X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

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

Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Pickups & Streamers
Rookies & Call-Ups
News and Alerts

Michael Florio's Pitchers to Target in Points Leagues

Starting pitchers are important in all fantasy baseball formats, but perhaps none more so than fantasy baseball points leagues. It's easy to understand why so much emphasis is placed on this position once you understand the scoring system. You build your hitters and your pitchers, and while they are all apart of one team, they are two very separate entities and rack up different stats. In a Roto league, you only care about five pitching stats and really only four when it comes to starters. But in points league, everything a pitcher does on the mound matters. 

Many points league reward points per out or inning, as well as per win, strikeout and you lose points for hits, walks or runs allowed. That makes it similar to Roto formats, but points leagues takes it to a new level. Pitchers are rewarded for quality starts and some points leagues will reward points for complete games, shut outs and more. I was in one points league that rewards points for pickoffs and subtracts points for a balk! That is how fully customizable many points leagues are in fantasy baseball. 

The two biggest factors when looking for pitchers in points leagues are pitchers that can eat innings with a low WHIP. But perhaps even more so than that, you want pitchers who can deliver quality starts. Not only are they rewarded with points, but if a pitcher goes six innings and gives up three runs or fewer, the odds of them picking up a win also increase. Additionally, in points leagues you typically start fewer pitchers than in Roto, which means you should stockpile depth on your bench. Because of that, what a pitcher gives you on a per start basis should be weighted more than what they will give you over the course of a full season. Let's run down the list of my favorite SP draft targets for points leagues.

Featured Promo: Get any full-season MLB and DFS Premium Pass for 50% off. Exclusive access to our Team Sync platform, Premium articles, daily Matchup Rating projections, 15 lineup tools, DFS cheat sheets, Research Stations, Lineup Optimizers and much more! Go Premium, Win More!

 

Pitchers to Target in Fantasy Baseball Drafts

You can also read Michael Florio's hitters to target in points leagues.

Max Fried is one of my favorite pitcher targets regardless of format. Last season, he pitched to a 3.04 ERA with a 3.50 xERA and 3.45 xFIP to go along with 1.09 WHIP with a 23.7 percent strikeout rate. That is near ace-like production and he did so while matching his career high in innings. ATC projections forecast him to make an innings jump to 178 with similar numbers to last season. Fried showed the ability to go deep into games, picking up 19 quality starts in his 28 starts last year. In points leagues, Fried averaged over 16 fantasy PPG, which was towards the top of the league. In fact, that was more per game than Brandon Woodruff, Freddy Peralta and on par with Shane Bieber, all of who go much earlier in drafts than Fried. 

Charlie Morton is the second Braves pitcher to kick off this list. Morton is a strong target regardless of format as he pitched to a 3.34 ERA, 3.32 xERA with a 3.31 xFIP in a career high 185.2 innings. He did so while also posting a near 29 percent strikeout rate and 1.04 WHIP. Simply put, he was outstanding last season. He averaged 15.5 fantasy PPG, which was more than Peralta, Logan Webb, Jose Berrios, Sandy Alcantara, Lucas Giolito amongst many others. Morton picked up 19 quality starts in 2021. The best part? Due to the fact that he always comes with some injury risk, his ADP is just inside the first 100 picks and he goes outside the top 30 pitchers. Again, it's easier to bet on injury risks in points league, especially when the risk is already baked into the ADP. In a Roto league, if a player missed a month, that is a huge portion of the seasonal stats you banked on now removed from your lineup. But in points leagues, it is just a few weekly matchups. It is a lot like fantasy football in the sense that you just have to make the playoffs in this format and then anything can happen. 

Alek Manoah made 20 starts in his rookie season and was very effective. In his 111.2 innings he posted a 3.22 ERA, 3.32 xERA, 4.17 xFIP and a 1.05 WHIP with a near 28 percent strikeout rate. He turned 11 of those starts in quality ones as well. In his rookie season he averaged 15.6 fantasy PPG which was more than Morton and the long list of pitchers he outscored (see above). Those are aces with higher ADPs than Manoah, who goes just inside the Top 100 picks. Plus, at just 24 years old heading into his second season, there should be an expected jump in innings and he could just keep on getting better on a per inning basis. ATC projects him for 157 innings this season. 

Adam Wainwright continues to marvel in fantasy baseball. Just a couple years ago it looked like Waino was fading out the MLB but he had a resurgence the last two season posting a low three ERA in both seasons. He does not provide strikeouts like he used too, which is a bigger knock in Roto formats, but he does eat innings. Last season, at 39 years old, he still gave 206 innings with a 3.05 ERA (3.87 xERA and xFIP), with a 1.06 WHIP. He turned 22 of his 32 starts into quality ones and averaged a whopping 17.5 fantasy PPG. That was the same amount as Julio Urias and within a half a point of both Gerrit Cole and the AL Cy Young Winner Robbie Ray. Wainwright was on par with the elite pitchers that you see go in the first few rounds, but yet his ADP is just inside the Top 200. I understand there is risk investing in a 40-year-old, but at that cost? He is easily worth the gamble, especially in points leagues. 

Pablo Lopez is a personal favorite target of mine. Lopez pitched to a 3.07 ERA with a 3.55 xERA and 3.32 xFIP with a near 28 percent strikeout rate and a 1.12 WHIP in 102 innings. Half of his outings resulted in quality starts. Last season Lopez averaged 12.4 fantasy PPG, which was on par with Aaron Nola, Sean Manaea, Yu Darvish and Hyun-Jin Ryu. Lopez’s ADP is just within the first 150 picks, but an innings jump should lead to him proving to be a value in points leagues. 

Clayton Kershaw goes right after Lopez in ADP, so he provides another option for drafters that miss out. After basically making a career of having a sub three ERA, Kershaw posted a 3.55 ERA with a 3.17 xERA, 2.87 xFIP and a very strong 1.02 WHIP. Kershaw also missed plenty of bats, providing a near 30 percent strikeout rate. Kershaw posted a 72 percent strand rate, which is by far a career low for the Dodgers southpaw. Just a return to a career norm there could help the ERA get more the peripherals. Kershaw still has the stuff to be a very effective fantasy pitcher, the only concern is health. But again, it is easier to deal with an injury in points leagues as you start fewer pitchers and it is a weekly game instead of a yearly one like Roto. Kershaw remains a very good per inning pitcher and has the ability to return to being an elite one. He is worth targeting just inside the top 150 picks. 

Kyle Hendricks is coming off a down year where he pitched to a career high 4.77 ERA with a 4.99 xERA, 4.61 xFIP and a 1.35 WHIP, while the strikeout rate fell to just 17 percent. So why should you want to draft a pitcher with career highs in ERA and WHIP and a career low in strikeout rate? Well, first, he eats innings. Hendricks threw 181 innings and turned 19 of his 32 starts into quality ones. Hendricks averaged 11.7 fantasy PPG last season, which was on par with Shane McClanahan and ahead of pitchers such as Yusei Kikuchi, Sonny Gray, Eduardo Rodriguez, Luis Castillo and Blake Snell. ATC projects some improvements, giving Hendricks a 4.56 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in 180 innings. Hendricks goes outside the top 275 picks, meaning there is no risk in drafting him as one of your bench pitchers that you can stream in the right matchups. 

Zack Greinke is currently going off the board outside the top 300 picks. That is after he pitched to a 4.16 ERA with a 4.39 xERA, 4.21 xFIP with a 1.17 WHIP and a 17 percent strikeout rate. He is very similar to Hendricks, but you get an even larger discount on him. Greinke turned 15 of his 30 appearances into quality starts and averaged 12.8 fantasy PPG last year. That was the same amount as Dylan Cease and more than Ian Anderson, Aaron Nola, Trevor Rogers, Sean Manaea, Luis Garcia, Pablo Lopez, Yu Darvish and many others. I know it may not be sexy by any stretch, but Greinke remains an effective pitcher in this format. Take advantage of that discount and draft him as a bench pitcher. 

Kyle Gibson currently has an ADP outside the first 380 picks despite being an effective points league pitcher. Last season, he averaged 12.9 fantasy PPG and concerted 19 of his 31 appearances into quality starts. That 12.9 fantasy PPG is more than Greinke and the long list of pitchers that Greinke averaged more than (see above). Projections do not expect Gibson to duplicate his 2021 season, but it only takes a last round pick - if even that to take a flier on him. Gibson is one of those pitchers you can either draft late or grab off the waiver wire when you are in need of an arm in this format.

Make sure to follow Michael on Twitter, @MichaelFFlorio



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 Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Pickups & Streamers
Rookies & Call-Ups
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Tyreek Hill17 mins ago

Sitting Out With Ankle Injury
Charlie Lindgren18 mins ago

Starting Versus Kings Wednesday
Jordan Greenway34 mins ago

To Return Thursday
Kenneth Walker III38 mins ago

Listed As Doubtful For Thursday
Cleveland Browns47 mins ago

Myles Garrett, Denzel Ward Not Practicing
Chicago Bulls49 mins ago

Chicago's Core Could Face Shake-Up This Year
Corey Perry50 mins ago

Has Contract Officially Terminated
Shea Theodore54 mins ago

Week-To-Week Following Surgery
Fred VanVleet60 mins ago

Out For First Time This Year
Joe Flacco1 hour ago

Now The Backup In Cleveland
Gordon Hayward1 hour ago

Teams Inquiring About Gordon Hayward's Availability
Nic Claxton1 hour ago

Nets View Nicolas Claxton As Building Block
Dorian Thompson-Robinson1 hour ago

In Concussion Protocol
Kareem Hunt1 hour ago

Won't Practice Wednesday
Bailey Zappe2 hours ago

Seeing First-Team Reps At Practice
Pascal Siakam2 hours ago

Hawks Keeping An Eye On Pascal Siakam
Marquise Brown2 hours ago

Michael Wilson Miss Practice
Aaron Jones2 hours ago

AJ Dillon Both Missing From Practice
CJ McCollum2 hours ago

Says He Will Play Wednesday
Randy Arozarena2 hours ago

Being Shopped By Rays
Hayden Hurst2 hours ago

Remains Out Of Practice
Bo Bichette2 hours ago

Likely Staying Put
Demario Douglas3 hours ago

In Concussion Protocol
Noah Brown3 hours ago

Returns To Practice On Wednesday
Tank Dell3 hours ago

Missing Practice Wednesday
Emilio Pagán3 hours ago

Emilio Pagan Agrees To Two-Year Pact With Reds
Andrei Svechnikov3 hours ago

Doesn't Play Tuesday Due To Illness
Zach Hyman3 hours ago

Misses Tuesday's Game With Illness
Mark Giordano3 hours ago

To Miss Extended Time After Blocking Shot Off Hand
Jonathan Taylor4 hours ago

Undergoing Thumb Surgery Wednesday
Dougie Hamilton4 hours ago

Leaves Game Early Tuesday, Undergoing Evaluation
Kenneth Walker III4 hours ago

Unlikely To Play In Week 13?
Jacob Markstrom4 hours ago

Back At Practice Wednesday
Aaron Rodgers4 hours ago

Jets Open Practice Window For Aaron Rodgers
New England Patriots5 hours ago

Patriots Not Ready To Name Starting Quarterback
Baker Mayfield5 hours ago

Expected To Be Full-Go On Sunday
Filip Forsberg6 hours ago

Maintains Momentum With Game-Winner
Seth Jarvis6 hours ago

Continues Hot Spell With Ninth Goal
Connor McDavid6 hours ago

Notches Three Points In Tuesday's Win
Jake Oettinger6 hours ago

Posts First Shutout Of Season
Brock Boeser6 hours ago

Hits Two Goals In Tuesday's Win
Michael Carcone6 hours ago

Nets Two Goals Against Tampa Bay
Jamal Murray7 hours ago

Considered Questionable Wednesday
Kelly Olynyk7 hours ago

Questionable Wednesday
Jordan Clarkson7 hours ago

Questionable For Wednesday's Action
DeSean Jackson7 hours ago

Calling It A Career
Trey Murphy7 hours ago

III Listed As Doubtful Wednesday
Jonathan Isaac7 hours ago

Questionable For Wednesday
Cam Reddish7 hours ago

Likely Returning For Lakers On Wednesday
Anthony Davis7 hours ago

Probable On Wednesday
Mathew Barzal16 hours ago

Has Three-Point Night In Loss
Dylan Cease16 hours ago

Dodgers "Among Most Aggressive" Teams For Dylan Cease
Jack Hughes16 hours ago

Contributes With Three Points In Victory
Shohei Ohtani16 hours ago

Yoshinobu Yamamoto "Above All Other Options" For Giants
Akira Schmid17 hours ago

Picks Up Victory In Relief Appearance
Miami Dolphins17 hours ago

Dolphins Signing Jason Pierre-Paul
Juan Soto17 hours ago

"Almost Certain To Be Traded"
Cody Bellinger17 hours ago

Earns NL Comeback Player Of The Year Award
Liam Hendriks17 hours ago

Earns AL Comeback Player Of The Year Award
Anthony Beauvillier17 hours ago

Blackhawks Acquire Anthony Beauvillier
LeBron James19 hours ago

Uncertain For Wednesday
Draymond Green19 hours ago

Returning On Tuesday
CJ McCollum19 hours ago

Tagged As Questionable For Wednesday
Zach LaVine20 hours ago

Won't Return On Tuesday
Nikola Jokic20 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Wednesday
Lauri Markkanen20 hours ago

To Miss Next Two Games
Keon Ellis20 hours ago

Available On Tuesday
Pat Connaughton20 hours ago

Won't Return Tuesday
Jackson Chourio22 hours ago

Brewers Discussing Deal With Top Prospect Jackson Chourio
Aaron Rodgers23 hours ago

Not Ready To Play Yet
Jake Walman23 hours ago

To Return On Wednesday
Radko Gudas23 hours ago

Out Of Commission On Tuesday
Tyler Glasnow1 day ago

Cubs In Trade Talks For Tyler Glasnow
Shane Bieber1 day ago

Cubs, Reds Looking At Shane Bieber
Jason Heyward2 days ago

Reportedly Re-Signs With Dodgers Monday
Lucas Giolito2 days ago

Dodgers Interested In Lucas Giolito This Offseason
Steven Matz2 days ago

Available Via Trade
Tyler Glasnow2 days ago

Reds Showing Interest In Tyler Glasnow
Alex Bregman2 days ago

Could Be Moved This Offseason
Dylan Cease2 days ago

Braves In Talks For Dylan Cease
Jason Heyward2 days ago

Close To Re-Signing With Dodgers
Sonny Gray2 days ago

Cardinals Finalizing Three-Year Deal
Kenta Maeda3 days ago

Agrees To Two-Year Deal With Tigers
Johan Oviedo4 days ago

To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

RANKINGS

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

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Jordan Love - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Targets, NFL Injury News

Week 13 Quarterback Rankings for Fantasy Football: Jordan Love, Sam Howell, Gardner Minshew, Russell Wilson, Geno Smith

Welcome, RotoBallers! With six teams on a bye, there will be a lot of lineup holes to fill in Week 13. The Ravens, Bills, Raiders, Bears, Giants, and Vikings are off this week. Between injuries and changes, the quarterback position has recently become very hit-or-miss for fantasy football. We are here to guide you through... Read More


Brandin Cooks - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Week 13 Half-PPR FLEX Rankings for Fantasy Football: Zach Charbonnet, Jaylen Warren, Brandin Cooks, Josh Downs, more

Hey, RotoBallers! Week 13 has arrived and kicks off with the Cowboys and Seahawks on Thursday. We have two weeks left in the fantasy football regular season, and this could be the last chance managers could secure a playoff spot. It's time to set those winning lineups, and we've got you covered to make those... Read More


Pat Freiermuth - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Week 13 Half-PPR Tight End Rankings for Fantasy Football: Pat Freiermuth, Trey McBride, Taysom Hill, Gerald Everett, more

Howdy RotoBallers! The 2023 fantasy football regular season is rapidly approaching, and it may be fantasy managers' last shot for a playoff push. Week 13 could be a make-or-break week for some managers, and it will be challenging as six teams are on the bye. At RotoBaller, we are to help and guide you through... Read More


Rashee Rice - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL wr, Draft Sleepers

Week 13 Half-PPR Wide Receiver Rankings for Fantasy Football: Rashee Rice, Puka Nacua, Nico Collins, Tyler Lockett, more

RotoBallers, we are coming to the home stretch of the fantasy football regular season with just two weeks left. The player pool for Week 13 will be slim compared to other weeks, with six teams on the bye. The Giants, Vikings, Ravens, Bills, Raiders, and the Bears are off this week. There will be tough... Read More


Week 13 Fantasy Football Start/Sit Analysis: Wide Receiver, Quarterback Booms and Busts

Check out our top 2023 fantasy football Start/Sit analysis for Week 13 of the NFL season! Matt Donnelly discusses his top Start/Sit decisions at the Wide Receiver and Quarterback positions that will have an impact in Week 13. The 2023 fantasy football season is here - win big with RotoBaller in 2023! Be sure to... Read More


Zack Moss - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Week 13 Half-PPR Running Back Rankings for Fantasy Football: Zack Moss, Kyren Williams, Joe Mixon, James Conner, more

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to more fantasy football rankings. Amazingly, Week 13 is already here. There are only two weeks left in the fantasy football regular season, so it's time to set those winning lineups and make that final push for the fantasy playoffs. We are here as always to help you guide you and are... Read More


Jaguars Defense - Fantasy Football DST, Defense Streamers, Waiver Wire IDP

Week 13 Defense (DEF) Streamers and Starts - 2023 Fantasy Tiers, Rankings

Week 12 is now in the books leaving the majority of fantasy leagues with only two regular-season games remaining. We also move on from another plentiful week with no byes directly into a week with six teams on bye. Playoff spots in many leagues will be decided this week, as well as playoff seeding and... Read More


Zack Moss - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Fantasy Football Matchups to Target, Avoid (Week 13) - Offensive Line Champs and Chumps

The fantasy playoffs are just around the corner and every week matters. Teams who have already locked up a playoff spot need to keep optimizing their roster to push for a championship. Teams on the cusp of earning a playoff bid need to secure crucial wins to stay alive. Finding an edge in matchups can... Read More


Tyler Higbee - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Are You For Real? Jordan Love, Rashee Rice, Tyler Higbee - Fantasy Football Outlooks

Week 12 of the NFL is behind us and it's time to look ahead to next week's action. There were some surprising performances in the 10th week of the season, but were those surprising performances a sign of things to come for players? Every week, I'll be looking at three to five NFL players whose... Read More


Kyren Williams - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Updated Fantasy Football Staff Rankings

      Fantasy Football Rankings by NFL Position ALL - QB - RB - WR - TE - DEF Above you will find all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings, tiers, player news and stats for your 2023 fantasy football leagues. Our Ranking Wizard displays our staff's fantasy football rankings for various league formats, all in one easy place. Here's what you'll find: Fantasy Football... Read More


Zach Charbonnet - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL DFS and Betting Picks

Sleeper.com NFL DFS Prop Picks - Over/Under Props for Week 13 Thursday Night Football

Welcome to our Sleeper NFL DFS prop picks for Week 13 Thursday Night Football: Seahawks vs. Cowboys. Each week we’ll highlight three top props for Thursday’s game and track how our picks do over time.  Sleeper offers some of the best and easiest-to-win NFL DFS games in the industry. Sleeper DFS works just like regular... Read More


Pat Freiermuth - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Risers and Fallers - Week 13

12 weeks down, just a couple more weeks to go until the fantasy football playoffs. Your league's trade deadline may have passed, but it's still important to understand key risers and fallers to see who you may want to start and sit in the coming weeks based on new information. In this weekly column, we'll... Read More


Jonathan Taylor - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Fantasy Football Injury Reports For NFL RBs: Week 13 Updates for Jonathan Taylor, Kenneth Walker III, De'Von Achane, Rico Dowdle

Below you will find our fantasy football injuries report for running backs in Week 13, as of November 29. The injury statuses for various NFL running backs are up in the air for Week 13, including Jonathan Taylor, Kenneth Walker III, De'Von Achane, and Rico Dowdle. As the fantasy football season continues, every decision, transaction,... Read More