With a number of key players getting off to slow starts this season (like half of my NFBC squad), we need to stay alert and active. It is still early, so you have lots of time to make your team better.

One option is to try to buy the slow-starting players at a low price from their owners if they get impatient, but you can also get some for nothing. By keeping one eye on the waiver wire, you can get some quality guys who will turn it around.

I found Josh Johnson on the scrap heap and grabbed him just in time to enjoy his 12-strikeout performance on Monday. Why someone would toss aside a guy with a 1-1 record and a 4.09 ERA is a mystery to me, but this guy has “ace” written all over him, and I will enjoy his stats this season at the bargain-basement price of my waiver priority.

Now, the projected two-start pitchers for this week. For those of you in leagues who require you to set your lineup at the beginning of the week, these are guys you should strongly consider:

American League
BAL Jeremy Guthrie , Brian Matusz
BOS Clay Buchholz , Jon Lester
CWS Jake Peavy , Gavin Floyd
CLE Mitch Talbot
DET Max Scherzer
KC Gil Meche , Luke Hochevar
LAA Joe Saunders , Ervin Santana
MIN Scott Baker , Carl Pavano
NYY C.C. Sabathia
OAK Dallas Braden
SEA Jason Vargas
TB James Shields
TEX Rich Harden , Scott Feldman
TOR Brett Cecil , Ricky Romero
  
National League
ARI Undecided*, Ian Kennedy
ATL Kenshin Kawakami
CHC Ryan Dempster
CIN Mike Leake
COL Ubaldo Jimenez
FLA Anibal Sanchez
HOU Felipe Paulino , Roy Oswalt
LAD Clayton Kershaw
MIL Chris Narveson
NYM Oliver Perez
PHI Cole Hamels , Joe Blanton
PIT Paul Maholm
SD Kevin Correia
SF Todd Wellemeyer
STL Jaime Garcia , Adam Wainwright
WAS Livan Hernandez

* The Arizona Diamondbacks are still undecided about their Monday pitcher, who will likely get two starts on the week. This is Kris Benson ’s slot, but Benson is already on the DL after one outing.


Rick’s Picks
Five best bets for double-start pitchers this week

1. C.C. Sabathia , NYY. Sabathia is the best pitcher on the best team in baseball, so what’s not to like? The first start is a home game against a weak Baltimore Orioles squad but the second is at the rival Boston Red Sox. Bank on one win, but the second might be a little tougher to wrangle. Look for good ratios and strikeouts as always.

The next four pitchers all get two starts on the road, which is never a good thing, but all are red hot and most opponents are weak, so play them with confidence.

2. Ubaldo Jimenez , COL (at SD, at LAD)

3. Ryan Dempster , CHC (at PIT, at CIN)

4. Ricky Romero , TOR (at CLE, at CWS)

5. James Shields , TB (at SEA, at OAK)

Rick Milleman is the head fantasy baseball contributor at DraftBuddy.com . Check his annual player projections included in the Cheatsheet Compiler & Draft Buddy to help draft your championship team.

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