2026 Starting Pitcher Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Points Leagues

January 12, 2026

2026 points fantasy baseball SP rankings, tiers, draft strategy for starting pitchers and points leagues. Nick Mariano is a top-accuracy fantasy baseball ranker.

At RotoBaller HQ, we are back with more fantasy baseball content and rankings for H2H points leagues. Today, we focus on starting pitchers in points leagues. Pitching is a premium in points leagues, and our rankings illustrate this point as 10 starters are ranked within the top 25 overall. We break it all down in our 2026 fantasy baseball starting pitcher rankings for points leagues and head-to-head (H2H) points leagues.

The rankings below are specifically designed for points leagues. We also have many other fantasy baseball rankings, tools, and resources to help you win in 2026. Throughout the preseason and MLB season, we'll be publishing rankings, tools, and analysis articles, all geared for fantasy baseball points and H2H points leagues -- so bookmark that link and be sure to check back often.

In the article below, we will be taking a look at our overall points rankings list put together by RotoBaller's MLB expert Nick Mariano. These rankings cover the top 90 starting pitchers. Be sure to also download our free fantasy baseball mobile app so you can stay on top of all the MLB news and analysis articles.

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2026 Starting Pitcher Rankings: Points Leagues

These SP rankings are for points and head-to-head points leagues. You can also see our roto fantasy baseball rankings.

Before we get to the rankings, let's quickly review points leagues and how they differ from other formats. Typically, points leagues have different league settings and scoring formats than other fantasy baseball leagues. Different MLB stats and categories are assigned different point values, and those can vary by individual league settings. Those different point buckets are then added up over the course of a scoring period or season.

In many cases, hitters who walk more and strike out less are preferred for points leagues. Also, many league formats tend to give more weight to pitchers than normal, as they can easily accrue points through categories like Innings Pitched. These are the general frameworks that we use for our points league rankings below, and explain why they look different than more standard 5x5 roto fantasy baseball rankings.

Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher News

Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers and left-hander Tarik Skubal did not reach an agreement on a contract on Thursday and may be headed to salary arbitration, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale. Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press confirmed that the two sides are expected to go to court, and that will become official at 8 p.m. EST on Thursday.

Skubal is coming off back-to-back American League Cy Young Awards, and in 2025, he posted a 2.72 ERA (2.71 SIERA) with a career-high 241 strikeouts and a 0.89 WHIP across 195 1/3 innings. Despite offseason trade rumors suggesting the Tigers were willing to listen to offers, Skubal appears set to open the 2026 season in Detroit. Barring injury, he remains poised for another elite fantasy season and will most likely be the first pitcher drafted in all fantasy leagues.

Jesus Luzardo, Philadelphia Phillies

According to Ari Alexander of 7News, the Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to a one-year, $11 million contract with left-handed starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo. Luzardo enjoyed an impressive debut season in Philadelphia after spending the first six of his MLB seasons in Oakland and Miami. With the Phillies, Luzardo made a high 32 stats and posted a 3.92 ERA with a 1.22 WHIP.

Through 183 2/3 innings of work, Luzardo struck out 216 batters, which marked a career high. However, the 28-year-old generated an above-average 3.36 xERA with a .230 xBA, suggesting his production could take another step forward in 2026. Managers should expect Luzardo to open the season as a key part of the starting rotation with Zack Wheeler's status in doubt and carry high-end SP3 upside.

Michael Lorenzen, Colorado Rockies

Free-agent right-hander Michael Lorenzen and the Colorado Rockies agreed to a one-year, $8 million contract on Wednesday evening that includes a $9 million club option for the 2027 season, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan. The 34-year-old Lorenzen will serve as a starter for the Rockies this year. After a disappointing 2025 campaign with the Kansas City Royals, Lorenzen's fantasy appeal will dip even further in 2026 with the move to one of the worst teams in the league in one of the worst pitchers' parks in Coors Field.

The veteran right-hander went 7-11 this past season with a 4.64 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and 127 strikeouts with 39 walks in 141 2/3 frames over a career-high 26 starts. The one good thing going for Lorenzen with his move to Denver is the fact that he should have a long leash in Colorado's starting rotation. He improved his strikeout and walk rates in KC, but he struggled with home-run allowance, something that will need to change quickly in 2026 if he's going to be a matchup-based streaming option for fantasy managers.

Edward Cabrera, Chicago Cubs

According to Will Sammon, the deal to send right-handed pitcher Edward Cabrera to the Chicago Cubs has been finalized. In return, the Cubs are sending prospects Owen Caissie, Cristian Hernandez, and Edgardo DeLeon to Miami. Cabrera is coming off the largest workload of his career as he tossed a season-best 137 2/3 innings during the 2025 season. This was the first time he eclipsed the 100.0 inning mark in a campaign.

Across this workload, the right-hander posted a 3.53 ERA with a 1.23 WHIP. He struck out 150 batters but showed modest command, posting an 8.3% BB%. His 3.99 xERA suggests he could take a bit of a step back, but his 47.5% ground-ball rate should play well with an elite Chicago defense behind him. While his workload concerns do make him a risky fantasy asset, when healthy, he has flashed high strikeout upside and should be in a great position to win games on a competing Cubs team.

Ranger Suarez, Free Agent

Buster Olney of ESPN.com reports that it "seems inevitable" that either starting pitchers Ranger Suarez or Framber Valdez will sign with the New York Mets, given their current rotation. Olney noted that Suarez "makes a lot of sense" in New York, given that he has already pitched for a big-market team during his career. Before entering free agency, the southpaw has spent his entire eight-year MLB career with the Phillies.

Last summer, Suarez turned in a strong campaign, logging 157 1/3 innings to the tune of a 3.20 ERA with a 1.22 WHIP. He generated a stellar 3.16 xERA with a 5.5% barrel rate and a 31.1% hard-hit rate, placing him in the 84th percentile or higher. However, his strikeout production remained pedestrian as he only tallied 151 during the campaign. If Suarez were to sign with the Mets, he should slide in near the top of the rotation and hold high-floor SP3 value in standard leagues.

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