Abbott is a risky play this week

Week 27 brings the final games of the regular season. It’s an important time for fantasy managers, but it’s tricky when it comes to projecting two-start pitchers. Some superstars like Max Fried, Kevin Gausman and Zack Wheeler are all lined up to start twice each, but their teams might not send them out for their second outing as they line up their rotations for the playoffs. With that in mind, here are five other projected two-start pitchers who have a better chance of actually taking the mound twice.

Logan Gilbert, Seattle Mariners: vs. HOU, vs. LAA

A disappointing finish to the season has left the Mariners out of the playoff picture. They are 40-35 at home, but their 31-47 road record proved to be their undoing. Gilbert hasn’t been at his best as the season winds down, posting a 4.36 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP over his last 11 starts. He recorded 75 strikeouts over 64 innings during that span, but his 14 home runs allowed resulted in his unraveling.

Gilbert is lined up to finish the season with two starts at home, where he has a 29.8% strikeout rate this year. For his career, he has a 3.26 xFIP and a 0.99 WHIP in Seattle, compared to a 3.80 xFIP and a 1.13 WHIP on the road. The Astros are only 16th in runs scored, while the Angels are tied for the fewest runs scored in baseball. Los Angeles also has the second-highest strikeout rate, leaving Gilbert with significant upside for fantasy managers.

Jake Bennett, Boston Red Sox: vs. CLE, vs. CHC

The Red Sox will likely roll with Sonny Gray, Ranger Suarez and Payton Tolle in the Wild Card round, meaning that Bennett could be asked to make two starts next week. He has been a reliable member of their rotation, posting a 3.78 ERA that is backed by an even better 3.42 xERA. His 20.4% strikeout rate isn’t great, but he has maintained a 1.10 WHIP because he only has a 4.5% walk rate. He has also limited hitters to a 38.4% hard-hit rate.

The Guardians are trying to make the playoffs based on the strength of their pitching staff. Their lineup has been underwhelming, scoring the fourth-fewest runs in baseball. The Cubs have one of the best lineups in the majors, but Bennett is lined up to face them on the final day of the regular season. The Cubs could rest most of their key hitters heading into the playoffs, so Bennett might face a compromised lineup. That makes him worth deploying in most fantasy formats.

Andrew Abbott, Cincinnati Reds: at ATL, at TOR

Abbott was an important fantasy contributor last season, finishing with a 2.87 ERA, 3.55 xERA and a 1.15 WHIP. He has torpedoed those who drafted him this year, sporting a 4.70 ERA, 5.01 xERA and a 1.47 WHIP. His strikeout rate has fallen from 21.8% last year to 17.8% this season. His walk rate has also increased by more than four percentage points to 10.7%. In two of his last four starts, he gave up at least seven runs.

Abbott begins next week with a difficult matchup against the Braves, who have hit the seventh-most home runs in the majors. The game against the Blue Jays isn’t daunting because they are tied with the Angels for the fewest runs scored. However, that’s still not a reason to take a chance on Abbott in fantasy, even if your squad is desperate for innings. That outing against the Braves alone could do plenty of damage to your ERA and WHIP.

Jared Jones, Pittsburgh Pirates: vs. STL, at DET

After sitting out all of 2025 because of injury, Jones has thrown 90 2/3 innings for the Pirates this year. He hasn’t been limited down the stretch, throwing at least 85 pitches in each of his last six outings. Over that stretch, he posted a 2.56 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and had 44 strikeouts across 31 2/3 innings. Although his 4.17 ERA for the season isn’t impressive, his 3.43 xERA indicates that he has pitched well.

It wouldn’t be a huge surprise if Jones made only one start next week. The Pirates are going to miss the playoffs and they might want to keep him below 100 innings for the season. However, it’s worth starting him in fantasy and taking a chance that he makes both starts. His first start is at least a favorable one, considering that the Cardinals have the fourth-worst OPS in baseball against right-handed pitchers.

Michael Soroka, Arizona Diamondbacks: at COL, at SD

Soroka limited the Marlins to one run over five innings in his last start. He allowed just three baserunners in the outing, racking up six strikeouts along the way. It has been a surprisingly good season for the veteran, who has a 3.45 ERA and 1.13 WHIP across 104 1/3 innings. Even his 23.5% strikeout rate is a slight improvement over his career mark of 22.1%.

The problem with Soroka for the final week of the season is that he faces the Rockies at Coors Field. They have a .780 OPS at home, versus a .704 OPS on the road. The Rockies and Padres have also been hitting well lately, both ranking inside the top 10 in baseball in OPS over the last 30 days. As good as Soroka has been, he’s too risky to start in 10 and 12-team leagues.

Mike Barner has been covering fantasy sports since 2007. His work has appeared in Sports Illustrated, Yahoo, SportsLine and RotoWire. Mike was also a finalist for the 2018 FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. Follow Mike on Twitter @rotomikebarner.