yofWelcome to The List, where I rank the Top 100 SP for Fantasy Baseball every Monday of the year.
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It’s that time of the year where we shift from the traditional Top 100 ranking of The List to a stupid long article outlining every single expected Starting Pitcher start and ranking them all together in one smattering that kinda makes sense and should help your team.
Yeah, it’s a lot to take in, but it’s what I think is the most helpful way of talking about the final four weeks of the season and it’s what you see before you.
First thing’s first, I want to thank Josh Mockensturm for creating the individual team tables and color-coding their matchup tiers. I’ve compiled them all to make the mega tables at the end of the article, and that’s only possible because of Josh’s work.
These schedules are going to change. Seriously, even the daily streaming pitchers article I write often changes and that’s published just hours before game time. Use this article as a guide to understand the flow of rotations and move the respective pitchers around as needed when changes happen.
For each edition of The List, I have a set of rules to outline my thought process and how to best use these rankings. Please take note:
- This is 5×5, 12-teamer, H2H format focused. It generally is the same as roto as well, but make sure you adjust accordingly.
- Again, these tables are going to change. I’m trying to give a general idea of it, but injured pitchers returning, rainouts, bumped starters, callups, etc. mean the orders are all messed up. It happens, nothing I can do about it.
- The notes outline oh-so-much to help your team. Please read the notes if you can instead of just scrolling to the bottom.
Pretty straightforward stuff. Let’s take a look at how I’m loosely ranking these matchups for the next month (which, also, will change. These are humans, after all):
This year, I’ve added labels to each pitcher’s table, designated by their color. Here is the legend:
We’ve also added AVO to each table, which stands for Average Opponent Value. Just a quick way for you to get a sense of the strength of schedule for each pitcher.
Now let’s jump to the expected schedules for each team starting August 31st.
Final note: I apologize I wasn’t able to get this out before games started on Monday August 31st. It’s a behemoth of an article with a lot of moving parts and I wanted to do it right instead of rushing it out. Check out the morning roundup and daily streaming articles for updates to these assessments. Good luck!
Brandon Pfaadt: Solid – His command is as good as it’s ever been. You may not want to hold him for Coors at the end, though.
Eduardo Rodriguez: Solid – There’s little chance you’re moving on from Erod at this point, but you may be there by the middle of September.
Michael Soroka: Tobys & Bombs – Soroka is dealing with right arm inflammation and could come back in a week or two. I’d wait a start to see if his command is there.
Zac Gallen: Do Not Start – As much as I want this to work out for Gallen, you can’t put your faith in it.
Jose Cabrera: Do Not Start – Cabrera was able to throw strikes when he first debuted and we haven’t seen it much since. This isn’t worth it.
Kohl Drake: Do Not Start – I wonder if Drake will take a step forward in the off-season. There is some SWATCH potential here.
Merrill Kelly: Desperate Streamer – It’s strange not to suggest Kelly for anything but a desperate stream, and yet, he really has not been worth the risk.
Gage Jump: Tobys & Bombs – We know the strikeout ability is there, it’s a matter of figuring out when we’ll see it.
J.T. Ginn: This Week Streamer – Ginn has done well lately, yet I don’t see it lasting for another month. His mix of stuff and command suggests fizzling out soon.
Jacob Lopez: Solid – He’s on a roll and I’m riding this for as long as it’ll go.
Jack Perkins: Desperate Streamer – It’s hard to tell how long he’ll go and if he’ll have his best stuff on a given day.
Jeffrey Springs: Do Not Start – He’s been awfully unreliable and even with a possible good matchup or two, I still wouldn’t test it.
Atlanta
Bryce Elder: Desperate Streamer – Maybe there’s magic left for a start or two?
AJ Smith-Shawver: Desperate Streamer – I really dislike the fastball and the only pitch that has worked is a splitter that I don’t want to rely on (shocking! More at eleven).
Grant Holmes: Desperate Streamer – It’s possible the slider can get you some strikeouts. It’s a desperate play that will often be fruitless.
Chris Sale: Auto – Aces gonna ace.
Martín Pérez: Later Streamer – He’s not at his peak, but he very well may be there against the Marlins at the end of the season.
Tyler Mahle: Solid – Mahle is killing it and this schedule is good enough to ride it to the sunset.
Kyle Bradish: Tobys & Bombs – Oh Bradish, you have a handful of starts left and all I want is for you to end the year on a high note. Show us all that you do have that slider and curveball cooking. IT’S STILL THERE.
Trevor Rogers: Solid – Save for the date in Coors, Rogers should be a strong play. He’s had the great skillset for a while now.
Brandon Young: Desperate Streamer – I didn’t know where to put Brandon. On one hand, his four-seamer is a good foundational heater and his secondaries have helped in the past. On the other, he sure hasn’t looked great lately and I wouldn’t want to give it a whirl outside 15-teamers.
Shane Baz: Tobys & Bombs – Baz has improved his curveball over the course of the year and he’s right on the cusp of being worthwhile in your 12-teamers.
Chris Bassitt: Desperate Streamer – He’ll have a long leash, but the floor is super questionable, even against weak teams.
Payton Tolle: Auto – He’s not leaving your lineups, and I hope he doesn’t run into fatigue problems in September.
Patrick Sandoval: Do Not Start – Despite finding more strikeouts than most on the wire, the ratios are incredibly dangerous. Be careful, this is who he’s been for a while.
Jake Bennett: Tobys & Bombs – He’s a Toby. If he can nail down his heater and changeup separation, then the strikeouts could return. The schedule certainly helps his chances.
Ranger Suarez: Tobys & Bombs – I wish Ranger were in a good rhythm, but he’s not there yet. He could very well get there by the time he faces the Angels or Rangers.
Sonny Gray: Auto – The Sawx gave him some extra rest and he should be Sonny through the end of the year.
Clay Holmes: Tobys & Bombs – He’s a Toby with a good Win chance. The Adobe is a great home to rent for a month.
Matthew Boyd: Tobys & Bombs – Boyd is running into HRs once again and hasn’t had the whiffs of April return. That said, he has a long leash and is sure to give you Wins and QS.
David Peterson: Later Streamer – The man had 17 whiffs last week with a good defense behind him on a winning club. Not the worst option out there.
Kevin Gausman: Solid – I’m still a believer in Gausman. Maybe I shouldn’t be. I think the team context makes him worthwhile, but you do you.
Shota Imanaga: Solid – Like Boyd, Shota is finding taters again and it’s frustrating. The velocity and whiffability is still there, though, making me believe it’ll normalize in our favor.
Anthony Kay: Later Streamer – Kay is fine. Not someone to chase, but that later schedule could suit him well.
Sean Burke: Solid – Should I have Burke lower? Higher? I don’t know. I feel as if his next start against Houston will define his spot in our heads. The slider and curveball command were gone last time out and if that’s still missing, it’s a problem.
Davis Martin: Desperate Streamer – This hasn’t worked for a while, but at least he has the leash you want.
Luis Castillo: Desperate Streamer – It’s a decent enough schedule, and yet, I don’t trust Castillo at all.
Erick Fedde: Do Not Start – Don’t trust ’em.
Brady Singer: Desperate Streamer – He’s classic Singer. If you’re dire for a Quality Start, there’s a shot here.
Nick Lodolo: Tobys & Bombs – Lodolo’s blister is likely the culprit behind his worse breaker. It’s not the easiest schedule either and you might want to just avoid this bomb.
Rhett Lowder: Desperate Streamer – Lowder’s slider and changeup are good enough that it gives him a chance to survive when he gets a decent matchup…poor fella.
Andrew Abbott: Later Streamer – Abbott does what Abbott does. It’s likely not going to go well for most of this.
Chase Burns: Auto – Aces gonna ace. I really hope they don’t limit him.
Gavin Williams: Auto – The strike rates should be fine down the stretch.
Joey Cantillo: Tobys & Bombs – It’s been a weird month for Cantillo and yet, I was still tempted to put him in the second tier. That said, he did just walk seven and desperately needs his changeup command back.
Tanner Bibee: Desperate Streamer – Who knows what a given night will give you.
Logan Allen: Do Not Start – He’s around for one start in a double header and that’s it.
Foster Griffin: Tobys & Bombs – Foster has become a Toby and that’s totally fine.
Parker Messick: Auto – The greatest Holly of them all. Here’s to ending the season like it started. And continued. For five months.
Tanner Gordon: Do Not Start – Do
Gabriel Hughes: Do Not Start – Not
Tomoyuki Sugano: Do Not Start – Start
Ryan Feltner: Do Not Start – Colorado
Kyle Freeland: Do Not Start – Rockies
Mason Adams: Do Not Start – Pitchers
Jackson Jobe: Tobys & Bombs – He’s a PEAS who I worry doesn’t have the right approach to squeeze the most out of his stuff. It could be a boring time across this month despite one of the best schedules out there.
Troy Melton: Auto – How could you resist this?
Jack Flaherty: Later Streamer – I wonder how Flaherty will look when he gets activated from the IL. I wouldn’t expect production in the Still ILL, but I would anticipate the Tigers giving him a long leash to audition himself before the off-season.
Drew Anderson: Desperate Streamer – It’s just a few more for Anderson who hasn’t impressed me enough to consider him.
Keider Montero: Tobys & Bombs – The man is a WHIP darling and has an easy schedule to contest for a sub 1.00 WHIP on the year. How about that.
Framber Valdez: Tobys & Bombs – I guess he’s still going to be considered despite all that he’s put us through. Good luck, y’all.
Peter Lambert: Solid – Sure, it hasn’t been the smoothest lately, but he pitched better than the box score looked against the Yankees and he’s been helpful for a long while this season.
Mike Burrows: Do Not Start – Burrows is back?! Huh. I wonder how this goes. It’s possible he’s worth a stream later in the year.
Hayden Wesneski: Later Streamer – He could be a decent stream, but it’s kinda meh. More for 15-teamers.
Hunter Brown: Solid – Will the four-seamer be good enough? Will his command be good enough? I feel like the floor is still decently high, making it worthwhile, but hot dang, I want this to be GREAT, not fine.
Cristian Javier: Later Streamer – I’m still waiting for that game from Javier and I’ll circle him as a late streamer as we wait for the time to pounce.
Randy Dobnak: This Week Streamer – Hey, he could sling 5+ frames consistently. Can’t say I’d bank on it, though. I also don’t expect him to be a worthy streamer through September, let alone the tag I’m giving him now.
Noah Cameron: Tobys & Bombs – Cameron seems to be on the precipice of the cliff after falling to just 92 mph on his four-seamer. I hope I’m wrong.
Michael Wacha: Tobys & Bombs – You’re looking for a Toby? Look no further.
Daniel Lynch IV: Do Not Start – At least Lynch is up to five frames now. The skills aren’t there, sadly.
Seth Lugo: Desperate Streamer – We did just see Lugo up his velocity by two ticks, but we also saw him get pummeled at the same time. It’s too risky.
Walbert Ureña: Solid – Ureña’s changeup is rad. He has high velocity. He’s a little wild. It’s good enough to trust for the next five weeks.
Mitch Farris: Do Not Start – Farris is stepping in for a game to quickly replace an injured Klassen. He’s not a guy to target.
Grayson Rodriguez: Desperate Streamer – Grayson has become a four-seamer/change arm with poor breakers. If he can find that 88+ mph cutter, then we’re talking. Otherwise, it’s a dart throw.
Reid Detmers: Solid – The slider is still cooking. I could see myself pushing him to Auto, but one start or two changes that fast.
Ryan Johnson: Desperate Streamer – Ehhhh he rarely goes deep into games and it’s not a whole lot when it works out.
Yusei Kikuchi: Tobys & Bombs – Kikuchi’s super hittable heater got away with pitches down the pipe on Sunday, but he also had a better 88 mph gyro slider that could dominate great matchups.
Eric Lauer: This Week Streamer – Lauer is stepping in with Roki hurt and it’s time to earn some cheap Wins again.
Shohei Ohtani: Auto – He’s an auto, though we don’t know how often he’ll start and how long they’ll let him go. Be careful, this could be a true ramp up for the rest of the season as they get him going for the Playoffs.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Auto – Aces gonna ace.
Tarik Skubal: Auto – Aces gonna ace.
Blake Snell: Auto – Aces gonne #HotSnellSummer.
Tyler Glasnow: Auto – I haven’t given him the AGA tag yet, but….Aces gonna ace. You know it in your heart to be true.
Roki Sasaki: Desperate Streamer – Whenever he does return (if at all), I do not suggest risking your season on a productive Still ILL outing.
Ryan Gusto: Do Not Start – He simply hasn’t done enough for me to believe he’ll produce on a given night.
Tyler Phillips: Do Not Start – Maybe he should be in the Desperate Streamer tier. Then again, Phillips has done little to prove he’s worth your attention.
Eury Pérez: Auto – We haven’t seen Eury The Ace, yet, and that’s okay. We’re still trusting his fastballs, even if the Dodgers are in his way.
Sandy Alcantara: Auto – The Quality Starts don’t stop coming. We’re riding this out.
Janson Junk: Desperate Streamer – Junk often goes fewer than five full innings, but he could go five frames of decency on a given night. The stuff is there, at least.
Kyle Harrison: Auto – The four-seamer is down to 94 mph, but the command is there. I know there’s a chance he’s fall off again (and gets rested for the playoffs), but I think we have to keep rolling with it.
Robert Gasser: Desperate Streamer – I like Gasser’s cutter and not much else. It’s possible he makes it worthwhile against the Pirates or another outing before the end.
Jacob Misiorowski: Auto – Aces gonna ace. About time he was the featured pitcher.
Logan Henderson: Auto – Aces gonna ace. He hasn’t slowed down at all.
Shane Drohan: Tobys & Bombs – Drohan’s schedule isn’t terrible and I’m getting more encouraged about his arsenal. Just avoid the start in Cincy.
Dustin May: Tobys & Bombs – May had a one pitch outing, then lacked whiffs with some bad luck in play. I still like him for the rest of the year, and I wish I can call him a Holly again.
Taj Bradley: Tobys & Bombs – It’s Taj. The strikeouts are too good to resist, but hot dang is this anxiety-inducing.
Joe Ryan: Solid – Is he returning? Will he be okay? WHO KNOWS. If he does start, I’d roll with him.
Connor Prielipp: Tobys & Bombs – The stuff is there, the consistency is not. That dang Shag Rug.
Dean Kremer: Desperate Streamer – I couldn’t figure out where to rank him. I like the Giants matchup, the Tigers are fine, the Yankees not so much. He’s a 15-Teamer option.
Bailey Ober: Desperate Streamer – Oh jeez. He still has a long leash, allowing for a desperate stream here and there, but hot dang, I’d hate to do this.
Zebby Matthews: Tobys & Bombs – Zebby is starting to believe. Two great starts in a row, one with a stellar breaker, the other with great pitch separation around the zone. I hope it sticks across his final four outings.
Robert Stock: Do Not Start – Sadly, this isn’t worth your time.
Sean Manaea: Tobys & Bombs – Manaea’s velocity is still good, but the command is not.
Christian Scott: Tobys & Bombs – It feels as though Scott is on the verge of taking that next step so often, then he falls back down. The matchups are there, he just has to execute.
Nolan McLean: Auto – McLean’s approach still weirds me out, but there’s no reason to bench him.
Zac Thornton: Tobys & Bombs – He’s a Toby with good matchups ahead. Just don’t expect strikeouts to follow.
Jonah Tong: Desperate Streamer – Maybe he’s a new man. I highly doubt it. Like really doubt it.
Elmer Rodríguez: Desperate Streamer – He threw 97 mph in his last start and is very unlikely to sit 97 mph again.
Gerrit Cole: Auto – Aces gonna ace.
Cam Schlittler: Auto – Aces gonna ace.
Carlos Rodón: Auto – He’s figuring it out and clearly a guy to start each time.
Max Fried: Auto – He’s coming off the IL shortly and while you may not start him for the Still ILL, he’s an obvious start after.
Will Warren: Tobys & Bombs – Warren just gave us a beautiful outing, even flexing a new slider twice. Boy do I hope that slider sticks around. Circle the last two games as he’ll get pushed right up to the playoffs before he transitions to the pen.
Aaron Nola: Desperate Streamer – It’s up to you, but the man can’t stop allowing HRs.
Jesús Luzardo: Auto – Aces gonna ace. Kinda cool that he’s the #1 guy in Philly now.
Andrew Painter: Solid – He’s a new man. I can’t wait to see more.
Cristopher Sánchez: Auto – He’s allowing too many dang hits with a changeup he’s struggling to throw for strikes. You got this Sanchez. Save us.
Zack Wheeler: Auto – I’m glad he rebounded, but the four-seamer is still lagging behind. I hope it doesn’t burn us.
Paul Skenes: Auto – He’s back at 97 mph and these matchups should not scare you.
Bubba Chandler: This Week Streamer – What are you. Seriously, I have no idea what you’re gonna be. You should be super into your gyro slider (called a curveball, it’s not) and cutter (labeled his slider), with heaters actually up in the zone. If only you could execute it consistently.
Carmen Mlodzinski: Do Not Start – He hasn’t gone long into games and I wouldn’t touch Carmen.
Jared Jones: Tobys & Bombs – He should be dominating, honestly. At least he matchups look solid.
Braxton Ashcraft: Solid – Hey Ashcraft, mind throwing that bonkers 92 mph slider a whole lot more? K thx.
Michael King: Tobys & Bombs – He’s been productive, though I still question if King is locked in for a strong September ahead. I’m scared of Cincy + the Dodgers.
Randy Vásquez: Do Not Start – Vásquez has had some moments, but one start in Cincy is an easy avoid.
Casey Mize: Later Streamer – Mize’s ankle is bothering him after falling down the clubhouse steps + he’ll get Coors and all if has been so weird.
Joe Musgrove: Solid – Musgrove has flexed 95 mph during his rehab starts after sitting 91 mph last time we saw him, and 92/93 mph in prior seasons. After the Still ILL, I’m game.
Nick Pivetta: Desperate Streamer – I wonder how much we’ll see of Pivetta. It’s pretty cruel to see Coors and the Dodgers as his first two potential starts back. At least the Sneks could be solid.
Walker Buehler: Desperate Streamer – Buehler is not someone I’d want to trust.
Robbie Ray: Tobys & Bombs – Ray is somehow giving you a great ERA despite still struggling to locate his slider to RHB. It’s wild.
George Kirby: Solid – It’s too good a schedule, even if he’s one of the most maddening pitchers out there.
Bryan Woo: Auto – I know HRs have burned you, but I’m still rolling with Woo. His velocity is there and the results should follow, even with the “Green Mile” ahead.
Emerson Hancock: Later Streamer – He’s on the IL and hopefully can recover in time to excel for a start against the Angels.
Bryce Miller: Desperate Streamer – It’s super hard to trust Bryce at all right now. I’d avoid wherever possible.
Kade Anderson: Solid – I really dig what Kade brings to the table and would roll him out there even in Coors.
Logan Gilbert: Auto – Aces gonna ace.
Anthony Molina: Desperate Streamer – Who knows, maybe that start against the Mets is worth your time. I doubt it, but it’s possible.
Logan Webb: Auto – I don’t see a reason why you’d pull Webb from your rotation.
Landen Roupp: This Week Streamer – He’s a HIPSTER at this point. PNC Park sure looks like an appealing start, but who really knows what Roupp can do right now.
Blade Tidwell: Desperate Streamer – If you want to chase PNC Park, you do you. I think Tidwell doesn’t do enough.
Matt Wilkinson: Desperate Streamer – Maybe Tugboat can be a lovely SWATCH against the Cardinals…?
Yunior Marte: Do Not Start – I didn’t love what I saw from Marte and would avoid this one completely.
Michael McGreevy: Desperate Streamer – McGreevy has a shot for a boring six frames. Maybe circle him for later if you need it.
Andre Pallante: Later Streamer – Pallante is the same. Not for me, but maybe later.
Quinn Mathews: Tobys & Bombs – After the Dodgers start, I can see Quinn becoming a solid play the rest of the year. His skills are better than that terrible disaster game.
Kyle Leahy: Later Streamer – Leahy would be more favored if not for the Cardinals’ intention to keep him on a short leash the rest of the way.
Matthew Liberatore: Later Streamer – With more sliders thrown to RHB, we’ve seen Libby return a near 30% strikeout rate lately…and terrible ratios. Take note of him for the final few games if you’re chasing punchouts.
Ian Seymour: Solid – He’s doing too well to bench. Surely they won’t remove him before the season ends, right?
Freddy Peralta: Desperate Streamer – Maybe Peralta is finding a rhythm with his four-seamer/change approach. What’s more likely is that his volatile self is intact.
Shane McClanahan: Solid – McShane hasn’t been stellar for a while now, but the schedule is decent enough.
Nick Martinez: Tobys & Bombs – The strikeouts aren’t there, but the Vargas Rule lives on.
Drew Rasmussen: Auto – Aces gonna ace.
Griffin Jax: Solid – We expect him to return, but in what capacity? If he’s starting, we join him, but be ready to move on if the Rays elect to keep him under 60 pitches.
Jacob deGrom: Auto – Aces gonna ace. No, I’m not scared of his recent outing.
MacKenzie Gore: Tobys & Bombs – Gore has the potential, but it goes in-and-out so often.
Cody Bradford: This Week Streamer – He’s a basic SWATCH. That can be productive for a few games here.
Nathan Eovaldi: Later Streamer – Is he returning from the IL this year? If so, he could be a sneaky play late.
Cal Quantrill: This Week Streamer – We’ll ride this Vargas Rule for as long as we can.
Kumar Rocker: Desperate Streamer – The slider is still missing bats, but the ratios are missing the mark.
Spencer Arrighetti: Do Not Start – The Pasta Pirate is still too curveball dependent with a low 92 mph fastball. We need more!
Dylan Cease: Auto – Aces gonna ace.
José Soriano: Tobys & Bombs – He’s the same HIPSTER he’s been for months, just a new uniform.
Jameson Taillon: Do Not Start – Here’s to hoping Taillon can put together a good start or two before September ends. It’s unlikely, sadly.
Max Scherzer: Desperate Streamer – We just saw an incredible outing from Scherzer. The odds are against him it’ll happen again.
Will Dion: Later Streamer – I kinda like the weirdness of Dion, but wouldn’t consider streaming him until he faces the Angels.
Jake Irvin: Desperate Streamer – Irvin isn’t doing enough to suggest an add, but if you need volume, sure, he has that.
Connelly Early: Desperate Streamer – Is he actually returning this year? If so, the Nationals may let him air it out during the final weekend.
Jackson Kent: Later Streamer – Kent has legit SWATCH potential and those later starts could be sneaky streams if he keeps it up.
Cade Cavalli: Auto – Aces gonna ace. Go dominate the Dodgers, k thx.
Andrew Alvarez: Later Streamer – I question if Alvarez can go deep into games often, but if he has the same sinker command we just saw, he could be a sneaky stream after the Dodgers.
The List Based On ROS Schedules
Phew. With all the team schedules outlined above, I went forward and made a GIANT table featuring every starter listed above, ranking them in seven different tiers to get a sense of who to target and avoid down the stretch.
Before we get to that, I need to address a few things:
- Due to the annoying nature of predicting schedule vs. things shifting around constantly, I decided to tier them up and sort them by alphabetical order.
- It’s just too nuanced to rank these properly at this point. What is the value of 4 starts remaining vs. 5? It depends on so much.
- Seriously, this is near impossible at this point. For daily questions, I’ll have my daily streaming articles.
- Let me outline the definitions of each tier:
- Auto: You’re pretty much starting them for each outing they have ahead of them, regardless of the opponent. Maybe one or two considerations, but you’re likely still starting them.
- Solid: You trust them against weak teams and there may be one or two games that give you some hesitation. These are the arms that are most likely already rostered in leagues and not available off the wire. There are also a few arms who are trending down and may fall into the “Gamble” tier next week.
- Tobys and Bombs: These are possible waiver adds with a heavy swing of good and poor matchups, with a mix of your standard Toby types who you trust a little more than a streamer, your high upside/high risk Cherry Bomb types, or guys who we may like to take a spec add on and see if they can become more trusted in future weeks.
- Early Streamer: These are streaming options for the next few starts ahead, who we’re dropping after. It’s not always perfect (like one bad matchup then becoming a streamer), but they should help you plan your weeks ahead.
- Desperate Streamer: They have a skill that gives them a chance to come through – Long leash, strikeout upside, etc. – but shouldn’t be circled as an option in your leagues.
- Do Not Start: It’s certainly possible they pull off a good outing here and there, but you really don’t want to bet on it. Don’t do this.
- These matchups are likely to change plenty between now and the end of the season and take the time to look into who maybe shift around and who may not (e.g. The Padres’ rotation)
- Again, please don’t hate me, this took forever.
- I went with a screenshot instead of a table as it’s far easier to create the colored cells for opponents + I think it works better for scrolling. Sorry you can’t Ctrl+F inside it. It’s a concession I think is worth it.
- If you’d like a searchable version, I have shared a copy of this Google Sheet inside our PL+ Discord.
Players are not ranked inside tiers. They are sorted in alphabetical order.
Auto-Start Tier
You’re pretty much starting them for each outing they have ahead of them, regardless of the opponent. Maybe one or two considerations, but you’re likely still starting them.
Solid Start Tier
You trust them against weak teams and there may be one or two games that give you some hesitation. These are the arms that are most likely already rostered in leagues and not available off the wire. There are also a few arms who are trending down and may fall into the “Gamble” tier next week.
Tobys and Bombs Start Tier
These are possible waiver adds with a heavy swing of good and poor matchups, with a mix of your standard Toby types who you trust a little more than a streamer, your high upside/high risk Cherry Bomb types, or guys who we may like to take a spec add on and see if they can become more trusted in future weeks.
Early Streamer Tier
These are streaming options for the next few starts ahead, who we’re dropping after. It’s not always perfect (like one bad matchup then becoming a streamer), but they should help you plan your weeks ahead.
Late Streamer Tier
These are streaming options in future weeks to circle and be aware of if you’re looking to get ahead of other managers in your league.
Desperate Streamer Tier
They have a skill that gives them a chance to come through – Long leash, strikeout upside, etc. – but shouldn’t be circled as an option in your leagues.
Do Not Start Tier
It’s certainly possible they pull off a good outing here and there, but you really don’t want to bet on it. Don’t do this.
Good luck everyone!
Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X; @justinparadis.bsky.social on BlueSky)
