We made it, folks. We are at the end of another fantasy baseball season, and I have to say that I’m already ready for 2022.
Once the World Series is over, prep time begins for draft season for the new year.
Here’s hoping that your playoff matchups ended in this current week and that you are basking in all of the glory.
If not, we have some two-start pitchers for you to take you through the end of the season in Week 26. Granted, we have to take all of these with a grain of salt at this point, as players are getting skipped, rested, and shut down. I’d recommend checking CBS’s two-start pitching grid Monday morning before setting your lineup.
On a personal note, thanks for coming along for the ride again this season. I look forward to this column each week and hope that it serves you well.
If you have any suggestions that you’d like to see included for 2022, feel free to hit me up on Twitter @MichaelWaterloo. My DMs are open.
Now, let’s get to it for Week 26.
Import your team to My Playbook for instant Waiver Wire advice 
Like I do every week, I’ll break the pitchers down the two-start pitchers into six categories:
- Don’t Think Twice – These are your aces that you start no matter what.
- Widely-Rostered Options – Players rostered in the majority of leagues who should provide a positive return.
- In the Danger Zone – It’s a dice roll to start them given matchups or other factors.
- Streamers Rostered in Under 50% of Leagues – These guys should live on the waiver wire, but you can start them this week.
- Streamers Rostered in Under 25% of Leagues – Same as above but applied to deeper leagues.
- Not Unless You’re Desperate – I don’t recommend these guys unless you’re swinging for the fences.
Let’s take a look at those pitchers scheduled to make two starts for the upcoming week, as projected on CBS as of Friday afternoon.
Don’t Think Twice
Zack Wheeler (9/28 @ATL, 10/3 @MIA)
Walker Buehler (9/28 vs. SD, 10/3 vs. MIL)
Marcus Stroman (9/28 vs. MIA, 10/2 @ATL)
Luis Garcia (9/28 vs. TB, 10/3 vs. OAK)
Wade Miley (9/27 vs. PIT, 10/3 @PIT)
Chris Sale (9/28 @BAL, 10/3 @WAS)
Ian Anderson (9/28 vs. PHI, 10/3 vs. NYM)
Trevor Rogers (9/28 @NYM, 10/2 vs. PHI)
Widely-Rostered Options
Cal Quantrill (9/27 vs. KC, 10/3 @TEX)
Quantrill is going to be an interesting pitcher to follow throughout the offseason. The results have been there, sure, but a sub-20% strikeout rate is hard for long-term viability. For this week, though, I’m using him.
Chris Flexen (9/27 vs. OAK, 10/3 vs. LAA)
We know that ERA isn’t the best stat to use anymore, but Flexen’s ERA is the 21st best in all of baseball. He’s been such a safe, reliable pitcher for the Mariners and fantasy managers. He gets the scuffling A’s and the bad Angels this week. He’s a no-brainer.
In the Danger Zone
Germán Márquez (9/27 vs. WAS, 10/3 @ARI)
Let’s get Márquez out of Colorado this offseason, eh? I was close to elevating him up a tier given the matchups he has, but I’m sticking with my Coors Field rule. If he does ever leave Colorado, he’s a top 15 pitcher for me.
Taijuan Walker (9/28 vs. MIA, 10/3 @ATL)
Walker has been downright terrible since the All-Star break and since the substance ban. Even with the Marlins on the schedule here, I’m benching him.
Streamers Rostered in Under 50% of Leagues
Cole Irvin (9/27 @SEA, 10/3 @HOU)
Irvin’s been a league-average pitcher the past month, and he faces a Mariners team that just swept Oakland. I’m fine using him in 15-team leagues or larger, or if you’re in a points league.
Joe Ryan (9/28 vs. DET, 10/3 @KC)
Ryan has been a late-season savior for many fantasy managers, as he’s just come up, attacked the zone, and put on a great showcase for what 2022 can look like for him. With Detroit and Kansas City on the schedule, Ryan is our streamer of the week.
Elieser Hernández (9/28 @NYM, 10/3 vs. PHI)
Hernández may be making his final starts for the Marlins here. They have a ton of arms, and they really need bats in their system and at the big-league level. It’s unlikely he cracks the rotation next year, and if he wants to increase his trade value, he needs to close 2021 with a bang.
Brady Singer (9/27 @CLE, 10/2 vs. MIN)
Singer came off the Injured List and fired seven innings for his first career complete game (doubleheader, but still). It was a great performance by the former Florida Gator, and he’ll look to build off that start with two good matchups to wrap up his year against Cleveland and Minnesota.
Streamers Rostered in Under 25% of Leagues
N/A
Not Unless You’re Desperate
Dallas Keuchel (9/27 @DET, 10/3 vs. DET)
Corey Kluber 9/28 @TOR, 10/3 vs. TB)
Josiah Gray (9/27 @COL, 10/3 vs. BOS)
Drew Rasmussen (9/28 @HOU, 10/3 @NYY)
Daniel Lynch (9/28 vs. CLE, 10/3 vs. MIN)
Taylor Hearn (9/28 vs. LAA, 10/3 vs. CLE)
Mitch Keller (9/28 vs. CHC, 10/3 vs. CIN)
Dillon Peters (9/27 @CIN, 10/2 vs. CIN)
Keegan Akin (9/28 vs. BOS, 10/3 @TOR)
Tyler Alexander (9/28 @MIN, 10/3 @CHW)
Vince Velasquez (9/28 @LAD, 10/3 @SF)
Scott Kazmir (9/28 vs. ARI, 10/3 vs. SD)
Michael Waterloo is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Michael, check out his archive and follow him @MichaelWaterloo.
Get a FREE 6-month upgrade with our special offer
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio
If you want to dive deeper into fantasy baseball, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Baseball Tools as you navigate your season. From our Lineup Assistant – which provides your optimal lineup based on accurate consensus projections – to our Waiver Wire Assistant – that allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team and by how much – we’ve got you covered this fantasy baseball season.
