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Nick Mariano's expert starting pitcher (SP) fantasy baseball rankings for 2026 drafts. RotoBaller has the industry's #1 accuracy fantasy baseball rankings, projections.
The question on fantasy managers' minds is whether to spend up on pitching and pass on some of the big bats come draft day. With the exception of some of the elite aces who are being drafted within the top 15 overall, such as Paul Skenes, Tarik Skubal, and Garrett Crochet, some managers might not invest in a starter until round five or later. We break down starting pitchers with our 2026 fantasy baseball starting pitcher rankings and tiers for roto leagues (5x5 category mixed leagues). These March rankings cover the top 225 starting pitchers for 2026.
With Opening Day fast approaching, fantasy managers should expect to hear a lot of news, rumors, and hype this offseason on trendy picks or even a player having a hot spring. When should you take a chance on a starting pitcher who is on the rise, a top prospect, a player returning from injury, or a starter who is set to bounce back this season? Find out where key starting pitchers such as Eury Perez, Joe Ryan, Kyle Bradish, Emmet Sheehan, Jacob Misiorowski, Tatsuya Imai, Kris Bubic, Shane McClanahan, Andrew Painter, and others are listed in our rankings.
The starting pitcher rankings below are specifically designed for traditional roto leagues, put together by RotoBaller's lead MLB forecaster Nick Mariano. We're also writing fresh articles all throughout the off-season for fantasy baseball prospects, fantasy baseball dynasty, and so much more. Win more in 2026!
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Updated SP Fantasy Baseball Rankings (March)
Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitchers (SP) News
Tanner Bibee, Cleveland Guardians
The Cleveland Guardians named right-hander Tanner Bibee as their starter for Opening Day next Thursday, March 26, against the Seattle Mariners, according to Zack Meisel of The Athletic. Bibee will be opposed by Mariners right-hander Logan Gilbert. The 27-year-old will make his first career Opening Day start in 2026 after going 12-11 last year with a career-high 4.24 ERA (4.34 FIP), 1.23 WHIP, and 162:54 K:BB in 182 1/3 innings over his 31 starts in his third year in the majors.
After two strong campaigns to begin his career, Bibee was a disappointment for his fantasy managers, posting his lowest strikeout rate and lowest K-BB percentage while also giving up the most home runs in his young career. Bibee's underlying metrics in 2025 were encouraging, though, and he did finish strong with a 1.30 ERA in the final month of the season. Fantasy managers should target him as a strong No. 3 or 4 starter with safe volume at the top of Cleveland's rotation. RotoBaller has him ranked as the No. 48 overall starting pitcher.
Logan Webb, San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants right-hander Logan Webb will start on Opening Day next Wednesday night at home against the visiting New York Yankees, according to Jessica Kleinschmidt. He'll be opposed by Yankees left-hander Max Fried at Oracle Park. Webb is a pretty safe high-floor fantasy starter as a low-end No. 1 and a high-end No. 2 target in drafts this weekend.
The 29-year-old has made the All-Star team in each of the last two seasons and led the league in games started (34), innings pitched (207), hits allowed (210), strikeouts (224), and batters faced (856) in 2025 while going 15-11 with a 3.22 ERA and 1.24 WHIP. Webb has been effective and reliable for his fantasy managers, throwing 200-plus innings for three straight seasons.
The matchup on Opening Day won't be an easy one against Atlanta, but you'll be starting Webb if you draft him in the early rounds. Webb is ranked at RotoBaller as the No. 14 fantasy starting pitcher in 2026.
Christopher Sanchez, Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sanchez will start on Opening Day for the Phillies on Thursday, March 26, against the Texas Rangers and right-hander Nathan Eovaldi, according to Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Sanchez will get the nod with right-hander Zack Wheeler (shoulder) opening the season on the injured list.
The 29-year-old Dominican left-hander earned the Opening Day nod by leading the league with an 8.0 WAR while going 13-5 with a 2.50 ERA (2.55 FIP), 1.06 WHIP, and 212:44 K:BB in 202 innings over 32 starts in his fifth year in the big leagues. Sanchez was a first-time All-Star in 2024, too, as he began to establish himself as a high-end fantasy starting pitcher on one of the better teams in baseball.
He was one of just three starters in 2025 to work at least 200 innings. Sanchez has taken the leap and is now a top-five fantasy starting pitcher going into the 2026 campaign. Fantasy managers will start him with confidence in his first outing of the year against Texas.
Chris Sale, Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves officially named left-hander Chris Sale as their Opening Day starter for next week against the Kansas City Royals, according to Gabe Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. It will be Sale's second straight Opening Day start with Atlanta and the seventh of his career. The 36-year-old veteran southpaw has plenty of experience leading a starting staff and will do so again to open the 16th year of his MLB career.
The nine-time All-Star and former National League Cy Young winner is a high-risk, high-reward No. 1 fantasy baseball starter with a career 30.7% strikeout rate and 5.8% walk rate. Sale is no stranger to injuries, which makes him a high-risk starter, but he's been lights-out the last two years in Atlanta, going 25-8 with a 2.46 ERA and 1.03 WHIP with 390 strikeouts and 71 walks in 303 1/3 innings over 50 outings (49 starts). If you draft Sale early in upcoming fantasy drafts this weekend, you'll want to make sure you have plenty of starting pitching depth.
Jacob Misiorowski, Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers named right-hander Jacob Misiorowski as their Opening Day starter this year on Thursday, March 26, against the Chicago White Sox. The hard-throwing right-hander made his major-league debut in 2025 and is now heading into his first full big-league season at the top of Milwaukee's starting rotation.
Misiorowski got off to a strong start in his first taste of the majors before slowing down late in the year, but all in all, it was a success. He went 5-3 with a 4.36 ERA (3.62 FIP) and 1.24 WHIP with 87 strikeouts and 31 walks in 66 innings pitched over 15 appearances (14 starts). The 23-year-old was even better in the postseason in 12 innings, posting a 1.50 ERA for the Brew Crew.
Misiorowski's elite strikeout upside alone makes him worth using as a No. 3 fantasy starter in all formats, despite his inexperience at the major-league level. In 7 1/3 Cactus League innings this spring, Miz has three earned runs allowed, three walks, and 12 K's in two appearances.
Andrew Painter, Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies right-handed pitching prospect Andrew Painter has been told that he has made the team's 2026 Opening Day roster, as expected, according to Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Painter will start the Phillies' fifth game of the season on Tuesday, March 31, against the division-rival Washington Nationals.
That will be the 22-year-old's major-league debut as well. Painter was a high-end pitching prospect from the day the Phillies took him 13th overall in 2021. Unfortunately, his 2023 and 2024 seasons were wiped out due to Tommy John surgery. Painter began to work his way back last year in the minors and looked good, but he ultimately never made the leap to the big leagues.
Painter's stuff has been on point this spring, and he allowed three earned runs while walking only one and fanning five in 7 2/3 Grapefruit League innings. The sky is the limit for Painter as he embarks on his first major-league season, but he'll need to be pitching well early on to keep his rotation spot when Zack Wheeler (shoulder) is ready to return at some point next month.
Who Should I Draft Fantasy Baseball Tool
Not sure who to draft? Use our free Who Should I Draft tool.
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Scoring Formats. Fantasy baseball managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's roto leagues (rotisserie) scoring or points leagues scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are two small radio buttons (small circle), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Draft Searches. Curious to see some tough draft decisions for 2026? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Draft? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at, including recent trending player names who are seeing increases or decreases in their draft values. Click any of the links to see the results and recommendations.
Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Draft
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Draft tool for 2026 drafts:
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