Latest fantasy baseball pitcher rankings lineup advice tips mlb daily notes 9 games

ESPN FantasyMay 8, 2026, 04:00 PM ET
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Check out all of our starting pitcher rankings and other lineup selection tools here to help you make smart fantasy baseball lineup decisions. All fantasy advice is geared toward ESPN 10-team leagues with standard scoring.

Note: All information is accurate as of the time of publication. For updates, as well as any breaking news that might impact today's MLB slate, be sure to check out the latest fantasy baseball buzz.

Other resources: RP depth chart | Start new league
ESPN's 2026 Draft Guide | Betting notes for Saturday

STARTING PITCHERS FOR SATURDAY

Pitchers are ranked in order of their Forecaster/Daily Notes projected fantasy points (FPTS), using ESPN's standard scoring system (2 points per win, minus-2 per loss, 3 per inning, 1 per K, minus-1 apiece per hit or walk allowed, minus-2 per earned run allowed).

T: The pitcher's handedness. OPP: Opposing team. RST%: The pitcher's roster percentage in ESPN leagues. W%: The individual starting pitcher's win probability using ESPN projections. IP: Projected innings pitched. H+BB: Projected hits plus walks allowed. ER: Projected earned runs allowed. K: Projected strikeouts.

If a team is planning on using an "opener" to start their game, but will rely on a "bulk pitcher" to follow him on the mound after 1-2 innings, the bulk pitcher is listed and indicated with an asterisk.

FPTS	Pitcher	T	Opp	Rst%	W%	IP	H+BB	ER	K
11.2	Aaron Nola	R	COL	48.6%	47%	6.2	7.9	3.2	6.5
10.8	Cam Schlittler	R	@MIL	97.4%	36%	5.4	6.9	2.3	5.7
10.8	Luis Castillo	R	@CWS	64.4%	38%	6.2	7.8	2.9	5.6
10.6	Joe Ryan	R	@CLE	93.9%	28%	5.4	6.3	2.4	5.5
10.5	Chase Burns	R	HOU	92.4%	32%	5.6	7.0	2.7	6.2
10.3	Anthony Kay	L	SEA	0.5%	30%	5.5	6.7	2.2	5.0
9.8	Tanner Bibee	R	MIN	59.2%	33%	5.8	7.5	2.9	5.6
9.7	Landen Roupp	R	PIT	63.8%	28%	5.4	7.2	2.3	5.3
9.7	Braxton Ashcraft	R	@SF	53.1%	31%	5.2	6.7	2.2	5.1
9.7	Janson Junk	R	WSH	9.0%	34%	5.6	6.7	2.3	4.2
9.5	Dustin May	R	@SD	4.7%	30%	5.6	7.2	2.4	4.8
9.4	Spencer Arrighetti	R	@CIN	31.2%	33%	5.5	7.4	2.9	6.1
9.2	Randy Vasquez	R	STL	44.5%	34%	5.6	7.2	2.3	4.3
8.9	Zack Littell	R	@MIA	1.1%	30%	5.8	7.4	2.9	4.8
8.9	Ranger Suarez	L	TB	73.0%	31%	5.5	7.2	2.9	5.3
8.9	Clay Holmes	R	@ARI	59.7%	32%	5.5	7.4	2.5	4.6
8.9	Spencer Strider	R	@LAD	82.2%	29%	5.5	7.7	2.9	5.9
8.8	Merrill Kelly	R	NYM	20.8%	29%	5.6	7.5	2.9	5.3
8.5	Edward Cabrera	R	@TEX	61.3%	33%	5.5	7.6	3.1	5.6
8.5	Roki Sasaki	R	ATL	16.9%	22%	4.7	5.8	2.1	4.5
8.1	Trey Yesavage	R	LAA	63.4%	25%	4.8	6.5	2.4	4.8
8.0	Shane Baz	R	ATH	24.5%	32%	5.8	8.0	3.3	5.3
8.0	Michael Wacha	R	DET	56.7%	41%	5.6	7.6	3.1	4.8
7.5	Kyle Freeland	L	@PHI	1.5%	24%	5.3	7.1	2.9	4.8
7.4	Aaron Civale	R	@BAL	7.5%	32%	5.5	7.5	3.1	4.7
7.0	Nick Martinez	R	@BOS	42.8%	27%	5.4	7.3	3.2	4.5
6.9	Jack Kochanowicz	R	@TOR	13.6%	25%	5.6	7.7	2.8	3.9
6.4	Jack Leiter	R	CHC	17.1%	26%	5.1	7.5	3.1	5.0
5.5	Kyle Harrison	L	NYY	25.9%	16%	4.7	7.1	3.0	4.8
1.3	Ty Madden	R	@KC	0.6%	19%	5.0	9.0	4.6	4.8

Pitchers to stream on Saturday

Aaron Nola continues to exhibit much better skills than his surface stats, as his 5.06 ERA is deemed artificially high by the associated 3.56 xFIP and 3.71 SIERA. The veteran right-hander is coming off his best game of the season, throwing six scoreless innings for his third quality start of the season. He's in a great spot to stay on track with a home matchup against the Colorado Rockies and a lineup with the highest road strikeout rate facing righties.
With guidance from Yu Darvish, Randy Vasquez spent last offseason improving his conditioning, leading to increased velocity on his fastball, sinker, and slider. The results have been favorable, with Vasquez on pace to record a career-high strikeout rate while lowering his walks a tick. His newfound success will be tested when the San Diego Padres host the St. Louis Cardinals. The visitors' offense is unexpectedly productive, but they also fan 26% of the time with a righty on the hill.
Janson Junk is due for an ERA correction, with a mark a run below its estimators, but the fall will be cushioned by elite control and a high ground ball rate, limiting long balls. His .250 BABIP is artificially low, but with such low walk and home run rates, he can absorb a few more baserunners. Next up is a favorable home affair with the Miami entertaining the Washington Nationals, which tote the fourth-lowest road wOBA vs. right-handers.

Pitchers to avoid on Saturday

If this were any other matchup than on the road against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Spencer Strider would be in play, with the Atlanta Braves being the favorite for most of their contests. However, with Strider uncertain to throw five innings against the most productive lineup in the league, it's best to avoid him as he's making just his second start this season. In his debut last week, Strider was at Coors Field and lasted just 3 1/3 innings. He fanned six but issued five walks to the Colorado Rockies, giving up four hits and three earned runs.

Hitters to stream on Saturday

The Baltimore Orioles' offense is showing signs of snapping out of its malaise, and with the weather warming up, they're due for an uptick in production. On Saturday, the wind is forecast to be blowing out at Camden Yards, which is bad news for Aaron Civale and the Athletics. Samuel Basallo, Leody Taveras and Dylan Beavers are the chief streaming options.