Fantasy baseball starting pitcher rankings for week 17

A.J. Burnett is one reason the Pirates are in the hunt in the NL Central. (The Associated Press)

 

The matchups and statistical data were pulled Saturday morning. Please be aware the matchups are subject to change.

Top Starters

Rank

Name

Team

Opp.

ERA

K%

BB%

1

Ervin Santana

KC

@MIN, @NYM

3.06

19.3%

5.4%

2

A.J. Burnett

PIT

STL-2, COL

2.95

25.7%

9.2%

3

David Price

TB

@BOS, SF

3.75

19.7%

3.9%

4

Clayton Kershaw

LAD

@CHC

1.97

25.4%

5.7%

5

Matt Harvey

NYM

@MIA

2.11

29.6%

5.2%

6

Adam Wainwright

STL

@PIT

2.50

22.9%

2.8%

7

Cliff Lee

PHI

ATL

3.05

23.1%

3.9%

8

Yu Darvish

TEX

ARI

2.86

31.8%

8.5%

9

Max Scherzer

DET

CWS

3.14

29.5%

5.8%

10

Jose Fernandez

MIA

CLE

2.74

24.7%

9.3%

11

Homer Bailey

CIN

@SD

3.77

24.8%

5.7%

12

Chris Sale

CWS

@CLE

2.81

27.7%

5.8%

13

James Shields

KC

@MIN

3.09

20.3%

6.9%

14

Zack Greinke

LAD

NYY

3.49

18.4%

7.6%

15

Felix Hernandez

SEA

@BOS

2.34

26.2%

4.5%

16

Stephen Strasburg

WSH

@DET

2.85

25.5%

7.6%

17

Shelby Miller

STL

@CIN

2.76

26.5%

6.7%

18

Madison Bumgarner

SF

@TB

2.93

24.7%

7.1%

Additional Information: Since June 1, Jose Fernandez quietly has been one of the best pitchers in baseball with the second lowest ERA in the majors (1.82 ERA) and a 26 percent strikeout rate. Speaking of June 1, the New York Yankees have the second fewest home runs in the majors (25), nine less the Miami Marlins. The trade for Alfonso Soriano will help add power to the lineup, but his .284 OBP will not greatly improve the offense. Therefore, Zack Greinke is a must start in all formats. The Tampa Rays are playing great baseball in the majors and the San Francisco Giants are clearly struggling and should be sellers at the trade deadline. Madison Bumgarner pitches a great game, but will earn a win.

Backend Starters

Rank

Name

Team

Opp.

ERA

K%

BB%

19

Matt Garza

TEX

LAA, @OAK

2.87

20.9%

6.3%

20

Jered Weaver

LAA

@TEX, TOR

2.97

20.1%

6.3%

21

Jeff Samardzija

CHC

MIL, LAD

3.94

24.0%

9.0%

22

Hiroki Kuroda

NYY

@LAD

2.51

17.2%

4.9%

23

Anibal Sanchez

DET

WSH

2.68

27.7%

7.7%

24

Mat Latos

CIN

@SD

3.39

24.0%

7.2%

25

Mike Minor

ATL

COL

2.89

23.5%

5.1%

26

Matt Moore

TB

SF

3.17

23.0%

11.5%

27

Cole Hamels

PHI

SF

4.09

21.8%

6.6%

28

Jordan Zimmermann

WSH

@MIL

3.19

18.4%

4.1%

29

Doug Fister

DET

CWS

3.67

18.3%

4.2%

30

Tyler Chatwood

COL

@ATL

2.48

17.2%

7.8%

31

Andrew Cashner

SD

NYY

3.85

16.7%

7.1%

32

Bartolo Colon

OAK

TOR

2.54

13.8%

3.2%

33

Justin Verlander

DET

WSH

3.99

22.2%

8.6%

34

Julio Teheran

ATL

COL

3.25

20.1%

5.0%

35

Hyun-Jin Ryu

LAD

@CHC

3.25

18.9%

8.1%

36

Brandon Workman

BOS

SEA

4.41

22.8%

5.3%

37

Gio Gonzalez

WSH

@DET

2.97

25.2%

9.8%

Additional Information: I have no idea why Tyler Chatwood is only owned in 27 percent of ESPN leagues. His stuff isn’t good enough to sustain a 2.48 ERA, but it’s definitely good enough to be a 3.20 ERA. This week Chatwood faces the Braves and their second highest strikeout rate in the majors (22.6 percent). Not only does Matt Moore have a great pitching matchup this week, he has a 1.01 ERA and .084 WHIP in his last five starts. The command of the changeup, his third pitch, has been outstanding; the strikeout rate and swing and miss rate are is 42 percent and 31 percent higher respectively. Despite having a 5.63 ERA and 1.36 WHIP in his last eight starts I’m still a believer in Jordan Zimmerman. With a walk rate of only 5 percent, a strikeout rate of 21.6 percent and a BABIP of .331 suggests he’s been unlucky. The Detroit Tigers have the third best OPS in the majors against left handed pitching. Gio Gonzalez has pitched great, but I have doubts that he’s a must-start … especially with a nearly 10 percent walk rate.

Spot Starters

Rank

Name

Team

Opp.

ERA

K%

BB%

38

Derek Holland

TEX

LAA, @OAK

3.06

22.0%

6.8%

39

Chris Tillman

BAL

HOU

3.62

19.8%

9.0%

40

Chris Archer

TB

ARI

2.76

16.9%

10.3%

41

Corey Kluber

CLE

CWS

3.74

23.7%

5.7%

42

Gerrit Cole

PIT

COL

3.51

14.8%

5.1%

43

C.J. Wilson

LAA

@TEX, TOR

3.18

21.5%

9.0%

44

John Lackey

BOS

SEA, ARI

3.19

21.7%

5.1%

45

Lance Lynn

STL

@PIT-2, @CIN

3.98

22.4%

8.8%

46

Jake Peavy

CWS

@CLE, @DET

4.28

23.5%

5.2%

47

Matt Cain

SF

@PHI

4.79

22.0%

8.1%

48

Brandon Beachy

ATL

COL, @PHI

49

Francisco Liriano

PIT

STL, COL

2.23

25.2%

9.6%

50

Scott Feldman

BAL

SEA

3.75

17.6%

6.0%

51

Phil Hughes

NYY

@SD

4.33

19.6%

6.4%

52

Ivan Nova

NYY

@SD

3.66

23.1%

7.6%

53

Kris Medlen

ATL

@PHI

3.78

17.2%

6.3%

54

Eric Stults

SD

CIN

3.65

15.1%

5.1%

55

Hisashi Iwakuma

SEA

@BOS

2.87

22.9%

3.9%

56

Joe Kelly

STL

@PIT

3.88

18.2%

7.2%

57

CC Sabathia

NYY

@SD

4.65

20.4%

5.6%

58

Alexi Ogando

TEX

@OAK

3.13

17.9%

8.8%

Additional Information: in July (21 games) the Colorado Rockies have the lowest OPS in the majors. What makes that statistic so surgprising is they’ve played a little more than half of the games in Coors Field. The Rockies offense is struggling, which is a great opportunity for Gerrit Cole to have a big day. It looks as though Jake Peavy will be traded before the trade deadline, which means he may miss his start against the Tigers, making him almost a must start. Eric Stults has a 2.45 ERA and 0.88 WHIP at home. Stults is a must-start any time he pitches at PETCO Park. Since June 1, CC Sabathia has a 5.78 ERA and 1.34 WHIP (in 10 starts). If he wasn’t pitching in PETCO I would have him in the 70s. Hisashi Iwakuma in last eight starts has a 4.96 ERA and 1.20 WHIP and now faces the highest scoring offense in the majors in Boston.

Proceed With Caution

Rank

Name

Team

Opp.

ERA

K%

BB%

59

Kyle Lohse

MIL

@CHC, WSH

3.37

16.0%

3.7%

60

Ricky Nolasco

LAD

NYY, @CHC

3.73

18.8%

6.0%

61

Alex Wood

ATL

COL, @PHI

3.42

27.9%

9.0%

62

Michael Wacha

STL

@PIT

4.58

19.2%

5.5%

63

Mike Leake

CIN

@SD, STL

2.73

14.7%

5.7%

64

Ryan Dempster

BOS

SEA

4.28

21.1%

10.5%

65

Dillon Gee

NYM

@MIA

4.07

18.0%

6.8%

66

Justin Masterson

CLE

CWS

3.61

24.8%

9.2%

67

Juan Nicasio

COL

@ATL, @PIT

4.40

16.4%

7.9%

68

Jorge De La Rosa

COL

@ATL, @PIT

2.97

16.7%

8.5%

69

Travis Wood

CHC

LAD

2.95

17.2%

7.8%

70

Tony Cingrani

CIN

STL

3.18

27.3%

10.0%

71

Rick Porcello

DET

CWS

4.49

18.5%

5.0%

72

Jarred Cosart

HOU

@MIN

0.60

11.1%

11.1%

73

Patrick Corbin

ARI

@BOS

2.31

21.3%

6.7%

74

Bronson Arroyo

CIN

STL

3.19

14.0%

4.3%

75

Jarrod Parker

OAK

TEX

3.79

16.3%

8.0%

76

Jon Lester

BOS

ARI

4.50

19.7%

8.0%

Additional Information: Alex Wood features a low- to mid-90s fastball with a plus change-up and a knuckle curveball that can miss a ton of bats (46.7 percent strikeout rate). Despite a poor outing against the New York Mets a few days ago, Wood can miss bats and gets an opportunity to pitch against two bad teams. Don’t be fooled by the 0.60 ERA from Jarred Cosart. He pitches for a bad team, which means it will be hard to earn wins. Combine that with a .214 BABIP, a regression is coming for Cosart. Patrick Corbin has been one of the luckiest pitcher this year with a .246 BABIP, 7.5 percent HR/FB rate and 82.1 percent LOB%. Sell high. Jarrord Parker has not allowed more than three earned runs in his last 13 starts. Parker has not pitched nearly as well as last year, but he’s a pitcher who will not hurt your ratios, which makes him a great backend starter.

Avoid

Rank

Name

Team

Opp.

ERA

K%

BB%

77

Carlos Torres

NYM

KC

0.94

22.6%

3.5%

78

Zack Wheeler

NYM

@MIA, KC

3.72

18.1%

11.7%

79

Roberto Hernandez

TB

SF

4.92

17.6%

5.4%

80

Jeremy Hellickson

TB

ARI

4.48

19.7%

5.9%

81

Andy Pettitte

NYY

@LAD

4.39

16.1%

6.1%

82

A.J. Griffin

OAK

TOR, TEX

3.84

19.3%

5.3%

83

Esmil Rogers

TOR

@OAK, @LAA

3.74

15.8%

6.7%

84

Jeff Locke

PIT

STL

2.14

18.0%

11.6%

85

Wily Peralta

MIL

@CHC

4.54

14.3%

9.1%

86

Felix Doubront

BOS

TB, ARI

3.78

21.4%

10.0%

87

Jhoulys Chacin

COL

@PIT

3.53

14.6%

7.3%

88

Edwin Jackson

CHC

MIL

4.89

19.4%

8.0%

89

R.A. Dickey

TOR

@OAK

4.86

18.0%

8.3%

90

Sam Deduno

MIN

HOU

3.51

12.3%

8.5%

91

Kyle Gibson

MIN

HOU

5.72

12.0%

8.0%

92

Ubaldo Jimenez

CLE

@MIA

4.49

21.8%

12.4%

93

Jeremy Hefner

NYM

@MIA, KC

4.17

18.3%

6.0%

94

Erasmo Ramirez

SEA

@BAL

8.74

16.0%

12.0%

95

Chad Gaudin

SF

@PHI

2.77

20.8%

9.1%

96

Dan Straily

OAK

TOR

4.44

19.7%

7.4%

97

Jacob Turner

MIA

NYM, CLE

2.49

17.1%

8.4%

98

Garrett Richards

LAA

TOR

4.65

16.4%

6.5%

99

Jose Quintana

CWS

@CLE

3.55

18.7%

7.0%

100

Tim Lincecum

SF

@TB

4.73

24.5%

9.5%

101

Nathan Eovaldi

MIA

NYM, CLE

3.54

16.3%

10.2%

Additional Information: Carlos Torres has pitched mainly in relief role this year for the Mets, but his last two appearances came as a starter. In those two starts he has a 23.4 percent strikeout rate and only a 4.3 percent walk rate. Torres features a low-90s fastball/cutter with an average curveball and change-up that can miss enough bats to be a solid streaming option, especially at home against the Royals who will be playing without Billy Butler or Eric Hosmer. I have not believed in Jeff Locke all year because he doesn’t miss enough bats and walks too many batters to maintain his 2.14 ERA. I believe his FIP of 3.83 and xFIP of 4.19 are a better numerical representation of good he is of a pitcher.