If you’re a regular reader of RotoBaller (and how could someone as smart, funny, and handsome as you not be?), you’ve doubtless already checked out our rankings assistant tool. We’re rolling out our final update this week.

With draft season ramping up now, though, it seems like a good time to check our expert opinions against the wisdom of the crowds. Over the next several days, we’ll highlight players with notable discrepancies between their ADP and how the staff here at RotoBaller views their 2016 value.

All ADP data is courtesy of FantasyPros. Quoted figures are the players’ ranking at their position and not their overall ADP.

Starting Pitchers We Prefer

Noah Syndergaard

ADP: 17th| RotoBaller (RB) Rank: 12th | My rank: 10th

In most years, Syndergaard might well have run away with the Rookie of the Year award. 2015 being a banner year for first-year players meant that he didn’t even finish in the top three. No other rookie in MLB history has produced the combination of whiffs and pinpoint control that Thor flashed last season; his 22.2 K-BB% was tied with Madison Bumgarner for sixth among all starters with at least 150 innings pitched. He also finished seventh in both xFIP and SIERA. He did struggle a bit with keeping the ball in the yard. That issue is the only thing between him and legitimate Cy Young candidacy. Even if he can’t make progress in fixing that flaw, though, he’s a good bet to outpitch his current acquisition cost.

Jose Quintana

ADP: 40th | RB Rank: 31st | My rank: 29th

It’s no surprise to see Quintana on this list. He’s always been underrated thanks to low win totals and numbers that are more good than great. He’s been remarkably consistent to this point in his career, though, and his K/BB has improved substantially every season. As usual, fantasy owners are passing him up in favor of more exciting options that carry significantly more risk. That’s not a bad thing on its face – after all, few teams reach the summit without taking a few gambles that pay off. Quintana is the kind of safe, high-floor investment that helps hedge those bets. If your sleeper this season is more Drew Hutchison than Carlos Carrasco, Q’s steady production can soften the blow.

Jake Odorizzi

ADP: 52nd | RB Rank: 32nd | My rank: 33rd

In his second full season, Odorizzi chopped nearly a run off of his ERA, thanks largely to improved control and a reduction in hard contact. He traded some whiffs as part of the deal, but still managed respectable rates (7.97 K/9 and 21.4 K%, both in the top 35 among qualified starters). If he’s able to regain some of those lost strikeouts and maintain the strides made elsewhere, Odorizzi could be a sneaky good value at his current price tag. What would go a long way toward ensuring that that happens is discovering a viable breaking pitch to go with his fastball and splitter; he’s managed to succeed with substandard sliders and curves to this point.

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