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Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitchers: Studs, Duds, and Sleepers-May 16, 2015

By Zachary Thompson

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May 10, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Danny Salazar (31) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
May 10, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Danny Salazar (31) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /

As we enjoy another summer weekend of Major League Baseball, make sure your fantasy baseball team gets to finish the week right with the help of some solid starting pitching.  There are some interesting options across the board today so let’s jump right into our look at today’s fantasy baseball starting pitchers.

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To help you know who to target, who to avoid, and who could potentially offer some great value, check out my studs, duds, and sleepers on the following slides. On this slide, there are three fantasy baseball studs who will cost you big money in daily fantasy baseball, but 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 or just looking to save some cash to invest in your lineup for daily league play, those three options are a great place to start.

Each morning on FanSided, you can find the top ten batter vs pitcher matchups as well as this quick look at some of the important fantasy baseball starting pitchers scheduled to take the mound. 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 today’s breakdown the fantasy baseball starting pitchers scheduled to start today:

3 Starting Pitcher Studs

1. Max Scherzer-Washington Nationals: Scherzer has been good for the Nats despite his lackluster 3-3 record.  That 3-3 record reflects wins in his last two starts after a 1-3 start in which is still posted an excellent 1.26 ERA.  Scherzer has pitched at least seven full innings in six of his seven starts and has cast least eight strikeouts in all but two of his outings this season.  His 0.93 WHIP shows how well he has limited opponents baserunners, and starting him tonight against the Padres at Petco is a great option if you can afford him.  Scherzer will look to keep the Padres off the board after the Nats rolled them 10-0 in a shutout last night.

2. Felix Hernandez-Seattle: Another pitcher doing his work out West tonight is Felix Hernandez who takes on the Red Sox at Safeco Field tonight.  Hernandez actually has some less-than-steller splits against several of the Boston batters, but he’s still a good play given how well he has pitched this season.  In his seven starts, Hernandez has only allowed more than two runs one time while going at least seven innings in five of those seven starts.  In his 48.2 total innings, he has 50 strikeouts while allowing just 33 hits and eight walks.  He comes into tonight’s start with a 1.85 ERA, a 0.84 WHIP, and a batting average against of .192.  King Felix is looking to move to 7-0, and he has a good shot tonight as he opposes Rick Porcello and the Red Sox.

3. Danny Salazar-Cleveland Indians: One of my former sleeper picks has blossomed into a full-on fantasy star in his time with the Tribe this season.  He comes into tonight’s start against Texas with a 3.27 ERA and a 4-1 record in his first five starts, but his major fantasy baseball value comes from his strikeout numbers.  He has fanned 48 batters in just 33 innings including three games with double-digit strikeouts even though he only has five starts total.  Look for him to dominate tonight in Texas against a free-swinging Rangers team.  He won’t cost as much as the first two studs on this list, but he has the potential to be just as productive thanks to his strikeouts.

Next: 3 Starting Pitcher Stay-Aways

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