Top 101 Starting Pitchers: Rest-Of-Season Rankings for Fantasy Baseball Week 18 (2026)

July 29, 2026

Nick Mariano's updated fantasy baseball starting pitcher rankings for Week 18 (2026). Baller Ranks is a weekly rankings list for the top-101 starting pitchers.

Welcome back to our weekly starting pitcher rankings for Week 18, where we rank the top starting pitchers for fantasy baseball. This FSWA-award-winning Best Baseball Series is updated weekly with the "Top 101 Starting Pitchers." Nick Mariano's Weekly Starting Pitcher Baller Ranks look to assist you in reaching the top spot as well.

For this week, Andy Smith will take over these rankings for Nick Mariano again. Andy's top 101 rest of season pitcher rankings will be featured below, and Joey Pollizze will provide the analysis of the biggest risers and fallers of the week. Fantasy managers can also see Eric Cross' top pitching prospects to stash down at the bottom of this article.

Let's take a look at the biggest risers on this week's starting pitcher rankings for Week 18. These rankings are based on games played before Tuesday.

Starting Pitcher Rankings Analysis for Week 18 

-Max Fried is back in these rankings after being activated from the injured list last Wednesday. He looked good in his first start back by throwing five scoreless innings with one hit, one walk, and seven strikeouts against the Pirates. Although he struggled a bit in his most recent outing on Monday against the White Sox (allowing three runs across three innings), he's a top starting pitcher the rest of the year now that he is healthy.

Max Fried, Filthy 89mph Cutter. ✂️

7th K pic.twitter.com/T4bixtHW6w

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 23, 2026

-Bryce Miller hasn't been as sharp on the mound as of late. He has given up 14 runs (11 earned runs) in his last 16 innings pitched, which included allowing five earned runs across 5 1/3 innings against the Rangers last week. The good news is that he still projects well for the rest of the year with a 2.67 expected ERA, a 36.4% chase rate, and a 26.9% strikeout rate. Miller drops to No. 23 overall amid this rough stretch

-Bryan Woo continues to struggle on the road. The Mariners right-hander has given up at least four runs in each of his last six road starts and just gave up five runs across five innings against the Rangers on the road over the weekend. With a 6.52 road ERA, it's only right to move Woo even further down these rankings. Andy drops him another five spots for Week 18.

-Jared Jones is finally coming into form on the mound. He has a 1.29 ERA and a 37.8% strikeout rate across four starts in July. The Pirates right-hander has allowed one run or fewer in each of those four starts and just threw six innings of one-run ball with five strikeouts against the Cubs his last time out. He now climbs to the No. 38 spot.

Jared Jones, 8th and 9th Ks thru 5 pic.twitter.com/SVoFpNowZC

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 18, 2026

-Braxton Ashcraft is trending in the wrong direction. After posting a 3.07 ERA with a 27.3% strikeout rate in his first 16 starts, Ashcraft has a 7.71 ERA with a 24.3% strikeout rate over his last five starts. He gave up four runs across six innings against the Cubs this past weekend, and there are some concerns about his potential workload down the stretch since his 122 1/3 innings pitched are already a career high.

-Kevin Gausman will almost certainly be moved at the trade deadline. That potential change of scenery could be a good thing for the veteran right-hander because he has not been a viable fantasy option in recent months. He has a 6.32 ERA and a 24.2% strikeout rate since the beginning of June. Gausman's 15-spot drop makes him one of the biggest fallers of the week.

-Zac Thornton is the biggest riser on Andy's rest of season rankings for Week 18. The rookie southpaw has looked sharp since being called up by the Mets in mid-July. He has allowed just three runs across 19 1/3 innings pitched (three starts) and threw the ball well in his latest outing against the Braves on Monday by delivering 6 1/3 innings of three-run ball. He is now a top-70 pitcher for the rest of the season.

Another impressive outing for Zac Thornton tonight: 6.1 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K against a good Braves offense. He departs to a standing ovation.

Thornton, who's in line for his second straight win, owns a 2.45 ERA through five career starts. pic.twitter.com/O4lS3Q4rfq

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) July 28, 2026

-Framber Valdez's 19-spot drop this week doesn't come as much of a surprise. He has been extremely inconsistent in his first season with the Tigers. Valdez has a 4.53 ERA across 113 1/3 innings pitched and only recorded two outs while allowing six earned runs against the Cubs earlier last week. With an 18.3% strikeout rate and a 21.1% whiff rate on the season, the former All-Star is now ranked outside the top-65.

-Bubba Chandler is back inside the top-100 on these rankings. The Pirates right-hander looked much better on the mound in his start against the Yankees last week. He threw 6 1/3 shutout innings with five strikeouts in that outing. Even though he struggled a bit in Tuesday's start (four earned runs across four innings pitched), his increased fastball velocity makes him worthy of being ranked again.

-Gage Jump has fallen off despite showing some potential earlier last month. He has an 6.51 ERA and a 25.1% strikeout rate over his last six starts dating back to late June. The Athletics southpaw has had plenty of inconsistent outings during this stretch and allowed six runs on eight hits with four walks across 4 2/3 innings against the Diamondbacks last week. His 22-spot drop is the biggest fall in Week 18.

Top 101 Starting Pitchers for Fantasy Baseball - Week 18

Top Starting Pitcher Prospects for Fantasy Baseball - Week 18

Here are the key SP stashes, including honorable mentions, from our esteemed, industry-leading prospect analyst, Eric Cross. You should also read his full Top 25 Fantasy Baseball Prospects To Stash article, which is updated weekly!

More Fantasy Baseball Analysis