Welcome to The List, where I rank the Top 100 SP for Fantasy Baseball every Monday of the year.
Want an earlier update to The List? Join me on Mondays at 2:00 pm ET as I live-stream its creation each week!
Have questions? My “office hours” are on Playback.tv 10:00 am – 12:00 pm ET Monday – Friday + the aforementioned stream of The List.
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 Value of Opponent. Just a quick way for you to get a sense of the strength of schedule for each pitcher.
(OFF): Inside these tables, (OFF) represents games that are played after a team’s off day. It helps you keep track of the weekly flow through the tables.
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!
Corbin Burnes: Later Streamer – Burnes is limited to just 60 pitches on Tuesday and it makes it hard to lean on him before the end of the year, especially with the uncertainty of performance in their initial starts back from TJS.
Zac Gallen: Do Not Start – As much as I want this to work out for Gallen, you can’t put your faith in it.
Michael Soroka: Tobys & Bombs – It looks as though Soroka is piggybacking with Gallen, which gives him consideration for a cheap Win in his Still ILL, but I don’t want to touch the Coors start and it’s unlikely for the command to be there.
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.
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.
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.
Joey Estes: Do Not Start – Oh snap, he’s back! And I have zero expectations. He’ll likely get the last start of the year instead of Perkins in an effort to reduce Perkins’ workload, if you are really, truly desperate.
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.
Gage Jump: Tobys & Bombs – We know the strikeout ability is there, it’s a matter of figuring out when we’ll see it.
Jacob Lopez: Solid – He’s on a roll and I’m riding this for as long as it’ll go. But he just allowed 4 ER! With two whiffs! It was a Careful, Icarus, and he had 1 ER through six. WE RIDE!
J.T. Ginn: Desperate Streamer – Ginn was skipped with arm soreness and who knows how long they’ll let him go when he returns, let alone return at all before the end of the year.
Atlanta
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).
Reynaldo López: Desperate Streamer – It looks like he’s getting a chance to start again and I’m not expecting the velocity to be there.
Martín Pérez: Tobys & Bombs – He’s not at his peak, but he very well may be there against the Marlins at the end of the season.
Chris Sale: Auto – Aces gonna ace.
Tyler Mahle: Solid – Mahle is killing it and this schedule is good enough to ride it to the sunset.
Grant Holmes: Desperate Streamer – It’s possible the slider can get you some strikeouts. It’s a desperate play that will often be fruitless.
Brandon Young: Tobys & Bombs – 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. This could be a decent play against meh offenses…but likely avoid Judge and the Yankees.
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.
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.
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.
Payton Tolle: Auto – He’s not leaving your lineups, and I hope he doesn’t run into fatigue problems in September.
David Peterson: Desperate Streamer – The man had 17 whiffs last week…then had some terrible command. Not the worst option out there, but the floor is rough.
Kevin Gausman: Solid – I’m 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.
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.
Sean Burke: Solid – Should I have Burke lower? Higher? I don’t know. I feel as if his next start against Pittsburgh will define his spot in our heads. The slider and curveball command were better against Houston, but still left us in Purgatory.
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.
Anthony Kay: Tobys & Bombs – Kay is fine. Not someone to chase, but that later schedule could suit him well.
Nick Lodolo: Later Streamer – 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: Desperate Streamer – Abbott does what Abbott does. It’s likely not going to go well for most of this.
Brady Singer: Desperate Streamer – He’s classic Singer. If you’re dire for a Quality Start, there’s a shot here.
Chase Burns: Desperate Streamer – Welp, they’re limiting him. Brandon Williamson is sure to get more time as his follower, and I wouldn’t touch him at all.
Tanner Bibee: Desperate Streamer – Who knows what a given night will give you.
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.
Gavin Williams: Auto – The strike rates should be fine down the stretch.
Joey Cantillo: Desperate Streamer – It’s been a weird month for Cantillo and despite my affection, he’s continued to look lost. It’s too risky.
Gabriel Hughes: Do Not Start – Why
Tomoyuki Sugano: Do Not Start – Are
Ryan Feltner: Do Not Start – You
Kyle Freeland: Do Not Start – Reading
Mason Adams: Do Not Start – This
Tanner Gordon: Do Not Start – ?!
Drew Anderson: Desperate Streamer – It’s just a few more for Anderson who hasn’t impressed me enough to push him into the higher tier. A little tempting after the last one, I know, but it’s still not enough.
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.
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.
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: Solid – It’s been a rough four starts for Melton and I’m lowering him a tier despite a fantastic schedule ahead.
Hayden Wesneski: Tobys & Bombs – 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: Tobys & Bombs – We finally got it! THE GAME! Javier earned whiffs galore and the strikeouts followed as they should. NOW DO IT AGAIN.
Ethan Pecko: Do Not Start – Pecko really isn’t an arm you can rely on.
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.
Michael Wacha: Solid – 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.
Randy Dobnak: Desperate 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: Solid – I was totally wrong to be worried about his lower fastball velocity. He’s on a tear and you can’t let go.
Reid Detmers: Auto – The slider is still cooking. He deserved the push to Auto.
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 – That start against the Pirates was great and there are some decent matchups ahead.
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.
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.
Tarik Skubal: Auto – Aces gonna ace.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Auto – Aces gonna ace.
Blake Snell: Auto – Aces gonna #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.
Emmet Sheehan: Solid – Sheehan returned from the minors and was fantastic. I don’t see why the Dodgers wouldn’t lean on hm through the end of the year.
Roki Sasaki: Tobys & Bombs – Whenever he does return (if at all), I do not suggest risking your season on a productive Still ILL outing. This could be Justin Wrobleski instead, who would also get the Tobys & Bombs tag.
Sandy Alcantara: Auto – The Quality Starts don’t stop coming, he said, before the Quality Starts stopped coming. It should be better now.
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.
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: Tobys & Bombs – We haven’t seen Eury The Ace for a while now and that schedule is rough.
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.
Dustin May: Tobys & Bombs – A rain delay cut another game short for May as it feels like he’s getting toyed with now. I dig the schedule and I’m letting him fly, mostly.
Kyle Harrison: Tobys & Bombs – Welp, after yet another disaster, there’s talk of Harrison moving to the pen as he continues to sit at 94 mph. Sigh. I think it’s the right move – rest him as much as possible before the playofs.
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.
Dean Kremer: Later 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.
Zebby Matthews: Tobys & Bombs – After two starts that displayed his potential, Zebby relapsed into the old self of overloading the strikezone to his detriment. Who knows what’s next.
Taj Bradley: Solid – It’s Taj. The strikeouts are too good to resist, but hot dang is this anxiety-inducing.
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.
Joe Ryan: Solid – He returned and while it was a short outing, the skills were there. No reason to hold back now.
Connor Prielipp: Later Streamer – The stuff is there, the consistency is not. That dang Shag Rug.
Sean Manaea: Tobys & Bombs – Manaea’s velocity is still good, but the command is not.
Robert Stock: Do Not Start – Sadly, this isn’t worth your time.
Nolan McLean: Auto – McLean’s approach still weirds me out, but there’s no reason to bench him.
Zac Thornton: Later Streamer – He’s a Toby with good matchups ahead after the Yankees Just don’t expect strikeouts to follow.
Christian Scott: Later Streamer – 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. Skip the Yanks with Judge back in the chamber.
Jonah Tong: Tobys & Bombs – His Vulcan changeup was awesome, though I’m worried he won’t be able to consistently execute an effective approach. It’s too risky.
Cam Schlittler: Auto – Aces gonna ace.
Will Warren: Solid – 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.
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.
Elmer Rodríguez: Desperate Streamer – His velocity came down and the breakers were rough against the Angels’ RHB lineup. He could get one more spot start against the Rays and I’d avoid it.
Carlos Rodón: Auto – He’s figuring it out and clearly a guy to start each time.
Gerrit Cole: Auto – Aces gonna ace. Find the strikeouts again, alright?
Andrew Painter: Solid – He’s a new man. I can’t wait to see more. The four-seamer isn’t as absurd anymore, but the sweeper and slider command to RHB is peak.
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.
Aaron Nola: Tobys & Bombs – It’s up to you, but the man can’t stop allowing HRs. Except for his last two starts! That’s right, the first back-to-back HR-free starts of the season. That’s not likely to last, is it. Probablty not. But one can hope…
Jesús Luzardo: Auto – Aces gonna ace. Kinda cool that he’s the #1 guy in Philly now.
Bubba Chandler: Desperate 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.
Khristian Curtis: Later Streamer – The Pirates are giving him the pearl in the first and I hope they let him toss over 70 pitches. He’s an interesting arm – kinda like a discount Logan Henderson. I have him as a later streamer as I’d wait to see what he brings to the table before giving it a shot.
Jared Jones: Solid – He should have been dominating and then BLAMO! He dominated. And now the matchups look solid.
Braxton Ashcraft: Solid – Hey Ashcraft, mind throwing that bonkers 92 mph slider a whole lot more? K thx.
Paul Skenes: Solid – He’s back at 97 mph and these matchups should not scare you. But he just blew up against the Giants. Yeaaaaah, I demoted him to Solid, alright?
Casey Mize: Tobys & Bombs – Mize’s ankle is bothering him after falling down the clubhouse steps + he’ll get Coors and all it has been so weird. The good news? He just got back to 93+ mph and I hope he gives us more confidence against the Nationals.
Joe Musgrove: Desperate Streamer – 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.
Walker Buehler: Desperate Streamer – Buehler is not someone I’d want to trust.
Robbie Ray: This Week Streamer – Ray is somehow giving you a great ERA despite still struggling to locate his slider to RHB. It’s wild. I’d avoid the Dodgers and possibly Coors, too.
Michael King: This Week Streamer – He’s been productive, though I still question if King is locked in for a strong September ahead. I’m scared of Coors + the Dodgers.
Nick Pivetta: Tobys & Bombs – I wonder how much we’ll see of Pivetta. He just returned and collected only one whiff on 63 pitches. It could be better against the Giants and Marlins after, and it’s worth the gamble in deeper formats. I’m not convinced in 12-teamers. At least you’ll know what to do before the Dodgers arrive.
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…if he doesn’t fail to put it together against the Rangers and Angels.
Logan Gilbert: Auto – Aces gonna ace.
George Kirby: Tobys & Bombs – 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. I’m happy seeing Coors on the docket first to skip the Still ILL and let us know if it’s safe while hosting LAA @TEA.
Landen Roupp: Tobys & Bombs – 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…?
Anthony Molina: This Week Streamer – Who knows, maybe that start against the Padres is worth your time. He came through against the Mets with a solid four-seamer and slider, after all.
Cesar Perdomo: This Week Streamer – I dug the SWATCH lifestyle from Perdomo and it’s possible he pulls it off against the Padres. Definitely avoid for the Dodgers, though. Or at least label him a Desperate Stream for those games.
Logan Webb: Auto – I don’t see a reason why you’d pull Webb from your rotation.
Quinn Mathews: Solid – With the Dodgers start behind him, I see Quinn becoming a solid play the rest of the year. His skills are better than that terrible disaster game.
Andre Pallante: Tobys & Bombs – Pallante’s matchups make him a consideration for a quiet 5/6 inning start.
Matthew Liberatore: Tobys & Bombs – 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.
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.
Michael McGreevy: Tobys & Bombs – McGreevy has a shot for a boring six frames. Maybe circle him for later if you need it.
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.
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.
Mason Englert: Do Not Start – He’s only here for the doubleheader. Move along.
Nick Martinez: Tobys & Bombs – The strikeouts aren’t there, but the Vargas Rule lives on.
Drew Rasmussen: Auto – Aces gonna ace.
Ian Seymour: Tobys & Bombs – He’s doing too well to bench. Surely they won’t remove him before the season ends, right? But he just struggled mightily! Ehhh, he does that from time to time. I moved him down a tier, alright?
Cody Bradford: Desperate Streamer – He’s a basic SWATCH. That can be productive for a few games here.
Cal Quantrill: Solid – 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.
Jacob deGrom: Auto – Aces gonna ace. I hope you were scared after his diaster start.
MacKenzie Gore: Tobys & Bombs – Gore has the potential, but it goes in-and-out so often.
José Soriano: Tobys & Bombs – He’s the same HIPSTER he’s been for months, just a new uniform.
Spencer Arrighetti: Do Not Start – The Pasta Pirate is still too curveball dependent with a low 92 mph fastball. We need more!
Spencer Miles: Do Not Start – I highly question his workload, let alone the quality.
Max Scherzer: Desperate Streamer – We just saw an incredible outing from Scherzer. The odds are against him it’ll happen again.
Dylan Cease: Solid – Aces gonna ace.
Trey Yesavage: Tobys & Bombs – Is he coming back in time? Will it be of any quality?
Riley Cornelio: Do Not Start – He’s opening for Matt Waldron and we shouldn’t see much more of him, if at all. And Waldron? You know the rule. Don’t Trust A Knuckleballer.
Jackson Kent: Tobys & Bombs – 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: Tobys & Bombs – 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.
Jake Irvin: Do Not Start – 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.
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 six 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.
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.
Later 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)
