Corey Kluber

Kluber had averaged 218 innings and 245 strikeouts with a 2.85 ERA in the last five seasons, but his streak of stability ended this year due to a line-drive comebacker fracturing his forearm. Two months after getting sidelined, he was cleared to play catch, which at least created hope of him returning in time to make a second-half impact. Then he suffered an oblique strain late in his rehab assignment. As of August 20, Cleveland shut him down for at least two weeks. That likely makes a mid-September return a best-case scenario, but nobody should count on him returning to the rotation this season.

Kluber has been out for months and wasn't even very good prior to the injury so let's hold off on SP1 type expectations when he finally returns in a few weeks. With that said, he does still have that upside, of course, so don't hesitate to put in an offer if you are already locked into the H2H playoffs.

Fresh off a 2017 season where he was the number one fantasy pitcher in all the land (not just Cleveland), Kluber wasn't quite as dominant in 2018, but he still finished as the seventh-best starter in standard 5x5 leagues. Kluber's strikeout rate came back down to Earth a little bit, but his walk rate remained truly elite and he was able to deliver a second straight season with a sub-3.00 ERA and sub-1.00 WHIP. The fact he's a workhorse also boosts his fantasy value -- Kluber has five straight seasons with 200+ innings, and has won at least 18 games in four of those seasons. He did lose a little velocity on his fastball, but there is no reason to overreact until we see it actually impact his results.