If your fantasy baseball team is like mine, it needs some help later this week.
Two rough early outings have my team behind, so I’m identifying some pitchers who offer the best chances at a late-week save as a starting pitcher in fantasy baseball leagues.
Here’s two pitchers I’m eyeing for solid starts later this week.
Chase Anderson, SP, Milwaukee Brewers
I almost pulled the trigger on Anderson as a two-start pitcher this week, but I digressed because of the early matchup with the Cubs.
He didn’t fair too bad against the Cubs, yielding two runs in the first inning and then settling down. He went five innings and gave up those two runs, while striking out five.
For those scoring at home, he’s given up only three earned runs in three starts this season, and has 16 strikeouts, compared to five walks.
What I like most about his start on Saturday is that it comes against a struggling St. Louis team that hasn’t been able to hit yet this season. The Cardinals have the worst batting average in Major League Baseball at .206 as a team. St. Louis also has 46 total runs, the third-worst mark in the Majors.
Eventually the Cardinals will do better. However, for the time being, ride Anderson’s hot start and grab him for a back-end start. He’s owned in about 20 percent of fantasy leagues on ESPN, so he’s worth a start.
Bartolo Colon, SP, Atlanta Braves
Yes, Colon is still a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. And while he’s not the fantasy baseball option he once was, this matchup Friday offers a good shot at garnering some fantasy baseball points.
Colon squares off against Philadelphia on Friday, a team he has dominated in recent starts. He owns a 2.51 ERA during his last five starts against the Phillies, and he’s coming off a pretty good outing in his own right this past Sunday.
He allowed one earned run against San Diego, while striking out six batters in seven innings. That gives him two quality starts in three games this season.
He’s not a long-term option, but he’s going to strike batters out and has shown the ability to do well against Philadelphia. Pick him up this week if you can.
