🦃 BLACK FRIDAY - SAVE 50% WITH CODE THANKS
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

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 lineup 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

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

Jake McCabe

Suffers Upper-Body Injury
Brayden Point

Makes Early Exit Versus Capitals
Nikita Kucherov

Hurt on Saturday
Xavier Worthy

Expected to Play in Week 12
Alvin Kamara

to Suit Up for Clash with Falcons
Kenneth Walker III

Should Be Active Vs. Titans
Chris Godwin

Bucs to Manage Chris Godwin's Workload in Week 12
Bucky Irving

Likely Back in Week 13
Joe Burrow

Trending Toward Playing on Thanksgiving
Nic Dowd

Out Against Lightning
Jake Evans

Good to Go Saturday
Gavin Brindley

to Sit Out at Least Two Games
Thomas Chabot

Available Against Sharks
Roman Josi

Returns From 12-Game Absence
Jake Walman

Out Saturday
Kawhi Leonard

Expected to Return on Sunday
J.T. Miller

Won't Play Against Mammoth
Brenton Strange

Activated Off Injured Reserve, Will Play vs. Arizona
Chris Godwin

Expected to Play in Week 12
Kawhi Leonard

Sidelined for Saturday's Game Against Hornets
Joe Burrow

Won't Be Activated This Week
Tre Mann

Dealing With Ankle Soreness
Jaden Ivey

Could Make Season Debut Soon
Tobias Harris

Listed as Questionable for Saturday
Aaron Gordon

Expected to Miss Time With Hamstring Injury
Matas Buzelis

Leaves Friday's Game Early With Ankle Issue
Gabriel Vilardi

Has Two Goals in Losing Effort
Jordan Staal

Provides Two Goals in Friday's Win
Matt Boldy

Amasses Three Points in Impressive Road Win
Filip Gustavsson

Shuts Out Penguins Friday
Josh Doan

Pots Two Goals Friday Night
Alex Tuch

Tallies Four Assists in Big Win
Vinnie Hinostroza

Suffers Serious Injury Friday
Aaron Gordon

Won't Return to NBA Cup Meeting with Houston
Travis Kelce

Open to Returning in 2026?
Onyeka Okongwu

Could Miss Matchup With Pelicans
Brandon Aiyuk

49ers, Brandon Aiyuk Headed for a Divorce Soon?
D'Angelo Russell

Ruled Out Against Pelicans
Trey Hendrickson

Ruled Out for Week 12
Tre Jones

Cleared to Play Friday with Planned Minutes Limit
Jaden McDaniels

Cleared to Face Phoenix
Coby White

Ruled Out for Friday's Game Against Miami
Jarrett Allen

Ruled Out on Friday
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Doubtful as Grizzlies Face Mavericks
Adolis García

Rangers Non-Tender Adolis Garcia on Friday
Jaylon Tyson

Returning Versus Indiana
Darius Garland

Cleared to Play on Friday, Expected to See Limited Action
Marvin Bagley III

to Miss Friday's Game Against Raptors
Auston Matthews

Doubtful for Saturday
Rashod Bateman

Ruled Out for Week 12
Alexandre Sarr

Ruled Out for a Second Straight Game
Roman Josi

Could Return Saturday
Samuel Honzek

Out for Six Months After Surgery
Chris Godwin

Officially Questionable for Week 12
Sion James

Expected to Play Through Groin Issue Saturday
Jalen Chatfield

Available for Friday's Matchup
Andrew Wiggins

Labeled as "Day-to-Day"
Jaylen Warren

Cleared From Injury Report Ahead of Week 12
Brian Thomas Jr.

Ruled Out for Week 12
Kenneth Walker III

Listed as Questionable for Week 12
Trey Benson

Ruled Out For Week 12
Josh Jacobs

Officially Questionable to Play in Week 12
Darius Slayton

Cleared to Return From Hamstring Injury in Week 12
Daniel Jones

"Good to Go" for Week 12
CFB

Beau Pribula Expected to Start Against Oklahoma
Dan Hooker

An Underdog At UFC Qatar
Arman Tsarukyan

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Ian Machado Garry

A Favorite At UFC Qatar
Belal Muhammad

Looks To Bounce Back
Alonzo Menifield

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Volkan Oezdemir

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Myktybek Orolbai

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Jack Hermansson

Makes His Welterweight Debut
Kyoji Horiguchi

Returns To The UFC
Tagir Ulanbekov

Set To Open Up UFC Qatar Main Card
Elly De La Cruz

Played Through Partially Torn Quad to End 2025
Tarik Skubal

Tigers "Doubtful" to Trade Tarik Skubal
Raisel Iglesias

Returning to the Braves on One-Year Deal
Sahith Theegala

Looking to Continue Fall Run at RSM Classic
Stephan Jaeger

Looking to Bounce Back at RSM Classic
Tom Hoge

Looking to Regain Form at RSM Classic
Joe Highsmith

Searching for Turnaround at RSM Classic
Adam Hadwin

Looking to Build on T11 Finish in Bermuda
Austin Eckroat

Searching for Momentum at RSM Classic
Joel Dahmen

Trying to Find Form at the RSM Classic
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Doubtful to Play Against Western Kentucky
Michael Thorbjornsen

Hopes to End 2025 Campaign With Another Solid Finish
Andrew Novak

Looks to End 2025 Season on High Note at RSM Classic
Harry Higgs

Teetering for PGA Tour Card in 2026
PGA

Nico Echavarria has the Potential to Contend at the RSM Classic
Sam Stevens

Finishing Out Year in Georgia
Seamus Power

Playing Better at the Right Time
Beau Hossler

Roller Coaster Comes to Saint Simons Island
Quade Cummins

The Time is Now for Quade Cummins in Georgia
Austin Cook

Needs a Win at the RSM Classic
Cameron Champ

on the PGA Tour Card Bubble
Grayson Rodriguez

Shipped to Angels
Taylor Ward

Orioles Acquire Taylor Ward From Angels
Shota Imanaga

Accepts Cubs Qualifying Offer
Brandon Woodruff

Returning to Milwaukee in 2026
Denny McCarthy

Looking For Another Solid Finish at RSM Classic
Si Woo Kim

Looking To Use Current Momentum to Flip Script at RSM Classic
Mackenzie Hughes

a Good Bounce-Back Candidate at RSM Classic
Harris English

Making 14th Start at This Week's RSM Classic
Konnor Griffin

Could Compete for Starting Shortstop Job in 2026
Gleyber Torres

Accepts Tigers Qualifying Offer
CFB

Sam Leavitt Set to Enter Transfer Portal?
Jose Altuve

Undergoes Foot Surgery
Alex Bregman

Red Sox Going for Either Alex Bregman or Pete Alonso?
CFB

James Franklin to be Virginia Tech's Next Head Coach
CFB

Fernando Mendoza the Clear Heisman Trophy Favorite?
CFB

Beau Pribula Has Chance to Face Oklahoma on Saturday
Jack Della Maddalena

Gets Dominated
Islam Makhachev

Claims UFC Welterweight Belt

RANKINGS

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