Fantasy baseball starting pitcher rankings for week 12

Cole Hamels

Will Cole Hamels be pitching in Dodger blue this weekend? (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

These fantasy baseball starting pitcher rankings were pulled Friday morning. Please be aware the matchups are subject to change. The data is up to date as of Thursday night.

Top starters

Rank

Name

Team

Opp.

ERA

K%

BB%

1

Adam Wainwright

STL

NYM, PHI

2.15

23.6%

5.4%

2

Masahiro Tanaka

NYY

TOR, BAL

2.02

28.4%

3.9%

3

Johnny Cueto

CIN

@PIT, TOR

1.85

28.2%

5.7%

4

Cole Hamels

PHI

@ATL, @STL

3.08

25.1%

7.9%

5

Max Scherzer

DET

KC, @CLE

3.05

27.5%

7.3%

6

Tyson Ross

SD

@SEA, LAD

2.97

22.8%

9.0%

7

Michael Wacha

STL

NYM, PHI

2.88

22.0%

6.9%

8

Dallas Keuchel

HOU

@WSH, @TB

2.38

21.4%

5.1%

9

Hyun-Jin Ryu

LAD

COL, @SD

3.33

19.5%

5.4%

10

Clayton Kershaw

LAD

COL

3.17

33.3%

3.6%

11

Yu Darvish

TEX

@OAK

2.11

29.2%

7.8%

12

Stephen Strasburg

WSH

ATL

2.99

29.5%

5.2%

13

Madison Bumgarner

SF

@ARI

2.67

26.1%

5.2%

14

Zack Greinke

LAD

COL

2.65

26.6%

5.2%

15

Chris Sale

CWS

SF

1.97

31.6%

4.2%

16

Felix Hernandez

SEA

@SD

2.39

27.3%

4.4%

17

Hisashi Iwakuma

SEA

@KC

2.79

18.9%

2.8%

18

Doug Fister

WSH

ATL

2.68

17.6%

1.7%

19

David Price

TB

HOU

3.97

26.7%

2.4%

20

Corey Kluber

CLE

DET

3.35

26.9%

5.7%

21

Anibal Sanchez

DET

KC

2.24

24.4%

7.8%

22

Jordan Zimmermann

WSH

ATL

3.17

20.8%

4.4%

23

James Shields

KC

SEA

3.44

20.1%

5.4%

24

Homer Bailey

CIN

@PIT

4.60

20.6%

7.4%

25

Dan Haren

LAD

@SD

3.49

16.0%

4.2%

26

Alex Cobb

TB

BAL

4.39

20.0%

6.5%

Additional information: Dallas Keuchel will most likely not the end the season with a sub-2.40 ERA, but what he’s doing is legit; at the end of the year, he’ll have a sub-3.15 ERA. This week he faces one of the worst offenses in the majors (Rays) and an NL team without the DH.

Backend starters

Rank

Name

Team

Opp.

ERA

K%

BB%

27

Jon Lester

BOS

MIN, @OAK

3.33

25.8%

6.3%

28

Tanner Roark

WSH

HOU, ATL

2.92

19.4%

5.4%

29

Yordano Ventura

KC

@DET, SEA

3.20

21.3%

7.1%

30

Jon Niese

NYM

@STL, @MIA

2.54

18.0%

6.4%

31

Marcus Stroman

TOR

@NYY, @CIN

5.19

18.9%

2.7%

32

Trevor Bauer

CLE

LAA, DET

4.24

25.2%

8.4%

33

Jered Weaver

LAA

@CLE, TEX

3.51

19.3%

7.9%

34

Jason Hammel

CHC

@MIA, PIT

2.81

23.2%

5.5%

35

Julio Teheran

ATL

PHI, @WSH

2.41

20.5%

5.5%

36

Ervin Santana

ATL

PHI, @WSH

4.09

21.3%

7.3%

37

Sonny Gray

OAK

TEX

2.83

20.3%

8.8%

38

Matt Cain

SF

@CWS

3.83

19.1%

9.5%

39

Andrew Cashner

SD

SEA

2.13

19.8%

6.8%

40

Nathan Eovaldi

MIA

CHC

3.26

20.2%

4.4%

41

Collin McHugh

HOU

@TB

2.82

27.4%

8.7%

42

Lance Lynn

STL

NYM

3.49

20.1%

9.0%

43

Ian Kennedy

SD

LAD

3.63

25.9%

5.7%

44

Zack Wheeler

NYM

@MIA

4.19

23.9%

9.9%

45

Jeff Samardzija

CHC

@MIA

2.77

22.0%

7.0%

46

Mike Minor

ATL

@WSH

4.31

20.5%

7.1%

47

Gio Gonzalez

WSH

HOU

4.62

24.4%

9.2%

48

Scott Kazmir

OAK

BOS

2.20

21.9%

5.3%

49

Kevin Gausman

BAL

@TB

3.71

15.7%

8.6%

50

Mat Latos

CIN

TOR

51

Garrett Richards

LAA

@CLE

3.08

23.3%

8.2%

Additional information: The presumption is Kevin Gausman will be sent down to the minors when Miguel Gonzalez comes off the DL, but I would be shocked if that happens. He has the highest upside of any starting pitcher on the major league roster, and if the Orioles want any shot of making the playoffs, Gausman will have to be the rotation. Trevor Bauer did not perform well in a favorable matchup against the Royals, but he’s throwing strikes consistently. If he doesn’t perform well against the Angels, it’s possible he gets bumped out of the rotation when Zach McAllister comes off the DL. Yordano Ventura has pitched great since coming off the DL, but he’s not striking out a lot of batters. In his last six starts (34.1 innings), he only has 22 strikeouts, which isn’t enough in shallower mixed leagues. He’s still a must-start this week, but if the low strikeout totals continue, I would try to trade him. Jeff Samardzija has pitched great this season and is a must-start against the Marlins because he recently went seven innings and only allowed two earned runs against them in Chicago. He currently has a 2.77 ERA, but when the season ends, he’ll have a 3.50-3.70 ERA, which means he’ll have an ERA around 4.20 the rest of the year. I’m selling high after his great start against the Marlins.

Spot starters

Rank

Name

Team

Opp.

ERA

K%

BB%

52

John Lackey

BOS

MIN

3.18

21.0%

4.7%

53

Hiroki Kuroda

NYY

BAL

4.12

16.4%

4.3%

54

Rubby De La Rosa

BOS

MIN, @OAK

3.93

26.3%

5.3%

55

Phil Hughes

MIN

@BOS, CWS

3.17

21.6%

2.4%

56

Jacob deGrom

NYM

@STL, @MIA

3.43

21.2%

10.6%

57

Brandon McCarthy

ARI

MIL, SF

5.29

20.9%

4.4%

58

Drew Hutchison

TOR

@NYY

3.96

21.4%

7.3%

59

A.J. Burnett

PHI

@STL

4.24

18.4%

11.3%

60

Tim Hudson

SF

@CWS

1.81

17.0%

3.7%

61

C.J. Wilson

LAA

@CLE

3.32

22.8%

9.8%

62

Alfredo Simon

CIN

@PIT

2.95

15.0%

5.7%

63

Henderson Alvarez

MIA

NYM

2.56

14.9%

4.8%

64

Aaron Harang

ATL

PHI

3.33

23.5%

8.8%

65

Drew Smyly

DET

KC

3.81

21.3%

8.7%

66

Chase Whitley

NYY

TOR

2.40

17.8%

2.2%

67

Jake Arrieta

CHC

@MIA

2.50

22.6%

8.4%

68

Chris Archer

TB

HOU

3.42

21.2%

8.9%

69

Danny Duffy

KC

@DET

3.26

16.9%

10.8%

70

Jarred Cosart

HOU

@TB

4.19

17.9%

10.6%

71

Mark Buehrle

TOR

@NYY

2.28

14.2%

6.7%

72

Drew Pomeranz

OAK

TEX, BOS

1.90

21.3%

10.1%

73

Kyle Lohse

MIL

@ARI, @COL

3.00

18.0%

3.7%

74

Josh Beckett

LAD

@SD

2.35

24.0%

8.2%

Additional information: Danny Duffy has a 3.49 ERA and 1.19 WHIP as a starter, and he faces a Tigers lineup that is only average against lefties. For example, the Tigers are 17th in the majors in wOBA against lefties. In his last 11 starts, Brandon McCarthy has a 4.55 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 23.3 percent strikeout rate, 4.4 walk rate, 18 percent HR/FB rate and a .358 BABIP. Eventually the luck will positively regress, and I like him as individual streaming options this upcoming week. Chase Whitley has looked good in every start this year. He strikes out enough batters, generates a lot of ground balls and, most importantly, only has three walks in 33.2 innings. The 2.41 ERA is going to regress, but I don’t see a huge jump coming. By the end of the year, he’ll have a 3.25-3.35 ERA, which is still very good in deeper mixed leagues. He has a tough matchup against the Blue Jays, but I love pitchers who do not walk guys.

Proceed with caution

Rank

Name

Team

Opp.

ERA

K%

BB%

75

Shelby Miller

STL

PHI

3.59

16.2%

10.4%

76

Jesse Chavez

OAK

BOS

3.04

22.0%

6.3%

77

Travis Wood

CHC

PIT

4.95

18.5%

8.2%

78

Jose Quintana

CWS

@MIN

3.59

19.1%

7.3%

79

Roenis Elias

SEA

SD, @KC

4.13

20.9%

9.0%

80

Brad Peacock

HOU

@TB

4.50

20.9%

12.5%

81

R.A. Dickey

TOR

@CIN

4.19

18.3%

10.2%

82

Bartolo Colon

NYM

@STL

4.31

18.2%

3.6%

83

Brandon Cumpton

PIT

CIN, @CHC

6.06

13.3%

5.3%

84

Scott Feldman

HOU

@WSH

3.98

12.3%

5.9%

85

Charlie Morton

PIT

@CHC

3.14

17.6%

8.4%

Additional information: I said at the very beginning of the season I wasn’t buying Jesse Chavez. In the last five starts he has a 4.13 ERA and 1.62 WHIP. Even though he’s at home, I have reservations about starting him against the Red Sox in a 12-team mixed league.

Avoid

Rank

Name

Team

Opp.

ERA

K%

BB%

86

Justin Masterson

CLE

LAA

4.61

20.8%

11.0%

87

Tyler Matzek

COL

@LAD

2.57

26.9%

0.0%

88

Ryan Vogelsong

SF

@ARI

3.84

20.7%

7.8%

89

Jake Odorizzi

TB

BAL, HOU

4.85

26.6%

9.1%

90

Tommy Milone

OAK

TEX, BOS

3.47

14.9%

6.8%

91

Yovani Gallardo

MIL

@ARI

3.71

18.2%

7.9%

92

Gavin Floyd

ATL

@WSH

2.57

19.1%

6.6%

93

Rick Porcello

DET

@CLE

4.04

15.8%

5.5%

94

Chase Anderson

ARI

MIL

3.14

18.8%

6.0%

95

Mike Leake

CIN

TOR

3.61

17.6%

4.8%

96

Tom Koehler

MIA

CHC, NYM

3.68

16.9%

10.6%

97

Josh Collmenter

ARI

MIL

3.65

14.9%

5.6%

98

Wade Miley

ARI

MIL, SF

4.71

21.6%

7.1%

99

Kyle Gibson

MIN

@BOS

3.91

12.0%

7.9%

100

Chris Tillman

BAL

@NYY

4.91

16.7%

10.1%

101

Justin Verlander

DET

KC, @CLE

4.61

16.5%

9.6%

Additional Information: Justin Verlander has a 7.41 ERA and 1.78 WHIP to go along with 13.5 strikeout rate and 10 percent walk rate in his last six starts. Despite the favorable matchups this week, I cannot see a scenario in any mixed format where I would want to start him. The box score of Chris Tillman’s last start suggests he has made strides with this command, but he still left a lot of balls up in the zone and should have given up more runs only one. Even if he performs well against the Blue Jays on Sunday, I would have strong reservations about starting him because he has allowed five or more runs in three of the past five starts. He has a 2.90 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and a four percent walk rate, but I’m not buying especially at the Red Sox. In five of 12 starts, he has given up four earned runs or more, which means he could have a blow up start at any time.