Astros' Pitchers Fantasy Baseball Draft Preview | Framber Valdez, Josh Hader, Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier, Justin Verlander and More

The fantasy baseball season is closing in quickly. FantasySP has published a number of articles about the top players at every position, and while those kinds of stories will continue until the regular season starts up, we wanted to make sure we covered as many fantasy players as possible, so it’s time to look at options on a team–by-team basis.

We’ve covered several teams already, and those articles can be found at the links below:

American League - Texas Rangers (hitters and pitchers), Oakland Athletics, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals

National League - Los Angeles Dodgers (hitters and pitchers), Washington Nationals, Colorado Rockies, Atlanta Braves (hitters and pitchers)

Let’s talk about a stacked Houston Astros team, highlighting the pitchers here after already looking at the hitters.

Get ready for draft season! Check out our Mock Draft Simulator, Average Draft Position list and Draft Genius!

Top Fantasy Pitchers

The top Houston pitcher on the FantasySP Average Draft Position list is Framber Valdez. He ranks 33rd and has an ADP mark of 33.46.

Valdez started 31 games last season, finishing 12-11 with a 3.45 earned run average. He struck out 200 batters over 198 innings, tossing two complete game shutouts along the way.

His ERA jumped up after posting marks of 3.14 and 2.82 the previous two seasons. He’s been a reliable starter for two years, and is a pretty good value pick near his ADP. If you miss out on one of the top pitchers, he’d be a good first option.

Closer Josh Hader is the next one off draft boards, ranking 68th with a mark of 72.31.

Hader signed a big deal with Houston this offseason and will take over the closer job from Ryan Pressly. He pitched with the San Diego Padres in 2023, earning 33 saves over 61 appearances. He struck out 85 batters across 56 1/3 innings, posted a 2-3 record and had a sparkling 1.28 ERA.

Hader is one of the premier closers in the game, and now joins one of the better teams in the league, which should mean a few more save opportunities. Hader is the fourth closer off draft boards (after Devin Williams, Camilo Doval and Emmanuel Clase), but could easily be the top fantasy option of that group (and all closers) in 2024. It really comes down to whether or not you want to use a premium draft pick on a player who won’t be on the field for even close to half of the team’s games. 

Hunter Brown and Cristian Javier are the next two Houston pitchers off draft boards. Brown ranks 116th with a mark of 122.21, while Javier ranks 120th with a mark of 125.91.

Brown had ups and downs during his first full MLB season in 2023. He started 29 of the 31 games he appeared in, covering 155 2/3 innings. Brown struck out 178 batters, posted an 11-13 record and had a 5.09 ERA.

One season is definitely not enough time to fully judge a baseball player, especially a youngster like Brown. He’s got great upside, but until it all clicks, his ADP mark makes sense. If Brown is available near that draft pick and there aren’t a ton of other players you’re too fond of, he’s a fine pick. I’d prefer to get him a couple rounds later, but as long as you aren’t relying on him to be your top few fantasy pitchers, I’m fine with taking a gamble on him.

Javier started all 31 games he appeared in in 2023. He went 10-5 with a 4.56 ERA, striking out 159 batters over 162 innings. 

I’m surprised to see Javier going after Brown looking at last season’s numbers, but that’s what the data says. I’m much more comfortable taking Javier around his ADP than I am Brown near his. If Javier can post an ERA near his 3.57 career mark, he’d be a big-time steal for this late in a draft.

Justin Verlander is next up, ranking 146th with a mark of 140.09. He’s dealing with a shoulder injury, but it currently isn’t expected to sideline him for much of the regular season, if at all.

In stints with the New York Mets and Astros last season, Verlander made a combined 27 starts, posting a 13-8 record with a 3.22 ERA. He struck out 144 batters over 162 1/3 innings.

We are discussing a 41-year-old pitcher here, so durability concerns are always going to be involved. When he’s on the mound, he’s still capable of doing great things and being a good fantasy option. I’d personally like to get him a couple rounds after his ADP, but his big name alone might eliminate that possibility.

Pressly still appears on the ADP list, but he could fall out, or at least even further down, by the time the season rolls around. He’s currently ranked 158th with a mark of 143.25.

With Hader around, save opportunities are going to be slim. Pressly got 31 saves a season ago, posting a 3.58 ERA across 65 1/3 innings along the way. He went 4-5 and struck out 74 batters.

He loses a lot of fantasy value by not serving as the closer, but is still a solid option because of his strong strikeout numbers. If your league rewards holds, then maybe Pressly is one of the better non-closer relievers out there. I’d personally look elsewhere for reliever help, but in the right leagues, Pressly does make some sense.

Bryan Abreu is another reliever that appears on the ADP list, ranking 216th with a mark of 173.4.

He went 3-2 with a 1.75 ERA across 72 appearances last year. He struck out 100 batters and collected five saves.

Abreu is one of the better relievers in the game, but is stuck on a team with two great closers. I’m a little surprised the Astros didn’t try to flip Abreu after they signed Hader, but it left them with arguably the best 7th-9th inning relievers in the game. Again, I’d try to only draft relievers that could get a bunch of saves, but if your league rewards holds, Abreu is right up there with Pressly as one of the best non-closer options.

Jose Urquidy and Ronel Blanco are the projected No. 4 and 5 starters in the rotation for Houston. There’s also J.P. France, Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr. that are injured now but could factor in at some time this season.

McCullers likely won’t be back until at least August. He last pitched in 2022 and was one of the better starting pitchers in the league between 2021-22. Durability issues have always held him back.

Urquidy appeared in 16 games (10 starts) last season. He went 3-3 with a 5.29 ERA and 45 strikeouts over 63 innings.

Blanco made seven starts across 17 appearances in 2023, finishing 2-1 with a 4.50 ERA. He struck out 52 batters across as many innings.

France made 23 starts across 24 appearances in 2023. He finished 11-6 with a 3.83 ERA, striking out 101 over 136 1/3 innings. 

Garcia made only six starts in 2023, finishing 2-2 with a 4.00 ERA. He struck out 31 batters over 27 innings. He isn’t expected back until at least July.

With a lineup as stacked as the Astros, any starting pitcher immediately gets a bit of a fantasy boost. That makes them all at least average fantasy options, even if it’s just as a streaming option. FantasySP will help you identify the best streaming options over the course of a season, so be sure to stick with us all baseball season.