Top Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitchers for 2024: Spencer Strider, Gerrit Cole, Zach Wheeler, Corbin Burnes, Luis Castillo and More

The 2024 MLB season is closing in quickly, so it’s time to start putting together your rankings for every position to make sure you’re lined up for your fantasy baseball draft.

Starting pitching is always a priority for every owner, so let’s kick off this series by looking at some of the top starters out there. Instead of diving into another site’s rankings, I’m going to compile a list of some of the more popular starting pitchers out there and give some reasoning to whether or not the player is worth a draft pick at a particular point of the draft.

I’ll split things up into tiers. We won’t cover nearly all the starting pitchers out there, but will focus on guys that are being projected in the first five or so rounds.

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The Best of the Best

Every set of rankings out there has the same four starting pitchers in the top four. The order is shifted a bit for some sites, but we’re here to focus on the players more so than the average draft positions (ADP).

The four pitchers at the top of the rankings are Atlanta Braves’ Spencer Strider, New York Yankees’ Gerrit Cole, Milwaukee Brewers’ Corbin Burnes and Philadelphia Phillies’ Zack Wheeler.

Strider is the top pitcher on most lists out there, with an ADP anywhere from 11-15 on the lists I’ve seen. Strider went 20-5 last season with a 3.86 earned run average, striking out 281 batters and walking 59 over 186 2/3 innings.

To expect as many wins this season is asking a lot out of a still pretty young pitcher. While he might not get as many wins, another year under his belt should help him lower his ERA, and possibly rack up a bunch more strikeouts. That should allow him to compete for the SP1 honor again this season.

If he’s indeed in contention for being SP1, then you should have no problem taking him as the first starting pitcher in drafts, either at the end of the first round or earlier in the second round. Unless your fantasy league values pitching more, his ADP in the early double digits is a perfect spot for him to go.

If Cole isn’t first on ranking lists, he’s the next option. I’ve seen ADPs for him anywhere from 12-17.

Cole went 15-4 a season ago, sporting a 2.63 ERA across 209 innings pitched. He struck out 222 batters and walked 48. It was his second straight season over 200 innings pitched, and while his strikeouts dropped by 35, he lowered his ERA by 0.87, won two more games and lost four less.

Cole will be 33 years old this season, so many are wondering if his production is going to dip a bit. With back-to-back 200-inning seasons, he knows how to get himself through seasons and is primed to do it again in 2024. On a loaded Yankees’ roster, getting as many wins is definitely a possibility, but owners should also expect a bit of regression in his ERA.

I don’t think a higher ERA should turn you against drafting him, as he could finish as SP1 as well. I’d personally take him after Strider, and would prefer him closer to the 17th spot instead of the 12th spot.

Wheeler and Burnes are ranked anywhere from 22-28 in the rankings I’ve seen. 

Let’s talk about Wheeler first. He was 13-6 last season with a 3.61 ERA across 192 innings. He struck out 212 batters and walked just 39.

It’s always a positive when pitchers don’t walk a lot of batters, and Wheeler has always excelled in keeping that number fairly low. It allows him to pitch more innings and lowers the risk of blowup innings and games. As long as he’s able to limit the walks again, there’s no reason Wheeler can’t challenge for being the top SP. 

I prefer Wheeler over Burnes because of the walk numbers and because of the teams they are on. Wheeler has a much better chance at wins with a better hitting lineup in Philly. I’m fine drafting Wheeler anywhere in the 20s.

Burnes went 10-8 a season ago, with a 3.39 ERA over 193 2/3 innings. He struck out 200 batters and walked 66. Burnes was the NL Cy Young in 2021, but has seen his numbers dip pretty much across the board since then.

There’s a lot riding on Burnes’ season, as he’s set to become an unrestricted free agent after the season. Typically, that means some near career best numbers. As I mentioned already in the Wheeler writeup, Burnes is simply on a worse hitting team, so earning wins could hold him back from matching any of the other three guys in this tier. 

I personally am not as high on Burnes as others, and would prefer to draft him in the 30s instead of the 20s. If you don’t get the chance to draft Burnes in the 30s, there’s several other great fantasy assets to get instead.

The Next Group

After the top four, there’s several others with ADPs between 30-50. Guys like Toronto Blue Jays’ Kevin Gausman, Seattle Mariners’ Luis Castillo and George Kirby, Arizona Diamondbacks’ Zac Gallen, Minnesota Twins’ Pablo Lopez, Houston Astros’ Framber Valdez and San Francisco Giants’ Logan Webb are all names I’ve seen in that range. Let’s wrap up this article by briefly going over all these options.

Gausman has typically been SP5 in most of the rankings I’ve seen. He finished 12-9 and posted a 3.16 ERA across 185 innings a season ago. He struck out 237 batters while walking 55.

Like Cole, Gausman will be 33 years old this season, so there’s concern over some regression. What he might regress in for ERA he can make up for with plenty of innings pitched and strikeouts. I think there’s a chance his win-loss record is better on both ends. I’d take Gausman fourth or fifth among starting pitchers and prefer to take him in the early 30s.

Let’s cover Castillo and Kirby together - they are on the same team after all.

Castillo went 14-9 in his first full season in Seattle. He posted a 3.34 ERA across 197 innings, striking out 219 batters and walking 56.

The nearly 26-year old Kirby was 13-10 a season ago. Kirby had a 3.35 ERA across 190 2/3 innings, striking out 172 and walking only 19 batters.

While Castillo and Kirby go about things a little differently, they are probably the best 1-2 punch in the league going into the season. While Castillo has proven things over a longer period, Kirby’s ability to limit walks makes him a safer draft pick in my opinion, which goes against most of the rankings I’ve seen. Both guys should be available in the late 30s/early 40s, and that’s where I’d prefer to take both guys.

Gallen followed up a strong 2022 season with a 17-9 mark last season. He had a 3.47 ERA across 210 innings, with 220 strikeouts and 47 walks.

There’s a ton of expectations in Arizona after the team’s World Series appearance last season, and Gallen is part of the reason why. He’s entering the best years of his prime, has a loaded team around him and has been extremely durable for the past couple seasons. Gallen should be going around where Castillo and Kirby are, and I wouldn’t be opposed to taking Gallen over both of them, so anywhere from the early 30s-40s works in my book for Gallen.

Lopez excelled in his first season with the Twins, compiling an 11-8 record and 3.66 ERA across 194 innings. He struck out 234 and walked 48.

Lopez saw his strikeout numbers go way up a season ago, and if he can improve on his win-loss record, there’s a chance he could be a top-five SP this season. I mostly see Lopez going in the 40s, and if you can get him then, I love that value.

Valdez posted a second-straight fantastic season in Houston, going 12-11 with a 3.45 ERA over 198 innings. He struck out 200 and walked 57. 

If he can improve his win-loss record, which should happen if he posts similar numbers, he’s got a chance to finish ahead of several guys taken over him. I’ve seen Valdez in the 40s but also the 70s. I think he’s worthy of a late 40s pick, but probably should go in the 50s. If you get him in the 60s or 70s, that’s a big win.

Webb’s ADPs are a little more packed together, going anywhere from the late 40s to 50s. He was 11-13 a season ago, with a 3.25 ERA over 216 innings. Web struck out 194 and walked only 31.

His win-loss record is hard to believe when looking at his other numbers. You’d expect those to even back out this season with similar outings, and it could help Webb land in the top five spots by the end of the season. Even though it’s still a pretty high pick, Webb is one of my favorite sleeper picks. I’d take him in the late 40s/early 50s and would be ecstatic if he falls to the 60s or later.