Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you’ve clicked this link expecting to find lots of two-start pitchers to start/stream in the most important week of the fantasy baseball season, you’ll likely be disappointed. Week 27, the final week, features the shortest list of the year. Just 23 confirmed starters. This is due to no seven-game schedules, a bunch of six-man rotations (Red Sox, Cubs, Astros, Pirates, Cardinals, and Rangers), and just some general confusion common at the end of seasons.
The good news though: they’re all here in one place. There’s a handful of streamable options. They’re ranked. And I even wrote some player notes in cases where that seemed appropriate.
So as always, feel free to have a scroll, remember to stream responsibly, and congratulations for making it this far. It’s been a blast writing for Fantrax this season. Hope you found the advice and information helpful. Do stay tuned for our off-season content and early looks at 2025.
Don’t You Dare Bench These Two-Start Pitchers
Tarik Skubal SP Tigers
Season: 185IP 17W 21QS 221K 2.48 ERA 0.94 WHIP
2 starts next week: Tuesday, September 24th vs. Rays + Sunday, September 29th vs. White Sox
Cole Ragans SP/RP Royals
Season: 180.1IP 11W 20QS 217K 3.24 ERA 1.15 WHIP
2 starts next week: Tuesday, September 24th @ Nationals + Sunday, September 29th @ Braves
Aaron Nola SP Phillies
Season: 188.1IP 12W 19QS 183K 3.54 ERA 1.17 WHIP
2 starts next week: Monday, September 23rd vs. Cubs + Sunday, September 29th @ Nationals
Michael King SP/RP Padres
Season: 168.2IP 12W 14QS 198K 3.04 ERA 1.20 WHIP
2 starts next week: Tuesday, September 24th @ Dodgers + Sunday, September 29th @ DBacks
Sonny Gray SP Cardinals
Season: 166.1IP 13W 13QS 203K 3.84 ERA 1.09 WHIP
2 starts next week: Tuesday, September 24th @ Rockies + Sunday, September 29th @ Giants
Notes: Sonny Gray making two starts is contingent on the Cardinals switching to a five-man rotation. With Lance Lynn recently moved to the IL (knee), they could choose to replace him with someone like Michael McGreevy (who pitched in bulk relief Wednesday). If so, Gray would make just the one start.
Freddy Peralta SP Brewers
Season: 168.1IP 11W 11QS 193K 3.69 ERA 1.23 WHIP
2 starts next week: Tuesday, September 24th @ Pirates + Sunday, September 29th vs. Mets
Bailey Ober SP Twins
Season: 168.2 IP 12W 18QS 180K 3.84 ERA 0.97 WHIP
2 starts next week: Tuesday, September 24th vs. Marlins + Sunday, September 29th vs. Orioles
Bryce Miller SP Mariners
Season: 173.1IP 11W 17QS 166K 3.06 ERA 0.99 WHIP
2 starts next week: Monday, September 23rd @ Astros + Sunday, September 29th vs. A’s
Ryan Pepiot SP/RP Rays
Season: 121IP 8W 9QS 131K 3.64 ERA 1.13 WHIP
2 starts next week: Tuesday, September 24th @ Tigers + Sunday, September 29th @ Red Sox
Notes: Chances are, Ryan Pepiot is not available in your league, but crunch time sometimes creates odd player drops. If the 27-year-old is somehow on waivers, certainly get him into your lineup. I know his workload has been reduced (only 76 pitches last time out), but what a performance on Wednesday (career-high 12 strikeouts and inducing a remarkable 23 swinging strikes on just 76 pitches). In a two-start week, you ought to at least get a normal week’s volume. And the opponents seem right. The Tigers rank 24th in wOBA while the Red Sox will likely be out of playoff contention on the last day of the season, the ultimate of all get-away days.
Spencer Schwellenbach SP Braves
Season: 109.2IP 7W 10QS 118K 3.61 ERA 1.10 WHIP
2 starts next week: Tuesday, September 24th vs. Mets + Sunday, September 29th vs. Royals
Nestor Cortes SP Yankees
Season: 174.1IP 9W 13QS 162K 3.77 ERA 1.15 WHIP
2 starts next week: Tuesday, September 24th vs. Orioles + Sunday, September 29th vs. Pirates
Bowden Francis SP/RP Blue Jays
Season: 98.2IP 8W 7QS 88K 3.47 ERA 0.93 WHIP
2 starts next week: Monday, September 23rd vs. Red Sox + Sunday, September 29th vs. Marlins
Notes: Underlying numbers back up Bowden Fancis’s solid rookie season. Given his string of seven Quality Starts in a row, and one of his opponents being the Marlins next week (29th in wOBA), there’s really no reason not to start the 28-year-old when it matters most.
You Should Probably Start These Two-Start Pitchers
Eduardo Rodriguez SP DBacks
Season: 40.2IP 3W 1QS 36K 5.09 ERA 1.45 WHIP
2 starts next week: Monday, September 23rd vs. Giants + Sunday, September 29th vs. Padres
Notes: If you weren’t encouraged by Eduardo Rodriguez’s first six starts (5.83 ERA/1.53 WHIP), that sure makes sense. But the lefty seems to be saving the best for last. He struck out 11 over 6.1 innings in Coors Field, his first Quality Start, and has now struck out 18 during his last two appearances. Sure, we can’t get too excited about the Padres next week (5th in wOBA). But the Giants (ranked 21st in wOBA and 5th most strikeouts against lefties) could very well make up for it. Seems like an ideal points-league stream, but you can do worse in categories.
In the Right Situation, These Two-Start Pitchers Make Sense
Jose Quintana SP Mets
Season: 166IP 10W 12QS 126K 3.74 ERA 1.24 WHIP
2 starts next week: Tuesday, September 24th @ Braves + Sunday, September 29th @ Brewers
Notes: That’s three scoreless starts in a row for Jose Quintana after Wednesday’s seven-shutout-inning performance. It’s also four out of five for the lefty and during that time he’s at a startling 0.28 ERA and 0.91 WHIP. If you’re skeptical about the 35-year-old’s ability to keep this up for even one more week, that’s understandable. His xERA is at 4.50 and his K rate is meager (14th percentile). But in a points league, it could be worth the gamble against a Braves team that has struggled a bit lately (17th in wOBA over the last month) and a Brewers team that, already having clinched their division, aren’t likely to be playing all their starters on the last day of the season.
Landon Knack SP Dodgers
Season: 61IP 3W 2QS 61K 3.39 ERA 1.07 WHIP
2 starts next week: Tuesday, September 24th vs. Padres + Sunday, September 29th @ Rockies
Notes: I’d be more excited about Landon Knack as a two-start pitcher if not for all the hard contact (average exit velocity 20th percentile, hard-hit rate 19th) in the air (34.7% fly ball rate). That is not likely to play well in a road start at Coors Field. And the Padres are 5th overall in wOBA, so it’s a big ask for the rookie. Still, if you’re a bit short at SP in a points league, it seems more worth a roll of the dice. Do keep an eye on him as a sleeper in 2025, though.
Mitch Spence SP/RP A’s
Season: 142.1IP 8W 4QS 119K 4.30 ERA 1.36 ERA
2 starts next week:Tuesday, September 24th vs. Rangers + Sunday, September 29th @ Mariners
Notes: A decent four-game stretch (2.70 ERA), and ideal matchups (Rangers 25th in wOBA, Mariners 22nd) make Mitch Spence at least a plausible RP-spot stream in a points league. With a 1.46 WHIP during that same stretch, seems like too big of a risk even in a deep categories league.
You Better Be Desperate To Start These Two-Start Pitchers
Dean Kremer SP Orioles
Season: 124.2IP 7W 9QS 120K 4.19 ERA 1.25 WHIP
2 starts next week: Tuesday, September 24th @ Yankees + Sunday, September 29th @ Twins
Notes: Given the xERA (4.44), the large body of mediocrity (4.31 ERA/1.34 WHIP/7.87 K/9 rate over 495 career innings), and the opponents next week (Yankees 3rd in wOBA, Twins 10th), Dean Kremer is a hard sell with your season on the line. He’s coming off three decent starts in a row, though, all with seven strikeouts and a good whiff rate (averaging 16 swinging strikes). If you find yourself in a desperate situation and needing a strikeout source, this might be the best of what’s left.
DJ Herz SP Nationals
Season: 83.2IP 4W 2QS 103K 4.30 ERA 1.27 WHIP
2 starts next week: Tuesday, September 24th vs. Royals + Sunday, September 29th vs. Phillies
Notes: DJ Herz is just too volatile right now to trust (12 earned runs in 18 innings). But if you’re unconcerned with ratios and just need strikeouts, this could be a sneaky stream. Probably just in daily-lineup leagues where you might be able to take advantage of Sunday’s start. If the Phillies have everything wrapped up by then, the 23-year-old could be facing a get-away-day lineup.
Ryan Weathers SP Marlins
Season: 75.1IP 3W 6QS 72K 3.94 ERA 1.18 WHIP
2 starts next week: Tuesday, September 24th @ Twins + Sunday, September 29th @ Blue Jays
Hayden Birdsong SP Giants
Season: 62.2IP 4W 1QS 71K 4.74 ERA 1.39 WHIP
2 starts next week: Monday, September 23rd @ DBacks + Sunday, September 29th vs. Cardinals
Jonathan Cannon SP White Sox
Season: 113.1IP 4W 6QS 81K 4.61 ERA 1.36 WHIP
2 starts next week: Tuesday, September 24th vs. Angels + Sunday, September 29th @ Tigers
Jack Kochanowicz SP Angels
Season: 51IP 9GS 2W 6QS 20K 4.56 ERA 1.32 WHIP
2 starts next week: Tuesday, September 24th @ White Sox + Sunday, September 29th vs. Rangers
Notes: Though you might be tempted to stream Jack Kochanowicz after his impressive seven-start stretch (3.05 ERA/1.15 WHIP), please take a moment to look at the strikeout rate (9.3%). It’s among the worst in the league (1st percentile). So is his xERA (5.57), his xBA (.302), and his hard-hit rate (4th percentile). He throws a lot of sinkers and it’s worked for him so far (54.5% ground ball rate), but even against two weak opponents next week, I’d need to be desperate to trust the 23-year-old with my season on the line.
Ryan Feltner SP Rockies
Season: 150.1IP 3W 11QS 129K 4.73 ERA 1.37 WHIP
2 starts next week: Tuesday, September 24th vs. Cardinals + Sunday, September 29th vs. Dodgers