Starting Pitcher Chart – May 5th, 2026

by Paul Sporer

May 5, 2026

Daily SP Chart archive
2-Start podcast episode
SP Rankings (updated Monday April 27th!)

Welcome to the Daily SP Chart, click here if you’re new to get an idea of what I’m doing with these rankings.

The chart includes their performance for 2026, their opponent’s wOBA versus the pitcher’s handedness, my general start/sit recommendation for 10-team, 12-team, and 15-team (or more) leagues – essentially a shallow, medium, deep league setup – and then a note about some, most, or all depending on the day. If a pitcher only has an “x” in 15-team, it doesn’t mean there’s no potential use in 10s and 12s, but it’s a much riskier stream for those spots.

These are general recommendations for standard 5×5 roto leagues, and your league situation will carry more weight whether you are protecting ratios or chasing counting numbers. I usually won’t have much to write about aces who are locked into our rotations. If you want to discuss someone further, please feel free to leave a comment. I usually do a few sweeps of the comments before game time in case there are time-sensitive questions.

Some pretty tough matchups for the studs. 6 of the 3-x’s are facing Top 10 offenses against their respective handedness. All 6 of those starters are in my Top 30 rankings, too. Ohtani gets a big test in HOU… can one of the best offense in baseball push his 0.60 ERA?
Alcantara is putting up solid results, but an 8% K-BB will come back to burn him if he doesn’t improve; good news is that an 11% SwStr can definitely yield better than a 16% K.
I have no delusions that Bradley has revolutionized himself despite the sweet 2.85 ERA; his 1.22 WHIP is a sobering reminder that he’s enjoyed some good fortune to get here. Thankfully a lagging WAS offense gives him a great shot to stay hot.
Elder is riding a .252 BABIP and 5% HR/FB to results this good, but a new cutter has helped him shave 204 pts off his OPS vL so perhaps a regressed version could still hold some Team Streamer juice. I’m running him in SEA and then very likely for next week’s home 2-step v. CHC/BOS.
Cavalli is coming off back-to-back 10-K games, so let’s see where this goes. It’s a 2-step week and I like both individually in daily moves leagues w/a trip to MIA lined up for the weekend.
Buehler and Severino are cromulent veterans getting solid setups on the road while Chandler and Sproat are young upstarts who’ve disappointed thus far with just OK matchups, also on the road. ARI is only 26th in wOBA on the season but rising to 17th in the last two weeks and will likely send 6 lefty/switch hitters against Chandler, who has a 230-point platoon split (.854 vL). I’m sure at least 1 of these 4 will have a good start and maybe even 2, but I couldn’t even begin to have confidence in identifying which one(s).
This feels like a touch-the-stove moment with Lambert where some of us are going to get too cute here… this is a waiver pickup you’ve already gotten some juice out of, don’t piss it all away hoping he survives LAD coming to visit. I would hold for the SEA/TEX 2-step he’s in line for next week.
I think Dana is just the guess for Kikuchi’s spot right now… if you see someone confirmed, let me know in the comments!

SP Chart for May 5th, 2026

Rk	PITCHER	Tm	Opp	10	12	15+	IP	ERA	WHIP	K-BB	opp wOBA RK
1	Cristopher Sánchez	PHI	v. ATH	x	x	x	40.1	2.90	1.51	21%	20
2	Drew Rasmussen	TBR	v. TOR	x	x	x	30.2	2.64	0.85	22%	18
3	Shohei Ohtani	LAD	at HOU	x	x	x	30	0.60	0.87	21%	2
4	Jacob deGrom	TEX	at NYY	x	x	x	31.1	2.01	0.96	27%	3
5	Logan Webb	SFG	v. SDP	x	x	x	44	4.30	1.36	12%	22
6	Kevin Gausman	TOR	at TBR	x	x	x	40.2	3.10	0.96	20%	15
7	Gavin Williams	CLE	at KCR	x	x	x	43.1	2.70	1.02	20%	20
8	Freddy Peralta	NYM	at COL	x	x	x	38.1	3.52	1.20	16%	8
9	Framber Valdez	DET	v. BOS	x	x	x	40.1	3.35	1.26	10%	15
10	George Kirby	SEA	v. ATL	x	x	x	45	3.00	1.13	13%	1
11	Taj Bradley	MIN	at WSN	x	x	x	41	2.85	1.22	17%	28
12	Sandy Alcantara	MIA	v. BAL	x	x	x	47.1	3.04	1.16	8%	16
13	Bryce Elder	ATL	at SEA	x	x	x	43	1.88	1.05	13%	12
14	Cade Cavalli	WSN	v. MIN	x	x	x	30.2	3.82	1.66	17%	19
15	Walker Buehler	SDP	at SFG			x	25	5.40	1.56	11%	30
16	Bubba Chandler	PIT	at ARI			x	29	4.97	1.48	5%	26
17	Brandon Sproat	MIL	at STL			x	26.2	6.75	1.61	9%	11
18	Luis Severino	ATH	at PHI			x	38.1	4.46	1.43	10%	21
19	Peter Lambert	HOU	v. LAD				15.1	3.52	1.24	18%	4
20	Noah Cameron	KCR	v. CLE				31.2	5.40	1.61	12%	8
21	Jameson Taillon	CHC	v. CIN				34.2	4.41	1.15	13%	24
22	Eduardo Rodriguez	ARI	v. PIT				32.2	3.03	1.41	4%	16
23	Elmer Rodríguez	NYY	v. TEX				4	4.50	2.00	-5%	14
24	Andre Pallante	STL	v. MIL				31.1	3.73	1.31	9%	13
25	Andrew Abbott	CIN	at CHC				34.2	5.97	1.67	6%	1
26	Michael Lorenzen	COL	v. NYM				34	6.09	1.76	9%	29
27	Chris Bassitt	BAL	at MIA				28	5.46	1.86	2%	10
28	Erick Fedde 페디	CHW	at LAA				33.1	3.24	1.05	8%	17
29	Brayan Bello	BOS	at DET				25.2	9.12	2.26	2%	9
30	Caden Dana	LAA	v. CHW								25

Recommendations for Roto 5×5 Leagues

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