings last season, he has allowed just five home runs across 68 1/3 innings this year. He has relied more on his sweeper, which has a 28.5 percent whiff rate.

A start against the Braves would normally be as scary as it gets for fantasy managers. However, the loss of Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) greatly impacts their lineup. They have been pretty underwhelming as a whole, scoring the 16th-most runs in baseball. His second start against the White Sox is as good as it gets, considering that they have scored the fewest runs in baseball. There’s no reason to bench Crawford for his two-start week.

Matt Waldron, San Diego Padres: at LAA, vs. ARI

After posting a 5.44 FIP at Triple-A last year, Waldron recorded a 5.46 FIP over 41 1/3 innings with the Padres. Despite those struggles, the Padres having a lack of viable starting pitching options has resulted in Waldron making 11 starts for them this season. His ERA isn’t off the charts at 4.26, but his 3.44 FIP is encouraging. One of the keys to his success has been increasing his strikeout rate from 17.9 percent last year to 24.2 percent this season.

Waldron has logged at least five innings and allowed two or fewer runs in each of his last four starts. That puts him on the radar for viable streaming options. Neither the Angels nor the Diamondbacks have menacing lineups. The Angels are tied for the 11th-most strikeouts in baseball, while the Diamondbacks ranked inside the bottom-half of baseball in runs scored and OPS. Waldron is worth taking a chance on in 12 and 15-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.

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