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

More Later-Round Starting Pitchers - Targets and Avoids

Analysis of another five fantasy baseball starting pitchers being drafted in the later rounds. Read about undervalued SPs and potential sleepers to target late.

Once you reach the later rounds of drafts, you start thinking about upside fliers that can provide a great return on value. These are the rounds to take risks on more unknown commodities like prospects, forgotten-about veterans, players returning from injuries or players that have previously showed promise but haven't put it all together yet. Knowing about the deeper player pool can help you be more flexible throughout the draft, especially if you can identify someone you like and plan your earlier picks around that.

Last week we looked at five pitchers to target late. Today we are looking at even more late-round starting pitchers who need to be considered. Do we think they are draft targets, or players to avoid? Are their ADPs undervalued? Will they make significant fantasy contributions and be one of your later-round draft sleepers? 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 2019 Draft Guide. Be sure to subscribe today and start reading all 400+ of our 2019 player outlooks, and many other premium articles and tools, available exclusively in our 2019 Draft Guide.

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

 

Jesus Luzardo - SP, Oakland Athletics

Oakland Athletics pitching prospect Jesus Luzardo’s supersonic rise through the minors got off to a slow start in 2016 when he had to have Tommy John surgery. He returned in 2017 to earn a 1.66 ERA across 43 innings with a 10.0 K/9. Luzardo followed it up with an excellent 2018 with a 2.88 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 109 innings across three levels, High-A, Double- and Triple-A. If that wasn't impressive enough, he accomplished all of this as a 20-year-old.

His 2018 numbers include 16 innings at Triple-A where he had a 7.31 ERA that was over-inflated by a .469 BABIP. As part of the TJ recovery process, Luzardo was pulled late in the season to limit his innings. With three plus pitches, Luzardo is the type of arm that can become the ace of an A’s staff that doesn’t have a solid core group.

Therefore, Luzardo should be given an opportunity at mid-season, at the latest, to come up and produce, assuming he starts 2019 similar to his overall 2018 performance. Luzardo is already a hot commodity in early drafts with an ADP of 251. Even though he is RotoBaller’s 79th starting pitcher, the southpaw could easily outperform his draft value.

--Ellis Canady - RotoBaller

 

Julio Urias - SP, Los Angeles Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodger pitcher Julio Urias was once a top pitching prospect, but a shoulder surgery slowed his progression in 2017. Before his season-ending surgery, he displayed the promise in 2016, pitching to a 3.69 ERA with 84 strikeouts in 77 innings.

Urias missed most of the 2018 season, but he returned to the mound in September and again demonstrated the skills that once made him a top prospect, especially with a velocity (93) that has returned to pre-surgery levels. He pitched four innings out of the bullpen, striking out seven batters and allowing one hit. Urias’ performance in the highly stressful postseason situations was even more impressive, considering he is only 22 years old.

In 2019, Urias will likely start in the bullpen but regardless of his role, a 20.7% swinging strike rate will be very productive for fantasy rosters. There is a natural pathway to a starting job as most of the Dodgers rotation is either injury prone or well past their prime. Rotoballer ranks Urias as the 78th starting pitcher, and he currently has an ADP of 276, so he can be acquired late in drafts. The smarter choice is to obtain his services near the 21st round.

--Ellis Canady - RotoBaller

 

Reynaldo Lopez - SP, Chicago White Sox

Chicago White Sox starter Reynaldo Lopez emerged in 2018 to lead his team in ERA (3.91) and finish second in innings pitched (188 2/3) and strikeouts (151). From July through season’s end, Lopez improved significantly in strikeouts while reducing walks, culminating in a stellar 1.09 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 9.5 K/9 in September. With the strong finish, Lopez is a legitimate fantasy candidate with an ADP of 251.

While no one is drafting him as a frontline starter, he’s firmly in sleeper territory. Just 25 years old, Lopez is currently penciled in as the White Sox third starter. Health permitting, he should once again clear 30 starts. If Lopez can develop usable peripheral pitches to complement a 96 MPH heater, the strikeouts should tick up from last year’s 7.2 K/9. Contrarily, his wildness (3.6 BB/9) and alarming 5.22 xFIP suggest he has a long way to go before he earns blind trust in fantasy circles.

At his current price, Lopez is a fine late-round grab for depth and upside. If he carries over his second-half momentum from 2018, the investment should immediately pay off. The risk of failure at the end of drafts is marginal, the potential for Lopez to make material strides comes at a very reasonable cost.

--Andrew Le - RotoBaller

 

Trevor Williams - SP, Pittsburgh Pirates

On the surface, Trevor Williams had a good fantasy season in 2018. He posted a 3.11 ERA and 14 wins in his first full season as a starter for Pittsburgh. Beneath the surface, however, things look a little murky. His strikeout rate was a meager 6.64 K/9, the fifth-lowest K/9 among qualified pitchers and the second-lowest among qualified pitchers with an ERA below 4.00. His 3.86 FIP would ostensibly back up his 3.11 ERA, at least to some extent, but even that metric seems inflated thanks to his bloated 4.68 SIERA and awful 2.29 K/BB ratio.

Williams does have one standout skill, something he has consistently excelled at throughout his professional career from A-ball to the majors, and that is home run suppression. He allowed just 0.79 HR/9 last season, which was tied for eighth-best among qualified pitchers. Williams does this by limiting hard contact with an 85.6 MPH average exit velocity against and a 30.6% hard-hit rate against. This is a repeatable skill and should be helped by the fact that Williams calls PNC Park home.

His fastball tops out around 91 MPH, and he would be lucky to crack 7.0 K/9, but Williams could be a decent source of ERA, WHIP, and wins once again in 2019. There isn’t much room for growth in his profile, and there is little margin for error in his contact-management pitching style, which makes his current ADP of 238 seem a little rich given the lack of upside.

--Elliott Baas - RotoBaller

 

Collin McHugh - SP, Houston Astros

After missing the majority of the 2017 season with an elbow injury, Collin McHugh returned to health in 2018, but as a member of the Houston Astros bullpen. He found tremendous success in his new role generating 94 strikeouts across 72.1 innings pitched with a 1.99 ERA and 0.93 WHIP. A large part of his success last season was attributed to his newly developed slider, which kept opponents to a .105 AVG with no extra-base hits.

The advancement of this breaking-pitch also helped McHugh become dominant against right-handers. Among pitchers with at least a 40 IP sample, his .196 OBP was the best mark in baseball. The effectiveness against righties should continue in 2019, and with Lance McCullers Jr. out for the year and the departures of Charlie Morton and Dallas Keuchel, McHugh is set to return to the starting rotation. There is, however, a concern here for innings pitched as he only has just over 135 IP in his last two seasons combined. The Astros could also add an arm at some point, which would send McHugh back to the pen.

His 2018 numbers as a reliever will not directly translate as a starter but expect McHugh to provide roughly a strikeout per inning and an ERA in the mid-three range with a higher ceiling if moved back to the bullpen. McHugh is an excellent option to fill out your fantasy pitching staff at his 298 ADP, but be sure to have depth at the position with a potential workload limit.

--Riley Mrack - RotoBaller

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

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
Kyren Williams

Rams Not Willing to Pay Kyren Williams Top-Market Money?
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
Christian Kirk

the No. 2 WR in Houston?
Teoscar Hernández

Teoscar Hernandez Expected to Return on Friday
Jerome Ford

the Likely Starter for Cleveland to Begin 2025
Chig Okonkwo

"Poised" for Best Season of Career
Xavier Watts

Falcons High on Xavier Watts
Xavier Restrepo

Training With Star Wideouts
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
Cal Raleigh

Continues Historic Homer Pace Tuesday
Jacob Wilson

Exits Early On Tuesday With Left Hand Contusion
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
Luis Garcia

Fans Four in Rehab Outing
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