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The Sleeper and the Bust Episode: 1528 – 2-Start Pitchers for Week 21

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August 7, 2026

8/7/26

The latest episode of “The Sleeper and the Bust” is live!

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DISCORD/YOUTUBE

2-START PITCHERS FOR WK21 (August 10th)

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Approximately 56 minutes of joyous analysis.

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Starting Pitcher Chart – August 7th, 2026

by
August 7, 2026
William Navarro-Imagn Images

Welcome to the Daily SP Chart, click here if you’re new to get an idea of what I’m doing with these rankings.

  • Zebby in for Prielipp, dropped to a shaky 1-x reco. as MIL is much better vR.
  • Drohan broke his 4 QS streak in a tough 5 ER start v. COL but then immediately started a new streak with 6 IP/2 ER at LAA in his most recent outing.
  • Really eager to see if Gausman can shave that .318 with one of the best defenses in baseball behind him now.
  • Roki’s on another heater (2.25 ERA/1.00 WHIP/20% K-BB in 24 IP) and gets a great matchup to stay hot. Of course, his last bad outing was a 3 IP/6 ER Dud against SDP, one of the worst offenses in the league, so there are never any guarantees with him.
  • Despite getting SDP today, I did drop Blanco down to 1-x just because we really haven’t seen a ton in his 3 starts off the IL.

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Starting Pitcher Chart – August 6th, 2026

by
August 6, 2026
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome to the Daily SP Chart, click here if you’re new to get an idea of what I’m doing with these rankings.

 

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Paul Sporer’s Baseball Chat – August 5th, 2026

by
August 5, 2026

1:03

Paul Sporer: Hello everyone, thanks for coming out!!!
1:05

yochuckie: Starting Harrison 1st time out v Pittsburgh?
1:06

Paul Sporer: Yes, I’m running him! https://fantasy.fangraphs.com/starting-pitcher-chart-august-5th-2026/
1:06

MD: I’m usually on the “ignore until at least a half season after TJS” train, but from a position of really needing SP right now down the stretch, any optimism for Jobe? Montgomery?
1:10

Paul Sporer: Yes, I’m much more open to these off the wire. I want nothing to do w/TJ returners at the draft table, but the “any port in a storm” nature of the season leads me to looking at them much more closely as waiver pickups. IP usage out of the gate is a concern and then the start-to-start volatility that we see with TJ returners is as well. Now they can outrun it in a shorter sample like Bradish last yr and then we saw his struggles this year. Jobe higher upside w/his swing & miss potential but I could also so 3-4 IP outings outta him initially whereas Monty will likely be allowed to go 5-6 off rip assuming he isn’t running up huge pitch counts
1:10

getwonkafied: Any point in trying to buy low on Vlad? Offered my $5 Willson Contreras for $40 Vlad

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Starting Pitcher Chart – August 5th, 2026

by
August 5, 2026
Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Welcome to the Daily SP Chart, click here if you’re new to get an idea of what I’m doing with these rankings.

  • Weird as hell board. I’m not super confident in a #1, so I chose my guy Detmers: 21% K-BB for the year and 30% over the L30 days. Eury was close and actually had the #1 spot initially, but I balked with a trip to ATL. Woo’s excellent at home, but DET is raking right now so that’ll be a nice unstoppable force vs immovable object type of vibe.
  • Maybe Scott should’ve been more of a contender for the #1 as he’s dominating lately (1.77 ERA/0.98 WHIP/25% K-BB in L30) and gets a good matchup with CLE. Hell, with that in mind, maybe Burke is underrated at 9. He’s been electric over the last month (1.05 ERA/0.66 WHIP/32% K-BB) but BOS has been sizzling so don’t let that 28 wOBA rank fool you, they’re 12th over the last month so I got cold feet pushing him too high. He’s still an easy must-start and would make a nice pivot in daily games if you want someone who won’t be highly rostered.
  • Mize gets a strong landing spot with his new team, facing an ARI team that hasn’t done much vR. If he can stay healthy – a big IF with him – he could be a huge add for the Pads.
  • Skenes he’s the lowest he’s been in… forever? Back-to-Back Duds (with 18 Ks in 9.3 IP, to be fair) and a 6.46 ERA/1.57 WHIP in his L7 (36.7 IP). I’ve been slow to this move as I didn’t even consider a tangible move down back in May and then held firm in June, feeling comforted by his 2.84 ERA/1.17 WHIP/27% K-BB run in the first four starts of the month. That last one of the month where he had the bad 2nd inning (4 ER) sink him v. CIN has started this tailspin. And we’re still talking “tailspin” relative to his obscene heights because even in the midst of this, he ran off three in a row with a 2.49 ERA/1.22 WHIP/22% K-BB against three playoff-positioned teams (ATL, MIL, at CLE). I grant that 22% K-BB is almost pedestrian for him, but let’s remember that’s a Top 10 mark on the year (11 guys hit the mark if you round Luzardo up — and of course, I do as a hater of decimals in fantasy baseball percentages).
  • Harrison, you know my spiel on the IL returners – everyone has their personal way of handling guys off the IL so just follow that. Some are firm “never start” and I think that’s likely a winning proposition in the aggregate. It’s always been case-by-case for me and I nervously ran Harrison in the Main Event. I’d have been more scared with a righty against PIT in this scenario but they can clip lefties (up to 17th in L30), too. I’m just so in the bag for Harrison that I don’t want to miss a start of his so here we go!!
  • Will likely add some more in the AM!

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The Sleeper and the Bust Episode: 1527 – Trade Deadline Aftermath

by
August 4, 2026

8/3/26

The latest episode of “The Sleeper and the Bust” is live!

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YOUTUBE

TEAM-BY-TEAM TRADE DEADLINE AFTERMATH

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Starting Pitcher Chart – August 4th, 2026

by
August 4, 2026
Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Welcome to the Daily SP Chart, click here if you’re new to get an idea of what I’m doing with these rankings.

I’m wiped after a pair of Trade Deadline shows (with Nick Pollack here and then a Sleeper & The Best ep. that should be up by the morning for audio and can be watched here) so I’ll drop some comments in the morning!

  • Skubal debut in LA… I’m sure everyone will be tuned in as there was absolutely zero pushback or consternation about it! Btw, people can be annoyed with the deal and how the Dodgers get everyone, but taking it out on Skubal who was simply traded by his team is silly.
  • I won’t pretend it was the consensus but I didn’t think any pushback on Minnesota keeping Ryan had merit. They’re very much in the mix, were clearly buying, and still have another year of Ryan to consider dealing him this winter/next year if things go south.
  • I have no idea if Milwaukee offered Henderson in the River Ryan role of a Skubal trade, but if so, I’d have rather gone that route. But it’s pure speculation, we have no idea who Milwaukee offered (or if it’s out there, I haven’t seen it). I wanted them to go hard for Skubal not just so my Tigers get what I perceive to be a better return (if Hendo was in it) but also so the Dodgers didn’t get another elite piece.
  • Maybe Jared Jones is more firmly back than I originally thought. I preached some caution on a couple recent pod appearances where he was getting promoted as a 2H breakout because I didn’t want to get caught up using a small sample to think someone is fully back from TJ. It is 5 starts and 27 IP where Jones has been completely dialed: 2.00 ERA/.63 WHIP/28% K-BB. Even if I still have a bit of residual caution on thinking he’s fully back, he has done enough to be a rotation lock for the foreseeable future. He gets a 2-step this week (NYM on the wknd) and even if this didn’t go super well, I still think he’d be a firm 3-x next week v. BOS whereas in the throes of my panic, I might’ve run him to the bench at the first sign of trouble.

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Starting Pitcher Chart – August 3rd, 2026

by
August 3, 2026
Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Welcome to the Daily SP Chart, click here if you’re new to get an idea of what I’m doing with these rankings.

  • I willing to take a shot on Javier after the excellent 5 IP relief appearance thanks to the good TOR matchup. He’s an even easier start for me in weekly leagues with a trip to SDP on the weekend.
  • Pfaadt is surging since his return w/a 1.85 ERA/1.06 WHIP in six starts, running up a beautiful 5-0 record in the process. The cold water comes when we see just a 10% K-BB during this run. I’m still running him today because of the matchup but I don’t think he’s fully emerged from his previous troubles with this run. He’s still toting a 200-pt OPS platoon split as lefties remain a major hurdle. Until we see significant improvement there, it’s hard to see any run as a real breakout.
  • Boyd is rolling so I’m sticking w/him even v. LAD!
  • Taking anyone into Coors is always fraught and Seymour is hardly an ace, but I’m OK taking the shot here.
  • None of the 3 1-x’ers are close to a must start. In fact, they’re all probably “half” x’s for me as I can see taking a chance on talented-but-inconsistent pitchers. Be very careful with them!

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The Sleeper and the Bust Episode: 1526 – 2-Start Pitchers for Week 20

by
August 2, 2026

7/31/26

The latest episode of “The Sleeper and the Bust” is live!

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YOUTUBE

2-START PITCHERS FOR WK20 (July 31st)

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Starting Pitcher Chart – July 31st, 2026

by
July 31, 2026

Welcome to the Daily SP Chart, click here if you’re new to get an idea of what I’m doing with these rankings.

  • Imanaga is rolling to the point where I’d probably start him against a fully powered Yankees team, but it’s super easy to feel confident in him against the hobbled version of NYY.
  • Could this be Greene’s final start as a Red? They’re getting a lot of heat on him and it wouldn’t be crazy to trade him now that Burns has emerged as the heir apparent ace.
  • Suarez was limited to just 64 pitches off the IL, but dropped 4 scoreless with 6 Ks, 0 BB; should be able to get through 5 if he’s pitching well v. LAD.
  • Leahy has been electric lately so maybe I should’ve given him a 3-x today: 1.70 ERA/0.92 WHIP/19% K-BB over his L7.
  • Young has allowed more than 3 ER just 2x this year and both times it was just 4. The skills don’t scream low-3.00s ERA with just an 11% K-BB and a 1.29 WHIP.
  • I’m fine if you don’t even want to start Peralta in 15s. He’s just been so bad.
  • Peralta/Mize scratched due to trade interest; Yamamoto moved to tomorrow

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