Fantasy Baseball 2018 Rankings: Starting Pitcher

The starting pitcher position is perhaps the most fluid on draft day and I’ve found that my overall strategy can shift heavily depending on whether I grab a top tier arm. I tend to favor offense over pitching in the early rounds, but if you are picking at the back end in a 14 or 15 team league, I’ll would not shrug off the idea of picking a stud with one of those first two picks given how quickly the top-20 arms fly off the board in deep leagues.

If I do indeed miss out on a true ace, I’ll likely aim to grab three or four starters ranked in tiers two and three, focusing on guys like Lance McCullers, Garret Richards, and Zack Godley who have all flashed top-15 upside in the past.

Top Tier Bargains

Jacob DeGrom and his ADP of 37 overall represents the lowest cost in my top tier. He’s got a 2.98 ERA and 1.12 while striking out over a better per inning over his four year career.

Reaching into tier-two, Dallas Keuchel emerges as a bargain option and if you believe David Price can stay healthy, there is a lot to like about his potential return with an eighth or ninth round selection.

Though I didn’t expect to be quite this high on Garrett Richards heading into this draft season, his strong finish to the 2017 season gives us hope that the former top-20 starter can get back to fantasy stardom if he can just stay on the field. He’s currently going at pick 166 on average and I’d certainly reach a round or two ahead of that to secure his services.

Luis Castillo looks to have the makings of a fantasy ace after compiling a 3.12 ERA with 9.87 K/9 over his first 89.1 major league innings. He’s shown solid control throughout the minors and looks poised to take a leap.

Deep Thoughts

There is a ton of talent outside to top-200 ADP. Dinelson Lamet and his 10.94 K/9 certainly looks attractive. JA Happ has put together a very useful 3.33 ERA and 1.23 WHIP over the past two seasons. Joe Musgrove and his move the NL has me buying. After an injury-marred season, Vincent Velazquez is going undrafted in most 10 and 12 team leagues. Sean Manaea, Matt Shoemaker, Jacob Faria, Michael Wacha, Daniel Mengden and Nate Karns are among the other pitchers I am targeting late.

Starting Pitcher Draft Rankings 2018