Fantasy baseball pitcher rankings, lineup advice for Sunday’s MLB games
Note: This file will be updated with any overnight pitching changes or weather-related game postponements, along with the addition of the latest MLB game odds as of the indicated time of publication.
By Todd Zola
• Closer Chart: Latest bullpen intel
• MLB Depth Charts for every team
• Player news wire with fantasy spin
After a week’s hiatus, the early Sunday game returns as the Chicago White Sox visit the Detroit Tigers with a 12:10 PM ET start in Comerica Field. Michael Kopech was slated to take the hill for the visitors, but he was placed put on the IL on Saturday. Davis Martin was called up and may step in, but he pitched on Thursday for Triple-A Charlotte, so it may be a bullpen game. Everyone but Javier Baez is rostered in fewer than 50% of ESPN leagues and are thus in play as hitters to stream. Drew Hutchison gets the nod for the hosts. Hutchison has pitched better than expected as he helped absorb innings for a club enduring a lot of injuries to a young rotation. However, as has been the case for his career, the veteran righthander is vulnerable to lefthanded power. Switch-hitters Yasmani Grandal (53% rostered in ESPN leagues) and Yoan Moncada (45%) along with Gavin Sheets (5%) will likely be the only hitters stepping in from the left side to face Hutchison.
Earlier in the week, it seemed like every pitcher with lower than 50% rostership was facing a lesser offense. On Sunday, the script is flipped with the usual streaming options tasked with facing solid lineups. The top streamer with a reasonable matchup is Javier Assad (2%) at home in Wrigley Field, facing the Colorado Rockies. The Chicago Cubs righthander has 12 strikeouts over his last 11 1/3 innings, though walks and homers have been an issue in his rookie campaign.
Those in 10 and 12- team leagues should check on the availability of Jeffrey Springs (56%), Marcos Gonzalez (53%) and Nick Pivetta (47%) as they all have favorable matchups but are teetering near the 50% cutoff we like to use to identify candidates for a fantasy spot start.
Something to keep on mind is on Sunday, many skippers utilize their bench. It’s worth monitoring lineups as they’re announced for better-than-expected scenarios. Alex Cobb, Reid Detmers, Glenn Otto, Ryne Nelson, Ken Waldichuk, Bailey Falter and Dean Kremer have all made the grade as streamers on previous slates. If they’re facing a “Sunday lineup”, they advance into the streaming realm.
Sunday’s six-pack of bats in a good spot to help fortify fantasy hitting focus on shallow leagues as the first four are available in over 99% of ESPN leagues. They are Lewin Diaz, Connor Wong, Zach McKinstry, Chas McCormick. Each enjoys the platoon edge on a lower ranked hurler. William Contreras (35%) and Vinnie Pasquantino (11%) also check in strong matchups.
Pitchers are ranked in order of their Forecaster/Daily Notes projected fantasy points, using ESPN’s standard scoring system (5 points per win, minus-5 per loss, 3 per inning, 1 per K, minus-1 apiece per hit or walk allowed, minus-2 per earned run allowed).
T: The pitcher’s handedness. OPP: Opposing team. ML: Caesars Money Line. O/U: Caesars Over/Under for runs scored. W%: Starting pitcher’s win probability. For the projected stat line, IP is innings pitched, ER is earned runs allowed, BR is baserunners allowed and K is strikeouts.
If a team is planning on using an “opener” to start their game, but will rely on a “bulk pitcher” to follow him on the mound after 1-2 innings, we will list the bulk pitcher and indicate with an asterisk.
Best and worst hitters from the day are generated by THE BAT X, a projection system created by Derek Carty using advanced methods like those used in MLB front offices, accounting for a variety of factors including player talent, ballparks, bullpens, weather, umpires, defense, catcher pitch-framing, and lots more.
Vinnie Pasquantino (KC, 1B — 11%) at Nick Pivetta
Zach McKinstry (CHC, RF — 0%) vs. Ryan Feltner
Enrique Hernandez (BOS, CF — 50%) vs. Kris Bubic
Danny Jansen (TOR, C — 7%) vs. Dean Kremer
Brian Anderson (MIA, 3B — 2%) at Anibal Sanchez
Elias Diaz (COL, C — 5%) at Javier Assad
Nick Fortes (MIA, C — 0%) at Sanchez
Elvis Andrus (CHW, SS — 31%) at Drew Hutchison
AJ Pollock (CHW, LF — 25%) at Hutchison
Patrick Wisdom (CHC, 3B — 30%) vs. Feltner
Ke’Bryan Hayes (PIT, 3B — 67%) at Jacob deGrom
Mike Yastrzemski (SF, RF — 51%) vs. Andrew Heaney
Joc Pederson (SF, CF — 60%) vs. Heaney
Alec Bohm (PHI, 3B — 53%) at Spencer Strider
Bryan Reynolds (PIT, CF — 95%) at deGrom
Chris Taylor (LAD, CF — 57%) at Alex Cobb
Kolten Wong (MIL, 2B — 62%) vs. Gerrit Cole
Adolis Garcia (TEX, CF — 88%) at Jeffrey Springs
Rhys Hoskins (PHI, 1B — 94%) at Strider
Nelson Cruz (WSH, DH — 56%) vs. Sandy Alcantara