At this point in the year, the appeal of grizzled veterans with limited upside is starting to wear off. Your team doesn’t need a starting pitcher with 4.00 ERA, 1.40 WHIP type stuff, it could use a young arm with more risk and more reward. When you peel back the top layer of free agents, there are several young arms that fit the bill and are available in most leagues.

Of course, there are question marks with each player that has gone unwanted in the majority of leagues. But, knowing the names before the consistent results come is what fantasy championships are made of. Get to know the pitchers on this list because there’s a good chance they take the fantasy world by storm in the second half of the year.

And without further ado, here is our “Dirty Half Dozen” starting pitchers:

1. Kevin Slowey, Minnesota Twins
Slowey is showing good signs for future gains. Of course, going 2-0 and allowing one earned run over 15 innings in his last two starts is very promising. But, fantasy owners can be just as optimistic about the fact that, even as he was losing his first four starts, Slowey was limiting the damage against him. In five May starts, Slowey is putting it all together with a 2-3 record, a 2.87 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 22 strikeouts in 31.1 innings.

2. Jeremy Guthrie, Baltimore Orioles
Much like when he burst onto the scene last season, Guthrie is putting up quality ratios while struggling to get enough support to win games. That is not likely to change, but we are getting good affirmation that his 2007 season was not a fluke. At the very least, Guthrie is good for spot starts against weaker competition because he stands a strong chance of racking up more quality starts. Pick your spots right, and wins will come along with solid outings.

3. Luke Hochevar, Kansas City Royals
Hochevar has been a forgotten man despite being one of the more talented, young pitchers in the game. Problem is, he’s not pitching all that great (3-5, 4.98 ERA) and he’s been banished to Kansas City - home to MLB’s worst offense. Hochevar has shown an ability to eat innings and pitch effectively, but the command has been too spotty to trust. The talent is there though, so don’t be shocked when he pulls it together and goes on a nice run.

4. Andrew Miller, Florida Marlins
There have been bumps in the road, for sure, but Miller’s upside can’t be questioned. When he’s in his comfort zone at home, his high 90s fastball and sweeping slider are a potent combination for success. He’s been roughed up in each of his last two outings, but both have come on the road to National League contenders Philadelphia and New York. Take advantage of his home starts and ignore the aggregate season numbers; Miller is a different pitcher now than he was in April.

5. Edwin Jackson, Tampa Bay Rays
You know what you’re getting from Jackson on a given night. Probably a few too many walks, but with a chance to win and rack up some strikeouts in the process. Of all the pitchers on this list, Jackson is the only one with enough experience to consider for a long-term roster spot. If your league goes deep on pitching, you could do far worse than add Jackson as your No. 6 or No. 7 starter.

6. Homer Bailey, Cincinnati Reds
Bailey is expected to be called up for a Thursday start against the Phillies. The 22-year old has been up and down as a pro, first going 4-2 with a 5.76 ERA in nine starts with the Reds last season, then 4-4 with a 4.15 ERA in 12 starts at Triple-A Louisville this season. He’s a name that must be monitored, just don’t look for him to save your fantasy team’s season.

Dustin Hockensmith is editor of ImaginaryDiamond.com. He can be contacted at dhockensmith[at]fantasysports101.net.