👉 TAP TO SAVE 30% WITH CODE NEW
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

#1 Expert Projections
Save 30% Now
Import Your Leagues
Top-Rated Accuracy
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

ADP Values for Fantasy Baseball: AL Starting Pitchers

What's up RotoBallers. Welcome back to another article in our series of early ADP value analysis for fantasy baseball.

Keep reading for my thoughts on undervalued and overvalued AL starting pitchers, to identify draft targets and avoids based on ADP.

Opening Day is still over two months away, but it's never too soon for draft prep. ADP data from early NFBC rankings can give us a glimpse into what other owners are thinking heading into a new campaign.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball draft tools and resources:

 

Undervalued AL Starting Pitchers

Sean Manaea, Oakland Athletics (ADP: 179)

After some initial struggles in his rookie season, Manaea really found a groove. He posted sparkling ratios (2.67 ERA, 1.02 WHIP) after the All-Star break, with the underlying metrics to back them up. Manaea's K-BB% increased by over five points in the second half, thanks largely to the progression of his changeup. It's true that he also benefited from a bit of good fortune with a .254 BABIP and 83% strand rate during that time, but there was legitimate improvement here. Given his obvious talent and favorable home park, it's surprising to see him lasting into the middle-late rounds of drafts so far. Perhaps lingering health concerns are playing a role.

Lance McCullers, Houston Astros (ADP: 191)

On the other hand, there's no question that health is what's keeping McCullers' price tag depressed. It's understandable, given that he experienced both elbow and shoulder issues last year. There's also the question of how much of his wildness in 2016 was attributable to those health problems, and how much of it was just lack of polish. The upside is immense, though - peep that 30% strikeout rate in an injury-marred season! I'd rather gamble on this kid and his sexy spike curve than many of the other arms being drafted around his ADP.

Garrett Richards, Los Angeles Angels (ADP: 252)

Over the last three seasons, Richards is 13th in ERA, 22nd in WHIP, and 30th in K/9 among pitchers with at least 400 innings logged. The right-hander opted against Tommy John surgery in favor of stem cell treatment for his injured elbow last season. There haven't been many reports on his status recently, but the Angels' ace is expected to be ready for Opening Day. Richards is certainly worth a flier at his current price.

 

Overvalued AL Starting Pitchers

Rick Porcello, Boston Red Sox (ADP: 107)

Porcello's unlikely Cy Young season in 2016 has him back in the good graces of fantasy owners after his awful Boston debut the prior year.  His price tag isn't egregious, but there are too many other arms in the 20-30 range that are more appealing. Porcello's elite walk rate notwithstanding, he's not a great source of strikeouts and we saw in 2015 what can happen when he has trouble keeping the ball in the yard. He did fine on that front last year, but actually has seen his GB/FB decline in five straight years now. Beyond that, we can probably expect some regression in his .269 BABIP from last season, given that there wasn't much of a change in his contact quality. It's also tough to bank on him winning 22 games again, even with the Red Sox looking like the team to beat in the American League.

Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners (ADP: 136)

Heading into last season, I was RotoBaller's resident Debbie Downer on King Felix. Where others saw a reliable ace coming off another excellent season, I saw a guy with a ton of mileage on his arm whose rates and velocity were all trending in the wrong direction. 2016 turned out to be Hernandez's worst season in almost a decade, as he battled injury and ineffectiveness. His strikeout rate tumbled, his ratios were middling, and he failed to reach 190 innings for the first time ever. Incredibly, he's only entering his age-31 season, but he's already thrown 2,400 innings. It's fair to wonder if we'll ever see the King on his throne again.

Kevin Gausman, Baltimore Orioles (ADP: 150)

Gausman finally got a chance to pitch a full season in the majors, and the results were pretty solid. He posted a 3.61 ERA and 1.28 WHIP while striking out nearly a batter per inning, mostly on the strength of his 95 mph fastball and devastating splitter. However, he continued to have serious problems with the long ball, allowing 28 homers in 180 innings. Gausman pitches the majority of his starts in hitters' parks, so this is something he really needs to get under control if he's ever going to be the ace the Orioles expected when they took him fourth overall in the 2012 draft. In order to do that, he'll have to develop a legitimate third pitch. His slider and changeup continued to be among the worst in the majors in 2016, and until that changes, he'll remain a frustrating fantasy asset.

 

More Undervalued & Overvalued Picks


Check out RotoBaller's entire fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and sleepers list, updated daily!




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

#1 Expert Projections
Save 30% Now
Import Your Leagues
Top-Rated Accuracy
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Mark Andrews

Faces Less Competition in Tight End Room
Wan'Dale Robinson

the Clear No. 1 Target in Tennessee?
Brock Purdy

Supporting Cast Gets an Upgrade for 2026
Jalen McMillan

Headed for a Bigger Role in 2026
Ashton Jeanty

Poised to Break Out with Improved Offense and Protection?
Justin Jefferson

Poised to Re-Emerge as an Elite Dynasty Wide Receiver in 2026
J.J. McCarthy

Dynasty Value is Fading Heading into 2026
NFL

Brenen Thompson May Struggle to Consistently Earn Targets in the NFL
Drake Maye

Can Drake Maye Overcome Questionable Supporting Cast in New England?
Garrett Wilson

Will Garrett Wilson Have a More Stable Environment Around Him in New York Going Forward?
NFL

Omar Cooper Jr.'s Stock is Rising as Draft Day Approaches
J.J. Spaun

Needs the Putter to Cooperate in San Antonio
Thorbjorn Olesen

Trending Up in San Antonio
Denny McCarthy

Carrying Momentum into San Antonio
Matt Grzelcyk

Unavailable for Reminder of Season
Artyom Levshunov

Ruled Out for Rest of Season
Mathieu Olivier

to Miss Couple of Weeks
Evan Rodrigues

to Have Season-Ending Surgery
Sam Reinhart

Won't Return This Season
Carter Yakemchuk

Injured in Tuesday's Loss
Aaron Ekblad

Hand Injury "Doesn't Look Good"
Cameron Johnson

Available Against Jazz
Aaron Gordon

Likely to Play Wednesday Night
Malik Monk

Suiting Up Wednesday
DeMar DeRozan

Cleared to Face Raptors
Andrew Wiggins

Questionable Against Celtics
Norman Powell

Won't Play Wednesday
Danny Wolf

Without Timeline for Return
Jose Fernandez

Launches Two Home Runs in Historic MLB Debut
Chase DeLauter

Exits Tuesday's Game with Foot Injury, X-Rays Come Back Negative
Odell Beckham Jr.

Meets with John Harbaugh About Giants Reunion
Chris Kirk

Has Course History on His Side in San Antonio
Billy Horschel

a Volatile Option at the Valero Texas Open
Joe Highsmith

Still Searching for Form in San Antonio
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks to Find Form at the Valero Texas Open
Dalton Kincaid

Load Management a Possibility for Dalton Kincaid
J.K. Dobbins

is Fully Healthy for 2026
Jauan Jennings

49ers Acknowledge Jauan Jennings Won't Return
LeBron James

Set to Play in Cleveland Matchup
Jayson Tatum

Cleared to Play Wednesday
Neemias Queta

Returns Against Miami
De'Anthony Melton

Ruled Out Against Spurs
Kristaps Porzingis

Ruled Out Wednesday
Pascal Siakam

Expected to Suit Up Wednesday
Andrew Nembhard

Sitting Out Wednesday
Olivier-Maxence Prosper

Off Injury Report Wednesday
Ty Jerome

to Miss Fifth Straight Game
Caris LeVert

Available Tuesday Against Raptors
Miles McBride

to Suit up on Tuesday
Collin Murray-Boyles

Cleared to Play Tuesday
Marcus Sasser

is Available on Tuesday
Brandon Ingram

Returns Vs. Detroit
Seiya Suzuki

to Begin a Rehab Assignment Soon
Simon Holmstrom

Misses Tuesday's Action
Alexandre Carrier

Out 2-4 Weeks With Upper-Body Injury
Jordan Spieth

a Horse for Course History at TPC San Antonio
Mason Lohrei

Misses Second Consecutive Game Tuesday
Tyler Myers

Unavailable Against Bruins
Robert MacIntyre

Has One Flaw to Overcome at Valero Texas Open to be a Must-Play
Michael Bunting

to Sit Out Tuesday's Game
Maverick McNealy

In Exceptional Form This Season
Michael Thorbjornsen

Playing Well But Still Searching For A Win
Hideki Matsuyama

Playing Well Heading to the Valero Texas Open
Si Woo Kim

Heads to Valero Texas Open For Final Tune-Up Before Masters
Nikita Kucherov

a Game-Time Decision Tuesday
Evgeni Malkin

Ready for Action Tuesday
Sam Bennett

Rejoins Panthers Lineup Tuesday
Cody Ponce

Diagnosed With ACL Sprain, to Miss "Significant Time"
Tank Dell

Uncertain for OTAs, But Expected to Play in 2026
Alvin Kamara

Saints Still Want to Address Alvin Kamara's Contract
George Pickens

Cowboys Have "Long-Term Plans" for George Pickens
Kyle Pitts Sr.

Falcons Not Ruling Out Potential Kyle Pitts Sr. Trade
Jordan James

the "Front-Runner" to be Top Backup RB
A.J. Brown

Patriots Still Not Ruling Out an A.J. Brown Trade
Collin Morikawa

Withdraws From Valero Texas Open
PGA

Stephan Jaegar Still Looking For Consistency at Valero Texas Open
Nicolai Hojgaard

is Red-Hot Coming to TPC San Antonio
Tony Finau

a Risky Proposition at Valero Texas Open
Ludvig Aberg

Looks to Shake Off Collapse at Valero Texas Open
Jacob deGrom

Cleared for Season Debut on Tuesday
Colt Emerson

Signs an Eight-Year Extension with Mariners
William Nylander

Records Four Points Against Ducks
Macklin Celebrini

Becomes Sixth Teenager With 100-Point Season
Jaden Schwartz

Could Return Tuesday
Jordan Greenway

Available Tuesday
Jake Sanderson

Remains Out Tuesday
Cutter Gauthier

Exits Early Against Maple Leafs
Patrick Rodgers

Needs to Make More Birdies in San Antonio
Sepp Straka

Seeks Opportunity in San Antonio This Weekend
Nick Taylor

Could Again Struggle at the Valero Texas Open
Jose Altuve

Tallies Four Hits, Two Homers in Big Night
Miguel Vargas

Hits Grand Slam, Drives in Six in Win Over Miami
Tanner Bibee

to Start on Tuesday Against Dodgers
Chase Elliott

Takes Advantage of Pit Strategies for Second Career Martinsville Win
Denny Hamlin

Dominates but Finishes Second at Martinsville
Joey Logano

Bounces Back with Third-Place Finish at Martinsville
Ty Gibbs

Gains his Fourth Top-Five Finish of the Season at Martinsville
William Byron

Scores Another Top-Five Finish at Martinsville
Joe Pyfer

Extends His Winning Streak
Israel Adesanya

Loses Fourth Consecutive Fight
Maycee Barber

Suffers Her First Knockout Loss
Alexa Grasso

Scores Highlight-Reel Knockout
Niko Price

Retires After UFC Seattle Loss
Michael Chiesa

Victorious In His Retirement Fight
Julian Erosa

Suffers First-Round Knockout Loss
Lerryan Douglas

Scores First-Round Knockout Win In His UFC Debut
Alex Bregman

Clobbers First Two Homers in Sunday's Loss at Wrigley
Yandy Díaz

Yandy Diaz Records Five Hits, Drives in Four in Win Over Cardinals
Kyle Larson

Is Likely to Pay Off for DFS at Martinsville
Christopher Bell

Could Have Another Top-10 Performance At Martinsville
William Byron

Is A Threat to Win Again at Martinsville
Chase Elliott

is A Solid DFS Option for Martinsville Lineups
Chase Briscoe

has Plenty of Upside for DFS Lineups at Martinsville
Carlos Estévez

Carlos Estevez Unlikely to See High-Leverage Opportunities in Near Future
Jacob deGrom

Feels "Much Better," Hopeful he Can Start This Week
Ty Gibbs

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Ty Gibbs at Martinsville?
Ryan Preece

Is A Solid DFS Option for Martinsville Lineups
Josh Berry

Could Josh Berry Pay Off for Tournament DFS Lineups At Martinsville?
Carson Hocevar

May be Too Inconsistent to Start in Martinsville DFS Lineups
Austin Cindric

Is Austin Cindric Worth Rostering for DFS At Martinsville?
Denny Hamlin

the Favorite to Win at Martinsville
Ryan Blaney

Should Contend at Martinsville
Tyler Reddick

Should Come Back Down to Earth at Martinsville
Joey Logano

Will Be Strong at Martinsville
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Looking to Rebound at Martinsville
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Showing Progress, Qualifies Fifth at Martinsville
Dylan Cease

Fans 12 in Blue Jays Debut on Saturday
Andrew Vaughn

Needs Hand Surgery, Expected to be Out 4-6 Weeks
Jacob deGrom

"Confident" he Will Make his Next Start
Jacob deGrom

Scratched From Saturday's Start Due to Neck Stiffness
Jeferson Quero

Brewers Calling Up Catching Prospect Jeferson Quero
Deyvison De Los Santos

Marlins Promote Deyvison De Los Santos to Major Leagues
Shea Langeliers

Hits Two Home Runs on Opening Day
Kevin Gausman

Picks Up No-Decision But Strikes Out 11 on Opening Day
Joe Pyfer

Set For UFC Seattle Main Event
Israel Adesanya

Returns At UFC Seattle
Maycee Barber

Looks To Extend Her Win Streak To Eight
Alexa Grasso

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Niko Price

In Dire Need Of Victory
Michael Chiesa

Set For Retirement Fight
Lerryan Douglas

Set For His UFC Debut
Julian Erosa

Looks To Bounce Back
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF