X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

2016 Fantasy Baseball Tiered Starting Pitcher Rankings: Midseason Edition (Part 1)

What it is, RotoBallers? I'll tell you - it's the latest in our ongoing midseason rankings update series. We'll cover the top starting pitcher tiers today and tackle everyone else tomorrow. As a reminder, these rankings were a collaborative effort between yours truly and fellow columnists/handsome devils Nick Mariano and Bill Dubiel. As such, they may not fully represent my personal views on each player, and if someone is ranked inappropriately, I'm pretty sure you can blame either or both of them. One other thing to keep in mind is that these rankings are based on standard 5x5 scoring. As the youngs say, YMMV.

While you're here, be sure to also head over to our fantasy baseball rankings assistant. This handy rankings tool show you all of our staff rankings, player news, and weekly waiver wire rankings. You can easily filter, sort, and export all sorts of ranks - mixed leagues, tiers, prospects, dynasty formats, keeper values and more. It's all in one place, and all free.

Editor's Note: RotoBaller has the best Premium MLB Subscription for only $1.99 per week. We have all the tools to help win your seasonal and daily leagues: Hitter & Pitcher Streamers, Matchup Ratings for every player, Sleeper Surgers for AVG, HR, Ks, PLUS Daily DFS Cheat Sheets, Lineup Picks, Expert Lineups, Stacks and Avoids. 

 

Fantasy Baseball Midseason Rankings Analysis: Starting Pitcher (Part 1)

Tier One

Max Scherzer
Madison Bumgarner
Jose Fernandez
Noah Syndergaard
Clayton Kershaw
Jake Arrieta
Stephen Strasburg
Chris Sale
Johnny Cueto

If Kershaw were healthy, he’d be in his own tier. He’s simply playing a different game than everyone else. There are some concerns about Thor’s health as well, sadly. Bumgarner and Fernandez have been excellent as usual. Strasburg is having the best season of his career and finally getting his due as an elite pitcher. It says a lot about how terrific Sale and Scherzer were last season that they’ve taken steps back in 2016 and still belong in this group. Ditto for Arrieta’s recent struggles. Cueto doesn’t quite have the strikeout upside of the others in this tier, but he remains a king of inducing weak contact and has an ideal team and park context.

Tier Two

Jon Lester
Carlos Carrasco
Corey Kluber
Danny Salazar
Jacob DeGrom
David Price
Zack Greinke
Rich Hill
Steven Matz

A couple of disaster outings aside (including his last two turns), Lester has been a quality start machine. The Indians’ trio of aces are a big reason why they lead the AL Central. Speaking of ace trios, deGrom and Matz have teamed with Syndergaard to keep the Mets in contention despite a nightmarish season for Matt Harvey. Price and Greinke have had their ups and downs in Year 1 of their huge free-agent contracts, but they’re established quantities who could easily jump into the top tier. Finally, Hill has proven that his late-season renaissance last year was no fluke. Hell of a story, and he’ll be an asset to whichever contender trades for him this month.

Tier Three

John Lackey
Kyle Hendricks
Jose Quintana
Masahiro Tanaka
Carlos Martinez
Drew Pomeranz
Justin Verlander
Yu Darvish
Cole Hamels
Aaron Nola
Gerrit Cole

I’m much less enamored of Verlander than my colleagues, but he’s done a nice job of adjusting to his diminished arsenal. Quintana remains as dependable as they come. Strip out his flu-ridden May, and Martinez sports a sub-2.00 ERA. Nola’s recent struggles should pass; along with Hendricks, he’s one of the best young control specialists in the game. Pomeranz has resurrected his career thanks to a refined (and filthy) curveball. If Darvish is healthy, he and Hamels give the Rangers a dynamic 1-2 punch that can help cover for the mess behind them in the rotation. You can’t say enough about how well Tanaka has pitched through a partially torn elbow ligament.

Tier Four

Matt Shoemaker
Michael Fulmer
Danny Duffy
Julio Teheran
Steven Wright
Chris Archer
Jonathan Gray
Trevor Bauer
Lance McCullers
Kenta Maeda

Still giving Teheran a healthy dose of side-eye. An innings cap keeps Fulmer from ranking higher. I’ve completely bought into the Duffy breakout. Bauer’s is less convincing. Likewise, it’s tough to fully trust Shoemaker. We’ve seen how hittable he is when he doesn’t have a feel for the splitter. Archer looks like an excellent buy-low opportunity. McCullers and Gray are both electric arms, but each comes with caveats (walks for the former and homers/Coors for the latter). Maeda has exceeded my modest expectations thus far.

Tier Five

Jeff Samardzija
Aaron Sanchez
Sonny Gray
Felix Hernandez
Adam Wainwright
James Paxton
Tanner Roark
Joe Ross
Kevin Gausman
Marco Estrada
Michael Pineda

It’s been a tough year for some of the guys in this group. Wainwright appears to have gotten on track, but King Felix is still working his way back from injury and Gray still isn’t close to regaining his previous form. Shark hasn’t taken as well to his new team and park as expected and might be ranked a touch high here. Does anyone actually know if Sanchez is going to stick in the rotation? Seems like even the organization can’t agree, which dampens his second-half outlook. Roark and Ross have been steady at the back end of the Nationals rotation. Pineda’s overall ratios still look ugly but he’s been great over the last six weeks; buy low on him if you still can. After posting a historically low BABIP last season, Estrada has an even more ridiculous mark this year and is actually striking hitters out at a good clip to boot. Gausman still needs an effective third pitch if he’s ever going to reach his true potential. No idea what Paxton’s doing in this tier, as the added velocity hasn’t translated into results yet.

Tier Six

Anthony DeSclafani
Jerad Eickhoff
Jason Hammel
Carlos Rodon
Chris Tillman
Taijuan Walker
Jaime Garcia
Jake Odorizzi
Vincent Velasquez
Michael Wacha

Disco fever! DeSclafani’s looked pretty good since returning from his oblique injury and should be an under the radar asset in the second half. Hammel already looks to be hitting his annual wall, though. Both Odorizzi and Rodon are giving up too many long balls, leaving them with uninspiring ratios. The bottom is starting to fall out for Tillman; the time to sell him was a month ago. Wacha is trending back up after a lousy start, which will help soften the blow for the Cardinals when Garcia inevitably gets hurt. Velasquez is headed for an early shutdown but he’s had an encouraging season. Eickhoff has been less impressive, but relative to expectations his last calendar year has been a huge success.

 

Midseason Starting Pitcher Tiered Fantasy Baseball Rankings

Rank Player Name Team Tier
1 Max Scherzer WSH 1
2 Madison Bumgarner SF 1
3 Jose Fernandez MIA 1
4 Noah Syndergaard NYM 1
5 Clayton Kershaw LAD 1
6 Jake Arrieta CHC 1
7 Stephen Strasburg WSH 1
8 Chris Sale CWS 1
9 Johnny Cueto SF 1
10 Jon Lester CHC 2
11 Carlos Carrasco CLE 2
12 Corey Kluber CLE 2
13 Danny Salazar CLE 2
14 Jacob DeGrom NYM 2
15 David Price BOS 2
16 Zack Greinke ARI 2
17 Rich Hill OAK 2
18 Steven Matz NYM 2
19 John Lackey CHC 3
20 Kyle Hendricks CHC 3
21 Jose Quintana CWS 3
22 Masahiro Tanaka NYY 3
23 Carlos Martinez STL 3
24 Drew Pomeranz SD 3
25 Justin Verlander DET 3
26 Yu Darvish TEX 3
27 Cole Hamels TEX 3
28 Aaron Nola PHI 3
29 Gerrit Cole PIT 3
30 Matt Shoemaker LAA 4
31 Michael Fulmer DET 4
32 Danny Duffy KC 4
33 Julio Teheran ATL 4
34 Steven Wright BOS 4
35 Chris Archer TB 4
36 Jonathan Gray COL 4
37 Trevor Bauer CLE 4
38 Lance McCullers HOU 4
39 Kenta Maeda LAD 4
40 Jeff Samardzija SF 5
41 Aaron Sanchez TOR 5
42 Sonny Gray OAK 5
43 Felix Hernandez SEA 5
44 Adam Wainwright STL 5
45 James Paxton SEA 5
46 Tanner Roark WSH 5
47 Joe Ross WSH 5
48 Kevin Gausman BAL 5
49 Marco Estrada TOR 5
50 Michael Pineda NYY 5
51 Anthony DeSclafani CIN 6
52 Jerad Eickhoff PHI 6
53 Jason Hammel CHC 6
54 Carlos Rodon CWS 6
55 Chris Tillman BAL 6
56 Taijuan Walker SEA 6
57 Jaime Garcia STL 6
58 Jake Odorizzi TB 6
59 Vincent Velasquez PHI 6
60 Michael Wacha STL 6
61 Drew Smyly TB 7
62 Lucas Giolito WSH 7
63 Jordan Zimmermann DET 7
64 Jameson Taillon PIT 7
65 Daniel Mengden OAK 7
66 Rick Porcello BOS 7
67 Josh Tomlin CLE 7
68 Dallas Keuchel HOU 7
69 Alex Wood LAD 7
70 Collin McHugh HOU 7
71 Adam Conley MIA 7
72 Blake Snell TB 7
73 Scott Kazmir LAD 7
74 Alex Cobb TB 8
75 Gio Gonzalez WSH 8
76 Mike Leake STL 8
77 Ian Kennedy KC 8
78 Cody Reed CIN 8
79 Marcus Stroman TOR 8
80 Tyler Chatwood COL 8
81 Zach Davies MIL 8
82 Hisashi Iwakuma SEA 8
83 Jose Berrios MIN 8
84 Junior Guerra MIL 8
85 Matt Moore TB 8
86 Julio Urias LAD 9
87 Patrick Corbin ARI 9
88 Bartolo Colon NYM 9
89 Doug Fister HOU 9
90 Archie Bradley ARI 9
91 Francisco Liriano PIT 9
92 Robbie Ray ARI 9
93 Jimmy Nelson MIL 9
94 Tyler Duffey MIN 9
95 CC Sabathia NYY 9
96 Hyun-Jin Ryu LAD 9
97 J.A. Happ TOR 9
98 Jeremy Hellickson PHI 9
99 Daniel Straily CIN 9
100 James Shields CWS 10
101 Yordano Ventura KC 10
102 Edinson Volquez KC 10
103 Tyler Glasnow PIT 10
104 Tyson Ross SD 10
105 Nathan Eovaldi NYY 10
106 Hector Santiago LAA 10
107 Zack Wheeler NYM 10
108 Jorge De La Rosa COL 10
109 Tom Koehler MIA 10
110 Ervin Santana MIN 10
111 Wei-Yin Chen MIA 10
112 Raisel Iglesias FA 10
113 Michael Foltynewicz ATL 10
114 Wade Miley SEA 10
115 Matthew Wisler ATL 10
116 Sean Manaea OAK 10
117 Luis Severino NYY 10
118 John Lamb CIN 11
119 Juan Nicasio PIT 11
120 Andrew Cashner SD 11
121 Erasmo Ramirez TB 11
122 Alexander Reyes STL 11
123 Martin Perez TEX 11
124 Trevor May MIN 11
125 Nathan Karns SEA 11
126 Jhoulys Chacin LAA 11
127 Ricky Nolasco MIN 11
128 Colby Lewis TEX 11
129 Jonathon Niese PIT 11
130 Chad Bettis COL 11
131 Eduardo Rodriguez BOS 11

 

Live Expert Q&A Chats - Every Weekday @ 1 PM and 6 PM EST (DFS)

Fantasy Baseball Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-55" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Christian Watson32 mins ago

Dealing With Bruised Knee
Tyrone Tracy Jr.37 mins ago

Won't Practice On Tuesday
Malik Nabers40 mins ago

Won't Practice On Tuesday
Drew Lock1 hour ago

To Start Against Colts
James Conner2 hours ago

Up In The Air For Saturday
Aaron Rodgers2 hours ago

In Danger Of Missing Week 17
Kenyon Martin Jr.4 hours ago

Makes Early Exit Due To Sore Foot
Marvin Bagley III4 hours ago

Suffers Apparent Knee Injury
Bub Carrington4 hours ago

Exits Early Monday
Alex Caruso4 hours ago

Hurt In Monday's Win
D'Angelo Russell4 hours ago

Injured In Monday's Loss
Jayson Tatum5 hours ago

Misses Monday's Action With An Illness
Adin Hill6 hours ago

Sharp In Monday's Victory
Jiri Kulich6 hours ago

Posts First Three-Point Outing Of The Season
Jonas Johansson6 hours ago

Stops 36 Shots In Victory
Dylan Holloway6 hours ago

Scores First Career Hat Trick
Jack Hughes6 hours ago

Scores Twice In Monday's Victory
Sidney Crosby6 hours ago

Ties Team Record With Four-Point Showing
Josh Jacobs14 hours ago

Scores Again, Tallies 107 Total Yards In Week 16 Victory
Christian Watson15 hours ago

Questionable To Return On Monday Night With Knee Injury
Anthony Davis16 hours ago

Will Play Against Pistons
LeBron James16 hours ago

Active Against Pistons
Dario Saric16 hours ago

Available On Monday
Draymond Green16 hours ago

Ready To Go Monday
Isaac Guerendo16 hours ago

Expected To Practice On Thursday
Ben Sheppard16 hours ago

Upgraded To Available
Gary Payton II17 hours ago

Misses First Game Of The Season
Kyler Murray17 hours ago

Cardinals Won't Rest Kyler Murray In Final Two Games
Moses Moody17 hours ago

Available For Monday's Game
Jamal Murray17 hours ago

Out On Monday
Nelson Agholor17 hours ago

Zay Flowers, Nelson Agholor Listed As DNPs On Monday
Dalano Banton18 hours ago

Returns From Two-Game Absence
San Francisco 49ers18 hours ago

Trent Williams Won't Return For Final Two Games
Robert Williams III18 hours ago

Sits Out Monday's Game
Ivica Zubac18 hours ago

Active Versus Grizzlies
Kenneth Walker III18 hours ago

Listed As DNP On Monday
Marcus Smart18 hours ago

Unavailable Monday
Ja Morant18 hours ago

Back In Grizzlies Lineup
Desmond Bane18 hours ago

Good To Go Monday
RJ Barrett19 hours ago

Returns To Action Monday
Jake Neighbours20 hours ago

Good To Go Versus Red Wings
Filip Gustavsson20 hours ago

Returns To Work Monday
Sean Couturier20 hours ago

Back For Battle Of Pennsylvania
Jake Walman20 hours ago

Unavailable Monday
Zach Werenski20 hours ago

Questionable For Monday's Action
Ivan Barbashev21 hours ago

Nicolas Roy Remain Out Monday
Leo Carlsson21 hours ago

Not Expected To Play On Monday
Diontae Johnson21 hours ago

Texans Claim Diontae Johnson Off Waivers From Ravens
Zach Charbonnet21 hours ago

Should Be Full-Go For Thursday
David Njoku22 hours ago

Undergoing MRI On His Knee
George Pickens22 hours ago

Expected To Play On Christmas Day
Jalen Hurts22 hours ago

In Concussion Protocol
J.K. Dobbins23 hours ago

Chargers Opening J.K. Dobbins' Practice Window
Patrick Mahomes23 hours ago

Thinks His Ankle Will Be Better Off In Week 17
Andrew McCutchen24 hours ago

Re-Signs With Pirates
Walker Buehler24 hours ago

Red Sox Agree On One-Year Deal
Tank Dell24 hours ago

Tears ACL, Out For Remainder Of Season
Sean Manaea1 day ago

Returns To Mets On Three-Year Deal
Joc Pederson1 day ago

Agrees To Contract With Texas
Aliaksei Protas1 day ago

Scores Twice On Sunday
Clayton Keller1 day ago

Tallies Four Points On Sunday
Linus Ullmark1 day ago

Leaves Sunday's Game With Upper-Body Injury
Zach Hyman1 day ago

Extends Goal Streak To Six Games
Mikko Rantanen1 day ago

Tallies Two Helpers, Extends Point Streak To Nine Games
Kaapo Kakko1 day ago

Scores First Goal With Seattle
Nathaniel Lowe2 days ago

Traded To Washington
Linus Ullmark2 days ago

Red-Hot Ahead Of Meeting With Oilers
Pyotr Kochetkov2 days ago

Achieves Rare Feat In Sunday's Win
Jesús Luzardo2 days ago

Phillies Acquire Jesus Luzardo From Miami
Alex Bregman3 days ago

Mets Showing Interest In Alex Bregman
Carlos Santana3 days ago

Inks One-Year Contract With Cleveland
Josh Naylor3 days ago

Traded To Arizona
Paul Goldschmidt3 days ago

Agrees With Yankees On One-Year Deal
Chicago Cubs4 days ago

Roki Sasaki Meets With Cubs
Christian Walker4 days ago

Agrees To Three-Year Deal With Astros
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.4 days ago

Extension Remains In Play For Toronto
New York Mets5 days ago

Roki Sasaki Meets With Mets On Thursday
Max Kepler5 days ago

Phillies Sign Max Kepler To One-Year Deal
Marcus Semien5 days ago

Rangers Could Look To Rest Marcus Semien More
Jesús Luzardo5 days ago

Cubs Trade Talks For Jesus Luzardo Are "Dead"
Josh Naylor5 days ago

Mentioned In Trade Talks With Mariners
Nolan Arenado6 days ago

Blocks Trade To Astros
Devin Williams6 days ago

Yankees Name Devin Williams As The Closer

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Isiah Pacheco - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Running Backs

The Cut List - Who to Drop for Fantasy Football Week 17

Welcome to Championship Week to those who have made it. It's been a long, grueling season, but you made it. Congratulations! There is just one more victory that stands between you and your ultimate goal. You'll be forever cemented as a champion with just one more win. The rules are pretty simple when it comes […]


Tyreek Hill - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Fantasy Football Playoff Rankings for Week 17 (QB, RB, WR, TE, DST) - Cooper Kupp, Joe Mixon, Courtland Sutton, Davante Adams, Tony Pollard, Tyreek Hill

If your fantasy team is still alive in Week 17, you have a great team and have nailed your lineup calls. However, be sure to use our half-PPR fantasy football rankings for Week 17 of the 2024 NFL season to double-check your key start-or-sit calls. It's time to take home your league's crown! As always, […]


DJ Moore - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Week 17 Fantasy Football FLEX Rankings (RB, WR, TE) for Half-PPR: Marquise Brown, Rico Dowdle, D'Andre Swift, Chuba Hubbard, Trey Benson, DJ Moore

It's do-or-die time, and just one win stands between you and a fantasy football championship. If you need assistance this week, use our Week 17 fantasy football FLEX rankings for 2024 and set your winning lineups. Your team is obviously strong if you make it to this point, so it's not time to overthink or […]


Bucky Irving - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Week 17 Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings for Half-PPR: Bucky Irving, Chase Brown, James Conner, Tyjae Spears, Rico Dowdle, Gus Edwards

The 2024 fantasy football season is set to wrap up with exciting championship matchups. Be sure not to overthink and panic about your lineup decisions. Instead, treat it like any other week. Today we will go over our NFL team's updated Week 17 fantasy football running back rankings for 2024. Let's see where key players […]


George Pickens - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL injury News

Week 17 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings for Half-PPR: George Pickens, Marquise Brown, Xavier Worthy, Jauan Jennings, Calvin Ridley

The time has come. You have made it to the fantasy football championship, and no one wants to take home second place. That said, our Week 17 fantasy football wide receiver rankings for 2024 are here to help you make those tough start/sit decisions. With no teams on a bye, options are plentiful, but it's […]


Dalton Schultz - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Picks

Week 17 Fantasy Football Tight End Rankings for Half-PPR: Travis Kelce, Jonnu Smith, T.J. Hockenson, Dalton Schultz, Tucker Kraft, Chig Okonkwo

Tight ends always present headaches when making lineup decisions, especially when fantasy football championships are on the line. We're here to assist with our Week 17 fantasy football tight end rankings for 2024. Let's go get the championship trophy! Ahead of the 17th slate of 2024, let's take a look at where key tight ends […]


Jordan Love - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Week 17 Fantasy Football Quarterback Rankings: Jalen Hurts, Baker Mayfield, Jordan Love, Bo Nix, Anthony Richardson, Matthew Stafford, Bryce Young

The 2024 fantasy football season has been a grind, and if you're still alive in the playoff race, it means you're set to play for a championship. We're here to help you set optimal lineups with our NFL team's Week 17 fantasy football quarterback rankings for 2024. Let's waste no more time digging into the […]


Baker Mayfield - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Pickups, Draft Sleepers

2024 Fantasy Football Rankings (Weekly Rankings)

Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.


Video: Week 17 Must-Start Defense (D/ST) Streamers - 2024 Fantasy Football Start/Sit Analysis

It's championship week in the vast majority of fantasy leagues, which means if you are reading this, you are still in the fight. Congratulations and good luck! Check out our top 2024 fantasy football must-start Defenses (D/ST) for Week 17 and be prepared to dominate your playoff matchup! LaQuan Jones discusses his top "Must Start" […]


Dolphins Defense D/ST Streamers, Rankings, Waiver Wire - Bradley Chubb Fantasy Football IDP

IDP Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers for Week 17 (2024)

In Week 16, Kenny Moore made two interceptions, Taron Johnson and Marlon Humphrey both had a pick-six, and Joseph Ossai, one of my waiver-wire picks, was one of four Bengals to make a sack against the Cleveland Browns. In Week 17, I have more players who are sure to sack Browns QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson on […]


Tyjae Spears - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Running Back Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 17: Tyjae Spears, Trey Benson, Michael Carter, Audric Estime, Kareem Hunt, Ameer Abdullah

Congratulations to those of you who are constructing rosters in Week 17. You have maintained your highest level of flexibility while navigating through injuries, bye weeks, production-inhibiting coaching decisions, and other unwanted developments that emerged during the season. Now your diligence has placed you at the threshold of capturing your league's championship. Winning your league […]


Calvin Austin - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Pickups - Top Fantasy Football WR Adds for Week 17 Include Hollywood Brown, Calvin Austin, Olamide Zaccheaus, more

This is it. Unless you're in some weird league that plays in Week 18, this upcoming week is the finals for your fantasy league. If you're still alive, it's you against one other person for the fantasy championship. With this week being the final chance for you, we're narrowing the focus of our wide receiver […]


NFL DFS Lineup Picks For FanDuel, DraftKings - Ravens vs. Texans Christmas Day Showdown (Week 17)

Merry Christmas, RotoBallers! We have a banger of a Christmas slate as the teams that just played Saturday night switch up their matchups, and this one is a big one. The AFC North is still up for grabs, making this a huge one for the Baltimore Ravens (10-5) as they take on the Houston Texans […]