Fantasy baseball starting pitcher rankings for week 8

New York Yankees preview

Masahiro Tanaka is hoping to pitch again this season. (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

ARI, @CIN

2.11

22.6%

6.0%

2

Masahiro Tanaka

NYY

@CHC, @CWS

2.17

29.5%

3.1%

3

Stephen Strasburg

WSH

CIN, @PIT

3.48

30.0%

6.4%

4

Julio Teheran

ATL

MIL, COL

2.20

19.4%

6.8%

5

Hisashi Iwakuma

SEA

@TEX, HOU

1.59

18.8%

1.3%

6

Mike Minor

ATL

MIL, COL

4.24

21.6%

5.4%

7

Madison Bumgarner

SF

@COL, MIN

3.24

25.4%

6.9%

8

Corey Kluber

CLE

DET, @BAL

3.37

26.4%

5.2%

9

Clayton Kershaw

LAD

@PHI

1.74

30.9%

1.2%

10

Max Scherzer

DET

@CLE

2.04

31.6%

7.7%

11

Felix Hernandez

SEA

HOU

3.04

24.4%

4.9%

12

Cliff Lee

PHI

LAD

3.23

22.4%

3.1%

13

Johnny Cueto

CIN

@WSH

1.25

28.8%

6.8%

14

Zack Greinke

LAD

@NYM

2.38

29.3%

5.3%

15

David Price

TB

BOS

4.02

27.2%

2.3%

16

Yu Darvish

TEX

@DET

2.33

28.4%

6.8%

17

Jeff Samardzija

CHC

@SD

1.45

20.3%

7.2%

18

James Shields

KC

@LAA

2.54

22.8%

4.9%

19

Chris Sale

CWS

NYY

2.31

27.9%

6.7%

20

Jordan Zimmermann

WSH

@PIT

3.58

23.0%

4.4%

21

Michael Wacha

STL

ARI

2.82

27.2%

6.1%

22

Sonny Gray

OAK

@TB

2.17

19.5%

8.1%

23

Cole Hamels

PHI

@MIA

5.32

22.2%

9.3%

24

Ervin Santana

ATL

MIL

1.99

27.6%

5.8%

25

Yordano Ventura

KC

CWS

2.40

26.5%

8.0%

26

Homer Bailey

CIN

STL

4.72

21.1%

7.7%

Additional information: If you remove Corey Kluber’s his first outing against the A’s, he has a 2.77 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 28 percent strikeout rate and 4.4 percent walk rate. I wasn’t high on Sonny Gray in the preseason because I had durability questions and the fact he was basically a two-pitch pitcher. What I didn’t expect was the command to improve dramatically. He’s throwing the fastball on both sides of the plate as well as the top and bottom of the strike zone consistently for strikes, which makes me believe he could be a fringe top 20 starting pitcher at the end of the year.

Backend starters

Rank

Name

Team

Opp.

ERA

K%

BB%

27

Garrett Richards

LAA

HOU, KC

2.42

25.8%

9.6%

28

A.J. Burnett

PHI

@MIA, LAD

3.13

19.1%

11.0%

29

Justin Verlander

DET

@CLE, TEX

3.15

18.4%

9.4%

30

Ian Kennedy

SD

MIN, CHC

3.60

26.4%

5.3%

31

Doug Fister

WSH

CIN, @PIT

4.78

16.3%

0.0%

32

Tony Cingrani

CIN

@WSH, STL

3.34

23.5%

12.5%

33

Wily Peralta

MIL

@ATL, @MIA

2.05

18.1%

4.6%

34

Gio Gonzalez

WSH

@PIT

3.96

24.5%

9.0%

35

Nathan Eovaldi

MIA

PHI

3.62

21.8%

5.2%

36

Gerrit Cole

PIT

WSH

3.76

20.2%

7.2%

37

Dan Haren

LAD

@PHI

2.84

17.9%

4.2%

38

Andrew Cashner

SD

CHC

2.36

19.3%

7.0%

39

Chris Tillman

BAL

CLE

3.96

19.0%

9.0%

40

Lance Lynn

STL

ARI

3.83

24.2%

8.2%

41

Jesse Chavez

OAK

@TOR

2.44

24.6%

5.8%

42

Tyson Ross

SD

MIN

2.81

22.1%

9.6%

43

Anibal Sanchez

DET

TEX

3.13

25.8%

11.8%

44

Hiroki Kuroda

NYY

@CWS

4.62

17.6%

3.4%

45

Travis Wood

CHC

@SD

4.91

20.5%

7.0%

46

Jon Lester

BOS

TOR

2.75

29.9%

5.9%

47

Kyle Lohse

MIL

@ATL

2.75

20.4%

5.6%

48

Jered Weaver

LAA

HOU

3.22

19.7%

7.4%

49

Jose Quintana

CWS

@KC

3.67

19.9%

6.5%

50

Alfredo Simon

CIN

@WSH

2.88

12.5%

6.8%

Additional information: Since being acquired by the Padres, Ian Kennedy has a 3.31 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and a 28.6 percent strikeout rate. Another major adjustment Kennedy has made is he almost reduced the walk rate in half (from 9.2 percent to 5.5 percent). The Twins have the highest walk rate in the majors, but if he doesn’t walk hitters he should have two good starts. Lance Lynn’s career numbers at home are 3.16 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and a 24.8 percent strikeout rate and the Diamondbacks are 20th in the majors in wOBA away from Chase Field. Jesse Chavez has pitched like an ace, but I’m still buying it because he cannot hold his velocity deep into games. Gerrit Cole only has three starts (out of eight) where he has given up three runs or fewer. I still believe he can be a top 20 fantasy starting pitcher.

Spot starters

Rank

Name

Team

Opp.

ERA

K%

BB%

51

C.J. Wilson

LAA

KC

3.69

24.9%

8.8%

52

Ubaldo Jimenez

BAL

CLE

4.02

20.2%

10.8%

53

Henderson Alvarez

MIA

PHI

3.33

15.0%

6.8%

54

Matt Cain

SF

@COL

4.32

19.5%

9.2%

55

Tim Hudson

SF

@COL

2.09

16.7%

1.8%

56

Jon Niese

NYM

LAD

2.17

19.8%

5.5%

57

Dallas Keuchel

HOU

@LAA, @SEA

3.06

22.2%

5.2%

58

Drew Smyly

DET

@CLE, TEX

2.70

23.1%

8.5%

59

Scott Kazmir

OAK

@TOR

2.28

20.7%

4.4%

60

Drew Hutchison

TOR

@BOS

4.37

25.7%

7.9%

61

Chris Archer

TB

OAK

5.17

18.3%

7.6%

62

Justin Masterson

CLE

@BAL

4.31

21.6%

9.5%

63

John Lackey

BOS

@TB

3.57

23.9%

5.0%

64

Marco Estrada

MIL

@MIA

3.29

23.7%

7.2%

65

Tyler Skaggs

LAA

HOU

4.53

15.6%

6.2%

66

Yovani Gallardo

MIL

@ATL, @MIA

3.07

16.8%

6.9%

67

Josh Beckett

LAD

@NYM, @PHI

2.37

23.8%

8.9%

68

Francisco Liriano

PIT

BAL, WSH

4.25

23.1%

10.4%

69

Brandon McCarthy

ARI

@STL, @NYM

5.01

22.2%

4.3%

70

Jason Hammel

CHC

NYY

3.06

21.2%

5.9%

71

Wade Miley

ARI

@STL

4.82

20.1%

7.9%

72

Zach McAllister

CLE

DET

3.89

20.2%

7.4%

73

Jordan Lyles

COL

@ATL

2.66

15.9%

7.0%

74

Robbie Erlin

SD

CHC

4.22

20.4%

6.1%

Additional information: Brandon McCarthy has a 3.50 ERA, 1.17 WHIP with a 27.3 strikeout rate and 4.7 percent walk rate in his last six starts. Scott Kazmir has far exceeded expectations, but the Blue Jays have the fifth highest wOBA against lefties in the majors and have the third highest wOBA at home. Jordan Lyles’ ground ball rate is nearly ten percentage points higher than last year and he faces the 28th-ranked team in the majors in wOBA. Tim Hudson is having a great year because the Giants are shifting a lot more, but this is start where I would think otherwise before using him. Since Hudson generates a lot of ground balls, he has a better chance of having a quality start, but considering the ballpark and how well the Rockies are hitting at home, it’s possible he has a disaster start.

Proceed with caution

Rank

Name

Team

Opp.

ERA

K%

BB%

75

Tanner Roark

WSH

CIN

3.66

20.0%

5.6%

76

Phil Hughes

MIN

@SD

3.62

20.3%

3.0%

77

Gavin Floyd

ATL

COL

2.71

24.1%

3.7%

78

Jake Arrieta

CHC

NYY, @SD

2.71

20.6%

12.7%

79

Bronson Arroyo

ARI

@NYM

4.15

13.4%

6.0%

80

Edwin Jackson

CHC

@SD

4.57

18.7%

9.4%

81

Danny Duffy

KC

@LAA

1.97

22.1%

13.0%

82

Shelby Miller

STL

@CIN

3.22

17.0%

13.9%

83

R.A. Dickey

TOR

OAK

4.53

19.7%

11.3%

84

Matt Garza

MIL

@ATL

4.98

18.6%

8.6%

85

Clay Buchholz

BOS

TOR

6.17

16.4%

7.0%

Additional information: Bronson Arroyo, in his last four starts, is holding batters to a .210 batting average and has a 0.91 ERA and WHIP. The Mets have second lowest wOBA in the majors, so it appears he is a safe stream option, but you’re playing with fire when you start Arroyo. Edwin Jackson has not had a good season; his walk rate is nearly two percentage points higher than last year (9.4 percent) and he has an opposing batting average of .277. However, since the Padres offense is so bad, I’m at the point where any pitcher facing the Padres in San Diego are must streams.

Avoid

Rank

Name

Team

Opp.

ERA

K%

BB%

86

Mike Leake

CIN

STL

3.09

14.9%

4.8%

87

Ricky Nolasco

MIN

@SF

5.50

15.5%

5.5%

88

Chris Young

SEA

HOU

2.63

12.0%

10.7%

89

Jacob deGrom

NYM

LAD

1.29

24.0%

8.0%

90

Anthony DeSclafani

MIA

PHI, MIL

3.00

26.9%

3.8%

91

Aaron Harang

ATL

MIL

2.98

26.1%

8.5%

92

Rick Porcello

DET

TEX

3.22

16.9%

3.5%

93

Eric Stults

SD

CHC

5.04

10.6%

3.9%

94

Chase Whitley

NYY

@CHC

0.00

22.2%

11.1%

95

Mark Buehrle

TOR

@BOS

2.04

14.2%

7.8%

96

Jake Peavy

BOS

@TB

3.94

19.7%

13.0%

97

Scott Feldman

HOU

@LAA, @SEA

2.63

11.8%

6.5%

98

Zack Wheeler

NYM

ARI

4.53

21.1%

12.4%

99

Drew Pomeranz

OAK

@TB, @PIT

1.14

25.8%

8.6%

100

Collin McHugh

HOU

@LAA

2.80

26.5%

5.9%

101

Danny Salazar

CLE

DET, @BAL

5.53

25.5%

9.2%

Additional information: Jake Odorizzi has looked really good in his last two starts — 11 innings, 18 strikeouts and zero earned runs. The biggest adjustment he has been incorporating the curveball more. The curveball is thrown at 68-71 mph and when its thrown for strikes it makes his rather pedestrian 90-92 mph fastball look like 94-95 mph. This upcoming week he faces the A’s and Red Sox at home; these are matchups I’m staying away from, but if he performs well he could be a nice fantasy option in 12-team mixed leagues. Anthony DeSclafani looked good in his major league debut striking out seven in six innings. He throws a mid-90s fastball along with a slider and curveball. I have questions whether or not he can get lefties out consistently, but the Phillies’ offense stinks and the Brewers are an extremely right-handed offense. Jacob deGrom had command issues in the first three, four innings of his major league debut, but after he settled down, he was extremely effective. I ranked deGrom higher than DeScalafini because he has better secondary pitches, and they have a better chance of being more effective against both sides of the plate.