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

Buy Low and Sell High: Starting Pitchers for Week 8

Injuries Making It Difficult To Make A Fair Deal

With the epidemic of pitching injuries continuing to deplete fantasy league rosters of live arms, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find hurlers to trade for, and if some are available, the law of supply and demand dictates that the asking price for a decent pitcher has gone way up. Finding buy low candidates or in-season sleepers in the world of starting pitching requires a great deal of diligence and research. On the other hand if you are a fantasy baseball owner who was wise enough to see the storm coming, and you have a stock pile of good pitching on your roster - you my friend, are in the driver’s seat. You have the opportunity to hold on to your best arms, trade away those guys who are playing way over their head, get top dollar for them and look for new options off the waiver wire. Check out my picks below for starting pitching candidates who can be bought low and sold high.

 

Starting Pitchers to Buy Low

Jeff Samardzija, Chicago Cubs

Jeff Samardzija Chicago Cubs MLB NewsJeff Samardzija is pitching his heart out this year, compiling a stellar 1.62 ERA and 1.11 WHIP and what does he have to show for it? An 0-4 record for the hapless Cubbies. This makes him a perfect candidate for someone that you can buy on the cheap. The numbers are all there. This season he is throwing just under 68% of his first pitches for strikes, well above the major league average of 60% and his HR/9 rate of .30 is way off of his career average of .92. He’s 29 year old pitcher in his prime who the Cubs will probably trade to a contender by mid season. Samardzija will not be winless for long. He is ripe for the picking so go get him.

 

Scott Kazmir, Oakland Athletics

You can’t talk about valuable starting pitching without bringing the Oakland A’s rotation into conversation. With five wins, a 2.39 ERA, 1.025 WHIP and the lowest HR/9 rate of his career, Scott Kazmir is definitely worth talking about. Working his craft within the pitcher friendly confines of Oakland Coliseum, Kazmir has been mowing down opposing hitters just like the Roman Gladiator’s did in their own colosseum. With a line drive percentage of 16.4, almost 4 points better than the league average, and a ground ball rate of 52%, way over the league average of 44, it’s no wonder that Kazmir seems to be coming into his own at the ripe old age of 30. Pitching at the Coliseum has helped Kazmir turn back the clock. His fastball velocity has been clocked at an average of just over 92 MPH, up a tick from last year. He is now throwing with the same velocity that he did way back in 2007. His overall numbers may go up a bit by the end of the season, but if you are a Fantasy Baseball Owner who has been bitten by the injury bug and need a starting pitcher Kazmir is your man.

 

Jordan Lyles, Colorado Rockies

Let’s face it, many Fantasy Baseball Owner’s dismiss trade offers when the pitcher you are getting in return is a member of the Colorado Rockies starting rotation. After all, how could a pitcher who starts half of his games in the homer friendly thin air of the Rocky Mountains help your fantasy roster? What if I told you that Colorado’s Jordan Lyles has a home ERA ( 3.24 ) than road ERA ( 3.72 )? Lyles, who has won five of his first 6 decisions while compiling an overall 3.50 ERA and 1.22 WHIP, has been one of fantasy baseball’s most consistent starting pitchers who has given up fewer than three runs in six of his nine starts this season. His miserable start on 5/17 in which he gave up six runs to the lowly Padres makes it even more likely that you could swing a favorable deal for his services. His ground ball percentage of over 55% and fly ball percentage of just over 20% (league averages are usually in the 44 and 36% ranges respectively) are important factors that have helped to make him the kind of starting pitcher that could help you fantasy team now. With a very good defense playing behind him and a team that seems poised to make a run at the playoffs, Lyle should definitely be on your radar. Put your “Colorado Rockies bias” aside and make a deal for this 23 year old young stud in the making.

 

Tim Hudson, San Francisco Giants

After his 2013 season came to an abrupt end with a devastating ankle injury, Tim Hudson was largely an afterthought in this year’s fantasy drafts. With four wins, a 2.08 ERA and a miniscule 0.81 WHIP Hudson is making Fantasy Baseball Owners wish they had paid more attention to him. Hudson is enjoying a homecoming of sorts, pitching like Cy Young in San Francisco, just across the bay from where he enjoyed some of the best years of his career in Oakland. The knock on Hudson’s value as a fantasy pitcher has always been that he doesn’t get enough strike outs but with so many pitchers dropping like flies the fact that he can get you wins, a low ERA and WHIP might just be what saves your season. He may not put up big strikeout numbers, but he gets ahead of batters with his 64.9 first pitch strike percentage. (The major league average is 60%) Opposing hitters swing and miss at 10.5% of the pitches he throws for strikes, well above the 9.3% league average. His ground ball rates are high and fly ball rates are low so you know he is keeping the ball in the park. The only concern I would have in trading for Hudson is the fact that he missed his last start due to some tightness in his hip however he is expected to make his next start on 5/22. Monitor that situation carefully and if he is able to make his next start , more than likely it will probably be a good one.

 

Starting Pitchers to Sell High

Yovani Gallardo, Milwaukee Brewers

By Spaluch1 (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Yovani Gallardo began the season just like his team the Milwaukee Brewers did: white hot. Gallardo wasn’t being picked up until the latter rounds of most drafts and those Fantasy Baseball Owners who did draft him looked like geniuses until… April 28th. That day marked the first of four straight starts in which Gallardo has given up more than three runs. On April 29th Gallardo’s ERA was sitting at a fantasy friendly 1.91. His ERA currently sits at 3.07. Reality is starting to set in. Gallardo is a pitcher who hasn’t won in seven starts dating back to April 6th.. The once mighty strikeout pitcher is throwing just 53.5% of his pitches for strikes, well below the major league average of 60%. His swinging strike rate which peaked at 9.2 in 2009 currently sits at a measly 5.4%. ( Anything over 8.5% for a starting pitcher is considered to be very good ) As the season progresses he is starting to look more and more like the pitcher who finished last year with a 4.19 ERA than the pitcher who put together a string of 15 2/3 scoreless innings earlier this season. My advice to you is to put Gallardo on the trading block while his hot start and all the excitement surrounding the Milwaukee Brewers is still fresh on your fellow Fantasy Baseball Manager’s mind. Trade him while his value is still relatively high.

 

Shelby Miller, St. Louis Cardinals

Shelby Miller has six wins so far this season and since he plays for the Cardinals you would expect that win total to continue to rise. He has a very respectable ERA of 2.79 and over his last three starts (17 1/3 innings), Miller has allowed a total of just four earned runs. So why is this the perfect time to trade him? If you look beyond the conventional stats you’ll realize that there’s a storm coming, and if you haven’t moved Miller by the time it hits, you’ll surely regret it. Need proof? Miller’s K/9 rate of 6.97 is the highest in his career and his BB/9 rate of 5.05 is more than 2 points higher than his rate from last season. Although Miller has a very good conventional ERA his SIERA, ( Skill-Interactive Earned Run Average) an ERA estimator that takes into account the intricacies of pitching and how well he actually performed, stands at 4.84 way higher than the league average of 3.90. Need more convincing? How about his declining swinging strike rate of 7.4%, the lowest of his career and considerably lower than the 8.5% rate that is considered good for a starting pitcher. When you take into consideration Miller’s lofty WHIP (1.41), high LOB % (90.9) and elevated HR to fly ball ratio (15.4) you have the recipe for the perfect storm that will ultimately derail Miller’s season.

 




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

Caleb Williams1 hour ago

Bears Reiterate That Caleb Williams Will Start In Week 11
Mikko Rantanen2 hours ago

Grabs Four Points Against Kings
Aliaksei Protas2 hours ago

Enjoys Multi-Point Outing Versus Maple Leafs
Patrick Kane2 hours ago

Notches Two Points In Overtime Win
Blake Lizotte2 hours ago

Suffers Another Injury
Pyotr Kochetkov2 hours ago

Suffers Injury Versus Utah
Caleb Jones3 hours ago

Hurt On Wednesday
Darcy Kuemper3 hours ago

Exits With Injury Wednesday
LeBron James3 hours ago

Makes History With Third Consecutive Triple-Double
Jaxson Hayes3 hours ago

To Be Re-Evaluated In 1-2 Weeks
Walker Kessler3 hours ago

Remains Sidelined On Thursday
P.J. Washington3 hours ago

Considered Doubtful For Thursday
Luka Doncic3 hours ago

Expected To Remain In The Lineup Thursday
DeMar DeRozan3 hours ago

Exits Win With Back Problem
Aaron Rodgers4 hours ago

Leaning Toward Return In 2025
Grayson Allen15 hours ago

Ruled Out Versus Kings
D'Angelo Russell16 hours ago

Suiting Up On Wednesday
Bradley Beal16 hours ago

Unavailable Wednesday
DK Metcalf18 hours ago

Puts In Full Practice On Wednesday
Henrik Norlander18 hours ago

Needs Strong Showing At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Michael Kim18 hours ago

Playing Well Down The Stretch
Nick Taylor18 hours ago

Returns To Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Jhonattan Vegas18 hours ago

Playing Well Heading To Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Matthias Schmid18 hours ago

Looks To Bounce Back At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Patrick Rodgers18 hours ago

Heads To Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Mackenzie Hughes18 hours ago

Debuts At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Maverick McNealy18 hours ago

Seeking Back-To-Back Top-10 Finishes In Bermuda
Lucas Glover18 hours ago

In A Groove Ahead Of Bermuda Championship
Andrew Putnam18 hours ago

A Player To Watch In Bermuda
PGA18 hours ago

Nico Echavarria In Top Form Heading To Bermuda
Jusuf Nurkic19 hours ago

Back On Wednesday Night
Anfernee Simons19 hours ago

Won't Suit Up Against The Timberwolves
Robert Williams III19 hours ago

Resting In Rematch With Minnesota
Deandre Ayton19 hours ago

Out Again On Wednesday
Andre Drummond19 hours ago

Out Sick On Wednesday
Paul George19 hours ago

Won't Play Versus Cleveland
Joel Embiid19 hours ago

Sitting On Wednesday
Tage Thompson19 hours ago

Labeled As Day-To-Day
Mattias Samuelsson19 hours ago

Out Indefinitely
Gabriel Landeskog19 hours ago

Remains Without A Timeline
Jonas Brodin20 hours ago

Considered Questionable For Thursday
Tank Bigsby20 hours ago

Listed As DNP On Wednesday
Andre Drummond20 hours ago

Listed As Questionable On Wednesday
Tyreek Hill20 hours ago

Misses Wednesday's Practice
Hampus Lindholm20 hours ago

Expected To Miss "Weeks"
Jani Hakanpaa20 hours ago

Available On Wednesday
Tee Higgins20 hours ago

Officially Limited On Wednesday
Marcus Smart20 hours ago

Set To Play Wednesday
Seth Jarvis20 hours ago

Set To Miss A Second Consecutive Game
Michael Pittman Jr.20 hours ago

Practicing In Full
Brian Thomas Jr.20 hours ago

Limited On Wednesday
Josh Jacobs20 hours ago

Limited During Wednesday's Practice
Mike Conley20 hours ago

Resting Wednesday Versus Portland
Kirk Cousins20 hours ago

Limited On Wednesday
Najee Harris21 hours ago

Does Not Practice On Wednesday
Christian McCaffrey21 hours ago

Limited On Wednesday
George Kittle21 hours ago

Not Practicing On Wednesday
Brian Robinson Jr.21 hours ago

Off The Injury Report
DK Metcalf22 hours ago

To Be Limited In Wednesday's Practice
Sam LaPorta22 hours ago

Misses Practice, Remains Day-To-Day
J.J. McCarthy23 hours ago

Undergoes Second Knee Surgery
Gardner Minshew II23 hours ago

Will Start In Week 11
Tee Higgins24 hours ago

Won't Practice But Bengals Encouraged With His Progress
Isiah Pacheco24 hours ago

Unlikely To Return In Week 11
Younghoe Koo1 day ago

Falcons Sticking With Younghoe Koo As Their Kicker
Nick Hardy1 day ago

Looks To Find Consistency On The Greens In Bermuda
Carson Young1 day ago

Hopes To Carry Recent Form To Bermuda
Brandon Clarke1 day ago

Questionable For Wednesday's Action
Kevin Yu1 day ago

A Name To Watch At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Marcus Smart1 day ago

Picks Up Questionable Tag Ahead Of Wednesday
Connor McDavid1 day ago

Leads Oilers To Victory With Four-Point Effort
Neal Pionk1 day ago

Records Three Assists In Historic Win
Linus Ullmark1 day ago

Records First Shutout As Senator
Hampus Lindholm1 day ago

Taken Out By A Lower-Body Injury
Sam Bennett1 day ago

Battling An Upper-Body Injury
Lars Eller1 day ago

Returns To Washington
Shohei Ohtani2 days ago

Among NL Silver Slugger Winners
Aaron Judge2 days ago

Headlines AL Silver Slugger Winners
Dante Fabbro2 days ago

Makes Blue Jackets Debut Tuesday
Wander Franco2 days ago

Now Facing Weapons Charges
Travis d'Arnaud2 days ago

Agrees On Two-Year Deal With Angels
Brendon Todd2 days ago

A Hard Sell At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Greyson Sigg2 days ago

May Surprise In Bermuda
Jacob Bridgeman2 days ago

In For Adventure At Port Royal Golf Course
Mark Hubbard2 days ago

Plays Solid In Bermuda
Andrew Novak2 days ago

Tries To Build Off ZOZO Championship
Daniel Berger2 days ago

Looks To Continue His Consistent Run At Port Royal Golf Course
Justin Lower2 days ago

Looks To Continue His Hot Play At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
2 days ago

Blue Jays, Red Sox To Meet With Juan Soto
Jasson Domínguez3 days ago

Yankees Expect Jasson Dominguez To Have A Big Role In 2025
Carlos Correa3 days ago

Progressing
Carlos Prates3 days ago

Gets Higlight-Reel Knockout Win At UFC Vegas 100
Neil Magny3 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Vegas 100
Cortavious Romious3 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC Vegas 100
Gaston Bolaños3 days ago

Gaston Bolanos Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Joey Logano3 days ago

Holds On At Phoenix To Win His Third Cup Series Championship
Los Angeles Dodgers3 days ago

Dodgers Considered Favorites For Roki Sasaki
Ryan Blaney3 days ago

Falls Short Of The 2024 Cup Series Title At Phoenix
Dusko Todorovic3 days ago

Gets TKO'd At UFC Vegas 100
Wander Franco3 days ago

Arrested On Monday After Altercation
Tyler Reddick3 days ago

Lacks Speed Of Other Championship 4 Contenders But Drives Well
William Byron3 days ago

Finishes Third In Phoenix Race And Championship
Miami Marlins4 days ago

Marlins Hire Clayton McCullough As New Skipper
Mansur Abdul-Malik4 days ago

Gets First-Round Finish At UFC Vegas 100
Luana Pinheiro4 days ago

Falls Short At UFC Vegas 100
Gillian Robertson4 days ago

Extends Win Streak At UFC Vegas 100
Gerald Meerschaert4 days ago

Gets Finished At UFC Vegas 100
MMA4 days ago

Reinier de Ridder Gets Submission Win In UFC Debut
4 days ago

Rays Have Interest In Juan Soto
NASCAR4 days ago

Bubba Wallace Is A Top DFS Recommendation With Upside For Phoenix
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Is Expected To Compete For The Title At Phoenix
Joey Logano4 days ago

Is One Of The Favorites To Win At Phoenix
Kyle Larson4 days ago

Could Be A Favorable DFS Option For Phoenix Lineups
Corey Lajoie4 days ago

Corey LaJoie Will Start 20th At Phoenix
Brad Keselowski4 days ago

Is A Solid Recommendation For Phoenix DFS Lineups
Erik Jones4 days ago

Will Start 19th At Phoenix This Week
Carson Hocevar4 days ago

Will Compete For A Top-10 Finish At Phoenix
Ty Gibbs4 days ago

Should DFS Players Fade Ty Gibbs At Phoenix?
Chase Elliott4 days ago

Is Chase Elliott A Solid DFS Pick For Phoenix Lineups?
Ryan Blaney4 days ago

The Championship Favorite Despite Qualifying Blunder
William Byron4 days ago

Will Be Strong In Fight For Championship
Austin Cindric4 days ago

Is Austin Cindric Worth Rostering For Phoenix DFS Lineups?
Ross Chastain4 days ago

Is Great At Phoenix
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Looking To Go Back-To-Back At Phoenix After Championship Snub
Chase Briscoe4 days ago

Can Be Worth Rostering In Tournaments At Phoenix
Denny Hamlin4 days ago

Could Contend At Phoenix
5 days ago

Nick Martinez Expected To Accept Qualifying Offer
MLB5 days ago

Roki Sasaki Will Be Posted, Opens Door For 2025 MLB Debut
Nolan Arenado6 days ago

Could Be On The Trade Block
Zach Neto6 days ago

Undergoes Shoulder Surgery, Could Miss Start Of 2025

RANKINGS

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

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Houston Texans Defense D/ST Streamers, Rankings, Waiver Wire - Derek Stingley Fantasy Football IDP

D/ST Strength of Schedule Analysis - Fantasy Football Defense/Special Teams Matchups (2024)

Ahh, the good old Defense/Special Teams (DST) position in fantasy football. It is a controversial inclusion in fantasy lineups for some fantasy players, but strategizing around DSTs is one of my favorite aspects of the in-season fantasy football experience. In the article below, I will present the strength of schedule (SOS) for the fantasy Defense/Special […]


Russell Wilson - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Sneaky Starts, Pivot Plays, and Post-Waiver Pickups for Week 11 - Russell Wilson, Audric Estime, Dawson Knox, and more

There are just four weeks left of the fantasy football regular season. Enjoy it while it lasts because before you know it, it’ll be gone. It also means you have four weeks to get your team into the playoffs. In many of my leagues, the last playoff spot is around .500. In some, a team […]


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

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.


dawson knox fantasy football rankings NFL DFS lineup picks

Tight Ends Fantasy Football Start 'Em and Sit 'Em For Week 11

The tight-end position has never been easy to navigate. This year was supposed to be where tight ends returned to glory, with a deep group of players ready to take the position to new heights. Unfortunately, that didn't come to pass, and fantasy managers have been left with one of the more depressing groups in […]


Ja'Marr Chase - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS and Betting Picks

Wide Receiver Sleepers, Risers, Breakouts for Fantasy Football - Targets, Air Yards, Snaps Trends for Week 11 (2024)

Wide Receiver Sleepers, Risers, Fantasy Football Breakouts - Targets, Air Yards, Snaps Trends Analysis For Week 11 by Kevin Tompkins Targets are paramount when it comes to evaluating pass-catchers for fantasy football. There are no air yards, receiving yards, receptions, or touchdowns without first earning a target. There’s a reason the biggest and most consistent […]


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

High-Powered Offenses: Players to Target in Week 11 Lineups Including Jordan Love, Demarcus Robinson, Patrick Mahomes, Tucker Kraft, DeAndre Hopkins, More

Hello, RotoBallers, and welcome to our column High-Powered Offenses for Week 11 of the 2024 fantasy football season. Below, you’ll find a recap of the last week's offenses to target, a sneak peek of the offenses to target, a breakdown of the methodology, a snapshot of each metric in a data table, a few key […]


Amon-Ra St. Brown - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL Survivor Pool Picks: Week 11 Targets and Avoids (2024)

Welcome to our NFL Survivor Pool Picks for Week 11 of the 2024 NFL season! There are so many different pools, fantasy leagues, weekly bets, and futures bets that it's hard to decide what to do with these choices. But survivor pools are the oldest and simplest leagues out there. All you have to do is […]


David Montgomery - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL Pick'em Pool Picks (Week 11) - Targets, Avoids, Predictions for Pick'em Contests (2024)

The Cardinals, Buccaneers, Panthers, and Giants will all be on a bye during Week 11. There are still some great matchups on the board, including when the Steelers host the Ravens. Each week of the NFL season, I’ll share my picks for each game and rank their selections for those who play in a format […]


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

Fantasy Football Matchups We Love - Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Picks for Week 11 Include Drake London, Justin Herbert, Joe Mixon, George Pickens, Chase Brown

Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson lit the world on fire on Thursday Night Football to send fantasy managers into a love/hate frenzy heading into the weekend. Unfortunately, the weekend did not deliver the same level of goodness that fantasy managers were hoping for. There were several duds from players fantasy managers have come to expect […]


Russell Wilson - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Week 11 Fantasy Football Sleepers - Alexander Mattison, Russell Wilson, Elijah Moore, Jonnu Smith

Zeroing in on the right sleepers each week can be the secret to fantasy football success. Some players come out of nowhere, ready to save your lineup when you least expect it. It could be a quarterback with a soft matchup, a running back stepping in, or a receiver getting extra looks. The challenge? Deciding […]


Tampa Bay Bucs Defense D/ST Streamers, Rankings, Waiver Wire - Vita Vea Fantasy Football IDP

Top Fantasy Football D/ST Rankings (Weeks 11, 12, 13, 14) - Defense Streamers and Starts

Welcome, RotoBallers, to our fantasy football D/ST streamers and starts for Weeks 11, 12, 13, and 14 -- looking at the next four weeks and identifying the best D/ST matchups. Streaming defenses each week is a strategy that some fantasy managers have adopted over the years, and looking ahead weeks in advance could give you an […]


Austin Ekeler - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL News

High-Value Touches and Opportunities - Fantasy Football Underperformers, Overperformers (Week 11)

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to my weekly series, "High-Value Touches and Opportunities" for Week 11 of the 2024 fantasy football season. We're nearly a month before the fantasy football playoffs begin, depending on if leagues go through Week 17 or 18. It's crunch time, and we'll want to pay attention to the news, noise, and trends, […]


Houston Texans Defense D/ST Streamers, Rankings, Waiver Wire - Derek Stingley Fantasy Football IDP

Week 11 Defense (DEF) Streamers and Starts - 2024 Fantasy Tiers, Rankings

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to our Week 11 fantasy football defense streamers and D/ST rankings for the 2024 fantasy football season. Every week, I'll go through the best and worst fantasy defenses. There are four more teams on bye this week (Cardinals, Panthers, Giants, and Buccaneers), so I'll be ranking defenses from No. 1 to No. 28.  There's […]