by Marshall Bauer

The Pitching Planner is a weekly column that will be run on Sundays here at Rotoprofessor. The column is a great tool, especially for those of you in head to head leagues with starts limits or those with weekly roster settings.

Two Start Options will be ranked given an amount of stars: 4 and 5 stars options are guys that I feel are must starts no matter the league size or format, 3 stars are guys that I feel are must starts unless you are in extremely shallow leagues, 2 stars are guys who I would lean against starting unless you are in a deep league or have no other options, and finally, 1 star guys should not be started under almost any scenario.

Players are listed in alphabetical order based on last name, for easier searching.

Five Stars

• Clayton Kershaw – Los Angeles Dodgers – vs SD(Mon), @ ATL(Sat)
• Tim Lincecum – San Francisco Giants – vs CHC(Mon), vs ARI(Sun)

Four Stars

• Roy Halladay – Philadelphia Phillies – @ CIN(Tue), @ FLA(Sun)
• Hiroki Kuroda – Los Angeles Dodgers – vs SD(Tue), @ ATL(Sun)
• Mat Latos – San Diego Padres – @ LAD(Mon), vs COL(Sun)
• Shaun Marcum – Milwaukee Brewers – vs STL(Tue), @ HOU(Sun)

Three Stars

• Bronson Arroyo – Cincinnati Reds – vs PHI(Tue), @ STL(Sun)
• Homer Bailey – Cincinnati Reds – vs PHI(Mon), @ STL(Sat)
• Mark Buehrle – Chicago White Sox – vs MIN(Mon), @ DET(Sun)
• Trevor Cahill – Oakland Athletics – @ CLE(Tue), vs SEA(Sun)
• Wade Davis – Tampa Bay Rays – @ TOR(Mon), vs BAL(Sat)
• RA Dickey – New York Mets – vs FLA(Mon), @ WAS(Sat)
• Doug Fister – Detroit Tigers – vs KC(Tue), vs CHW(Sun)
• Jaime Garcia – St. Louis Cardinals – @ MIL(Tue), vs CIN(Sun)
• Cole Hamels – Philadelphia Phillies – @ CIN(Mon), @ FLA(Sat)
• Jeremy Hellickson – Tampa Bay Rays – @ TOR(Tue), vs BAL(Sun)
• Daniel Hudson – Arizona Diamondbacks – vs COL(Mon), @ SF(Sun)
• Jair Jurrjens – Atlanta Braves – vs WAS(Tue), vs LAD(Sun)
• Brandon McCarthy – Oakland Athletics – @ CLE(Mon), vs SEA(Sat)
• Charlie Morton – Pittsburgh Pirates – @ HOU(Tue), @ CHC(Sun)
• Ricky Nolasco – Florida Marlins – @ NYM(Mon), vs PHI(Sat)
• Joel Piniero – Los Angeles Angels – @ SEA(Mon), vs MIN(Sat)
• Wandy Rodriguez – Houston Astros – vs PIT(Mon), vs MIL(Sun)
• Ricky Romero – Toronto Blue Jays – vs TB(Mon), @ NYY(Sun)
• CC Sabathia – New York Yankees – @ BAL(Mon), vs TOR(Sun)
• Max Scherzer – Detroit Tigers – vs KC(Mon), vs CHW(Sat)
• Javier Vazquez – Florida Marlins – @ NYM(Mon), vs PHI(Sun)
• Randy Wells – Chicago Cubs – @ SF(Mon), vs PIT(Sun)

Two Stars

• Blake Beavan – Seattle Mariners – vs LAA(Mon), @ OAK(Sun)
• Brett Cecil – Toronto Blue Jays – vs TB(Tue), @ NYY(Sun)
• Jeff Francis – Kansas City Royals – @ DET(Tue), vs CLE(Sun)
• Dillon Gee – New York Mets – vs FLA(Mon), @ WAS(Sun)
• Jeremy Guthrie – Baltimore Orioles – vs NYY(Mon), @ TB(Sun)
• Livan Hernandez – Washington Nationals – @ ATL(Tue), vs NYM(Sun)
• Luke Hochevar – Kansas City Royals – @ DET(Mon), vs CLE(Sat)
• David Huff – Cleveland Indians – vs OAK(Mon), @ KC(Sat)
• John Lackey – Boston Red Sox – vs NYY(Tue), vs TEX(Sun)
• Ross Ohlendorf – Pittsburgh Pirates – @ HOU(Mon), @ CHC(Sat)
• Alex White – Colorado Rockies – @ ARI(Mon), @ SD(Sun)
• Jerome Williams – Los Angeles Angels – @ SEA(Tue), vs MIN(Sun)

One Star

• Kevin Slowey – Minnesota Twins – @ CHW(Mon), @ LAA(Sun)