Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Rankings: Week 25

The matchups and statistical data were pulled Friday, September 20 for fantasy baseball week 25. Please be aware these are subject to change. The original post can be found at TTFB.

Top starters

Rank

Name

Team

Opp.

ERA

K%

BB%

1

Adam Wainwright

STL

WSH, CHC

2.98

23.0%

3.7%

2

Yu Darvish

TEX

HOU, LAA

2.81

32.7%

9.3%

3

Mike Minor

ATL

MIL, PHI

3.19

22.1%

5.6%

4

Clayton Kershaw

LAD

COL

1.94

24.8%

5.8%

5

Cole Hamels

PHI

@MIA

3.48

22.2%

5.7%

6

Anibal Sanchez

DET

@MIA

2.51

26.7%

7.4%

7

Max Scherzer

DET

@MIN

2.95

29.0%

6.3%

8

Cliff Lee

PHI

@ATL

2.95

24.5%

3.9%

9

Stephen Strasburg

WSH

@ARI

2.96

26.7%

7.7%

10

Madison Bumgarner

SF

LAD

2.77

24.8%

7.7%

11

Homer Bailey

CIN

PIT

3.40

24.1%

5.7%

12

Gerrit Cole

PIT

@CHC

3.23

21.1%

6.1%

13

Zack Greinke

LAD

COL

2.75

20.4%

6.6%

14

Ivan Nova

NYY

@HOU

3.36

19.8%

8.0%

15

David Price

TB

@NYY

3.42

20.5%

3.8%

16

James Shields

KC

@CWS

3.33

20.6%

7.4%

17

Hisashi Iwakuma

SEA

KC

2.76

21.0%

4.9%

18

Chris Sale

CWS

KC

3.08

26.3%

5.4%

19

Ervin Santana

KC

@SEA

3.23

19.3%

5.7%

20

Felix Hernandez

SEA

OAK

3.01

25.6%

5.2%

21

Jered Weaver

LAA

OAK

3.36

18.9%

5.9%

Additional Information: Gerrit Cole has gotten better in each start since his call-up and now, Cole is at the point where he is pitching as an ace. For his nine starts, Cole only had 16.6 percent strikeout rate. In his last nine starts, he has a 25.7 strikeout rate. During the first nine starts, he threw his plus-plus (on the scouting scale) fastball nearly 75 percent of the time.

However, in the last nine starts he has utilized the slider and cutter more. Cole is the best pitcher on the Pirates staff and should start game one of the NLCS (if they make it to the NLCS). Jered Weaver was scratched from his start on Friday with forearm tightness. It’s still up in the air if he will pitch again the rest of the season. And if you are running fantasy baseball week 25 lineups, my hunch is that Weaver will not pitch again because the Angels have nothing to play for, and are better off giving Weaver the offseason to prepare for next season. That said, if he starts next week, you’re starting him.

Backend starters

Rank

Name

Team

Opp.

ERA

K%

BB%

22

Matt Cain

SF

LAD, SD

4.06

21.1%

7.1%

23

Derek Holland

TEX

HOU, LAA

3.48

21.0%

7.5%

24

Johnny Cueto

CIN

NYM, PIT

3.02

21.4%

7.0%

25

Zack Wheeler

NYM

@CIN, MIL

3.42

19.5%

10.7%

26

Alex Wood

ATL

MIL, PHI

3.24

23.6%

8.5%

27

Hyun-Jin Ryu

LAD

@SF, COL

3.03

19.6%

6.4%

28

Francisco Liriano

PIT

@CHC

2.92

24.1%

9.6%

29

Shelby Miller

STL

WSH

3.01

24.1%

7.7%

30

Danny Salazar

CLE

CWS

3.08

30.3%

7.4%

31

Mat Latos

CIN

NYM

3.14

21.6%

6.5%

32

Julio Teheran

ATL

PHI

3.14

21.9%

6.1%

33

Jarrod Parker

OAK

@SEA

3.81

16.6%

8.0%

34

Gio Gonzalez

WSH

@STL

3.39

23.5%

9.6%

35

Joe Kelly

STL

CHC

2.74

15.0%

8.7%

36

A.J. Burnett

PIT

@CIN

3.43

25.6%

8.5%

37

Doug Fister

DET

@MIN

3.71

17.8%

5.1%

38

Jordan Zimmermann

WSH

@STL

3.33

18.6%

4.8%

39

Andrew Cashner

SD

@SF

3.21

17.7%

6.9%

40

Corey Kluber

CLE

@MIN

3.62

22.2%

5.5%

41

Patrick Corbin

ARI

WSH

3.17

20.6%

6.1%

42

Kris Medlen

ATL

PHI

3.32

18.8%

5.6%

43

Alex Cobb

TB

@NYY

3.02

22.6%

7.8%

44

Clay Buchholz

BOS

@BAL

1.51

24.7%

9.3%

45

Justin Verlander

DET

@MIN, @MIA

3.66

22.3%

8.1%

46

Hiroki Kuroda

NYY

TB

3.17

18.1%

5.1%

47

C.J. Wilson

LAA

@TEX

3.36

20.3%

9.4%

48

Sonny Gray

OAK

@SEA

2.50

25.8%

6.9%

Additional Information: Jarrod Parker’s start on September 15 was pushed back one day due to flu like symptoms. Parker proceeded to get rocked to the tune of eight runs (seven earned) in his last start (September 16). I’m giving Parker a free pass due to the illness, but I’ll be monitoring his start on Saturday closely to wind up fantasy baseball week 25. Justin Verlander is scheduled to pitch the last day of the season against the Marlins. The Tigers should have the Central sown up by that point and the Tigers will want to setup their starting rotation for the playoffs.

Spot starters

Rank

Name

Team

Opp.

ERA

K%

BB%

49

Eric Stults

SD

ARI, @SF

4.02

15.4%

4.7%

50

Bartolo Colon

OAK

@LAA

2.73

14.0%

3.7%

51

Michael Wacha

STL

WSH

3.21

24.2%

7.4%

52

Alexi Ogando

TEX

LAA

3.15

16.8%

9.3%

53

Dillon Gee

NYM

MIL

3.47

17.3%

5.7%

54

Jon Niese

NYM

@CIN

3.81

17.0%

7.9%

55

Ricky Nolasco

LAD

@SF

3.55

19.5%

5.6%

56

Jhoulys Chacin

COL

@LAD

3.22

16.1%

7.0%

57

John Lackey

BOS

@BAL

3.44

20.7%

5.2%

58

Rick Porcello

DET

@MIA

4.45

18.5%

6.0%

59

Chris Tillman

BAL

TOR, BOS

3.71

20.8%

8.3%

60

Chris Archer

TB

BAL, @TOR

3.02

18.3%

7.1%

61

Matt Moore

TB

@NYY, @TOR

3.34

22.8%

11.3%

62

Paul Maholm

ATL

MIL

4.35

15.6%

7.6%

63

Jorge De La Rosa

COL

@LAD

3.49

15.7%

8.7%

64

Ubaldo Jimenez

CLE

CWS

3.39

24.0%

10.5%

65

James Paxton

SEA

KC

2.12

15.7%

10.0%

Additional Information: Bartolo Colon’s fastball in his last start looked like the fastball he had to begin the year. Rick Procello has had an up-and-down year, but he has not pitched as poorly as his ERA would indicate, for all those keeping score in fantasy baseball week 25. With a xFIP of 3.32 and the face he’s still only 24 years old he is going to be someone I target in every draft next year.

In three major league starts (against the Tigers, Cardinals and Rays) James Paxton has been fairly effective posting a 15.7 strikeout rate and ten percent walk rate. Walks have been an issue for him this year in the minors because of his long arms and inconsistent delivery, but with a start at home against a team that has been struggling against lefties is worth a gamble.

Proceed with caution

Rank

Name

Team

Opp.

ERA

K%

BB%

66

Jose Quintana

CWS

TOR, KC

3.49

19.8%

6.8%

67

Tanner Roark

WSH

@STL, @ARI

1.08

20.8%

5.8%

68

Brandon McCarthy

ARI

@SD, WSH

4.57

14.0%

3.6%

69

Mike Leake

CIN

NYM

3.21

15.2%

6.1%

70

R.A. Dickey

TOR

TB

4.21

18.4%

7.8%

71

Jeff Samardzija

CHC

PIT

4.42

23.5%

8.6%

72

Martin Perez

TEX

HOU

3.64

15.0%

6.6%

73

Matt Garza

TEX

LAA

4.06

21.6%

6.6%

74

Kyle Lohse

MIL

@ATL

3.51

15.4%

4.6%

75

Brett Oberholtzer

HOU

NYY

2.99

16.0%

3.7%

76

Charlie Morton

PIT

@CHC, @CIN

3.35

17.3%

6.7%

77

Bronson Arroyo

CIN

PIT

3.56

15.3%

4.0%

78

Robbie Erlin

SD

ARI

5.18

14.9%

7.5%

79

Wade Miley

ARI

@SD, WSH

3.75

17.4%

8.1%

80

Wei-Yin Chen

BAL

@TB, BOS

4.03

18.1%

6.8%

81

Scott Feldman

BAL

BOS

3.49

17.3%

7.4%

82

Hector Santiago

CWS

@CLE

3.53

21.7%

11.1%

Additional Information: If you’re looking for more information about Tanner Roark, checkout last weeks starting pitcher’s rankings. Other than pitchers missing bats, I love pitchers who do not allow free passes. Brandon McCarthy, in his last five starts (38 innings) has only walked one batter. Rounding out fantasy baseball week 25, Matt Garza in his last ten starts has a 5.51 ERA and 1.37 WHIP. Normally, Garza wouldn’t be this high in the rankings, but his upside is the highest of anyone not named R.A. Dickey in this section of the rankings.

Avoid

Rank

Name

Team

Opp.

ERA

K%

BB%

83

Todd Redmond

TOR

@BAL, TB

3.82

25.2%

6.9%

84

A.J. Griffin

OAK

@LAA, @SEA

3.78

20.5%

6.6%

85

Scott Kazmir

CLE

@MIN

4.34

22.7%

7.1%

86

Travis Wood

CHC

@STL

3.05

17.4%

7.7%

87

Nathan Eovaldi

MIA

PHI, DET

3.79

17.1%

9.1%

88

Randall Delgado

ARI

@SD

3.98

17.3%

4.8%

89

Dan Straily

OAK

@LAA

4.08

19.4%

9.0%

90

Jon Lester

BOS

@BAL

3.76

19.4%

7.4%

91

Jake Arrieta

CHC

PIT

5.06

19.7%

13.0%

92

Erik Johnson

CWS

KC

2.87

17.1%

10.5%

93

Yovani Gallardo

MIL

@NYM

4.29

18.1%

8.7%

94

Jason Vargas

LAA

OAK, @TEX

4.28

17.0%

7.3%

95

Garrett Richards

LAA

OAK, @TEX

3.77

17.1%

7.1%

96

Juan Nicasio

COL

@LAD

4.98

16.6%

9.1%

97

Jacob Turner

MIA

PHI

3.51

15.1%

10.6%

98

Scott Baker

CHC

@STL

0.82

13.2%

2.6%

99

Trevor Cahill

ARI

@SD

4.12

16.1%

10.3%

100

Tim Lincecum

SF

LAD

4.40

23.1%

9.2%

101

Yordano Ventura

KC

@SEA, @CWS

1.58

13.0%

8.7%

Additional Information: More for fantasy baseball week 25, A.J. Griffin has an extremely favorable week with starts at Seattle and Los Angeles. Griffin is an extreme fly ball pitcher as he leads all starters with at least 20 starts in fly ball rate (47.8 percent). It’s also no surprise that he has also allowed the most home runs (35). In 39 percent of his starts this year he’s given up four earned runs or more. Therefore, if you start him you’ll be playing with fire with your ratios.

Lastly, your welcome America. Yordano Ventura was up-and-down in his first career start. Specifically, his command was extremely loose which put him in extremely stressful situations the entire game. If it wasn’t for the three double plays he induced, his outing would have been far worse than the box score indicated. If you read my fantasy daily for Wednesday, you would have picked up and used Todd Redmond. Redmond has one extremely tough and one favorable matchup, which is why he is this low in the rankings.

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