Fantasy Baseball SP Rankings: Streamers, Two-Starts & Risky Plays

Welcome to the FantasyPros Week 4 starting pitcher fantasy baseball rankings. Every Friday, we’ll take a closer look at the upcoming week and rank every starting pitcher based on their overall skills, recent production, head-to-head matchup and park factor. These rankings are for Monday, April 14th through Sunday, April 20th.

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Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitchers Guide: Week 4

Be sure to take a look at expert consensus rankings (ECR) as a helpful tool when setting your lineups. You can also take advantage of our Pitcher Planner’s resource for probable pitchers as well as our streaming pitcher rankings.

Top 50 Starting Pitchers (April 14th to April 20th)

Smash Spots

Chris Sale (SP – ATL) vs. MIN

Chris Sale has gotten off to a slow start, putting up a 6.75 ERA and 1.36 WHIP through two starts, but the reigning National League Cy Young winner still has a 25.8% strikeout rate and a 1.8% walk rate.

Expect Sale to get back on track against a Twins lineup that has posted a 34.5% strikeout rate against lefties this season (30th in MLB).

Brandon Pfaadt (SP – ARI) @ MIA

Brandon Pfaadt has put up a respectable 3.50 ERA and 1.06 WHIP so far this year, demonstrating strong command with a 4.3% walk rate.

Look for Pfaadt to turn in a strong outing against an abysmal Marlins offense that has put up a 28.7& strikeout rate versus righties (29th).

Dustin May (SP – LAD) vs. COL

Dustin May has looked terrific in his return, allowing only one earned run in two starts across 11 innings.

The Dodgers righty is a great bet for a quality start and a win against one of the worst offenses in MLB — especially away from Coors — in the Rockies.

Risky Starts

Bryce Miller (SP – SEA) @ CIN

Bryce Miller struggled to start the year, posting a 5.73 ERA with five walks and eight strikeouts in 11 innings. We saw Miller have a tough time on the road last year, including a 4.67 xFIP.

That’s bad news because Miller takes on the Reds in the bandbox that is Great American Ball Park this week.

Robbie Ray (SP – SF) @ PHI

Robbie Ray has been a bit disappointing so far, highlighted by his strikeout-to-walk ratio that includes six walks and six strikeouts in 11.1 innings. The veteran lefty has posted an 8.9% swinging-strike rate, down from 16.2% last year.

While Ray is likely to get going at some point, it’s hard to see that happening on the road against a tough Phillies lineup.

Nathan Eovaldi (SP – TEX) vs. LAD

Nathan Eovaldi has been fantastic to start the season, allowing five runs with two walks and 21 strikeouts in 19.2 innings. But we could see some regression this week.

While it’s tough to bench Eovaldi with how he’s looked this year, this is a tough matchup against a stacked Dodgers lineup.

Two-Start Pitchers

Jesus Luzardo (SP – PHI) vs. SF, vs. MIA

Jesus Luzardo has been spectacular to start the season, including seven shutout innings with eight strikeouts against the Dodgers.

You can fire Luzardo up with confidence as one of the top pitchers of the week, with an exploitable matchup against the Giants and a smash spot versus the Marlins.

Nick Lodolo (SP – CIN) vs. SEA, @ BAL

Nick Lodolo has allowed only two earned runs in 18.2 innings so far, but that’s come with a disappointing eight strikeouts, especially considering he had a 24.7% strikeout rate last season.

The strikeouts should come this week against the Mariners, who have the fourth-most strikeouts versus lefties so far. The next matchup is against the O’s, who have a 92 wRC+ (18th in MLB).

Jeffrey Springs (SP – ATH) @ CWS, @ MIL

Jeffrey Springs has been inconsistent to start the year, with one dominant start, one mediocre one and another poor performance.

However, he should be able to get back on track versus the White Sox (50 wRC+ vs. left-handed pitchers) and the Brewers (24% strikeout rate vs. lefties). It also helps that both games are on the road, so he avoids hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park in Sacramento.

Top Streamers

Max Meyer (SP – MIA) vs. ARI, @ PHI

Max Meyer is off to an outstanding start, with four earned runs, five walks and 19 strikeouts in 18 innings, highlighted by his last outing against the Mets, where he pitched 6.1 shutout innings.

If the Marlins’ righty is still available on the waiver wire in your league, you need to add and stream him, even in two tough matchups versus the Diamondbacks and Phillies.

Clay Holmes (SP – NYM) @ MIN, vs. STL

Clay Holmes has been disappointing so far, struggling with command with a 13% walk rate in 14.2 innings. But the strikeouts have been there, including 10 in 5.1 innings in his last outing.

This is a former reliever who is still adapting to his new role as a starter, so perhaps the slow start should have been expected. If your league mates hastily dropped Holmes, grab him for this two-step versus the Twins and Cardinals.

Tylor Megill (SP – NYM) @ MIN, vs. STL

Tylor Megill has put up a 27.4% strikeout rate and 12% swinging-strike rate so far, demonstrating promising signs he’s taking the next step as a pitcher.

The Mets righty doesn’t go deep into games, but the strikeout upside makes him worth starting in reasonable matchups against the Twins and Cardinals.

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