Means looks to keep it rolling

Week 7 brings some interesting projected two-start pitchers to consider for fantasy baseball. Let’s highlight five of them and discuss whether or not they should be locked into your starting lineup.

John Means, Baltimore Orioles: at NYM, vs. NYY

Means is coming off of a masterful no-hitter against the Mariners in which he recorded 12 strikeouts. If it were not for a dropped third-strike on one batter, he would have finished with a perfect game. With that performance in hand, he’s allowed two runs or fewer in six of his seven starts. He’s even been a better source for strikeouts, posting a 30.1 percent strikeout rate.

Following his no-hitter with starts against the Mets and Yankees is a tall order. However, the Mets are off to a slow start, entering Friday ranked in the bottom-10 in baseball in OPS. As risky as it might seem, starting Means this week could end up being the right call.

Dinelson Lamet, San Diego Padres: at COL, vs. STL

Fantasy managers that selected Lamet on draft day were certainly taking plenty of risk. His 2020 campaign ended with an elbow injury and he began this season on the IL. He only made it through two innings in his first start before landing back on the IL with forearm tightness. It seemed like he was destined to have a potentially season-ending surgery.

Not only has Lamet avoided surgery so far, he even started Tuesday against the Pirates. With that being said, he only made it through two innings. Expect the Padres to be very cautious with him moving forward, so he’s someone to keep on your bench, despite his two starts. He might be lucky to pitch a total of six innings.

Robbie Ray, Toronto Blue Jays: at ATL, vs. PHI

Who is this Robbie Ray that we have seen to start the season? Known for his lack of control, his walk rate is down to 7.8 percent. In fact, he hasn’t issued a single walk in each of his last three starts. During that span, he allowed eight runs and recorded 23 strikeouts across 18.2 innings. That included a start against the Braves, who he held to two runs across 6.2 innings.

If there is a word of caution with Ray, it’s that he’s already allowed six home runs across 28.2 innings. He’s allowed at least 1.4 HR/9 in each of the last three seasons, so his struggles in this department are nothing new. Still, with his strikeout upside and how well he’s pitching right now, he’s a viable streaming option for his upcoming two starts.

Brady Singer, Kansas City Royals: at DET, at CWS

Singer made it through his first season in the majors with respectable numbers, recording a 4.06 ERA and a 4.08 FIP in 2020. He only allowed eight home runs across 64.1 innings and limited hitters to a 4.5 percent barrel rate. He’s excelled in that area again this season with a 2.5 percent barrel rate allowed, which has helped propel him to a 3.41 ERA and a 3.45 FIP through six outings.

As far as favorable matchups go, it doesn’t get any better than the Tigers, who have the worst OPS in baseball. The last time Singer faced them, he allowed one run and recorded eight strikeouts across seven innings. Add in a White Sox’s lineup that has been compromised by injuries to Luis Robert (hip) and Eloy Jimenez (pectoral) and Singer is an appealing starting option in most fantasy leagues.

Aaron Sanchez, San Francisco Giants: vs. TEX, at PIT

Sanchez didn’t pitch in the majors in 2020, so the last time we saw him was a disappointing 2019 season in which he finished with a 5.89 ERA and a 5.25 FIP. A key to the success that he had early in his career was getting ground balls. In each of his first three seasons, he had a ground ball rate of at least 54.4 percent. However, he never topped 49.1 percent in each of the following three seasons.

Sanchez looks to be back to his old ways, using a 56.0 percent ground ball rate through his first six starts to post a 3.18 ERA and a 3.81 FIP. While you shouldn’t expect much from him in terms of strikeouts, two matchups against teams that rank inside the bottom-12 in the league in OPS makes Sanchez a viable streaming option.

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.