Starting Pitcher Chart – September 18th, 2026
- Daily SP Chart archive
- 2-Start podcast episode
- SP Rankings (last update: 7/24)
Welcome to the Daily SP Chart, click here if you’re new to get an idea of what I’m doing with these rankings.
- With such little time left, everything is heavily based on your particular situation so if you have any specific questions, drop a comment and I’ll help the best I can!
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| Rk | PITCHER | Team | Opponent | T | 10 | 12 | 15+ | IP | ERA | WHIP | K% | K-BB | OPP K% | opp wOBA RK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dylan Cease | TOR | at TEX | R | x | x | x | 166.1 | 2.38 | 1.06 | 35% | 25% | 22% | 26 |
| 2 | Gerrit Cole | NYY | at ARI | R | x | x | x | 115.1 | 3.67 | 1.13 | 25% | 20% | 20% | 29 |
| 3 | Cade Cavalli | WSN | at STL | R | x | x | x | 164.2 | 3.12 | 1.17 | 28% | 21% | 21% | 27 |
| 4 | Paul Skenes | PIT | v. KCR | R | x | x | x | 162 | 3.78 | 1.13 | 28% | 21% | 20% | 13 |
| 5 | Tyler Glasnow | LAD | v. SFG | R | x | x | x | 61.2 | 3.50 | 0.97 | 32% | 23% | 21% | 11 |
| 6 | Tyler Mahle | ATL | at HOU | R | x | x | x | 138 | 3.91 | 1.25 | 22% | 15% | 22% | 15 |
| 7 | Ian Seymour | TBR | v. BOS | L | x | x | x | 122.1 | 4.27 | 1.14 | 29% | 23% | 22% | 5 |
| 8 | Ranger Suarez | BOS | at TBR | L | x | x | x | 137.2 | 3.33 | 1.19 | 23% | 16% | 18% | 25 |
| 9 | Bryan Woo | SEA | at COL | R | x | x | x | 162.1 | 3.88 | 1.05 | 25% | 19% | 22% | 6 |
| 10 | Eduardo Rodriguez | ARI | v. NYY | L | x | x | x | 178.1 | 2.62 | 1.22 | 18% | 10% | 24% | 9 |
| 11 | Zac Thornton | NYM | v. PHI | L | x | x | x | 73.1 | 3.44 | 1.16 | 19% | 13% | 22% | 11 |
| 12 | Nick Pivetta | SDP | v. MIA | R | x | x | x | 25 | 3.60 | 1.00 | 31% | 25% | 21% | 7 |
| 13 | Clay Holmes | CHC | at CIN | R | x | x | x | 91.2 | 2.85 | 1.15 | 19% | 10% | 26% | 28 |
| 14 | Joey Cantillo | CLE | v. ATH | L | W | x | x | 148 | 3.89 | 1.48 | 25% | 13% | 24% | 10 |
| 15 | Dustin May | MIL | at BAL | R | W | W | x | 138.1 | 4.49 | 1.29 | 23% | 15% | 24% | 23 |
| 16 | Peter Lambert | HOU | v. ATL | R | x | x | 145.2 | 3.71 | 1.22 | 23% | 14% | 22% | 10 | |
| 17 | Connor Prielipp | MIN | at LAA | L | x | x | 113.1 | 5.24 | 1.34 | 24% | 16% | 25% | 22 | |
| 18 | Tyler Phillips | MIA | at SDP | R | x | x | 119 | 3.55 | 1.33 | 19% | 9% | 22% | 19 | |
| 19 | David Sandlin | CHW | v. DET | R | x | x | 30.1 | 5.64 | 1.19 | 23% | 13% | 23% | 12 | |
| 20 | Grayson Rodriguez | LAA | v. MIN | R | x | 87 | 6.10 | 1.56 | 20% | 10% | 21% | 8 | ||
| 21 | Kumar Rocker | TEX | v. TOR | R | 138.2 | 4.54 | 1.43 | 22% | 12% | 19% | 20 | |||
| 22 | Brandon Williamson | CIN | v. CHC | L | 41.2 | 5.62 | 1.56 | 16% | 2% | 21% | 1 | |||
| 23 | Cade Povich | BAL | v. MIL | L | 33.1 | 4.05 | 1.44 | 18% | 8% | 21% | 14 | |||
| 24 | Ryan Feltner | COL | v. SEA | R | 111.2 | 5.88 | 1.56 | 17% | 7% | 23% | 17 | |||
| 25 | Randy Dobnak | KCR | at PIT | R | 69.1 | 2.73 | 1.27 | 16% | 8% | 23% | 5 | |||
| 26 | Andrew Sears | DET | at CHW | L | 16.2 | 5.40 | 1.38 | 18% | 12% | 25% | 8 | |||
| 27 | Mason Barnett | ATH | at CLE | R | 40.2 | 7.08 | 1.62 | 21% | 8% | 21% | 25 | |||
| 28 | Cooper Hjerpe | STL | v. WSN | L | 5 | 7.20 | 1.20 | 39% | 22% | 24% | 2 | |||
| 29 | Alan Rangel | PHI | at NYM | R | 26 | 5.88 | 1.69 | 24% | 13% | 22% | 22 | |||
| 30 | Cesar Perdomo | SFG | at LAD | L | 14.2 | 3.68 | 1.36 | 18% | 11% | 20% | 7 |
Intro
The chart includes their performance for 2026, their opponent’s wOBA versus the pitcher’s handedness, and recently added opponent’s K% (also v. SP 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.
Color Coding:
- Green – Good Matchup (lower OPS output by SP opponent) – 21st to 30th
- Yellow – OK – 11th to 20th
- Red – Bad – 1st to 10th
Prielipp v LAA or Gasser at Bal?
FGpoints so need to avoid homers
I lean Prielipp as BAL has the most 2H HRs vL while LAA in down at 27. And while Gasser has the much better ERA in the 2H b/w the 2, they’re essentially the same skillswise (4.03 to 4.09 SIERA)
Most pitching categories are close in my playoff matchup. I have Pivetta vs MIA and Mahle @ HOU today. I think I’m going to let em both start tonight. Pretty much just looking to avoid a blowup to ratios and get quality innings. Should be okay right?
Yes, I’d feel pretty confident on both. Blowups can come outta nowhere, of course, but given how great Mahle’s been in ATL and how sharp Pivetta has been in 2 starts off the IL, I can’t see going away from either.
No wind or rain issues except Coors where it’s a 70% chance of rain during the game, but dropping to 20% after. WInd is in from L at 9
Need floor more than ceiling from a streamer tonight. Some Ks safe? Ratios. Is lambert my best bet from guys ranked like 16-20?
Yeah, it’s a tough matchup which was the only reason for 2-x over 3, but he’s been really solid since July 1st: 3.92 ERA/1.27 WHIP/16% K-BB with just the one mega blowup v. LAA (9 ER) and if you remove that, it’s 2.92/1.18/18%
Are the W’s instead of the X a typo, or do they indicate a difference of some kind?
Whoops, it means chasing the W, forgot to include that on the board today!
Thanks as always for the good work.
H2H points league with limited starts. Over the next three days, I need three more starts from the following four pitchers: Gerrit Cole, Ian Seymour, Troy Melton, and Tanner Bibee. Who should I leave out?
My first instinct is Cole, Melton, and Seymour, but I like Bibee’s home matchup with the Athletics more than Seymour’s with BOS. So that would leave me Cole, Melton, and Bibee. I’m torn.
P.S., like many folks, this decision was made harder by the Braves bumping Sale, who I have and who obviously would’ve been one of the three.
Regretfully, I think it’s my guy Melton. Still absolutely love him long-term, but feels like a classic rookie wall/out of gas situation here down the stretch and with the Tigers playing for nothing, they’d likely pull the plug quickly if he’s trending toward another tough start.
Yeah, it’s been my concern with Melton. I guess that means I’ll slot it Seymour tonight and hope for the best with him and then Bibee tomorrow.
Thank you!
Who’s the best bet for only K volume and K/9 among Prielip, Thornton, May, Rocker?
Prielipp and May based on their K% and opponent K% combos. PHI’s K% vL is down to just 16% over the L30 days so that hurts Thornton and TOR’s at 18% L30 hurting Rocker.
Thank you!!
OK, I know this is a post about pitching, but I have Aranda and he is set to face 3 LHP this weekend and the Red Sox rock 5 LHP in the pen including Chapman at the back end. This is the final week of our league’s playoffs. Aranda has been a mid-round steal this year after being an undrafted steal last year and has actually been killing it recently, but he also has a near 200 point OPS platoon split which is about the same as last year.
Am I nuts to consider dropping him? I mean, I have to if I can find someone on the Mariners getting to feast on Rockies pitching this weekend, right? Like I need to drop him for Lazaro Montes, right? (The Rox are throwing all RHP and of the 2 LHP in the pen, one throws 90 and the M’s may well just let Montes hit against him)
(BTW, everything above applies to most of the Rays’ lineup since their core lineup is 6 LHB and one switch-hitter who’s a bit better from the right side).
Yes, I’d do Montes for Aranda. It can be SO hard to cut our studs but at this time of year, that all goes out the window and that huge lefty run REALLYYY eats into his potential for this final run. Aranda is a completely different guy vL (.665 OPS). I’d prob consider Montes straight up, but then when you add Coors, it’s a hell yeah!
MLB dot com has Chase Burns getting the start in Cincinnati vs Cubs. How do we feel about that, Paul?
The Reds have been clear that they are managing innings and will not let him go more than 3 IP. HIs last 2 starts have been 3 IP followed by 4-ish IP of Williamson. You can run Burns out there for 3 IP and hopefully 5 K with no damage to ERA/WHIP, but he has zero chance at a W and the K upside is similarly limited. It also limits his ability to come back from a bad 1st inning and string together a bunch of zeros to minimize the damage (like Taj last night – 3 in the 1st but he ended up putting together 6 scoreless after the 1st)
Anon’s got it covered! He’s just an opener so I’ve been ranking the follower!
How did you get that MVP tag next to your name?
https://blogs.fangraphs.com/introducing-fangraphs-mvp/
Interesting, not sure how I missed this. Will seriously consider.
lol i had bookmarked the article to read this weekend thinking it was unveiling an MVP predictor like our Cy Young one so i learned what this was with you!!
I need to pick two of Clay Holmes @ CIN, Zach Thornton v. PHI, and Hayden Wesneski v. ATL (tomorrow). QS league, no Wins. Thoughts?
Tough group to split between here with no W considerations but I think Holmes is the lock (despite sub-6 IP in his L2) and then it’s Wes v. Thorny. I’m gonna give a slight lean Wes’s way based on the matchup. While the strength of PHI’s lineup are their two stud lefties, they’ve been 4th as a team in wOBA vL since the break and ATL sits 14th vR, so I’m letting that be the tiebreaker.
Thornton does have a higher QS% than Wesneski, but I value the matchup a bit more than that hence leaning his way. Tough choice, though, I don’t have a ton of separation b/w ’em.
Just want to say I appreciate the work you’re putting in these last weeks of the season, Paul! As many have moved onto football, it’s a great time when you’re still competing.
I have a slim lead in ERA and K/BB and not desperate for a W/QS, so I’m sitting Woo tonight. But best to those throwing him. He was great @ATH and I’m gonna need him next week, so hoping the ride continues!
Does anyone have the slightest idea who the Dodgers are pitching on Sunday? Everything looks like Glasnow tonight, Skubal tomorrow, Yamamoto Monday. If they pull some IL shenanigans and get Sheehan back up I REALLY want to pick him up for that outing but currently have no idea what they’re planning.