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

Late-Round Starting Pitchers - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values and Targets

patrick sandoval fantasy baseball rankings mlb player news

Analysis of five fantasy baseball starting pitchers to draft in the late rounds. Potential 2022 fantasy baseball sleepers and undervalued SP to target in drafts.

Welcome officially to the 2022 fantasy baseball season! Now that an MLB deal is in place, a lot more fantasy drafts will be taking place -- and we're here as always to guide you through it. Once you reach the late rounds of drafts, everyone is looking to draft players with upside that can provide a great return on value. You can afford to start taking a risk or two on a variety of different players, including emerging prospects, overlooked veterans, players returning from injury, or even talented players who may have some playing time concerns. The early rounds are critical and the middle rounds shape the core of your starting squad, but the late rounds are where you have the opportunity to select hidden gems who can play a huge role for your fantasy team.

Today, we're looking at some late-round starting pitchers for you to consider drafting in your season-long leagues this season. Are their ADPs undervalued? Will they make significant fantasy contributions and become a late-round sleeper draft target that you're going to want to prioritize? Read on to see our take.

Our editors have hand-picked these specific MLB players for your draft prep enjoyment. Normally only available to Premium subscribers, the five outlooks below are meant to give you a taste of the in-depth analysis you receive with our industry-leading 2022 Draft Kit. Be sure to subscribe today and start reading all of our in-depth 2022 player outlooks, and many other premium articles and tools, available exclusively in our 2022 Draft Kit.

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

 

Jose Urquidy, Houston Astros

Houston Astros pitcher Jose Urquidy was efficient despite being limited with shoulder discomfort in 2021. He posted an 8-3 record with a 3.62 ERA, 4.01 xERA,0.99 WHIP, 4.14 FIP, and 90 strikeouts over 107 innings. The 26-year-old isn't an elite strikeout pitcher (32nd percentile in K%) but has excellent command, as evidenced by last year's 96th percentile walk rate. He should limit any self-damage by using his four-pitch arsenal, led by his great changeup.

The right-hander's lack of durability is concerning, as he's only thrown for 100-plus innings just once in his career. ATC projects Urquidy with a 9-7 record, 10 quality starts, 4.25 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and 120 strikeouts over 137 innings in 2022. According to Rotoballer's Expected Draft Values, ATC's projections have Urquidy roughly fair value at his ADP of 214. Urquidy will provide good ratios and is solid SP 4/5 in upcoming fantasy drafts despite the lack of durability.

--Brad Camara - RotoBaller

 

John Means, Baltimore Orioles

Few pitchers started the 2021 season as hot as John Means did. Through his first 71 innings, Means posted a 2.28 ERA with a 0.85 WHIP, and he did that while striking out nearly a batter per inning (69 strikeouts in those innings). After that, an injury cost him some time and he never recovered. He sputtered to the finish line and his season line ended with a worse but still solid 3.62 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 22.7% K% and a 4.4% BB%. For his career, he has been decent at best for fantasy purposes with a 3.82 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP, and a 21.2% K%.

The knock has been that low strikeout rate, which can really hurt in certain league setups. One thing really working in his favor for 2022 is the fact that Camden Yards moved the left-field fences back as much as 30 feet and raised the height of them five feet as well. This should reduce the home runs allowed for Means, which is a big deal because that has been an issue for him in his career (1.70 HR/9). Means seems like a pretty good investment for 2022 at his cheap current price of 219, as his elite walk rate keeps the WHIP down, and the movement of the fences may help significantly improve the ERA.

-- Jon Anderson - RotoBaller

 

Patrick Sandoval, Los Angeles Angels

Los Angeles pitcher Patrick Sandoval (back) started last season in the minors and was called up to the big leagues in early May. He was initially used as a swingman then eventually was promoted to the starting rotation. In August, Sandoval's season was cut short after sustaining a left lumbar spine stress reaction. The 25-year-old has electric stuff, posting a 3.62 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 15.5and 94 strikeouts over 87 innings in 2021. He limited the damage with a 51% ground ball rate and owned a career-high 25.9 K%.

Sandoval is expected to fully recover from his back issue and projects to be the team's third starter in a six-man rotation behind Shohei Ohtani and Noah Syndergaard. The Angels right-hander can rack up the strikeouts, and Cutter's projections are on board, predicting 166 punch-outs over 151 innings. According to Rotoballer's Expected Draft Values, Sandoval is roughly fair value at 212 ADP. With an elite 15.2% swinging-strike rate and the ability to shut down hitters, there's some injury risk, but Sandoval could smash value at his current ADP.

--Brad Camara - RotoBaller

 

Alex Wood, San Francisco Giants

After failing to exceed 50 innings pitched in 2019 and 2020 combined thanks to a litany of back problems, the 2021 version of San Francisco Giants left-hander Alex Wood reminded us all of the pitcher who posted a sub-3.90 ERA in 6 straight seasons from 2013 to 2018. His 2021 featured a better-than-average 26 K%, 6.7 BB%, a worm-burning 50.8% ground ball rate, 3.83 ERA, and 3.90 xERA over 138 2/3 inning in 2021. Wood is a risk/reward option as the biggest concern with the southpaw has always been health.

San Francisco rewarded him with a two-year, $10 million contract and ATC/Cutter projection systems generally expect more of the same in 2022, with both projecting him for an ERA slightly under 4.00. ATC projects the 31-year-old with a 3.91 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and 135 strikeouts over 138 innings in 2022. According to Rotoballer's Expected Draft Values, the 31-year-old is excellent value at his current ADP 0f 236, making him a solid selection after pick 200 in upcoming fantasy drafts.

-- Jordan Rosenblum - RotoBaller

 

Joe Ryan, Minnesota Twins

Starting pitcher Joe Ryan made his Major League debut in September for the Twins after coming up as a pre-2020 top-100 prospect for the Rays according to Baseball America. His first four starts were solid but he ended on a sour note, allowing six runs to the Tigers in his final outing. That led to a slightly inflated 4.05 ERA that masked an excellent 0.79 WHIP and 30-5 K-BB line. On the other hand, it should be noted that his other starts included two against Cleveland and two against the Cubs, both bottom-10 offenses in terms of team average on the season. Rather than dissecting Ryan's small MLB data sample, it's more important to project his role and team context. Ryan was stuck behind multiple pitching prospects in Tampa, a team notorious for using pitchers in non-traditional roles and shortening their usage.

Now, on a rebuilding Twins club that no longer has Jose Berrios or Michael Pineda, 25-year-old Ryan has a chance to establish himself near the top of the rotation. The offense didn't lose any key pieces beyond Nelson Cruz at last year's trade deadline but it was mediocre and may remain so. Early Steamer projections have him winning nine games and posting a 4.36 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and 148 K in 142 IP. He will be a later-round pick with upside that can be found just inside the top 200 overall players.

-- Pierre Camus - RotoBaller

 



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!




More Fantasy Baseball 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

Pete Crow-Armstrong

Homers Twice, Drives in Three
Brice Matthews

Joining Astros
MLB

White Sox-Guardians Postponed on Thursday
Brandon Aiyuk

Likely to Begin Season on PUP List, but Not Ruled Out for Week 1
Jameson Williams

Not in the Team's Long-Term Plans?
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Micah Parsons

Plans to be Present for Start of Training Camp
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Ikem Ekwonu

Next Up for Extension in Carolina?
Jalen Thompson

Heading into Last Year With Cardinals?
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Najee Harris

Suffers Eye Injury in Fireworks Mishap
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Vitor Petrino

Set For His Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Set To Open Up UFC Nashville Main Card
Junior Tafa

Set For Light-Heavyweight Bout
Alex Bregman

Will Return to Red Sox This Weekend
Chris Sale

Braves Won't Consider Trading Chris Sale
Clarke Schmidt

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery on Friday
Nick Nash

Unlikely to Make Falcons Active Roster
Lane Johnson

in No Rush To Retire
Jalen Williams

Signs Contract Extension With Thunder
Blake Corum

has "Gotten His Speed Back"
Jarquez Hunter

Picking Up Rams Offense Quickly
Alijah Martin

Agrees to Two-Way Deal With Raptors
Tristan Vukcevic

Set to Return to Washington
Kirk Cousins

Feels Misled by Falcons
Bijan Robinson

Says Falcons Have "Outlandish Goals" for the Running Game
Luther Burden III

Bears Expect Luther Burden III to be Ready for Training Camp
Cole Kmet

an Unlikely Trade Piece
Tony Pollard

Titans Hope to Balance Rushing Attack With Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears
Byron Buxton

Sitting Thursday
Quentin Johnston

Not Assured of Starting Role
Cordarrelle Patterson

on the Roster Bubble in Pittsburgh?
Shedeur Sanders

Not Assured of Roster Spot in Cleveland?
Wan'Dale Robinson

Hoping For More Downfield Opportunities
Anfernee Simons

Celtics Are "Actively Trying to Trade" Anfernee Simons
NBA

Alex Ducas Heading to Australia
Dominick Barlow

Inks Two-Way Deal With 76ers
Jordan McLaughlin

Spurs Re-Sign Jordan McLaughlin to One-Year Deal
Dylan Harper

Out Thursday, Expected to Play Saturday
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Homers Twice on Wednesday
Mike Trout

Homers Twice in Win Over Rangers
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Leads Yankees to Victory
Salvador Perez

Crushes Two Homers in Win
Cleveland Browns

Greg Newsome on the Trade Block?
VJ Edgecombe

Diagnosed with a Sprained Thumb
Zach Tom

An Extension Candidate in Green Bay
Devin Booker

Agrees to Extension with Phoenix
Trevor Williams

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery
Byron Buxton

Exits After Hit-by-Pitch, X-Rays Negative
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Playing on Wednesday
Alex Bregman

has "Really Good Chance" to Return Before All-Star Break
Teoscar Hernández

Teoscar Hernandez Expected to Return on Friday
Walter Clayton Jr.

Leads Jazz to Summer League Win
Carter Bryant

Struggles in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Drops a Double-Double in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Oklahoma City Thunder

Malevy Leons Logs Impressive Summer League Outing on Tuesday
Dalton Knecht

Collects 25 Points in Lakers Summer League Win
Los Angeles Lakers

Darius Bazley Drops 27 Points in Summer League on Tuesday
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Chet Holmgren

Agrees to Rookie Max Extension
Alex Bregman

Not Returning Wednesday
Jhoan Duran

Unavailable Due to Illness
Shane McClanahan

Tosses Clean Frame in First Rehab Appearance
Jacob Wilson

Day-to-Day After HBP
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. to be Reassessed Wednesday
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Malaki Branham

Traded to Washington
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Blake Wesley

Moves to Washington
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Kelly Olynyk

on the Move Again
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
Anthony Davis

Recovering From Eye Surgery
Jacob Bridgeman

Needs Putter to Work at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
NASCAR

Sepp Straka Not Likely to Find Momentum at Scottish Open
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
NHL

Tyler Johnson Retires After 13 NHL Seasons
Jack McBain

Inks New Five-Year Deal with Mammoth
Cam York

Re-Signs with Flyers for Five Years
Jake Knapp

Fits the Mold for Success at The Renaissance Club
Ty Gibbs

Finishes Second at Chicago and Advances in In-Season Challenge
Alex Bowman

Defeats Bubba Wallace in In-Season Challenge, but Not Without Controversy
Alex Bowman

Bubba Wallace Wrecked by Alex Bowman Again, Putting Playoffs in Doubt
Michael McDowell

Throttle Failure Ends Michael McDowell's Chances to Win at Chicago
Austin Hill

Earns First NASCAR Cup Series Top Ten at Chicago
Tyler Reddick

Scores a Strong Third-Place Run at Chicago
Kyle Busch

Matches his Best Career Finish At Chicago on Sunday
Denny Hamlin

Fights his Way to a Top-5 Finish at Chicago
William Byron

has his Worst Weekend of the Season at Chicago
Sonny Milano

on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Jakub Dobes

Signs Two-Year Deal with Canadiens
NHL

Hendrix Lapierre Signs One-Year Deal with Capitals
Carson Hocevar

Should DFS Players Consider Carson Hocevar for Chicago Lineups?
Tye Kartye

Kraken Re-Sign Tye Kartye for Two Years
Ross Chastain

May be A Decent DFS Option for Chicago Lineups
Dmitri Voronkov

Signs Two-Year, $8.35 Million Extension with Blue Jackets
Ryan Preece

Should DFS Players Roster Ryan Preece at Chicago?
Austin Dillon

Is Too Great of A Risk to Add to Chicago Lineups
Zane Smith

Is A Value Play Worth Rostering At Chicago
Austin Hill

is A Favorable Value Option for Chicago DFS Lineups
Ty Dillon

Is Ty Dillon A Decent Driver to Add For NASCAR DFS At Chicago?
William Byron

Qualifying Crash Makes William Byron a Likely DFS Must-Have
Alex Bowman

Should Finish Well, but Probably Costs Too Much for Serious DFS Consideration
Joey Logano

Has Been Relatively Mediocre on Road Courses Lately
Ryan Blaney

Doesn't Really Fit Neatly into Optimal DFS Lineups
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF