X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Digging Deeper into Starting Pitchers - 2013 Fantasy Baseball SP Rankings (Part I)

In this series, RotoBaller.com will take a look at the top 40 starting pitchers, beginning with numbers 1 through 20. Now, while the top 40 are important, the top 41-100 can provide you even more value, so ask the experts for in-depth advice on any player in the majors at the Ask Us section of RotoBaller.com, and be sure to read the full 2013 SP Rankings.

1. Justin Verlander – Verlander wants to be the first $200-million-dollar pitcher, and with his resume, you'd have a tough time arguing that he doesn't deserve it. Just look at his past two seasons, during which he's won 41 games and struck out 489 batters in 489 innings. He pitched to a 2.40 and 2.64 ERA in 2011 and 2012 respectively; he is the best pitcher in baseball right now.

Clayton Kershaw 2010 (1)2. Clayton Kershaw – Kershaw is a very close second to Verlander. He owns a career 2.79 ERA which is a very difficult thing to find among SPs in this day and age. For his career, he has averaged over a K/IP-- Kershaw is the National League's version of Verlander, in that they both get above-average run support, they show no signs of fatigue as the seasons go on, and they put up Cy-Young caliber fantasy and reality stats.

3. Stephen Strasburg – He was shut down on September 7th of last year, right when your playoffs began. It was brutal to deal with, but there should be no limits on Strasburg this year. He is one of the most dangerous strikeout pitchers in baseball, posting double-digit strikeout games on five separate occasions last season. There is nothing to suggest the Strasburg won’t improve on his stellar 2012 season.

4. Cliff Lee – Lee is falling in drafts a little bit because of the Phillies poor team performance in 2013, but you shouldn’t overlook Lee’s season. He leads off the second tier of the RotoBaller starting pitcher ranks. Entering his third season with the Phillies, Lee will be worth the value with this rejuvenated Philadelphia club.

5. David Price – He has been playing up to his rank as the #1 overall draft pick in the 2007 MLB draft. After very productive 2010 and 2011 fantasy seasons, he really put it together in 2012, winning 20 games and posting a career-best ERA of 2.56 in baseball's toughest division. While the division is much improved, Price can hold his own and keep the Rays in any game he pitches.

6. Felix Hernandez – When announced that extension, every fantasy keeper owner of “King Felix” screamed. The team just doesn't win ballgames, and since 2006 they have fallen short of .500 five times. They added some pieces on offensively, but the fact that they are in the same division as the Rangers and Angels just doesn't bode well for Seattle. But Wins are only a single stat to evaluate when looking at fantasy pitchers. “King Felix” will still pitch to a low ERA and WHIP while putting up gaudy K numbers.

7. Cole Hamels – The second Phillie to crack this list in the top seven, Hamels won a career-high 17 games in 2012 and struck out a career-high 216 batters. He should benefit from the improved offense and the team's offseason moves; expect similar numbers to 2012.

8. Matt Cain – Much like Felix Hernandez, Cain doesn’t get a ton of run support from his team. That didn’t stop Cain from having the best season of his career in 2012. He has pitched to a sub-3.00 ERA three times in the past four seasons. And you can’t forget about his perfect game last June, during which he struck out 14. Bid with confidence.

JeredWeaverAngels9. Jered Weaver – Weaver has been among the best pitchers in baseball over the last four seasons. In 2012, he was tied for the league lead with 20 W, while also leading in WHIP at 1.02. With the Angels lineup only getting better, it's possible that Weaver could perform worse than he did in 2012 and still rack up the wins, but we expect bigger things.

10. Madison Bumgarner – The Giants' young star suffers from the below-average San Francisco lineup, but you should have no reservations about Bumgarner's performance. His 2012 was much improved from a solid 2011 season in which he really came strong on the scene. In 2012 he had career high in W and K, and a career-low WHIP. Expect Bumgarner to get better as he continues to develop as a major league pitcher.

11. Zack Greinke – One of many Dodger additions, Greinke will fit right in to the rejuvenated roster. He holds a career ERA of 3.77, but has pitched well below that over the past two years, and RotoBaller.com thinks he will continue that trend in 2013. The Dodgers have one of the best offenses in the National League which will only assist Greinke in racking up the wins.

12. Carsten Charles Sabathia – The Indians, Brewers and Yankees have all ridden the 300-lb. southpaw, as he has averaged almost 200 IP in each of his 13 major-league seasons. Sabathia has been the beneficiary of a potent Yankees offense, averaging over four more wins per season during his time with the Yankees. While anyone throwing over 200 innings per season while carrying 300 lbs. of muscle, fat and dirty-water dogs would be subject to injury, Sabathia has missed very little time in his career. As he ages, though, keep an eye on his health.

13. R.A. Dickey – We am extremely skeptical of Dickey's arrival in Toronto. Dickey had flourished with the Mets since perfecting his hard knuckleball. But the Mets had been under so much scrutiny over the past few seasons, and Dickey was fairly old, so perhaps he was pitching with the reckless abandon of someone with nothing to lose. Now, he is the ace of an AL East ball club that plays fourteen games in April against the Red Sox, Tigers and Yankees. While Dickey won’t need to pitch those 14 games he will have a quick idea of just how tough the AL is compared to the softer NL.

14. Adam Wainwright – He picked up in 2012 where he left off in 2010. After Tommy John surgery, which forced Wainwright to miss the 2012 season, he gained form and only got better as the season progressed. While it took time to settle in, Wainwright pitched to a 3.28 ERA in the second half, just a tad off of his career ERA. Look for a very productive season from Wainwright.

15. Roy Halladay – Coming off the worst season of his career, the third Phillie pitcher on this list, Roy Halladay, might be the best. The early reports from Spring Training are that Halladay is in excellent shape and the velocity on his fastball is up (both very good signs).

Yu Darvish on March 13, 2012 (1)16. Yu Darvish – In his first season in the Majors, Darvish was solid. He is a strikeout pitcher, and with that typically comes a higher ERA and a higher WHIP. In 2012, that certainly was the case with Darvish. You will be taking a risk on the second-year SP, as we can’t predict how hitters with figure Darvish out, but his K and W potential make him worth the risk.

17. Max Scherzer – Similarly to Darvish, Scherzer is also a strikeout pitcher. He is the pitching version of Adam Dunn. Dunn’s high HR and depresed BA are an analog to Scherzer's high K total and elevated ERA. Nevertheless, Scherzer could figure things out as he did improve as a pitcher in 2012. You can expect high strikeouts with some substantial upside at his current draft position.

18. James Shields – Some say Shields will be hurt by pitching in Kansas City as opposed to Tampa Bay, but we think you can look for Shields to maintain his stats and fantasy value. Expect well over 200 K and an ERA in the 3.0-3.5 range. The Royals offense has some pop in it and they should not be overlooked.

Kris Medlen on June 14, 200919. Kris Medlen – Congrats if you were starting Medlen in August and September in which he earned 8 W and 81 K while allowing only 8 runs in just under 80 innings. You can’t expect that kind of production over a full season, but having those kind of stats during those months when it counts most is unheard-of. It will be interesting to see how Medlen performs in 2013 but drafting him here provides solid value.

20. Chris Sale – We all watched the midseason run in 2012 during which Sale was untouchable. He finished the season with 17 W and a 3.05 ERA. You could argue that Sale should be ranked higher, but given the possibilities of hitters making adjustments, and the potential for injury that the Sox harped on all through last season, we feel this is a good spot for Sale to balance the risk and the reward.

------

If you've missed them, be sure to also check out RotoBaller.com's other pre-season 2013 fantasy baseball positional rankings for more in-depth analysis:

 

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

A.J. Brown

Says He'll Be Active For Season Opener
Luis Garcia

to Make Season Debut on Monday
Max Scherzer

Exits Due to Back Tightness
Taylor Ward

Exits Early After Collison
Braelon Allen

Says He Has a Lot Left to Prove
Sal Stewart

Reds Promoting Sal Stewart to Majors
Daniel Suarez

is A DFS Risk for Darlington Lineups?
Randy Rodríguez

Randy Rodriguez to Undergo Tommy John Surgery
Noah Gragson

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Noah Gragson for Darlington?
Ty Dillon

is an Excellent Punt Option for Darlington DFS Lineups
Bogdan Bogdanović

Bogdan Bogdanovic to Miss the Rest of EuroBasket
Denny Hamlin

Picking Up Where He Left Off At Darlington
Kyle Larson

The Sky Is The Limit for Kyle Larson at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

a Strong DFS Play at Darlington This Weekend
Tyler Reddick

Shouldn't Be Overlooked at Darlington This Weekend
Alex Bowman

An Easy Place-Differential Play in DFS This Weekend
Ty Gibbs

Could Be Strong at Darlington This Weekend
Erik Jones

Has Best Darlington Qualifying Effort Since Last Win
Zane Smith

Hopeful For Another Solid Run At Darlington
AJ Allmendinger

Still Seeking First Top-10 Finish at Darlington
Chase Elliott

Likely Won't Factor for the Win at Darlington
Joey Logano

Might Focus More on Playoff Races
Chris Buescher

Missing Playoffs Allows Chris Buescher to Potentially Go All Out at Darlington
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Qualifies Too Well for DFS Consideration
Austin Dillon

Earns Best Qualifying Result at Darlington
Kyle Busch

Downturn in Speed This Year Makes Him a Worse DFS Option
Carson Hocevar

Should Run Better at Darlington Than the Numbers Predict
Ryan Preece

a Low-key Strong DFS Option at Darlington After His Speed in the Spring
Michael McDowell

Don't Expect Much From Michael McDowell
Aroldis Chapman

Agrees to Contract Extension
Juan Soto

Homers Twice in Loss
Nick Kurtz

Avoids Serious Injury
MacKenzie Gore

Placed on 15-Day Injured List
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Reaches 25-Homer, 25-Steal Milestone
Chris Sale

Activated on Saturday
Dansby Swanson

Homers Twice, Drives in Six in Win
Nick Kurtz

Leaves Game With Oblique Soreness
Joe Burrow

Bengals Feel Joe Burrow Just had "the Best Training Camp of his Career"
Randy Rodríguez

Tommy John Surgery Recommended for Randy Rodriguez
Corey Seager

Placed on Injured List
Jackson Chourio

to Return From Injured List on Saturday
Jordan Lawlar

Diamondbacks Set to Promote Jordan Lawlar
Dallas Mavericks

Olivier-Maxence Prosper Waived by the Mavs
Lauri Markkanen

Dominant in Win Over Great Britain
Xander Bogaerts

Suffers Foot Fracture, Set to Hit Injured List
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Leads Serbia to a Win
Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokic Shines Versus Portugal
De'Von Achane

Should be Ready for Week 1
Jose Alvarado

"Good" After Recent Fall
Alec Burleson

Lands on Injured List With Wrist Inflammation
Emmanuel Clase

Luis L. Ortiz to Remain On Leave for Rest of Season
Kyle Schwarber

has Historic Performance in Rout of Braves
Green Bay Packers

Packers Acquire Micah Parsons, Sign him to Four-Year Extension
Jauan Jennings

Remains Sidelined at Practice
Chris Godwin

to Miss First Month of Season, Possibly More
Quinshon Judkins

Not Considering Return to College
A.J. Brown

Returns to Practice, Expected to Play in Week 1
Jaylen Wright

Undergoes Surgery, Could be Back "Septemberish"
Tyreek Hill

on Track to Play in Week 1
Kyren Williams

to See Reduced Workload?
Jayden Reed

Dealing with Jones Fracture in Left Foot
Lauri Markkanen

Torches Sweden
Neemias Queta

Dominates in EuroBasket Opener
Kawhi Leonard

Clippers Not Allowing Kawhi Leonard to Play Back-to-Backs
Dallas Mavericks

Mavericks Looking to Trade Olivier-Maxence Prosper
Tyrese Haliburton

Expects to Return in 15 Months
Malik Nabers

Expected to be Full-Go for Week 1
Travis Hunter

Back at Practice, Will be Ready for Week 1
De'Von Achane

Not Practicing on Wednesday
Rashee Rice

Accepting Six-Game Suspension to Begin the Year
Kyle Hamilton

Ravens, Kyle Hamilton Finalizing Four-Year Extension
Rashee Rice

NFL Aiming to Place Six-Game Suspension on Rashee Rice
De'Von Achane

Dolphins GM Says De'Von Achane Will be Ready for Week 1
Joe Mixon

Texans GM: "We'll See" if Joe Mixon Plays in 2025
Terance Mann

Confident About Having a Big Year in Brooklyn
Zaccharie Risacher

Aims to Improve Ball-Handling Skills
NBA

Pistons And Timberwolves Join Race for Malik Beasley
John Tonje

Signs Two-Way Deal With Jazz
Max Strus

to Miss 3-4 Months After Surgery
Nikola Jović

Heat Have High Hopes for Nikola Jovic
Golden State Warriors

Cody Martin Drawing Interest From Warriors
Minnesota Timberwolves

Timberwolves Interested in Reunion With Bones Hyland
Kylor Kelley

Joins Lakers
Colin Castleton

Links Up With Magic

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP