Latest fantasy baseball pitcher rankings lineup advice tips mlb daily notes 17 games

ESPN FantasyMay 16, 2026, 05:04 PM ET
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Check out all 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 Sunday

STARTING PITCHERS FOR SUNDAY

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
15.4	Paul Skenes	R	PHI	99.9%	43%	6.3	6.5	2.0	6.7
13.7	Drew Rasmussen	R	MIA	85.9%	39%	6.1	6.6	1.9	5.9
13.7	Peter Lambert	R	TEX	20.9%	37%	5.9	6.9	1.8	6.4
13.6	Nathan Eovaldi	R	@HOU	82.5%	33%	5.9	6.2	2.0	6.1
13.1	Zack Wheeler	R	@PIT	96.1%	32%	6.0	6.7	2.2	6.4
13.1	Freddy Peralta	R	NYY	96.2%	37%	5.6	6.5	1.8	6.1
12.2	George Kirby	R	SD	98.4%	35%	6.0	6.8	2.3	5.7
11.4	Eury Perez	R	@TB	73.0%	26%	5.4	6.5	2.0	5.8
11.3	Kevin Gausman	R	@DET	94.9%	46%	6.2	7.6	2.8	5.7
10.6	Elmer Rodriguez	R	@NYM	1.7%	22%	5.1	6.1	1.6	4.8
9.9	Colin Rea	R	@CWS	10.6%	35%	6.1	7.9	3.0	5.4
9.4	Brandon Young	R	@WSH	3.8%	38%	5.8	7.5	2.8	5.0
9.4	Jack Flaherty	R	TOR	39.0%	27%	5.7	7.5	2.9	5.9
9.3	Gavin Williams	R	CIN	92.9%	34%	5.5	7.7	2.8	6.2
9.1	Bailey Ober	R	MIL	38.7%	27%	5.2	6.4	2.4	4.8
8.8	Andre Pallante	R	KC	4.3%	34%	5.8	7.8	2.6	4.4
8.6	Jeffrey Springs	L	SF	26.9%	28%	5.0	6.2	2.3	4.4
8.4	Stephen Kolek	R	@STL	3.2%	27%	5.2	6.8	2.3	4.3
8.3	Lucas Giolito	R	@SEA	6.6%	26%	5.0	6.7	2.3	4.7
7.8	Erick Fedde	R	CHC	1.9%	29%	5.3	6.9	2.6	4.1
7.8	Grant Holmes	R	BOS	10.9%	26%	5.2	7.2	2.9	5.4
7.8	Adrian Houser	R	@ATH	1.3%	27%	5.3	6.9	2.7	4.1
7.3	Roki Sasaki	R	@LAA	19.1%	33%	5.2	7.2	3.0	4.9
6.9	Grayson Rodriguez	R	LAD	7.9%	18%	4.8	6.8	2.7	4.9
6.3	Brayan Bello	R	@ATL	5.4%	32%	5.2	7.6	3.1	4.4
6.3	Brady Singer	R	@CLE	7.2%	17%	4.6	6.3	2.5	4.1
5.7	Miles Mikolas	R	BAL	0.5%	17%	4.7	6.2	2.8	3.7
5.3	Robert Gasser	L	@MIN	0.5%	6%	3.3	4.3	1.5	3.1
2.7	Michael Soroka	R	@COL	44.0%	28%	5.2	8.1	5.1	5.6
-1.4	Michael Lorenzen	R	ARI	0.6%	24%	4.9	8.8	5.8	4.3

Pitchers to stream on Sunday

After spending 10 years in the Colorado Rockies organization, Peter Lambert pitched overseas for the Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball in 2025. He returned to the States and signed a minor league deal with the Houston Astros. After failing to make the team in the spring, Lambert was released, but he signed a minor league deal with the club a couple of days later. Injuries led to a call-up, and he's taking advantage of it with three quality starts over five outings in his return to the majors. The Texas Rangers' offense against right-handers is a tick below average.
Bailey Ober is coming off his best outing of the season, a complete game shutout over the Miami Marlins. Overall, the right-hander is rebounding from a subpar 2025, but his career-worst 18.7% strikeout rate leaves him vulnerable to strong offenses, especially those with power. The early forecast calls for the wind to blow in at Target Field when the Minnesota Twins host the Milwaukee Brewers. Furthermore, the Brewers sport the lowest road home run rate with a righty on the hill.

Hitters to stream on Sunday

There have not been many opportunities to target the Kansas City Royals' hitters, but on Sunday they line up for a productive day facing the St. Louis Cardinals with Andre Pallante on the hill. The right-hander's strikeout rate is well below average, and he walks hitters at an above-average clip. The Royals' lineup is ideally set up to take advantage, as they generally put the ball in play and have a couple of power sources off to a slow start. The conditions are right for Vinnie Pasquantino, Carter Jensen and Jac Caglianone to enjoy a productive afternoon.