Week 7 will showcase some of the best pitchers in the game as two start options. Chances are you won’t need to dip into the third or fourth tier if you are looking for a two start pitcher in the upcoming scoring period.
All projections are current as of May 7th, 2012. These projections are subject to change if there are rain delays or injuries.
Tier 1
Clayton Kershaw pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Clayton Kershaw – LAD 5/14 vs ARI – Ian Kennedy 5/19 vs STL - Jake Westbrook
Stephen Strasburg – WAS 5/15 vs SD – Anthony Bass 5/20 vs BAL – Jason Hammel
Dan Haren – LAA 5/14 vs OAK – Brandon McCarthy 5/19 @ SD – Jeff Suppan
C.C. Sabathia – NYY 5/15 @ BAL – Jason Hammel 5/20 vs CIN – Johnny Cueto
Zack Greinke – MIL 5/15 @ NYM – Dillon Gee 5/20 vs MIN – Jason Marquis
David Price – TB 5/15 @ TOR – Henderson Alvarez 5/20 vs ATL – Tim Hudson
Ian Kennedy – ARI 5/14 @ LAD – Clayton Kershaw 5/19 @ KC – Danny Duffy
Cliff Lee – PHI 5/15 vs HOU – Aneury Rodriguez 5/20 vs BOS – Josh Beckett
Lee is still a low #1 option as he returns from injury, but should be able to get on track with that first start against the Astros.
Tier 2
Jon Lester - Getty Images
Anibal Sanchez – MIA 5/14 vs PIT – Erik Bedard 5/19 @ CLE - Zach McAllister
Johnny Cueto – CIN 5/15 @ ATL – Tim Hudson 5/20 @ NYY – C.C. Sabathia
Jon Lester – BOS 5/14 vs SEA – Kevin Millwood 5/19 @ PHI – Joe Blanton
Brandon Morrow – TOR 5/14 vs TB – Jeff Niemann 5/19 vs NYM – Miguel Batista
Tim Lincecum – SF 5/15 vs COL – TBA 5/20 vs OAK – Tyson Ross
There is plenty of concern about Lincecum this year, but with 2 very winnable games against the Rockies and A’s, he is a tier 2 starter this week
Colby Lewis – TEX 5/14 vs KC – Danny Duffy 5/19 @ HOU – Lucas Harrell
Kyle Lohse – STL 5/15 vs CHC – Paul Maholm 5/20 @ LAD – Chad Billingsley
Lohse has been one of the surprises of 2012, and is very nearly a tier 1 starter for the upcoming scoring period. He should be active in all formats while he is pitching like this.
Brandon McCarthy - OAK 5/14 @ LAA – Dan Haren 5/19 @ SF – Ryan Vogelsong
Tier 3
Ryan Dempster - Wikipedia
Chad Billingsley – LAD 5/15 vs ARI – Wade Miley 5/20 vs STL – Kyle Lohse
Jason Hammel – BAL 5/15 vs NYY – C.C. Sabathia 5/20 @ WAS – Stephen Strasburg
Hammel has looked extremely solid through the first month of the season, but with two tough matchups against the Yanks and Nats he doesn’t quite make the second tier of pitchers
Ryan Dempster – CHC 5/14 @ STL – Jake Westbrook 5/19 vs CHW – Eric Stults
Dempster pitches like a tier 1 guy, but with no offense backing him up, and the bullpen blowing all his wins, he falls to the third tier for week 7
Josh Johnson – MIA 5/15 vs PIT – Kevin Correia 5/20 @ CLE – Jeanmar Gomez
Max Scherzer – DET 5/15 @ CHW – Jake Peavy 5/20 vs PIT – Kevin Correia
Scherzer gets two easy offenses in week 7 as he faces the White Sox and the Pirates, and his owners could get a nice week out of the young hurler
Josh Beckett – BOS 5/15 vs SEA - Jason Vargas 5/20 @ PHI – Cliff Lee
Drew Smyly – DET 5/14 @ CHW – John Danks 5/19 vs. PIT – Erik Bedard
Tim Hudson – ATL 5/15 vs CIN – Johnny Cueto 5/20 @ TB – David Price
Ross Detwiler – WAS 5/14 vs SD – Jeff Suppan 5/19 vs BAL – Wei-Yin Chen
Detwiler has been turning heads in Washington, D.C., and he vaults into the third tier for week 7. If you are in need of a solid pickup, he should be available in most fomats, and has two very winnable games against the Padres and Orioles.
Erik Bedard – PIT 5/14 @ MIA – Anibal Sanchez 5/19 @ DET – Drew Smyly
Bedard looks like he is capturing his old form, but with two power offenses upcoming in the Marlins and Tigers, it will be hard for him to lock up two wins, and he is a low tier 3 option.
Tier 4
Ervin Santana - Wikipedia
Ervin Santana – LAA 5/15 vs OAK – Tyson Ross 5/20 @ SD – Anthony Bass
Most owners still see Santana as a tier 2 or tier 3 option, but this year he is barely ownable as his control is all over the map and strikeouts are down. The good news? Two pitchers ballparks in Oakland and San Diego make Santana a high tier 4 option.
Jason Vargas – SEA 5/15 @ BOS – Josh Beckett 5/20 @ COL – TBA
John Danks – CHW 5/14 vs DET – Drew Smyly 5/20 @ CHC – Paul Maholm
Henderson Alvarez – TOR 5/15 vs TB – David Price 5/20 vs NYM – Dillon Gee
Alvarez is another young arm to keep an eye on in 2012, he is starting to turn heads but with a tough matchup against the Rays he remains a tier 4 option in week 7
Jake Westbrook – STL 5/14 vs CHC – Ryan Dempster 5/19 @ LAD – Clayton Kershaw
Joe Blanton – PHI 5/14 vs HOU – Lucas Harrell 5/19 vs BOS – Jon Lester
Ryan Vogelsong – SF 5/14 vs COL – Jeremy Guthrie 5/19 vs OAK – Brandon McCarthy
Jeff Niemann – TOR 5/14 @ TOR – Brandon Morrow 5/19 vs ATL – Randall Delgado
Danny Duffy – KC 5/14 @ TEX – Colby Lewis 5/19 vs ARI – Ian Kennedy
Duffy might have a funny name, but he throws in the high 90′s from the left side, and could be the ace of the Royals staff in a few years. Having to face the Rangers and Diamondbacks won’t help much in week 7, which is why you find Duffy in the 4th tier.
Jeanmar Gomez – CLE 5/14 @ MIN – Carl Pavano 5/20 vs MIA – Josh Johnson
Tier 5
Homer Bailey - Getty Images
Wei-Yin Chen – BAL 5/14 vs NYY – David Phelps 5/19 @ WAS - Ross Detwiler
Homer Bailey – CIN 5/14 @ ATL – Randall Delgado 5/19 @ NYY – David Phelps
Wade Miley – ARI 5/15 @ LAD – Chad Billingsley 5/20 @ KC – Bruce Chen
Dillon Gee – NYM 5/15 vs MIL – Zack Greinke 5/20 @ TOR – Henderson Alvarez
Marco Estrada – MIL 5/14 @ NYM – Miguel Batista 5/19 vs MIN – Carl Pavano
Randall Delgado – ATL 5/14 vs CIN – Homer Bailey 5/19 @ TB – Jeff Niemann
Carl Pavano – MIN 5/14 vs CLE – Jeanmar Gomez 5/19 @ MIL – Marco Estrada
Lucas Harrell – HOU 5/14 @ PHI – Joe Blanton 5/19 vs TEX – Colby Lewis
Bruce Chen – KC 5/15 @ TEX – Derek Holland 5/20 vs ARI – Wade Miley
David Phelps – NYY 5/14 @ BAL – Wei-Yin Chen 5/19 vs CIN – Homer Bailey
Paul Maholm – CHC 5/15 @ STL – Kyle Lohse 5/20 vs CHW – John Danks
Kevin Correia – PIT 5/15 @ MIA – Josh Johnson 5/20 @ DET – Max Scherzer
Tyson Ross – OAK 5/15 @ LAA – Ervin Santana 5/20 @ SF – Tim Lincecum
Jeremy Guthrie – COL 5/14 @ SF – Ryan Vogelsong 5/19 vs SEA – Kevin Millwood
There is no reason to own any of the Rockies pitchers in 2012, let alone the “ace” of the staff Guthrie. Even with two winnable games against the Giants and Mariners, Guthrie will probably give up 4+ runs in each game.
Jason Marquis – MIN 5/15 vs CLE – Derek Lowe 5/20 @ MIL – Zack Greinke
Kevin Millwood – SEA 5/14 @ BOS – Jon Lester 5/19 @ COL – Jeremy Guthrie
Aneury Rodriguez – HOU 5/15 @ PHI – Cliff Lee 5/20 vs TEX – Derek Holland
Miguel Batista – NYM 5/14 vs MIL – Marco Estrada 5/19 @ TOR – Brandon Morrow
Jeff Suppan – SD 5/14 @ WAS – Ross Detwiler 5/19 vs LAA – Dan Haren
That is it for today, as always any questions please take to the forums!
