2020 Starting Pitcher Rankings - Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Leagues

Even with the baseball season delayed, many are looking for places to cast their stored up fantasy baseball energy. With no drafts or mocks to do, the Dynasty community becomes the primary source of enjoyment. Your team could be looking to continue their dominance, rebuild, or in a worst-case scenario, stick their hands up in frustration. Regardless of the team's competitive situation, everyone wants to add value to their roster.

Starting pitcher has a wide variety of talent, and everyone will be looking at the same players in the upper tier. This could force the market to share the same valuations and control pricing. Future elite options like Jesus Luzardo and Julio Urias will drive the market as well. However, there will always be players in the middle-to-late range that will have people conflicted. This is where you can find values if you believe in players more than others. Don't forget about the value that veterans can bring to your dynasty strategy.

All preseason long, RotoBaller has you covered with the latest rankings for all fantasy baseball league types. Here we present our dynasty rankings for the second base position, put together by analysts Nicklaus Gaut, Pierre Camus, and Ellis Canady. Check out our analysis of all other positions as well, coming soon!

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Starting Pitcher Rankings - Dynasty Leagues (March)

In case you missed it, our very own "Big Pick Nick" Mariano was named the #1 overall most accurate industry expert ranker for the 2018 season!

Rank	Tier	Name	Position	Pierre Camus	Nicklaus Gaut	Ellis Canady
1	1	Gerrit Cole	SP	16	11	14
2	1	Jacob deGrom	SP	15	14	21
3	1	Walker Buehler	SP	19	17	19
4	2	Jack Flaherty	SP	25	30	38
5	2	Shohei Ohtani	DH/SP	39	29	33
6	2	Shane Bieber	SP	29	45	36
7	2	Justin Verlander	SP	30	36	46
8	2	Blake Snell	SP	48	34	40
9	2	Max Scherzer	SP	37	38	48
10	2	Luis Castillo	SP	38	59	45
11	2	Mike Clevinger	SP	51	49	43
12	2	Aaron Nola	SP	47	56	52
13	2	Stephen Strasburg	SP	53	51	53
14	2	Chris Sale	SP	64	42	54
15	3	Chris Paddack	SP	60	69	61
16	3	Patrick Corbin	SP	66	67	63
17	3	Clayton Kershaw	SP	69	64	66
18	3	Lucas Giolito	SP	65	71	64
19	3	Noah Syndergaard	SP	61	96	55
20	3	Tyler Glasnow	SP	96	76	82
21	4	Charlie Morton	SP	75	81	99
22	4	Brandon Woodruff	SP	77	88	92
23	4	James Paxton	SP	94	83	84
24	4	Mike Soroka	SP	70	121	73
25	4	Trevor Bauer	SP	76	112	77
26	4	Jose Berrios	SP	58	147	68
27	4	Zack Greinke	SP	95	92	100
28	5	Hyun-Jin Ryu	SP	102	86	109
29	5	Yu Darvish	SP	125	80	101
30	5	Jesus Luzardo	SP	114	110	95
31	5	Zac Gallen	SP	97	140	94
32	5	Eduardo Rodriguez	SP	90	154	89
33	5	Max Fried	SP	93	128	124
34	5	Corey Kluber	SP	124	125	115
35	5	Brendan McKay	SP	43	196	125
36	5	Carlos Carrasco	SP	136	105	136
37	5	Madison Bumgarner	SP	104	173	114
38	5	Robbie Ray	SP	112	158	128
39	5	Frankie Montas	SP/RP	151	116	133
40	5	Dinelson Lamet	SP	130	100	175
41	5	Forrest Whitley	SP	91	210	108
42	5	Sonny Gray	SP	160	138	129
43	5	Zack Wheeler	SP	163	142	126
44	5	Sean Manaea	SP	137	163	141
45	5	Matthew Boyd	SP	141	156	151
46	5	Casey Mize	SP	113	203	150
47	6	Mike Minor	SP	128	182	162
48	6	MacKenzie Gore	SP	154	201	122
49	6	A.J. Puk	SP	158	183	138
50	6	David Price	SP	129	160	193
51	6	Julio Urias	SP/RP	204	149	147
52	6	Nate Pearson	SP	148	185	180
53	6	Mitch Keller	SP	133	180	205
54	6	Kyle Hendricks	SP	202	152	168
55	6	Lance Lynn	SP	207	135	190
56	6	Matt Manning	SP	157	236	145
57	7	Caleb Smith	SP	188	168	188
58	7	German Marquez	SP	179	189	177
59	7	Luke Weaver	SP	189	170	202
60	7	Dustin May	SP	185	213	173
61	7	Lance McCullers Jr.	SP	193	197	#N/A
62	7	Masahiro Tanaka	SP	187	241	164
63	7	Carlos Martinez	SP/RP	176	208	211
64	7	Marcus Stroman	SP	206	187	204
65	7	Mike Foltynewicz	SP	183	262	166
66	7	Griffin Canning	SP	149	248	216
67	7	Michael Kopech	SP	190	230	194
68	7	Joey Lucchesi	SP	174	206	237
69	7	Sixto Sanchez	SP	159	269	191
70	7	Ryan Yarbrough	SP	168	227	234
71	7	Jon Gray	SP	205	216	217
72	7	Andrew Heaney	SP	244	166	229
73	8	Domingo German	SP	199	220	225
74	8	Joe Musgrove	SP	222	199	233
75	8	Kenta Maeda	SP/RP	214	176	277
76	8	Miles Mikolas	SP	213	194	262
77	8	Jake Odorizzi	SP	209	265	207
78	8	Jose Urquidy	SP	#N/A	233	228
79	9	Sandy Alcantara	SP	186	314	208
80	9	Matthew Liberatore	SP	243	#N/A	#N/A
81	9	Steven Matz	SP	197	292	245
82	9	Alex Reyes	SP/RP	239	#N/A	257
83	9	Aaron Civale	SP	268	238	#N/A
84	9	Brent Honeywell	SP	127	394	252
85	9	Adrian Houser	SP	#N/A	258	#N/A
86	9	Eric Lauer	SP	260	#N/A	#N/A
87	9	Jameson Taillon	SP	212	285	290
88	10	Jorge Guzman	SP	279	#N/A	#N/A
89	10	Dallas Keuchel	SP	220	319	303
90	10	Cole Hamels	SP	221	323	301
91	10	Rick Porcello	SP	264	271	310
92	10	Triston McKenzie	SP	184	389	275
93	11	Brady Singer	SP	283	#N/A	#N/A
94	11	Pablo Lopez	SP	219	382	248
95	11	Spencer Howard	SP	#N/A	245	331
96	11	Dylan Cease	SP	301	301	279
97	11	Reynaldo Lopez	SP	211	397	276
98	11	Dylan Bundy	SP	289	255	356
99	11	Kyle Wright	SP	156	482	263

 

Tier One

Gerrit Cole didn’t win the Cy Young, but he finished the 2019 season with a 20-5 record, 2.64 FIP, and led the majors in strikeouts (326). He also had a league-leading 34% K-BB. Cole used his success in Houston to launch himself into a dynamite free agency. The Yankees saw the same thing fantasy owners did and paid him a hefty sum. To obtain Cole, you’ll need to sacrifice what feels like more than the Yankees did. If you own him, ring that cowbell.

Jacob deGrom has every right to own the top spot, even though he will play most of 2020 at 32 years of age. He is a workhorse that provides excellent ratios and strikeouts across 200 innings of a regular, non-shortened season. Historically, the Mets have been unable to provide deGrom with a suitable number of wins. His age and win total is no reason to offer a discount to anyone looking to purchase deGrom.

Walker Buehler has youth and elite stuff to be in this tier for quite some time. His arsenal is headlined by a fastball that he throws 60% of the time. It is his slider (18%) and curveball (17.1%) that generate the most swinging strikes. Buehler etched his name in the elite tier in 2019 with a FIP (3.01) that ranked fifth among qualified starters.

 

Tier Two

Bieber has struck gold for some owners, but your perspective will depend on whether you’re buying or selling. Many had concerns prior to 2019 after he lived in the zone 50% of the time in 2018. Bieber cast off any doubters with a 25.5% K-BB that ranked fifth among starters. His 1.30 HR/9 isn’t preferable, but that isn’t going to keep him from the second tier of pitchers. You’ll need to pay a pretty penny to get a premium pitcher who is only 24 years old.

Scherzer led all starters with a 2.45 FIP in 2019. The competitive status of your team defines his value. If you’re rebuilding, Scherzer doesn't have enough time to wait on your squad. You will have to determine the best time to sell. Is it before the season starts or halfway through the season when you can find a team that needs one elite starter to push them towards the championship trophy?

When you win a Cy Young, it’s tough to match that excellence. Few could have expected Snell to have a 2019 riddled with injuries in the form of toe and elbow issues. He was also wholly unlucky with a .343 BABIP, and his performance resulted in a 4.29 ERA (3.32 FIP). Snell’s 2020 season hasn’t started any better with a cortisone injection in his elbow. He is a dominant pitcher when he’s on the mound, but with continued health issues, Snell also has tremendous risk. It might be worth it to see if his owner is shaking in his or her boots, looking to discharge Snell from their roster.

There will always be bumps and bruises with pitchers. Clevinger has had his share of them, but they haven’t stopped him from providing excellent returns. Even with back and ankle injuries in 2019, he matched the previous season’s record (13-4) in only 21 starts. Clevinger utilizes four pitches that each earned a Swinging Strike rate higher than 13.94% (fastball). Even at 30 years of age, Clevinger has plenty of tread left on the tire.

Luis Castillo might want to thank Derek Johnson for some of his 2019 success. He finished with a 15-8 record and a 28.9% strikeout rate. Castillo increased his changeup (32%) usage that generated a 27% whiff rate. He also finished fourth among all qualified pitchers with a 15.9% Swinging Strike rate. Don’t get sidetracked by his 4.02 ERA that was ballooned by a couple of rough outings in the second half. Trust in the 3.70 FIP and be confident that he can repeat. Although, we would like to see the 10% walk rate trimmed down a little bit.

 

Tier Three

Paddack’s rookie debut couldn’t be any more marvelous. The crowd went wild with each start; unfortunately, the frequency of his starts was inconsistent as the season went along to minimize his innings. Paddack still finished with 153 strikeouts in 140.2 innings. He utilized two pitches, a four-seamer and a changeup, to earn a 3.95 FIP and a 0.98 WHIP. Paddack also led all pitchers with 71.3% first-pitch strikes (minimum 140 innings). There is still room for growth in his arsenal. While many are excited at owning a young fireballer, don’t forget to consider the value he possesses in a trade.

Where are all the people concerned about Patrick Corbin’s health? With back-to-back seasons exceeding 200 innings, 238 strikeouts, and a 14.2% Swinging Strike rate, let’s just consider him a reliable starter worthy of more recognition than what he receives.

Clayton Kershaw bounced back in 2019 after a 2018 season that many thought indicated the end of his elite status. He is no longer the pitcher that sat at the top of the SP totem pole. Even with a velocity (90 mph) that has declined for four-straight seasons, Kershaw is still a premium starter.

Giolito’s terrible 2018 left many supporters lost and concluding that he was another over-hyped pitching prospect. His 5.30 ERA in the first 18 innings of 2019 confirmed that as well, despite a 3.91 FIP. Regardless of what anyone tells you, no one anticipated the phoenix. Giolito rose from the ashes to finish the season with a 3.43 FIP and 228 strikeouts in 176.2 innings. The turnaround stems from an increase in both his fastball (55%) and changeup usage (26%). Giolito also brought back the velocity (94.6 mph) and increased his first-pitch strikes (62%). If you believe in his changes, you’re keeping him. If you doubt them, you’ll be maximizing profit.

Syndergaard has had a rollercoaster career for dynasty leaguers. Selling him now would sacrifice an opportunity to gain value. Check your dedication level.

Glasnow shoves it with a two-pitch mix, a 97.6 mph fastball and a curveball. In 60.2 innings, he had a 2.26 FIP, 33% strikeout rate, and a 50.4% ground-ball rate. The primary concern with Glasnow has been his health. If the health or limited arsenal concerns you, it might be time to consider trading him off.

 

Tier Four

Charlie Morton has already stated he will be retiring after the 2020 season. At 36 years old, we have to take him at his word. As such, you have one of two options. Your team is competing; therefore you keep him. Or, your team is rebuilding in which case you need to get as much value as possible for him.

Paxton and Greinke are both on the list to own only if you are competing this year. Greinke is here primarily due to his age, and Paxton, who is only 31 years old, slots in due to his continual health issues. Of course, his upside is still tremendous when he is on the field. The optimum situation is to sell after he’s had a streak of consistent health and elite performance.

Soroka put on an impressive display of control in his age-21 season. Don’t get blinded by the 2.68 ERA as his 3.85 xFIP is more telling. Soroka’s 80% Left on Base rate and .280 BABIP were sparkling, a little too much. Even if these regress a bit, he can still sit near a 3.50 FIP. Soroka shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg as most owners want more strikeout upside that a 20% K rate. He also benefits from the Braves giving him continual opportunities for wins. Soroka might still be undervalued.

Everyone expects more from Berrios. Even if he never develops ace-level status, Berrios is still a very good starter. Though he’s lost a tick off his velocity the last three seasons, Berrios came just short of striking out 200 batters for the second-consecutive season. Now is an optimal time to buy as concerns are growing regarding his lack of upside and his second-half struggles of 2019. Let’s be clear, though. While the ERA fell, Berrios’ second-half 3.86 FIP remained the same as his first-half level (3.85). Two hundred strikeouts and a 3.50 annually isn’t out of the realm of possibility. That is a very good dynasty asset.

 

Tier Five

The Darvish resurgence is in full swing. Yes, he’s 33 years old, but it looks like you can get a couple more years of supreme strikeouts.

Luzardo is the next wave of elite starters, but you already knew that. Multiple injuries in 2019 delayed his season until he could get 12 innings in September. If you’re going to make a pitch for him, do it now. Once he wins the Rookie of the Year, his price will be untouchable. His health has to be a consideration since he’s already had Tommy John surgery (2016) and a few other issues on his record. When he’s on the mound, he exudes confidence and excellence with his three plus pitches.

In regards to Max Fried, every fantasy baseball analyst across the internet agrees. He is the darling of the preseason. Fried is the SP3 everyone wants to own. It is not hard to see with 53.6% ground-ball, 63.7% first-pitch strike, and 18% K-BB rates. If the excitement continues to build, this might be the last time you can get him at a reasonable price.

Kluber, Carrasco, and Bumgarner are all trending in the wrong direction. Bumgarner’s move to Arizona isn’t viewed as a positive as he has a 3.68 FIP away from Oracle Park.

Kluber missed a majority of 2019 with a fractured arm as well as an oblique injury. He didn’t perform well in 35 innings. Five-straight seasons exceeding 200 innings might have finally taken its toll as well. The Rangers staff will attempt to work their magic. It’s time to sell.

Carrasco’s return from a severe malady has been impressive and heartwarming. The question now will be whether he returns to the 200-strikeout pitcher of 2017 and 2018. At 33 years of age, that is questionable. All the best, Cookie.

 

Tier Six and Lower

The cover of the David Price book might cause some to shrug their shoulders with indifference when looking at his 4.28 ERA and declining 92 mph velocity. Ongoing injuries, 3.62 FIP, and a move to a favorable ballpark/division should persuade you to dust off this old cowboy for one more cattle drive.

The Dodgers have finally cleared a path to consistent starts for Julio Urias. His stuff is undeniable, and he will be in the elite category soon enough. For this, he carries a hefty dynasty tag with him. It is unfortunate that he dealt with a suspension for domestic violence during the 2019 season.

Nate Pearson brings excitement and an inflated cost for some. Sure he throws 100 mph and is a bulldog on the mound. If you think Pearson stays as a starter, he might be a good buy. If you think he ends up in the bullpen, then the price might be a bit too rich.

There is a bunch of helium surrounding Mitch Keller thanks to his undeserved 7.13 ERA and .475 BABIP. His 28.6% strikeout rate and 3.19 FIP are exactly what we want. However, he is still a speculation play, so if someone is trying to make you pay the “he’s already done it” price, look elsewhere.

Currently, German Marquez has four years left in Colorado. If he ever escapes prior to that, his value will skyrocket. Over the last two seasons, he has a 3.31 ERA and a 25.8% strikeout rate away from Coors.

Struggling or rebuilding teams often need a couple of players to break through to increase value for both fantasy teams and trades. Reynaldo Lopez and Dylan Bundy fall in this category.

Lopez didn't have a great year, but he improved to a 4.18 FIP and a 22.5% strikeout rate in the second half of 2019. The addition of Yasmani Grandal might be enough to improve performance and increase trade value.

Bundy isn't sexy, so you can get him quite easily. He benefits from a move to LA. Not only does he have a better park, but Bundy's 53% Pull and 41% ground-ball rates versus right-handers make the Anthony Rendon addition a valuable resource.

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