RADIO
Updated starting pitcher (SP) fantasy baseball rankings and tiers for H2H points leagues (February updates). Nick Mariano is a top-accuracy fantasy baseball ranker.
Depending on where you live, it might not feel like it with the cold weather, but pitchers and catchers are reporting soon. At RotoBaller HQ, we are back with more point leagues content with our 2026 fantasy baseball starting pitcher rankings for points leagues and head-to-head (H2H) points leagues. These February rankings cover the top 230 starting pitchers in points leagues for 2026. Pitchers are more sought after in point formats compared to traditional roto leagues due to the ability to rack up points, as fantasy managers will need to invest in an ace early on in drafts.
The rankings below are specifically designed for points leagues. We also have many other fantasy baseball rankings, tools, and resources to help you win in 2026. Throughout the preseason and MLB season, we'll be publishing rankings, tools, and analysis articles, all geared for fantasy baseball points and H2H points leagues -- so bookmark that link and be sure to check back often.
In the article below, we will be taking a look at our overall points rankings list put together by RotoBaller's MLB expert Nick Mariano. These rankings cover the top 90 starting pitchers. Be sure to also download our free fantasy baseball mobile app so you can stay on top of all the MLB news and analysis articles.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball draft tools and resources:- Fantasy baseball draft kit
- Fantasy baseball rankings
- Team Sync platform and Draft Assistant
- Fantasy baseball mock draft simulator
- Fantasy baseball draft cheat sheets
- Fantasy baseball closer depth charts
- Fantasy baseball prospects
2026 Starting Pitcher Rankings: Points Leagues
These SP rankings are for points and head-to-head points leagues. You can also see our roto fantasy baseball rankings.
Before we get to the rankings, let's quickly review points leagues and how they differ from other formats. Typically, points leagues have different league settings and scoring formats than other fantasy baseball leagues. Different MLB stats and categories are assigned different point values, and those can vary by individual league settings. Those different point buckets are then added up over the course of a scoring period or season.
In many cases, hitters who walk more and strike out less are preferred for points leagues. Also, many league formats tend to give more weight to pitchers than normal, as they can easily accrue points through categories like Innings Pitched. These are the general frameworks that we use for our points league rankings below, and explain why they look different than more standard 5x5 roto fantasy baseball rankings.
Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher News
Blake Snell, Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell admitted that his arm was "tired" and "exhausted" after five playoff starts and a relief appearance in Game 7 of the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays last fall, according to Jack Harris of The California Post. The Dodgers have stressed the importance of managing their starting rotation's workload in 2026, which will include Snell.
The 33-year-old southpaw has slow-played his winter throwing program. The plan is to be ready for Opening Day in late March, but Harris writes that it is "not seen as a certainty within the organization."
Snell still has plenty of strikeout upside and pitches for the back-to-back World Series-champion Dodgers, but he missed four months in 2025 with shoulder inflammation. The two-time Cy Young winner has only reached the 30-start mark twice in his 10-year career. Snell is a risk/reward No. 2 fantasy starter going into his second year in L.A.
Johah Tong, New York Mets
New York Mets starting pitcher Jonah Tong has decided that he will not play for Canada in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. While Tong expressed a desire to participate, he's ultimately opting out in order to get ready for the 2026 MLB season.
The 22-year-old faced some adversity upon making his big-league debut last year, pitching to a 7.71 ERA and 4.31 FIP across five starts in Queens. His strikeout rate of 10.61 K/9 indicates impressive stuff, but there's still some concern about his control (4.34 BB/9) and ability to limit damage (1.45 HR/9).
As a result, it was recently reported that Tong isn't a lock to make the Mets' Opening Day roster, with the idea that he could use a little more time in Triple-A. Before any transactional decisions are made, though, he'll have ample chances to compete for a roster spot by pitching in spring training, which begins in February. Tong currently ranks as the #88 starting pitcher in RotoBaller's 2026 fantasy baseball draft rankings.
Kevin Gausman, Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Kevin Gausman has been extremely reliable and consistent for the Blue Jays in the first four years of his five-year deal signed as a free agent before the 2022 season. The 36-year-old righty is entering the final year of his contract, and over the last five seasons (including his last with the Giants), he has racked up 1,020 strikeouts in 925 2/3 innings while making 158 starts and posting a 3.34 ERA and 16.4 WAR.
Gausman has made at least 30 starts in each of those five seasons and won at least 10 games. He could be an intriguing veteran free agent next offseason, or the Blue Jays could try to extend their workhorse before he hits the open market. His consistency and reliability make him an undervalued fantasy asset coming into this year in many leagues.
Kris Bubic, Kansas City Royals
Because he missed almost the entire second half of the 2025 season due to a left rotator-cuff strain, Kansas City Royals left-hander Kris Bubic (shoulder) is the No. 62-ranked starting fantasy pitcher at RotoBaller going into 2026. It's unclear if Bubic will be ready for the start of the regular season, but he was cleared to start throwing in November.
Before his shoulder injury last year, the 28-year-old southpaw was in the midst of a breakout campaign, going 8-7 with a 2.55 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and 116:39 K:BB in 20 starts over 116 innings pitched. Bubic only threw 30 1/3 innings in relief for KC in 2024, and his arm simply couldn't handle the volume increase.
He doesn't have high-end velocity, but Bubic makes up for it with a diverse arsenal and excellent location that he uses to keep hitters off balance. If he's ready for the start of the 2026 season, Bubic could be a nice late-round value pick in fantasy drafts.
Hunter Brown, Houston Astros
Houston Astros right-hander Hunter Brown broke out as an All-Star in 2025 in his fourth year in the big leagues, going 12-9 with a 2.43 ERA (3.14 FIP), 1.02 WHIP, and 206:57 K:BB in 31 starts over 185 1/3 innings pitched. The 27-year-old was essentially Houston's ace. The former fifth-round selection out of Wayne State has come a long way since he had a 5.09 ERA and 1.36 WHIP in 155 2/3 innings in 2023 in his first year in the big leagues.
Brown reached the illustrious 200-strikeout mark for the first time in his career, and opposing hitters batted a tick over .200 against him. Brown has the arsenal (six pitches) to keep batters off balance and continue to be successful in 2026, but fantasy managers shouldn't necessarily expect another ERA under 3.00.
Keeping the ball in the yard was a big reason for his success last year, as he allowed just 0.8 home runs per nine innings. RotoBaller has Brown ranked as the No. 8 starting pitcher.
More Fantasy Baseball Analysis
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!
