Latest fantasy baseball pitcher rankings lineup advice tips mlb daily notes september 16 games

ESPN FantasySep 15, 2026, 05:20 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 | 2026 Rankings
ESPN's 2026 Player Rater | Betting notes for Wednesday

STARTING PITCHERS FOR WEDNESDAY

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
13.7	Zack Wheeler	R	@WSH	98.1%	50%	6.2	7.2	2.6	7.1
12.6	Blake Snell	L	@CIN	90.7%	39%	5.3	6.5	2.0	6.9
12.2	Logan Henderson	R	@PIT	75.4%	34%	5.6	6.3	2.1	5.7
11.4	Parker Messick	L	CWS	94.8%	38%	5.6	7.0	2.5	6.2
11.4	Carlos Rodon	L	@MIN	62.9%	33%	5.4	6.3	2.0	5.5
11.0	Nick Martinez	R	ATH	68.8%	43%	5.6	6.4	2.1	4.4
10.5	Shota Imanaga	L	ATL	81.8%	33%	5.7	6.9	2.6	5.5
10.3	Robert Stock	R	BAL	0.2%	25%	4.9	6.0	1.7	5.0
10.1	Chris Bassitt	R	@NYM	4.6%	33%	5.6	7.4	2.3	5.1
10.0	JR Ritchie	R	@CHC	1.4%	29%	5.2	6.2	2.0	4.6
8.9	George Kirby	R	@LAA	83.8%	37%	5.8	7.8	3.2	5.5
8.7	Jared Jones	R	MIL	21.5%	24%	4.9	6.6	2.3	5.2
8.6	Merrill Kelly	R	MIA	20.7%	32%	5.7	7.7	2.9	5.1
8.5	Keider Montero	R	@TOR	12.6%	29%	5.0	6.1	2.2	3.8
8.5	Max Scherzer	R	DET	4.7%	26%	5.2	6.7	2.6	4.8
8.5	Matthew Liberatore	L	SF	4.1%	27%	5.1	6.9	2.4	4.8
8.4	Cade Cavalli	R	PHI	73.7%	19%	5.0	6.7	2.4	5.2
8.0	Daniel Lynch IV	L	@HOU	0.7%	19%	4.8	6.3	2.2	4.3
7.8	Zebby Matthews	R	NYY	8.9%	23%	5.0	6.8	2.7	5.0
7.6	Jake Bennett	L	@TEX	25.9%	25%	4.6	5.7	2.3	3.9
7.6	Cristian Javier	R	KC	3.8%	15%	4.3	5.8	1.8	4.2
7.4	Anthony Molina	R	@STL	1.3%	26%	4.9	6.5	2.4	4.0
7.1	MacKenzie Gore	L	BOS	54.2%	16%	4.8	6.8	2.6	5.1
6.8	Ryan Gusto	R	@ARI	0.6%	27%	4.9	6.9	2.6	4.3
6.6	Yusei Kikuchi	L	SEA	8.8%	23%	5.0	7.5	3.0	5.2
5.6	Andrew Abbott	L	LAD	35.0%	10%	4.3	5.8	2.5	4.0
5.5	Erick Fedde	R	@CLE	1.4%	22%	4.9	7.2	2.8	3.8
5.2	Brady Basso	L	@TB	0.1%	3%	3.1	3.9	1.3	2.7
2.7	Robbie Ray	L	@COL	63.5%	23%	4.8	7.9	4.4	4.9
0.7	Mason Adams	R	SD	0.6%	8%	4.1	6.9	4.4	4.3

Pitchers to stream on Wednesday

Jared Jones has reached a new level in September, posting consecutive quality starts totaling 13 scoreless innings with 17 strikeouts and just three free passes. Next up is a home date with the Milwaukee Brewers. This will be a challenge for Jones as he faces the team with the best record in baseball. In his favor is that the Brewers are more potent at home, and the game is at PNC Park.
Yusei Kikuchi is risky, but on a slate devoid of solid options, his recent performance warrants streaming consideration. Another factor is a favorable matchup with the Los Angeles Angels, who are hosting the Seattle Mariners. Kikuchi posted a 3.27 ERA and 1.36 WHIP over his last four outings, fanning 21 in 22 frames. Meanwhile, the Mariners sport the league's least potent offense facing lefties, fueled by an above-average strikeout rate.
Merrill Kelly's modest streak of two straight quality starts was snapped last time out. He managed only 4 1/3 innings but yielded just one run. Over his last three outings, the Arizona Diamondbacks veteran right-hander logged a 3.27 ERA and 1.36 WHIP, helping the club stay in the playoff chase. Next up is a home affair with the Miami Marlins.

Hitters to stream on Wednesday

The Texas Rangers shuffled their rotation, skipping Chad Bradford, which moved MacKenzie Gore to Wednesday. The left-hander's strikeouts have waned lately, as Gore punched out only 11 over his past four games, with just three over his prior seven frames. The Boston Red Sox have performed better on the road than at home, giving Willson Contreras and Caleb Durbin top billing for this matchup in Arlington.
September has been kind to New York Mets' rookie outfielder A.J. Ewing, who is batting .359/.422/.641 this month. Fellow freshman Carson Benge has been less productive in September, but both enjoy the platoon edge on Baltimore Orioles' righty Chris Bassitt.
The San Diego Padres are padding their stats in a road series with the Colorado Rockies. Ty France is the primary target with Mason Adams on the hill, but Dustin Harris and Ethan Salas merit consideration as they hold the platoon advantage.
Jonah Cox has been playing regularly down the stretch. He's not crushing it, but a .266/.309/.484 line facing lefties is passable. The San Francisco Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals meet for the finale of their series in Busch Stadium with Matthew Liberatore getting the nod for the hometown nine. The lefty continues to miss bats, but he's posted a 7.27 ERA and 1.47 WHIP over his last seven outings.