Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitchers: Studs, Duds, and Sleepers-May 14, 2015

There’s plenty of day baseball to help us through this Thursday, May 14 with five games on the afternoon slate starting with a 12:10 first pitch in Cleveland.  Make sure you get your fantasy baseball starting pitchers lined up for today before rosters lock down this afternoon if you are playing in a full-day or full-season league.  To help you find the right fantasy baseball starting pitchers, check out my studs, duds, and sleepers in this daily post.

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On this slide, there are three studs who will cost you big money in daily fantasy baseball, but who should be able to deliver based on matchup and current form.  If you own these players in season-long formats, they are must-starts. On the next slide, you’ll find three options I’d recommend by-passing today based on their matchup and their recent struggles.  On the final slide of this post, you’ll find my favorite three sleeper starting pitchers for today.  If you are planning to hit the waiver wire in search of a streaming starting pitcher, those three options are a great place to start.

Each morning on FanSided, we’ve been featuring the top ten batter vs pitcher matchups as well as taking a quick look at some of the most important fantasy baseball starting pitchers. If you find these posts helpful, let us know in the comments and be sure to drop a bookmark at our fantasy baseball hub where we’ll have new coverage throughout the rest of the season.

If you have any questions about our coverage or a fantasy baseball move you’re considering, feel free to comment below or find me @FansidedFantasy on Twitter. I’ll be happy to give you my take on your lineup, and to help you any way I can.

Let’s jump right in to a quick breakdown of today’s fantasy baseball starting pitchers:

3 Starting Pitcher Studs

1. Johnny Cueto-Cincinnati Reds: Cueto and the Reds start their four-game set with Giants as they look to move above .500 after evening their record at 17-17 yesterday against the Braves.  Cueto hasn’t been lights out in his last two starts allowing nine runs in 14.a total innings, but he continues to pile up innings and serve as the Ace of the Reds.  He has at least six strikeouts in five of his seven starts this season and has gone at least eight innings in three of his last four starts.  As he takes on a Giants lineup depleted by injury, he’ll look to improve on his impressive 1.23 home ERA so far this season in three starts at Great American Ballpark.

2. Michael Wacha-St. Louis Cardinals: Wacha looks to improve to 6-0 as he takes on the Tribe this afternoon. He has gotten a little bit lucky getting good run support along the way, but he does have a solid 2.09 ERA and 1.03 WHIP.  He has been excellent in his three day-game starts this season going 2-0 with a 0.90 ERA allowing just two runs in 20 innings. Look for him to turn in a nice outing today as the Cards wrap up their trip to Cleveland.

3. Doug Fister-Washington Nationals: The fact that Fister makes this list shows how thin things are at the top of the elite starting pitching pool today.  He is pitching in Petco Park which is always a favorable situation, and he has four quality starts in his six outings this season.  He comes into today’s outing with a 2.87 ERA and a 2-1 record. Fister is a solid option as long as you realize he won’t give you a ton of strikeouts although he usually turns in solid innings.

Next: 3 Starting Pitcher Stay-Aways