Fantasy Baseball Week 27 Preview: Two-start pitcher rankings highlight Kevin Gausman, Robbie Ray

What, no italics? That's right, I'm abandoning the usual boilerplate intro for this final edition of the two-start pitcher rankings to issue a grave warning ...

Don't count on any of these guys actually making two starts.

They appear to be in line to -- and some indeed will -- but it would be on the final day of the season. With no tomorrow, a team can throw caution to the wind and do whatever it feels like. I'm not saying it'll start someone on short rest, but a bullpen game or a spot starter? Why not?

And actually, I think the pitchers most in danger of losing their second start are the ones on the teams with a tomorrow -- i.e., the ones resetting their rotation for the playoffs. If they've already secured their spot prior to the final day of the season and one of their top hurlers is scheduled to go, they'll almost assuredly opt for someone else. 

So you should be skeptical of any pitcher listed here actually making two starts, but especially Zack Wheeler, Max Fried and Kevin Gausman. Maybe Cristian Javier, Nick Martinez and Robbie Ray as well. If you wouldn't be comfortable getting just one start from one of these pitchers, you're better off not using him at all.

For now, though, here's how the two-start pitcher slate stacks up for Fantasy Week 27 (Sept. 21-27). Be sure to check back Sunday for the latest updates.

Must-start, all formats1 Z. Wheeler SP PHI Zack Wheeler SP PHI vs MILMilwaukee vs TBTampa Bay 2 L. Gilbert SP SEA Logan Gilbert SP SEA vs HOUHouston vs LAAL.A. Angels 3 M. Fried SP NYY Max Fried SP NYY vs TBTampa Bay vs BALBaltimore 4 J. Jones SP PIT Jared Jones SP PIT vs STLSt. Louis @ DETDetroit Advisable in most cases5 C. Javier SP HOU Cristian Javier SP HOU @ SEASeattle @ ATHAthletics 6 K. Gausman SP CHC Kevin Gausman SP CHC vs MIAMiami @ BOSBoston 7 N. Martinez SP TB Nick Martinez SP TB @ NYYN.Y. Yankees @ PHIPhiladelphia Better left for points leagues8 B. Ober SP MIN Bailey Ober SP MIN @ SFSan Francisco vs TEXTexas 9 Y. Kikuchi SP LAA Yusei Kikuchi SP LAA @ ATHAthletics @ SEASeattle 10 A. Pallante SP STL Andre Pallante SP STL @ PITPittsburgh @ MILMilwaukee 11 M. Soroka SP ARI Mike Soroka SP ARI @ COLColorado @ SDSan Diego 12 R. Ray SP SD Robbie Ray SP SD @ LADL.A. Dodgers vs ARIArizona 13 S. Baz SP BAL Shane Baz SP BAL vs TORToronto @ NYYN.Y. Yankees 14 J. Bennett SP BOS Jake Bennett SP BOS vs CLECleveland vs CHCChi. Cubs No thanks15 S. Manaea SP NYM Sean Manaea SP NYM @ TEXTexas @ WASWashington 16 M. Scherzer SP TOR Max Scherzer SP TOR @ BALBaltimore vs CINCincinnati 17 D. Lynch IV RP KC Daniel Lynch IV RP KC vs CHWChi. White Sox vs CLECleveland 18 A. Kay SP CHW Anthony Kay SP CHW @ KCKansas City vs COLColorado 19 F. Griffin SP CLE Foster Griffin SP CLE @ BOSBoston @ KCKansas City 20 M. Gore SP TEX MacKenzie Gore SP TEX vs NYMN.Y. Mets @ MINMinnesota 21 J. Kent SP WAS Jackson Kent SP WAS @ DETDetroit vs NYMN.Y. Mets 22 B. Tidwell SP SF Blade Tidwell SP SF vs MINMinnesota vs LADL.A. Dodgers 23 A. Abbott SP CIN Andrew Abbott SP CIN @ ATLAtlanta @ TORToronto 24 J. Ritchie SP ATL JR Ritchie SP ATL vs CINCincinnati @ MIAMiami 25 K. Freeland SP COL Kyle Freeland SP COL vs ARIArizona @ CHWChi. White Sox 26 B. Basso RP ATH Brady Basso RP ATH vs LAAL.A. Angels vs HOUHouston 27 J. Junk SP MIA Janson Junk SP MIA @ CHCChi. Cubs vs ATLAtlanta Add CBS Sports on Google Join the Conversation comments