King can produce big this week

Week 3 is going to be busy across baseball. With a packed schedule comes plenty of two-start pitchers. Not only are a lot of pitchers scheduled to take the mound two times next week, but many of them are some of the top pitchers in all of baseball. Let’s highlight five projected two-start pitchers and discuss what their matchups might mean for their fantasy value.

Garrett Crochet, Boston Red Sox: vs. TOR, at CWS

Crochet has already made two starts for the Red Sox. They were two difficult matchups against the Rangers and Orioles. He couldn’t have pitched much better, allowing a total of two runs and recording 12 strikeouts over 13 innings. He allowed just nine hits and issued three walks. Neither team hit a home run off him.

Crochet comes with plenty of strikeout upside after he produced a 35.1% strikeout rate for the White Sox last season. Along with it came just a 5.5% walk rate that helped him produce a 1.07 WHIP. Anytime he gets two starts in a week, he can be a difference maker in fantasy. Helping his cause even further in Week 3 is that one of his matchups will be against the White Sox, who have the makings of one of the worst lineups in baseball again.

Zac Gallen, Arizona Diamondbacks: vs. BAL, vs. MIL

After allowing four runs over four innings against the Cubs in his first start, Gallen bounced back to throw 6 2/3 scoreless innings against the Yankees in his last start. He did not issue a single walk while recording 13 strikeouts. Gallen has allowed 0.9 HR/9 or fewer in each of the last three seasons and was taken deep just one time in his first two starts this year.

Gallen enters 2025 having produced three straight seasons with an ERA of 3.65 or lower and an xFIP of 3.62 or lower. He also has a 26.7% strikeout rate for his career. The Orioles and Brewers aren’t the easiest of matchups, but it might help Gallen that both of his starts will be at home. He has a 3.34 xFIP and a 1.09 WHIP for his career at home, compared to a 3.88 xFIP and a 1.17 WHIP on the road. Be sure that he is locked into fantasy starting lineups.

Michael King, San Diego Padres: at ATH, vs. COL

In his first full season as a starting pitcher, King recorded a 2.95 ERA and a 3.50 xFIP for the Padres. He also missed plenty of bats, posing a 27.7% strikeout rate. One of his most devasting pitches was his changeup, which he generated a 36.2% whiff rate with last season.

After a disappointing first start this season against the Braves, King bounced back to record 11 strikeouts over five shutout innings against the Guardians. After throwing 76 pitches in his first start, King increased to 88 pitches in his last outing. He should be able to approach 100 pitches a game moving forward. King could provide significant fantasy returns for a two-start week, especially when one of them is a home start against a Rockies team that traditionally struggles to score on the road.

Freddy Peralta, Milwaukee Brewers: at COL, at ARI

Peralta is coming off back-to-back seasons with at least 200 strikeouts. What’s even more impressive about that start is that he didn’t throw more than 173 2/3 innings in either of those campaigns. He provided much of the same production in his first two outings this season. After recording eight strikeouts over five innings against the Yankees, Peralta had eight strikeouts over eight innings in his last outing against the Royals.

As far as matchups go, this is not an ideal week for Peralta. Facing the Rockies at Coors Field can end up in disaster for starting pitchers on any given day. His second start comes on the road against a Diamondbacks team that scored the most runs in baseball last year. Peralta’s strikeout upside makes him worth starting, but fantasy managers might need to temper their expectations with regards to what he can provide their ratios.

Hayden Wesneski, Houston Astros: at SEA, vs. LAA

Wesneski was part of the return that the Astros received when they traded Kyle Tucker to the Cubs. He served mostly as a reliever during his time with the Cubs, starting a total of just 18 games over the last two seasons. Over 67 2/3 innings last season, he recorded a 3.86 ERA that was backed by a 3.93 xFIP. He also produced a 1.14 WHIP. However, his fantasy upside was capped by his 23.7% strikeout rate. Another concern with Wesneski is that he has allowed 1.7 HR/9 for his career.

The Astros are dealing with injuries to their starting rotation, so they have turned to Wesneski to fill one of those openings. In his first start this year, he allowed three runs and recorded six strikeouts over five innings against the Giants. For those in need of a streaming option, Wesneski is at least worth considering. His first start will come against a Mariners team that struck out the most times in baseball last season and had the ninth-worst OPS. The Angels had the third-worst OPS in baseball last year, so they also have the potential to be a favorable matchup.

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.