Welcome to the second edition of the 2026 two-start pitcher rankings! This week, we're diving into the projected two-start starters and breaking them down into four tiers: Set and Forget, Most Likely, Questionable, and Avoid. But before we get into the tiers, let's take a step back and think about what makes a two-start pitcher so appealing. Personally, I think it's the opportunity to maximize your fantasy baseball team's potential. With two starts, you can potentially double your points, which is a huge advantage in a competitive league. Now, let's get into the tiers and explore the pitchers who are worth starting, and those who should remain on your bench.
Set-and-Forget
These pitchers are like the reliable workhorse of your fantasy team. They're consistent, they have favorable matchups, and they're just going to give you the wins. One thing that immediately stands out is Chris Sale. Despite his velocity being down, we learned after his last outing that he was dealing with an illness. But the good news is, he's back on track and ready to go. Similarly, Tarik Skubal owners should always be thrilled when he has two starts, and this week, he gets two starts against the Twins and Marlins, giving an extra reason for celebration.
Hunter Brown is another pitcher who is set and forget. He'll be making his third start at Coors this week, and while that's always a little jarring, he pitched well there last season, striking out 8 over 6 innings of two-run ball. His second start will be in the pitcher-friendly T-Mobile Park against a struggling Mariners lineup. Freddy Peralta is also a set-and-forget pitcher. He's struck out 7 in each start this season, and as of writing, the Athletics are tied for the fewest runs scored. Cam Schlittler has allowed three baserunners over two starts. Three! Set, forget, and let him produce for your team.
Nick Pivetta just had a little bit tougher of an assignment with the promotion of Konnor Griffin, but he bounced back from his first start nicely and is more than capable of producing against the Pirates and Rockies in San Diego. Logan Gilbert had a rough game against the Yankees. It happens. He still managed to strike out 6 and go 5.1 despite allowing 7 hits and 3 walks. Don’t overthink this one either. Jacob deGrom looked good after being scratched with a stiff neck. He struck out 7 Orioles in 4.2 innings, and should continue to go deeper into games with every start. Kevin Gausman dismantled the Rockies this week. While the Dodgers are a tough matchup, he’s good enough to trust against them, and he gets to face the Twins over the weekend.
Most Likely
These pitchers are a little riskier, but they have the potential to pay off big time. Tanner Bibee is coming off a strong start against the Dodgers. The Braves’ run total for the season is inflated by a 17-4 thrashing of the Diamondbacks. Bibee had neutral splits last season, so there isn’t extra exposure to the Braves’ lefties either. Casey Mize (SOTW) is rostered in only 31% of Yahoo leagues and 14.2% of ESPN leagues. That number should increase after striking out 9 Diamondbacks and having favorable matchups against the Twins and Marlins. In that Diamondback start, he threw 93 pitches, so he should be fully built up. The Marlins started the season 5-1, but were playing the White Sox and the Rockies. If they continue that success against the Yankees, Reds, and Tigers, we’ll adjust our expectations for their offense.
Noah Cameron has two strong matchups against the Guardians and White Sox, who have the 7th-highest (27.6%) and 2nd-highest (34.0%) offensive strikeout rates. This should make up for Cameron’s lack of swing-and-miss, and Cameron’s command should limit free passes as well. José Soriano is another pitcher who is worth considering. I’d like to see more strikeouts from him, but he faces a Reds offense that has scored the fewest runs in the league. He can give the Angels length after throwing 90 pitches and is still inducing groundballs at a high clip (63% this season, 65% in 2025). Andrew Painter pitched well against the Nationals, but that’s the Nationals. Facing the Giants and their third-lowest average bat speed in the pitcher-friendly Oracle Park feels pretty safe. Arizona, meanwhile, is 23rd in Barrel%, so I don’t see any glaring match-up concerns for Painter this week.
Bubba Chandler is a pitcher who has the stuff to be a set-and-forget caliber pitcher, but the command has to be a little better. Andrew Abbott got hurt by one bat pitch against the Pirates. He’ll have to avoid that at home against an Angels team that is striking out 29.6% of the time, but is 11th in Barrel%. Abbot should thrive in his first start against the Marlins as well.
Questionable
These pitchers are a little more situation-dependent, but they still have the potential to be valuable in the right matchups. Dean Kremer should replace the injured Zach Eflin in the Orioles rotation this week. If he does, he gets a nice and easy start facing the White Sox and Giants. He was fine last year, but this is his first time pitching since Spring Training. Brayan Bello isn’t a strikeout pitcher, and his velocity is a bit down to start the season. The value this week would be a lengthy start against the White Sox, but I would look for better options. Jameson Taillon is another pitcher whose velocity is down a bit (92.3 mph last year vs 90.8 this season). The match-ups aren’t good, but they’re not bad. He also walked four in his last start, which is hopefully a blip (5.8% career BB%).
Ryan Feltner is a play in daily leagues. I wouldn’t want to start him twice if one of those is against the Astros at Coors. However, outside of Coors, he’s an intriguing option who was pitching well against the Blue Jays before getting hit by a line drive. Kyle Freeland, like his rotation mate, is a play in daily leagues for the same reason. His velocity is up and is an intriguing option in the future for spot starts, away from Coors, of course. Janson Junk lit up the PitcherList Stats with an A+ stuff grade in his first start. All five of his pitches had a plvStuff+ >110. My hesitancy is that I’m concerned this is a one-off. He didn’t flash stuff like this last season or in spring training. He’s worth stashing on your roster, just in case.
Avoid
These pitchers are not worth starting, but they may be worth stashing on your bench or wire. Shane Smith is a pitcher who is not playable right now. The walks have been a problem since Spring Training, and the strikeouts are down. The stuff is better than last season, but right now, he’s not playable. Ryan Pepiot could be returning from the IL on Monday, but the uncertainty coming off injury and a match-up against the Yankees is a tough ask. I’m excited to watch him pitch, and I am looking forward to seeing him higher in these tiers in the future.
