Fantasy baseball pitcher rankings, lineup advice for Monday’s MLB games

Look for our fantasy baseball starting pitcher rankings, hitter upgrades and downgrades daily to help you make smart fantasy baseball lineup decisions and for MLB betting tips. MLB game odds are provided by ESPN BET, and fantasy advice is geared toward ESPN 10-team leagues with standard scoring.

Note: This file will be updated with any overnight pitching changes or weather-related game postponements, along with the addition of the latest MLB game odds as of the indicated time of publication.

Sonny days

Back in March, there were several fantasy relevant pitchers with health concerns. Fantasy managers had to make tough decisions. Those rolling the dice on Tyler Glasnow and Chris Sale have been rewarded, at least so far. Kevin Gausman appears to be rounding into form, but Walker Buehler is still trying to get in a groove. Initially, it appeared those hoping Kyle Bradish and Bryan Woo would be fine were smiling, but Bradish is out with a sprained UCL and Woo is nursing a forearm issue. The imaging report specifically referenced no new damage, suggesting there is some prior damage, ostensibly not serious enough to prevent Woo from pitching through it.

In early March, St. Louis Cardinals starter Sonny Gray incurred a mild hamstring strain. Early in draft season, it wasn’t clear when Gray would make his 2024 debut, but toward the end it was known he’d begin the season on the 15-day IL. Perhaps it was easier to take a chance on Gray because he wasn’t dealing with an arm issue, but those willing to wait for Gray to be ready made the right decision.

Gray hasn’t completed enough innings to be ranked among the qualified pitchers, but if he did, his 33.0% strikeout rate would be fourth-best and his 25.7% K-BB% would be fifth-highest. Gray’s ERA estimators deem his 3.01 ERA about half a run too high, as he has been unfortunate with a low 69.2% left-on-base mark. That said, expected ERAs are based on the displayed skills level, and Gray will be hard-pressed to maintain his current marks for the rest of the season. Even so, Gray portends to be one of the better starters over the final three and a half months.

Suggesting dealing for Gray is easier said than done, unless it’s a keeper or dynasty scenario. Gray is 34 years old and has a checkered injury past, so there’s a chance he could be available if he’s on a fantasy team ripe for a rebuild.

Everything else you need to know for Monday

• Gray is the highest-ranked pitcher on Monday’s nine-game slate. He’ll take the hill in one of the three games kicking off at 6:40 p.m. ET. Opposing pitcher Braxton Garrett (31.5% rostered in ESPN leagues) is the third-highest overall starter and the top streaming option. The Miami Marlins host the Cardinals in what portends to be a low-scoring affair. Garrett is another pitcher who was hurt in the spring, so his 2024 was delayed until early May. He’s coming off a pair of subpar outings, with his ranking driven by his success last season. In leagues with games starts or innings restrictions, it’s best to look elsewhere, but otherwise Garrett is in play.

• Philadelphia Phillies lefty Cristopher Sanchez (17.2% rostered) is listed one spot below Garrett. Sanchez is pitching better than Garrett, but he’s appearing at home against the San Diego Padres in hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park. Sanchez is also coming off a rough outing where he yielded four runs on four hits to the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. However, Sanchez has a 1.48 ERA and 1.07 WHIP with a palatable 20 strikeouts and frugal three walks in 24 1/3 frames over his four prior outings. Despite the tougher draw, Sanchez gets the nod over Garrett.

• My favorite streaming option is Texas Rangers SP Jon Gray for his home date with the New York Mets. The concern is Gray’s recent workload has been limited. Gray came off the IL and threw a 2 1/3 inning relief outing, then started against the Los Angeles Dodgers on three days of rest, so he only completed three innings. On Monday, Gray will be back on four days of rest, so he should be able to throw his usual 90-plus pitches. He’s enjoying a solid season with 63 punch-outs to only 19 walks with just three homers allowed in 62 1/3 stanzas.

• Another lower-ranked, but viable spot starter is Javier Assad (43.1%). The Chicago Cubs host the San Francisco Giants in the opener of a three-game set. Assad has 37 strikeouts over his last 31 1/3 innings, but he has also walked 16 with six homers. The Giants’ walk rate is average and their home run rate is below average.

• Even with a less potent lineup than usual, the Colorado Rockies are dangerous at home. They’re in the middle of a 10-game homestand, with seven games at Coors Field this week. The club is without regular C Elias Diaz, rendering backups Jacob Stallings and Hunter Goodman as juicy pickups, though it may not be clear which us starting on a given day. Injuries to the outfield increases the allure for Jake Cave and Charlie Blackmon.

It’s never too late to start a free fantasy baseball league. Leagues drafted this week will start scoring fresh the following Monday. Come and join the fun!

Starting pitcher rankings for Monday