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Starting Pitcher (Part 2): Updated March Rankings and Tiers

We rolled out our final update on 2017 rankings this past weekend. While there haven’t been seismic shifts, some players have naturally seen their stocks rise or fall since our initial valuations were made in December. We’re gathered here today to look at part one of our outfield rankings, tiers, and auction values, which have certainly seen some movement. Part two of this SP look will check in with three risers and three fallers within the lower tiers.

As before, this round of rankings features picks from myself -- Nick Mariano, as well as Kyle BishopBill DubielBrad JohnsonHarris Yudin and Jeff Kahntroff.

Check out all of our updated rankings. Adjust your league size, and export your rankings. Tiers, auction values, prospects, news and more. It's all free.

Editor's note: Get 50% off any MLB Premium Pass. Draft guide, cheat sheets, 200 days of DFS access, and over 20 premium tools. Dominate your leagues all year long! Sign Up Now!

 

2017 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Starting Pitcher

Ranking Tier Player Position Brad Kyle Nick Bill Harris Jeff Auction $
46 7 J.A. Happ SP 154 179 164 175 155 217 8
47 7 Jameson Taillon SP 207 186 149 165 166 172 8
48 7 Jeff Samardzija SP 203 182 152 153 180 219 7
49 7 Matt Shoemaker SP 168 253 171 176 194 199 6
50 7 Carlos Rodon SP 214 197 200 227 147 194 6
51 7 Vincent Velasquez SP 268 168 194 192 167 242 5
52 7 Garrett Richards SP 210 175 166 211 250 220 5
53 7 Drew Pomeranz SP 244 158 205 186 193 254 5
54 7 Joe Ross SP 299 212 186 195 204 152 5
55 8 Robbie Ray SP 172 201 203 220 203 256 5
56 8 Jerad Eickhoff SP 235 208 210 203 220 200 4
57 8 Marco Estrada SP 206 231 196 198 195 251 4
58 8 Adam Wainwright SP 245 191 183 177 179 341 4
59 8 Drew Smyly SP 272 222 216 209 202 201 4
60 8 Taijuan Walker SP 220 235 263 191 229 253 3
61 8 Jake Odorizzi SP 273 198 208 233 237 255 3
62 8 Anthony DeSclafani SP 227 251 230 231 3
63 8 Matt Moore SP 174 308 246 274 238 173 3
64 8 Raisel Iglesias SP/RP 221 202 343 255 254 174 3
65 8 Sonny Gray SP 243 230 250 229 183 367 3
66 8 Tyler Anderson SP 265 271 211 232 272 269 3
67 8 Blake Snell SP 258 307 247 315 219 208 3
68 9 Michael Pineda SP 301 241 221 190 301 311 3
69 9 Hisashi Iwakuma SP 262 245 265 228 230 343 3
70 9 Jharel Cotton SP 289 250 223 244 343 226 3
71 9 Ivan Nova SP 264 302 243 299 240 252 3
72 9 Jeremy Hellickson SP 246 266 179 271 304 339 3
73 9 Junior Guerra SP 260 244 274 260 271 312 2
74 9 Alex Cobb SP 248 333 214 248 305 283 2
75 9 Francisco Liriano SP 224 327 218 328 294 243 2
76 9 Joe Musgrove SP 324 265 206 326 270 320 2
77 9 Luke Weaver SP 281 211 321 314 321 2
78 9 Gio Gonzalez SP 354 305 293 183 292 346 2
79 10 Trevor Bauer SP 292 299 268 313 239 366 2
80 10 Dylan Bundy SP 398 400 271 338 221 167 2
81 10 Lance Lynn SP 269 324 236 300 353 315 2
82 10 Collin McHugh SP 388 233 261 259 252 407 2
83 10 Daniel Norris SP 373 261 224 355 341 245 2
84 10 Mike Leake SP 259 342 279 249 307 389 1
85 10 Ervin Santana SP 352 270 257 224 251 472 1
86 11 Jason Hammel SP 286 292 256 331 296 364 1
87 11 Zach Davies SP 397 301 253 293 273 319 1
88 11 Bartolo Colon SP 316 252 285 283 283 423 1
89 11 Michael Wacha SP 303 315 319 349 236 318 1
90 11 Jordan Zimmermann SP 285 359 313 254 293 340 1
91 11 Ian Kennedy SP 371 238 349 296 295 316 1
92 12 Eduardo Rodriguez SP 325 367 272 332 380 195 1
93 12 Brandon McCarthy SP 234 345 365 333 285 1
94 12 Tyler Skaggs SP 447 332 284 215 342 304 1
95 12 Chris Tillman SP 389 340 278 305 291 1
96 12 Michael Foltynewicz SP 274 304 333 318 362 337 1
97 12 Mike Montgomery SP 288 344 357 279 355 314 1
98 12 Wei-Yin Chen SP 375 334 355 269 306 345 1
99 13 Steven Wright SP 250 341 334 357 398 306 1
100 13 Tyler Glasnow SP 438 428 347 222 317 257 1
101 13 Archie Bradley SP 278 355 322 377 379 342 1
102 13 Brandon Finnegan SP 386 316 310 359 361 327 1
103 13 David Phelps SP 378 335 344 256 443 317 1
104 13 Tyson Ross SP 406 356 401 189 352 371 1
105 13 Daniel Straily SP 308 389 342 398 345 338 1
106 13 Luis Severino SP 331 294 440 376 340 365 1
107 13 Matt Andriese SP 431 329 250 444 1
108 13 Zack Wheeler SP 328 395 474 373 269 369 1
109 13 Chris Devenski SP/RP 418 293 377 294 356 473 1
110 14 Shelby Miller SP 314 392 399 360 397 348 1
111 14 Andrew Triggs SP 492 430 327 253 346 1
112 14 Jaime Garcia SP 358 429 276 354 434 368 1
113 14 Adam Conley SP 429 300 425 379 344 344 1
114 14 Josh Tomlin SP 359 384 1
115 14 Miguel Gonzalez SP 446 366 299 368 382 1
116 14 Jose De Leon SP 425 310 471 390 316 323 1
117 14 Robert Gsellman SP 330 441 323 395 313 442 1
118 14 Alex Wood SP 376 408 364 298 442 398 1
119 14 Edinson Volquez SP 451 308 390 1
120 14 Ricky Nolasco SP 407 366 1
121 14 Scott Kazmir SP 439 457 339 361 354 1
122 14 Liam Hendriks SP 394 1
123 14 Lucas Giolito SP 450 442 353 318 438 1
124 14 Clay Buchholz SP 360 437 422 370 456 388 1
125 14 Matt Boyd SP 410 1
126 14 CC Sabathia SP 410 367 455 1
127 14 Jose Berrios SP 462 451 445 382 315 414 1
128 14 Jimmy Nelson SP 313 391 496 424 485 387 1
129 14 Tyler Chatwood SP 463 383 408 1
130 14 Patrick Corbin SP 343 440 489 399 1
131 14 Kendall Graveman SP 424 491 330 404 381 498 1
132 14 Rubby de la Rosa SP 377 427 476 1
133 14 Mike Fiers SP 455 456 384 351 486 426 1
134 14 Ariel Miranda SP 420 432 449 1
135 14 Seth Lugo SP 341 420 498 482 455 1
136 14 Chad Kuhl SP 393 442 455 458 486 1
137 14 Nate Karns SP 491 487 422 391 1
138 14 R.A. Dickey SP 479 485 433 401 1
139 14 Brock Stewart SP 445 480 424 1
140 14 Homer Bailey SP 438 493 452 435 1
141 15 Reynaldo Lopez SP 456 463 487 439 1
142 15 James Shields SP 461 466 456 1
143 15 Hector Santiago SP 464 1
144 15 Doug Fister SP 478 452 445 489 1
145 15 Chase Anderson SP 440 494 1
146 15 Matt Garza SP 477 460 1
147 15 Mike Clevinger SP 470 479 1
148 15 Matthew Wisler SP 463 466 495 1
149 15 Anibal Sanchez SP 482 473 481 1
150 15 Derek Holland SP 480 1
151 15 Tom Koehler SP 495 476 466 1
152 15 Wade Miley SP 471 494 480 1
153 15 Wily Peralta SP 487 1
154 15 Tyler Duffey SP 497 485 1
155 15 Adam Morgan SP 499 483 1

 

Starting Pitcher (Part Two) Rankings Analysis: March Risers and Fallers

Rankings Risers

Jharel Cotton, Athletics

Buzz, buzz. Hey, what’s the buzz? Cotton shoots up from SP79 to SP70 with some serious fire despite his premier pitch being the offspeed stuff. While that 2.15 ERA and 0.82 WHIP from his 29 1/3 innings last season was backed by a comical .198 BABIP, the talent for a 3.75 ERA arm is absolutely there. And for what it’s worth, he posted a BABIP around .260 in his 135 Triple-A innings last season before being promoted (with 155 strikeouts). Oakland Coliseum is about as pitcher-friendly as it gets, even if the wins won’t necessarily roll in with the A’s offense still establishing itself.

Daniel Norris, Tigers

Norris goes from SP103 to SP83 as his late-season momentum from 2016 really starts to reenter the forefronts of our minds. While he is notably dealing with a dead arm right now, he also played catch the day after his affected start (where he gave up nine earned in three innings). It’s a troubling thing to start the season with, though at least it isn’t a lower back or oblique issue considering those are the two injuries that seem to send him to the DL with reckless abandon. This is a guy who turned in a beautiful September – 2.73 ERA with 38 strikeouts in 29 2/3 innings – and can be had for peanuts at the end of drafts/for free on the waiver wire.

Mike Foltynewicz, Braves

Folty goes from SP113 to SP96 as he enters the top 100 with some pizzazz, as the 25-year-old took some nice strides last season and has pieced together a neat spring thus far (2.66 ERA, 18-to-5 K:BB ratio through 23 2/3 innings). While we’re not calling for excellence here, it should be noted that he raised his swinging-strike rate from 8.9% to 10% alongside a lowered BB/9 figure (3.01 to 2.55). Homers are still an issue – a 1.31 HR/9 isn’t good – but if he continue to up his groundball rate (+7.9% last season) and keep that improved control then we could see a very serviceable mixed-league streamer here.

Rankings Fallers

Francisco Liriano, Blue Jays

Liriano falls from SP67 to SP75 despite a very strong spring as Bill’s confidence in him was clearly shaken with a 100-slot bump (or there was an administrative error in February’s rankings, but either way we’ve got a shift here). One likely knows the story by now, as the southpaw turned his season around after rejoining Russell Martin in Toronto by posting a 2.92 ERA and a 9.49 K/9 in his 49 1/3 innings north of the border. He has rolled that over into a red-hot spring by striking out 25 in 14 1/3 innings (~15.3 K/9) with a 1.88 ERA. This writer is buying.

Robbie Ray, Diamondbacks

Ray drops from Tier Seven as the SP48 to SP55, Tier Eight territory, as we clearly can’t just rely on sabermetrics like FIP/xFIP/SIERA (cough, Michael Pineda, cough). Ray’s huge strikeout stuff plays up very well with those fielding-independent metrics, as his 3.76 FIP, 3.45 xFIP and 3.59 SIERA would’ve joined those 218 strikeouts to make him a bona fide ace in all formats. Unfortunately, his actual ERA was 4.90 alongside a gaudy 1.47 WHIP, as that .352 BABIP and 3.67 BB/9 point to a guy who has inconsistent control and command. The potential is absolutely there, but the reality of needing to be a complete pitcher can really throw off a hype train’s course.

Dylan Bundy, Orioles

Going from SP80 to SP90 is a sizeable slide after the 2011 first-round pick posted a decent 4.02 ERA and nearly a strikeout per inning last season after a three-year absence from big-league pitching. While his name elicits excitement, his fielding-independent metrics don’t point to him as being a particularly strong candidate to burst through that 4.00 ERA mark (4.70 FIP, 4.61 xFIP, 4.23 SIERA). He’ll need to rein in those homers (1.48 HR/9) and walks (3.45 BB/9) first, at the very least. His two most recent spring starts haven’t pointed to this occurring, as he’s allowed two homers alongside four walks (two Ks) in six combined innings against the Twins and Yankees. There’s still strikeout upside in deeper formats, but he needs to find some consistency in his second MLB campaign.

 

More Draft Rankings & Analysis




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