Week 27 Two-Start Pitchers: Don't Trust Either Start — SkimNews
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Kevin Gausman, Max Fried, and Zack Wheeler are the pitchers most at risk of losing their scheduled second start in Week 27, because their teams may opt to rest them before the playoffs
- Payton Tolle was deliberately excluded from the rankings despite appearing to have two starts scheduled, because the analyst is confident he won't actually make the second one
- The two-start slate covers Fantasy Week 27 (Sept. 21-27), with most second starts falling on the final day of the regular season when teams have nothing to play for
- Cristian Javier, Nick Martinez, and Robbie Ray are also flagged as pitchers likely to lose their second start
- Teams that have already clinched a playoff spot and are resetting their rotation are the most likely to skip an ace's final scheduled turn, while losing teams may resort to bullpen games or spot starters
- The analyst's litmus test: if a fantasy manager wouldn't be comfortable using a pitcher for just one start, they're better off not starting him at all
Why it matters: For fantasy baseball managers in Week 27, the traditional two-start pitcher advantage may largely evaporate: playoff-bound teams are incentivized to rest their aces, and eliminated teams can freely deploy bullpen games or spot starters, meaning even top names like Gausman, Fried, and Wheeler might deliver just one start instead of two during the Sept. 21-27 scoring period.
Ask SkimNews
