Latest fantasy baseball pitcher rankings lineup advice tips mlb daily notes september 24 games

ESPN FantasySep 23, 2026, 04:20 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 Thursday

STARTING PITCHERS FOR THURSDAY

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	Bryan Woo	R	LAA	95.7%	49%	6.1	6.3	2.0	6.7
13.1	Tyler Glasnow	R	SD	87.9%	34%	5.6	6.4	1.9	6.4
13.0	Cam Schlittler	R	TB	99.1%	31%	5.7	6.4	1.9	6.2
12.3	Paul Skenes	R	STL	98.8%	42%	5.6	6.4	2.1	5.8
11.7	Freddy Peralta	R	@NYY	83.6%	33%	5.5	6.5	2.1	5.7
10.3	Nick Pivetta	R	@LAD	64.7%	19%	4.8	5.3	1.7	4.8
9.2	Clay Holmes	R	MIA	32.3%	32%	5.5	7.4	2.3	4.6
9.1	Tyler Mahle	R	CIN	42.5%	35%	5.6	7.4	2.8	5.3
8.7	Colton Gordon	L	@PHI	0.0%	26%	5.1	6.3	2.4	4.4
8.5	Ranger Suarez	L	CLE	76.1%	30%	5.4	7.2	2.9	5.3
8.0	Zac Thornton	L	@TEX	10.5%	30%	5.0	6.3	2.6	4.3
7.0	Grayson Rodriguez	R	@SEA	3.3%	17%	5.3	7.5	2.9	5.0
6.9	Tanner Bibee	R	@BOS	61.7%	28%	5.3	7.5	3.2	4.8
6.7	Jose Urquidy	R	MIL	0.6%	7%	3.8	4.7	1.7	3.6
6.2	David Sandlin	R	@KC	0.7%	17%	4.4	6.1	2.3	3.8
6.1	Peter Lambert	R	@ATH	25.9%	35%	5.3	7.8	3.6	5.2
6.1	Tyler Phillips	R	@CHC	2.7%	8%	4.0	5.3	1.9	3.6
5.8	Brady Singer	R	@ATL	6.6%	27%	5.2	7.8	3.3	4.7
5.3	Kumar Rocker	R	NYM	3.7%	13%	4.3	6.2	2.6	4.0
5.0	Cooper Hjerpe*	L	@PIT	0.5%	2%	2.8	3.7	1.2	2.9
4.3	Randy Dobnak	R	CWS	3.8%	12%	4.4	6.5	2.7	3.2
1.0	Mason Barnett	R	HOU	0.1%	12%	4.4	7.6	4.1	4.0
0.6	Eduardo Rodriguez	L	@COL	71.8%	32%	5.3	9.1	5.8	5.2
-2.9	Tanner Gordon*	R	ARI	0.5%	18%	4.5	8.2	6.0	3.9

Pitchers to stream on Thursday

Who had Tyler Mahle as the best deadline acquisition? The veteran lefty is 4-1 with a 1.28 ERA and 0.89 WHIP in eight starts for the Atlanta Braves. Not known for missing bats, Mahle fanned a respectable 44 in those 49 1/3 innings, walking only seven with just four homers allowed. The Braves are locked into the No. 3 seed in the National League, but they'll likely continue to play their regulars until the weekend. This is bad news for the Cincinnati Reds, whose lineup strikes out 25% of the time facing left-handers.
Clay Holmes is slated to start for the Chicago Cubs against the Miami Marlins in the last regular-season game this year at Wrigley Field. The Marlins sport an above-average lineup facing righties, and Holmes has struggled with his control this month, but the Cubs have a lot to play for and the Marlins are just trying to play spoiler. In this scenario, the edge goes to the team with more on the line, and the Cubs are vying for the top National League wild card and home field in the first playoff series.
Peter Lambert has made five straight starts against teams bound for the playoffs or still in contention. His ERA in that span is a solid 3.77, with 27 strikeouts in 28 2/3 innings. The only blemish is a bloated .326 BABIP, and that is out of sync with a stingy 32.6% hard-hit rate over this stretch. The Houston Astros and Texas Rangers are neck-and-neck for the AL West crown, with the loser likely missing the playoffs. Lambert's recent success and a lot to play for gives him the nod against the Athletics, even on the road. Temperatures in Sacramento are more moderate, helping Sutter Health Park play bigger than in the heat of the summer.
Zac Thornton continues to impress for the New York Mets. He'll try to close his season with a third straight quality start when he faces the Rangers in Arlington. The lefty has exhibited pinpoint control with a 5.3% walk rate. The Rangers are a below-average offense facing left-handers.

Hitters to stream on Thursday

Thursday marks the Colorado Rockies' final home game of the season. They will likely piggyback lefty Jose Quintana and righty Tanner Gordon against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Platoons aren't as relevant at Coors Field, putting Lars Nootbaar, Nolan Arenado, Jordan Lawlar and Pavin Smith in play.
The Diamondbacks will send Eduardo Rodriguez to the hill. The lefty has managed to outpitch his peripherals all season, as evidenced by an xFIP and SIERA over a run and a half higher than his 2.88 ERA. Don't hesitate to stream Connor Norby and Cole Carrigg.
As well as Zac Thornton has pitched for the Mets, he's still vulnerable to right-handed batters. The Rangers will have Jake Burger and Josh Jung in the meat of their order when they meet in Arlington.
On the flip side, Mets rookies A.J. Ewing and Carson Benge are in a favorable spot facing Rangers righty Kumar Rocker.
Sam Antonacci continues to spark the surprisingly potent Chicago White Sox offense. The left-handed swinger will be leading off against Randy Dobnak and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium.