Now that we’re down to the final two weeks, it seems every outing, if not inning, pitched can make or break a contending team’s chances. Conventional wisdom says to never bench your stars in key moments, but sometimes that’s the best strategy. For instance, last week Christopher Sanchez had a tough matchup against Houston, and it turned out catastrophic. After allowing 10 hits that resulted in six earned runs, it creates hesitation around starting him next week. The tricky aspect for him, and other top starters coming off of rough outings, is that he has a two-start week ahead next week. His ranking and other similar pitchers are given extra consideration this week to help contending teams make winning starting pitching decisions.
More great Fantasy Baseball Analysis: Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire | Weekly SP Rankings | Pitching Streamers | Two-Start Pitchers | Lineup Analysis | MLB Injury Report | Rookie Report | Advanced Stats | Under the Radar | Overvalued & Undervalued | Bullpen Report
Starting Pitcher Rankings for Week 26 (9/14 – 9/20)
| Rank | Pitcher | Team | Opponent | Start Confidence Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yoshinobu Yamamoto | LAD | @CIN | 9 |
| 2 | Jacob Misiorowski | MIL | @PIT/ @BAL | 9 (both matchups) |
| 3 | Jesus Luzardo | PHI | @NYM | 9 |
| 4 | Chris Sale | ATL | @HOU | 8 |
| 5 | Tarik Skubal | LAD | @CIN | 8 |
| 6 | Logan Henderson | MIL | @PIT | 8 |
| 7 | Cam Schlittler | NYY | @ARI | 8 |
| 8 | Cristopher Sanchez | PHI | @WSH/ @NYM | 8 (both matchups) |
| 9 | Payton Tolle | BOS | @TB | 7 |
| 10 | Parker Messick | CLE | CWS | 7 |
| 11 | Blake Snell | LAD | @CIN | 7 |
| 12 | Tyler Glasnow | LAD | SF | 7 |
| 13 | Joe Ryan | MIN | @LAA | 7 |
| 14 | Zack Wheeler | PHI | @WSH | 7 |
| 15 | Nick Pivetta | SD | MIA | 7 |
| 16 | Logan Webb | SF | @LAD | 7 |
| 17 | Drew Rasmussen | TB | ATH | 7 |
| 18 | Dylan Cease | TOR | @TEX | 7 |
| 19 | Cade Cavalli | WSH | PHI | 7 |
| 20 | Eduardo Rodriguez | ARI | NYY | 6 |
| 21 | Jacob Lopez | ATH | @CLE | 6 |
| 22 | Shane Baz | BAL | @NYM | 6 |
| 23 | Sonny Gray | BOS | @TEX | 6 |
| 24 | Ranger Suarez | BOS | @TB | 6 |
| 25 | Chase Burns | CIN | CHC | 6 |
| 26 | Gavin Williams | CLE | ATH | 6 |
| 27 | Framber Valdez | DET | @CWS | 6 |
| 28 | Hunter Brown | HOU | KC/ ATL | 6 (KC=7 & ATL=5) |
| 29 | Emmet Sheehan | LAD | SF | 6 |
| 30 | Dustin May | MIL | @PIT | 6 |
| 31 | Nolan McLean | NYM | PHI | 6 |
| 32 | Carlos Rodon | NYY | @MIN | 6 |
| 33 | Andrew Painter | PHI | @NYM | 6 |
| 34 | Paul Skenes | PIT | KC | 6 |
| 35 | Michael King | SD | @COL | 6 |
| 36 | Ian Seymour | TB | BOS | 6 |
| 37 | Jacob deGrom | TEX | BOS | 6 |
| 38 | Connelly Early | WSH | @STL | 6 |
| 39 | Corbin Burnes | ARI | MIA | 5 |
| 40 | Merrill Kelly | ARI | NYY | 5 |
| 41 | Brandon Pfaadt | ARI | NYY | 5 |
| 42 | Tyler Mahle | ATL | @HOU | 5 |
| 43 | Chris Bassitt | BAL | @NYM | 5 |
| 44 | Trevor Rogers | BAL | MIL | 5 |
| 45 | Jake Bennett | BOS | @TEX | 5 |
| 46 | Shota Imanaga | CHC | ATL | 5 |
| 47 | Matthew Boyd | CHC | @CIN | 5 |
| 48 | Anthony Kay | CWS | @CLE | 5 |
| 49 | Luis Castillo | CWS | DET | 5 |
| 50 | Tanner Bibee | CLE | CWS/ ATH | 5 (both matchups) |
| 51 | Troy Melton | DET | @TOR/ @CWS | 5 (@TOR=4 & @CWS=6) |
| 52 | Keider Montero | DET | @TOR | 5 |
| 53 | Jackson Jobe | DET | @CWS | 5 |
| 54 | Peter Lambert | HOU | ATL | 5 |
| 55 | Hayden Wesneski | HOU | ATL | 5 |
| 56 | Michael Wacha | KC | @HOU/ @PIT | 5 (@HOU=4 & @PIT=6) |
| 57 | Noah Cameron | KC | @PIT | 5 |
| 58 | Reid Detmers | LAA | SEA/ MIN | 5 (SEA=4 & MIN=6) |
| 59 | Eury Perez | MIA | @SD | 5 |
| 60 | Kyle Harrison | MIL | @BAL | 5 |
| 61 | Dean Kremer | MIN | NYY | 5 |
| 62 | Taj Bradley | MIN | @LAA | 5 |
| 63 | Jonah Tong | NYM | BAL/ PHI | 5 (BAL=6 & PHI=4) |
| 64 | Sean Manaea | NYM | BAL | 5 |
| 65 | Will Warren | NYY | @MIN/ @ARI | 5 (@MIN=6 & @ARI=4) |
| 66 | Max Fried | NYY | @MIN | 5 |
| 67 | Gerrit Cole | NYY | @ARI | 5 |
| 68 | Aaron Nola | PHI | @NYM | 5 |
| 69 | Bubba Chandler | PIT | KC | 5 |
| 70 | Quinn Mathews | STL | SF/ WSH | 5 (both matchups) |
| 71 | Matthew Liberatore | STL | SF | 5 |
| 72 | Robbie Ray | SD | @COL | 5 |
| 73 | Logan Gilbert | SEA | @LAA | 5 |
| 74 | Bryan Woo | SEA | @COL | 5 |
| 75 | Nick Martinez | TB | ATH | 5 |
| 76 | Freddy Peralta | TB | BOS | 5 |
| 77 | Andrew Alvarez | WSH | @STL | 5 |
| 78 | Zac Gallen | ARI | MIA | 4 |
| 79 | Michael Soroka | ARI | MIA | 4 |
| 80 | Jack Perkins | ATH | @TB/ @CLE | 4 (@TB=3 & @CLE=5) |
| 81 | Jeffrey Springs | ATH | @TB | 4 |
| 82 | Martin Perez | ATL | @CHC | 4 |
| 83 | Grant Holmes | ATL | @HOU | 4 |
| 84 | Kyle Bradish | BAL | MIL | 4 |
| 85 | Kevin Gausman | CHC | ATL | 4 |
| 86 | Clay Holmes | CHC | @CIN | 4 |
| 87 | Davis Martin | CWS | @CLE/ DET | 4 (@CLE=5 & DET=3) |
| 88 | Sean Burke | CWS | DET | 4 |
| 89 | Rhett Lowder | CIN | LAD/ CHC | 4 (both matchups) |
| 90 | Brady Singer | CIN | LAD | 4 |
| 91 | Foster Griffin | CLE | CWS | 4 |
| 92 | Joey Cantillo | CLE | ATH | 4 |
| 93 | Cristian Javier | HOU | KC | 4 |
| 94 | Seth Lugo | KC | @HOU | 4 |
| 95 | Grayson Rodriguez | LAA | MIN | 4 |
| 96 | Justin Wrobleski | LAD | @CIN | 4 |
| 97 | Roki Sasaki | LAD | SF | 4 |
| 98 | Sandy Alcantara | MIA | @ARI/ @SD | 4 (@ARI=3 & @SD=5) |
| 99 | Ryan Gusto | MIA | @ARI | 4 |
| 100 | Robert Gasser | MIL | @BAL | 4 |
| 101 | Zebby Matthews | MIN | NYY | 4 |
| 102 | Robert Stock | NYM | BAL | 4 |
| 103 | Zac Thornton | NYM | PHI | 4 |
| 104 | Jared Jones | PIT | MIL | 4 |
| 105 | Andre Pallante | STL | SF | 4 |
| 106 | Michael McGreevy | STL | WSH | 4 |
| 107 | Casey Mize | SD | @COL/ MIA | 4 (@COL=3 & MIA=5) |
| 108 | Blade Tidwell | SF | @STL | 4 |
| 109 | George Kirby | SEA | @LAA | 4 |
| 110 | Emerson Hancock | SEA | @COL | 4 |
| 111 | Griffin Jax | TB | ATH/ BOS | 4 (both matchups) |
| 112 | Cal Quantrill | TEX | TOR | 4 |
| 113 | Spencer Arrighetti | TOR | DET | 4 |
| 114 | Max Scherzer | TOR | DET | 4 |
| 115 | Trey Yesavage | TOR | @TEX | 4 |
| 116 | Jake Irvin | WSH | @STL | 4 |
| 117 | Gage Jump | ATH | @CLE | 3 |
| 118 | AJ Smith-Shawver | ATL | @CHC | 3 |
| 119 | Reynaldo Lopez | ATL | @CHC | 3 |
| 120 | Brandon Young | BAL | @NYM/ MIL | 3 (both matchups) |
| 121 | David Peterson | CHC | ATL/ @CIN | 3 (both matchups) |
| 122 | Erick Fedde | CWS | @CLE/ DET | 3 (@CLE=4 & DET=2) |
| 123 | Nick Lodolo | CIN | LAD/ CHC | 3 (both matchups) |
| 124 | Andrew Abbott | CIN | LAD | 3 |
| 125 | Kyle Freeland | COL | SD | 3 |
| 126 | Gabriel Hughes | COL | SEA | 3 |
| 127 | Drew Anderson | DET | @TOR/ @CWS | 3 (@TOR=2 & @CWS=4) |
| 128 | Ethan Pecko | HOU | KC | 3 |
| 129 | Daniel Lynch IV | KC | @HOU | 3 |
| 130 | Randy Dobnak | KC | @PIT | 3 |
| 131 | Ryan Johnson | LAA | SEA/ MIN | 3 (SEA=2 & MIN=4) |
| 132 | Yusei Kikuchi | LAA | SEA | 3 |
| 133 | Walbert Urena | LAA | MIN | 3 |
| 134 | Janson Junk | MIA | @ARI | 3 |
| 135 | Tyler Phillips | MIA | @SD | 3 |
| 136 | Connor Prielipp | MIN | NYY/ @LAA | 3 (NYY=2 & @LAA=4) |
| 137 | Bailey Ober | MIN | @LAA | 3 |
| 138 | Christian Scott | NYM | PHI | 3 |
| 139 | Kyle Leahy | STL | WSH | 3 |
| 140 | Walker Buehler | SD | @COL/ MIA | 3 (@COL=2 & MIA=4) |
| 141 | Landen Roupp | SF | @STL/ @LAD | 3 (both matchups) |
| 142 | Kade Anderson | SEA | @LAA/ @COL | 3 (@LAA=4 & @COL=2) |
| 143 | MacKenzie Gore | TEX | TOR | 3 |
| 144 | Jose Soriano | TOR | @TEX | 3 |
| 145 | Brady Basso | ATH | @TB | 2 |
| 146 | Patrick Sandoval | BOS | @TEX/ @TB | 2 (both matchups) |
| 147 | Tomoyuki Sugano | COL | SD/ SEA | 2 (both matchups) |
| 148 | Tanner Gordon | COL | SD | 2 |
| 149 | Anthony Molina | SF | @STL | 2 |
| 150 | Cody Bradford | TEX | BOS/ TOR | 2 (both matchups) |
| 151 | Kumar Rocker | TEX | BOS | 2 |
| 152 | Jackson Kent | WSH | PHI | 2 |
| 153 | Ryan Feltner | COL | SD/ SEA | 1 (both matchups) |
| 154 | Cesar Perdomo | SF | @LAD | 1 |
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