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

Red-Hot Fantasy Baseball Pitchers: Second Half Studs, Or Sell High Candidates?

Justin Steele - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Draft Sleepers, MLB Injury News

Mike's fantasy baseball starting pitcher outlooks for the 2nd half of the 2024 MLB season. Are these red-hot pitchers second half studs, or sell high candidates?

The All-Star break is almost here. The break is a good time for fantasy baseball managers to assess their rosters and consider potential areas that need improvement for the stretch runs.

There have been plenty of disappointing fantasy performances up to this point, but let’s try not to dwell on those. Let’s instead turn our attention to some red-hot starting pitchers who have exceeded expectations.

Can these five starters continue their current level of success, or will they be in line for some regression during the second half? Let’s dive in.

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

 

Kutter Crawford, Boston Red Sox

After posting a 4.04 ERA last season, Crawford entered Tuesday with a 3.20 ERA this year. Oddly enough, he has exactly the same FIP as last year at 3.83. Looking at his supporting stats, a lot of them are very similar to last season. He had a 25.6 percent strikeout rate and a 1.11 WHIP in 2023, compared to a 24.8 percent strikeout rate and a 1.07 WHIP this year. After giving up 1.2 HR/9 last year, he has also allowed 1.2 HR/9 this season.

Crawford was probably a little unlucky last year to finish with a 4.04 ERA. Given his FIP and supporting stats, there’s no reason to think that he can’t remain successful during the stretch run. The only concern is how many innings will the Red Sox let him throw? He only logged 129.1 innings last year and has already reached 107 innings this season. If the Red Sox were to fall out of the playoff race, he could get shut down at some point in September.

 

Justin Steele, Chicago Cubs

After having a breakout 2023 campaign, Steele suffered a hamstring injury in his first outing this season. When he initially came back from the injury, he looked rusty. Over 20.2 innings, he allowed 16 runs (15 earned) and six home runs.

Steele has settled in since then, giving up 16 runs (10 earned) over his last 54 innings. The biggest difference is that he was taken deep just two times during that span. That’s been more the norm for him, considering that he has allowed 42 home runs over 428.2 career innings in the majors.

With his hot streak, Steele has a 2.95 ERA for the season that is supported by a 3.33 FIP. Don’t let his bad stretch in his initial return from injury cloud your judgement. He’s one of the more reliable starting options in fantasy baseball.

 

Bailey Ober, Minnesota Twins

Ober entered Tuesday with a 4.12 ERA and a 3.94 FIP for the season. Most of the damage that has been done to his ERA was provided by the Royals. In two starts against them, he allowed 14 runs over 6.1 innings. Over his last six starts since he last faced the Royals, he recorded a 2.92 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP.

The plus side with Ober in fantasy is that he has a 1.10 WHIP this season that is right in line with his career 1.10 WHIP. His strikeout rate sits at 26.5 percent this season and at 25.2 percent for his career. As long as he can steer clear of the Royals, Ober should be in line for a valuable second half.

 

Reynaldo Lopez, Atlanta Braves

After beginning his career as a starter, Lopez was relegated to the bullpen in recent seasons. He hasn’t thrown more than 66 innings in a season since 2019. Still, with the Braves short on starting pitching options, they took a chance and inserted him into their rotation right from the start this year.

To say that Lopez has adjusted well to being a starter again would be an understatement. Over 16 starts, he has a 1.71 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. His FIP is considerably higher than his ERA, but it’s still good at 3.10. His strikeout rate is down compared to last year, but he’s not exactly struggling in that department with his current 25.8 percent strikeout rate.

The question surrounding Lopez is how many innings will the Braves let him throw? It’s not as if he is a young prospect, and he did log at least 184 innings in both the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Still, he is already up to 89.2 innings this year. Asking him to throw much more than 150 innings might be pushing it. It might not be a bad idea to shop him in trade offers to see if another fantasy manager might be willing to overpay for his services.

 

Jake Irvin, Washington Nationals

Irvin was a disaster last season, finishing with a 4.61 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP. However, that didn’t deter the Nationals from keeping them in their starting rotation this year. Their faith in him has been rewarded as he entered Tuesday with a 2.80 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP.

Irvin has lowered his FIP from 5.30 last year to 3.38 this season. He has shown more command of the plate, dropping his walk rate from 10.2 percent last year to 5.8 percent this season. Another noteworthy improvement is that he has given up only 0.9 HR/9. Last season, he gave up 1.5 HR/9.

A key adjustment that Irvin has made is lowering the usage of his sinker, while also adding a cutter to his arsenal. Last year, he threw his sinker 28.7 percent of the time and opponents had a .400 wOBA against it. He has only thrown the pitch 16.7 percent of the time this year. He has also relied more on his curveball, which opponents only have a .228 wOBA against this year. With his new pitch mix, Irvin has the potential to remain valuable down the stretch.



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

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

Shohei Ohtani

Will Pitch "Sometime This Weekend"
Jackson Chourio

Absent on Wednesday With Hamstring Cramp
Roman Anthony

Officially Goes on Injured List
Jauan Jennings

Limited on Wednesday, Expected to Play in Week 1
Malik Nabers

Not on Initial Injury Report
Roman Anthony

"High Probability" Roman Anthony Lands on Injured List
Justin Thomas

Making Fourth Ryder Cup Team Appearance at Bethpage
Ben Griffin

Making First Career Ryder Cup Appearance at Bethpage
Bryson DeChambeau

Set to be Part of Team USA at Bethpage
Jason Adam

to Undergo Season-Ending Surgery
Roman Anthony

Will Undergo MRI on Wednesday
Santi Aldama

Bags Double-Double in Losing Effort
Guerschon Yabusele

Erupts for 36 Points Against Poland
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Leads Slovenia Into Next Round at EuroBasket
San Antonio Spurs

Stanley Umude Signs Training Camp Deal With Spurs
Reece Beekman

Joins Magic for Training Camp
Justin Minaya

Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Magic
Travis Hunter

Jaguars List Travis Hunter as Starting Wide Receiver, Backup Cornerback
Kyle Tucker

Leaves With Calf Tightness on Tuesday
Alexandre Sarr

to Miss Rest of EuroBasket
Max Scherzer

Blue Jays Confident Max Scherzer Will Make Saturday Start Despite Back Tightness
Roman Anthony

Leaves Early With Back Injury
Jared McCain

"On Pace" for Training Camp
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Done for the Year With Torn ACL
Luke Hughes

Devils Optimistic About Signing Luke Hughes
Martin Fehérváry

Martin Fehervary on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Dylan Holloway

Good to Go for Start of Season
Nick Kurtz

Back in Action on Tuesday
Josh Morrissey

Fully Healthy for Start of Season
Dennis Hildeby

Signs Three-Year Extension With Maple Leafs
Nick Lodolo

Scratched With Illness
Dalton Kincaid

Role Not Expected to Grow?
Quinshon Judkins

Zero Chance Quinshon Judkins Plays Against Bengals?
Najee Harris

Says He's Expecting to Play Against Chiefs
Adolis García

Adolis Garcia Departs Monday with Quad Injury
Franz Wagner

Collects Double-Double in Blowout Win
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Achieves Rare Numbers at EuroBasket
Nikola Vučević

Nikola Vucevic Dominates Against Sweden
Stefon Diggs

Expected to Suit Up in Week 1
Kristaps Porzingis

Finding Form at EuroBasket
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Suffers Minor Injury at EuroBasket
DJ Moore

Bears Experimenting with DJ Moore in Backfield
Rome Odunze

Could Move All Around the Offense
Carolina Panthers

Dave Canales Comfortable With Panthers' Young Receivers
Quinshon Judkins

Not Considering NCAA Return
Dallas Goedert

Healthy for Week 1
Marvin Mims Jr.

Returns to Practice Monday
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Carted Off Monday With Knee Injury
Jason Adam

Diagnosed With Ruptured Left Quadriceps Tendon
Victor Wembanyama

Looking "Quite Stellar"
Fernando Tatis Jr.

Scratched on Monday
Matthew Stafford

Expected to Start in Week 1
Edward Cabrera

Heading to Injured List With Elbow Sprain
Najee Harris

Cleared for Contact, Could Play in Week 1
Denny Hamlin

Ends Eventful Day at Darlington in Seventh Place
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Almost Earns a Top-Five Finish at Darlington
John Hunter Nemechek

has His Best 2025 Performance at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

Has An Underwhelming Performance At Darlington
Josh Berry

Crashes Early and Suffers A Playoff Setback at Darlington
Harry Ford

Called Up for Major-League Debut
Victor Scott II

Activated From Injured List
Fernando Tatis Jr.

Dealing With Hamstring Tightness, Expects to Play Monday
Giannis Antetokounmpo

"Staying in Milwaukee"
Thanasis Antetokounmpo

Agrees to a One-Year Contract with Milwaukee
Kyrie Irving

"Healing Up Great"
Dante Exum

Mavs Agree on a One-Year Deal
Jaylen Warren

Agrees to Two-Year Extension With Steelers
De'Von Achane

Practicing Monday, on Track to Play in Week 1
Quinshon Judkins

Could Report to Browns This Week
Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs, Trent McDuffie Not Expected to Finalize Extension
Chase Elliott

Under Playoff Pressure After 17th-Place Darlington Finish
Kyle Larson

Despite Hendrick Mediocrity, Kyle Larson Remains Pretty Safe in Playoffs
Alex Bowman

Opening-Lap Crash and Botched Pit Stop May Have Sunk Alex Bowman's Playoff Hopes
Erik Jones

Darlington Master Erik Jones Comes Up Short but Still Finishes Third
AJ Allmendinger

A.J. Allmendinger Impresses at Southern 500
Dameon Pierce

Ahead of Schedule, Ready for Season
Jordan Love

May Wear Thumb Brace During Season
Matt Chapman

Leaves Early on Sunday, Expects to Play Monday
Daniel Suarez

is A DFS Risk for Darlington Lineups?
Noah Gragson

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Noah Gragson for Darlington?
Ty Dillon

is an Excellent Punt Option for Darlington DFS Lineups
Bogdan Bogdanović

Bogdan Bogdanovic to Miss the Rest of EuroBasket
Denny Hamlin

Picking Up Where He Left Off At Darlington
Kyle Larson

The Sky Is The Limit for Kyle Larson at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

a Strong DFS Play at Darlington This Weekend
Tyler Reddick

Shouldn't Be Overlooked at Darlington This Weekend
Alex Bowman

An Easy Place-Differential Play in DFS This Weekend
Ty Gibbs

Could Be Strong at Darlington This Weekend
Erik Jones

Has Best Darlington Qualifying Effort Since Last Win
Zane Smith

Hopeful For Another Solid Run At Darlington
Dallas Mavericks

Olivier-Maxence Prosper Waived by the Mavs
Lauri Markkanen

Dominant in Win Over Great Britain

RANKINGS

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