👉 TAP TO SAVE 50% WITH CODE SPRING
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 50% Now
Import Your Leagues
Props Tool
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
24x7 News and Alerts

ADP Values for Fantasy Baseball: NL Starting Pitchers

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

Today, we'll cover some undervalued and overvalued NL starting pitchers, to try and help 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.

Featured Promo: Save 50% the regular price with discount code SPRING, for a limited time. Exclusive access to our Team Sync platform, DFS cheat sheets, Lineup Optimizers, betting/prop picks, and exclusive content from Nick Mariano and Eric Cross! GAIN ACCESS NOW

 

Undervalued NL Starting Pitchers

Zack Greinke, Arizona Diamondbacks (ADP: 98)

Look, there's no getting around this: Greinke's ERA went up by nearly three runs last year compared to his transcendent 2015. Some of that increase was fait accompli, of course. Greinke had enjoyed a friendly home park, excellent defense, and crazy good fortune in Los Angeles, and none of that was likely to be waiting for him in Arizona. But you'd have won a lot of money if you'd wagered that Greinke's ERA would begin with a four. All the aforementioned factors swung in the other direction for him, and he also got hurt. Before the injury, though, Greinke was having a year that was more or less standard issue:

ERA

WHIP

HR/9

K%

BB%

2016 Pre-Injury

3.62 1.16 0.99 20.3

4.7

Career

3.42 1.19 0.87 21.8

5.9

 
Have reservations about a 33 year old coming off shoulder issues? Fair enough. But Greinke's been a reliable fantasy arm for most of the last decade, and 2016 was a perfect storm of bad breaks. There's profit potential at the current price.

Gerrit Cole, Pittsburgh Pirates (ADP: 117)

As a sequel to his breakout in 2015, Cole's performance last year was less The Empires Strikes Back and more The Matrix Reloaded. His ratios rose sharply and his strikeout percentage took a dive. How much of that was due to the elbow problems he experienced is tough to say definitively, It seems like a logical assumption that it played a significant role. Then again, Cole's velocity and most of his peripherals stayed constant from the prior year, so maybe the 40-point jump in BABIP and some rotten sequencing were culprits as well. Regardless, he's on his normal offseason routine with no issues so far, which is excellent news. Cole is just 26, has a favorable team and park context, and we've seen him reach his potential already. This is a overly generous injury discount.

Rich Hill, Los Angeles Dodgers (ADP: 135)

Speaking of injury discounts, the market is naturally pricing in Hill's high risk. Thanks to multiple blisters (the price you pay for those beautiful and multitudinous curveballs, because life is nothing if not cruel and unyielding), Hill logged just 110 innings last season. Now, those innings were of superior quality, but they also represented his high water mark for the last decade. You simply can't reasonably expect 180 innings from the man. 150 might be a stretch. But a repeat of last year plus some smart streaming could easily add up to a full-season ace at a bargain price.

Aaron Nola, Philadelphia Phillies (ADP: 220)

In his first full big-league season, Nola maintained his solid walk rate while adding several percentage points to his K% and cutting down on home runs. Under normal circumstances, he'd be somebody for whom we were all paying an expectant price. Unfortunately, an elbow injury and a co(s)mically horrible strand rate conspired to wreck his ERA and ultimately, ended his season. Recent reports indicate that he'll enter spring training with no restrictions. Nola was in the midst of a breakout before the injury. The risk at this price is minimal, and the profit potential immense.

 

Overvalued NL Starting Pitchers

Kyle Hendricks, Chicago Cubs (ADP: 67)

Here's what I wrote about Hendricks back in November. The current price tag certainly isn't surprising, but it is one I'm not likely to pay in any of my drafts this year. Tough not to feel like he could be this year's Dallas Keuchel.

Carlos Martinez, St. Louis Cardinals (ADP: 73)

Martinez turned in his second consecutive season with an ERA just above 3.00 and shaved a few points off his WHIP, but he really didn't show much improvement over the previous season. His walk rate remained middling, his batted ball data didn't budge much, and his K% actually fell by three points. Most importantly, he continued to have problems with left-handed hitters. Make no mistake - the current model is a good pitcher. This just feels a couple rounds early for him. You're paying for a breakout that may not be coming.

Jameson Taillon, Pittsburgh Pirates (ADP: 150)

Taillon returned from the dead  the hinterlands of Siberia two injury-wiped seasons to post impressive results, first at Triple-A and then the majors. Thanks largely to an exceptional walk rate, the former top prospect gave owners who rolled the dice some solid ratios (3.38 ERA, 1.12 WHIP) in just over 100 MLB innings. It's always nice to see someone persevere against injury, especially early in their career. There are some lingering concerns with Taillon from a fantasy perspective, however. He's never thrown more than 165 innings he did last season, and after a two-year layoff, it's fair to wonder how many frames he can be counted on for in 2017. Taillon also didn't pile up many strikeouts despite his success, which limits his ceiling. There are several pitchers going a few rounds later whose upside is more worthy of a gamble.

 

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 50% Now
Import Your Leagues
Props Tool
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Collin Murray-Boyles

Continues to Shine for Raptors
Deni Avdija

Returns to Form Sunday
Victor Wembanyama

Stuffs Stat Sheet in His Return
Austin Reaves

Won't Suit Up Sunday
Jonathan Isaac

Likely to Remain Out Monday
Isaiah Joe

Available for Game 4 Monday
Aaron Gordon

Uncertain for Monday
Jordan Goodwin

Considered Questionable for Monday's Elimination Game
Joel Embiid

Ready to Return Sunday
Mark Williams

to Remain Out Monday
Kevin Huerter

Listed as Questionable for Monday
Kelly Oubre Jr.

Cleared to Play Sunday
Anthony Edwards

Faces Multi-Week Absence
Kevin Durant

Remains Out Sunday
Emil Andrae

Expected to Rejoin Flyers Lineup Monday
Matvei Michkov

Set to Be Scratched for Game 5
Radko Gudas

Remains Sidelined Sunday
Jason Dickinson

a Game-Time Decision Sunday
Maxwell Crozier

to Replace Declan Carlile Sunday
Alexander Nikishin

Diagnosed With Concussion
Viktor Arvidsson

Exits Early Sunday
Theo Johnson

a Dynasty Faller After Busy Giants Offseason
Kyle Monangai

Remains a Dynasty Hold
Amon-Ra St. Brown

Remains a Locked-in Dynasty Stud
Jonah Coleman

Could Have Immediate Impact as Broncos' Short-Yardage Back
Jerry Jeudy

Browns Say Jerry Jeudy Will Not Be Impacted by Rookies
Logan O'Hoppe

Placed on 10-Day Injured List Due to Left-Wrist Fracture
Denny Hamlin

Is Denny Hamlin Worth Rostering for Talladega?
Xavier Worthy

a Buy-Low Candidate for Dynasty Managers Following NFL Draft?
NASCAR

Is Bubba Wallace Playable in Talladega DFS Lineups?
Skyler Bell

Earning Comparisons to Elite NFL Wideout Following NFL Draft
Jayden Daniels

' Supporting Cast in Washington Remains Similar Following NFL Draft
Joe Burrow

Dynasty Value Remains Impacted by Injury Concerns
Josh Naylor

Absent on Sunday With Quad Tightness
Andrei Iosivas

Facing New Competition for Bengals' WR3 Role After NFL Draft
Tyjae Spears

Facing Competition in a Contract Year
Jaylen Wright

Remains an Appealing Handcuff Option Following NFL Draft
Ollie Gordon II

Fighting for a Roster Spot?
Ryan Helsley

Returns From Bereavement List on Sunday
Colby Parkinson

Facing More Competition Than Ever Before
Steven Kwan

Back in Sunday's Lineup
Brent Rooker

Activated and Starting on Sunday Against Rangers
Omarion Hampton

Faces Minimal Competition After the NFL Draft
Roman Anthony

Returns as DH on Sunday
Brandon Aiyuk

Commanders Interested in Brandon Aiyuk, Waiting for His Release
Tyler Reddick

Stay Away From Tyler Reddick at Talladega
Ryan Blaney

Can Ryan Blaney Shake Off The Bad Luck at Talladega?
Austin Cindric

Could Contend For Another Talladega Win
Kyle Busch

an Easy DFS Pick at Talladega
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

. a High-Risk, High-Reward Pick at Talladega
Todd Gilliland

a Sleeper to Watch at Talladega
Brad Keselowski

Is Brad Keselowski Worth Rostering for Talladega Lineups?
Blake Corum

2026 Role Appears Secured
Jaxson Dart

The Arrow is Pointing Way Up for Jaxson Dart Ahead of Second Season
Calvin Ridley

Can Calvin Ridley Earn Back a Starting Role?
David Montgomery

Escapes NFL Draft Unscathed
Chase Briscoe

Could Chase Briscoe be A Sneaky Tournament Play for Talladega Lineups?
Chris Godwin Jr.

an Offseason Winner
Christopher Bell

Should DFS Managers Trust Christopher Bell at Talladega?
Ty Gibbs

Is A DFS Risk for Talladega Lineups
Arturs Silovs

Steps in and Saves Pittsburgh on Saturday
Sidney Crosby

Helps Lead Pittsburgh to Road Win Over Philadelphia
Brock Faber

a Huge Factor in Minnesota's Overtime Victory
Matt Boldy

Evens Series Between Minnesota and Dallas in Big Way
Frederik Andersen

a Game-Changer as Carolina Closes Out Ottawa
Logan Stankoven

Scores Yet Again as Carolina Sweeps Ottawa
Desmond Bane

Nails Seven Triples En Route to 25 Points
Cade Cunningham

Finishes Loss With Nine Turnovers
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Drops 42 Points on Suns in Game 3
Karl-Anthony Towns

Joins Exclusive List With Triple-Double
Julius Randle

Tossed From Game 4
Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokic Ejected in Game 4 Loss
Donte DiVincenzo

Diagnosed With Torn Right Achilles
Boston Red Sox

Red Sox Fire Manager Alex Cora and Other Coaches
Josh Manson

Not Expected to Play Sunday
Mason Lohrei

Set to Miss Game 4 as Healthy Scratch
Emil Andrae

Won't Play Saturday
Arturs Silovs

Starting Game 4 Against Flyers
Dan Vladar

Cleared for Game 4
Mats Zuccarello

Remains Out Saturday
Nikolaj Ehlers

Dealing With Lower-Body Injury
Steven Kwan

Scratched With Neck Stiffness
Trey Yesavage

Returning From Injured List on Tuesday
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Heading to the Injured List With Oblique Strain
Kirby Dach

Battles and Scores Two Points in Friday Triumph
MLB

Saturday's Mets-Rockies Game Postponed Due to Weather
Giancarlo Stanton

Exits With Leg Tightness on Friday
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Scratched on Friday With Mid-Back Pain
Jackson Holliday

Receives Positive Test Results, Will be Shut Down for a Week
Jeff Hoffman

Out as Blue Jays Closer
Youssef Zalal

Set For UFC Vegas 116 Main Event
Aljamain Sterling

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 116
Joselyne Edwards

Set For UFC Vegas 116 Co-Main Event
Norma Dumont

Looks To Extend Her Win Streak
Alexander Hernandez

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 116
Rafa Garcia

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Adrian Luna Martinetti

Set For His UFC Debut
Davey Grant

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Francisco Lindor

Expected to Miss "Significant Time"
Francisco Lindor

Mets Officially Place Francisco Lindor on Injured List With Calf Strain
Michael Harris II

Removed Early With Quad Tightness
Francisco Lindor

Likely Headed to the Injured List
Michael Harris II

Continues to Heat Up With Two-Homer Game on Wednesday
Francisco Lindor

Leaves Wednesday's Game Early With Calf Tightness
CFB

Beau Pribula Leading Virginia Quarterback Competition
Marco Penge

Trending Down Entering Zurich Classic
Sahith Theegala

Eyes Another Strong Week at Zurich Classic
Brooks Koepka

Shane Lowry Teams Up with Brooks Koepka at Zurich Classic
Si Woo Kim

Adds Another Strong Finish at RBC Heritage
Luke Clanton

Hoping to Find Form in New Orleans
Scottie Scheffler

is Starting to Hit His Stride
Brooks Koepka

Looking for Progress in PGA Return With Partner at Zurich Classic
Matt Fitzpatrick

Looks to Share Recent Form at Zurich Classic
CFB

Ashton Daniels Named Florida State's Starting Quarterback
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF