Finding undervalued starting pitchers is the key to any solid fantasy baseball team.
Much like quarterbacks in fantasy football, you don’t want to spend high draft picks on your starting pitchers. Injuries and similar statistics are too prevalent in that position, making it less desirable to nab a top-flight starter.
That means you have to find those pitchers who will be drafted later, but still turn in solid numbers on a weekly basis.
Here’s three undervalued starting pitchers, who may not be in the sleeper category, but should produce at a higher level than their current ranking.
Zack Greinke, Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona hurler is currently listed as the 24th-best pitcher in fantasy baseball, according to FantasyPros, a website featuring multiple opinions regarding fantasy baseball.
Despite the ranking as a bottom-end second starter for fantasy teams, Greinke has the ability to be a top-line starter.
Last year was a rough year in a new uniform for Greinke. He tallied his worst ERA since his second year in the league and also went for his lowest strikeout output since 2007.
It’s plausible that age is getting the best of Greinke. He’s 33 years old and has been a regular starter in Major League Baseball since 2004.
But I’m not giving up on him yet. Greinke is capable of being a top-five fantasy baseball pitcher. He’s only two years removed from a 19-3 record and 1.66 ERA. Age can’t make that much of a difference in one year.
He’s going off as the 88th overall player, so he offers great value since his upside is so high.
Aaron Nola, Philadelphia Phillies
I held on to Nola way too long last season in fantasy baseball after a solid start to the season.
He was a hot commodity in the beginning, going for a 3.55 ERA in April and then a 2.31 ERA in May. It didn’t last, though, as he went down the tubes in June and was later out of commission in August and September.
But he’s back this year, still young and has the ability to strike out the opposition. The Phillies are going to be better this year and Nola is a reason why.
This is only his third year in Major League Baseball and that’s the time to see the most improvement. He’s ranked 52nd among starting pitchers, but if he improves like I anticipate, he should be in a much higher tier by the end of the second month of the season.
He’s worth a flier as the 147th overall player.
Tanner Roark, Washington Nationals
As the 58th-ranked starting pitcher by FantasyPros, Roark offers some upside.
He’s not going to be flashy with the strikeouts, averaging just 6.6 strikeouts per nine innings in his career, but he’s on a winning team (which will continue to win) and lowered his ERA last year to 2.83.
In fact, in his four years in the Majors, he’s been above the 3.00 ERA mark only once.
We get too caught up sometimes in strikeouts in fantasy baseball. They’re important, but they don’t paint the entire picture.
Roark is solid in ERA, wins and WHIP. He’s still relatively new in MLB, so there’s more upside that can occur. His upside makes him a strong candidate to outperform his ranking.
