Top 50 Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Rankings: Week 5 (2024) (2024)

Welcome to the FantasyPros Week 5 starting pitcher rankings for 2024. On Fridays, we view the upcoming week and rank starting pitchers based on their talent and the team they play against. These rankings are for the week of Monday, April 22, through Sunday, April 28.

These rankings use expert consensus rankings (ECR) as a starting point. Matchup information is found on the helpful Pitcher Planner’s resource for probable pitchers.

As usual,remember that some starts are projected over a week in advance. Dates can change due to rain, injury or anything else. Two-start weeks pitchers often end up as one-start weeks.

Sometimes it is best to treat a second start as a pleasant surprise rather than an expectation, especially during a rainy spring season. Be sure to check the Pitcher Planner later on for more up-to-date information.

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Top 50 Starting Pitcher Rankings: Week 5

Pitchers (Hopefully) on Waivers

• Nick Lodolo flashed ace potential in 2022 with 11.4 K/9 and a 3.66 ERA in 103.1 innings. Sadly, the youngster did not live up to expectations in 2023 and his disappointing season was cut short by a tibia injury. His leg finally recovered for a tardy 2024 debut where he threw 5.2 innings of 10 strikeout baseball, only giving away one walk and one hit. Lodolo will be a star if he stays healthy.
• Reynaldo Lopez has earned three consecutive quality starts, 18 strikeouts and just one run allowed in 18.0 innings pitched. His most recent win against the Astros was the most impressive, striking out seven and only allowing five men on base. If Lopez is available, grab him right away.
• Javier Assad‘s 2024 is building off his 109.1 IP, 3.05 ERA season in 2023. The Cubs starter does not have a career history of elite strikeout numbers or WHIP, but he should be a good source of ERA.

Best Matchups

• Corbin Burnes is one of the best starters in baseball following injuries to Spencer Strider and Gerrit Cole. Expect Burnes to impress against Oakland.
• Ranger Suarez surprised the fantasy baseball community by throwing a complete-game shutout against the Rockies. While his matchups against the Reds and Padres aren’t easy, Suarez may be the hottest pitcher right now. Ride the wave.
• Jared Jones has demonstrated absurd control so far with a 32:2 K:BB. No sensational rookie can escape all road bumps, but managers should be excited for Jones’ potential two-start week.

Unfavorable Matchups

• Justin Verlander returns. The 41-year-old has been nursing a shoulder injury and will still be getting into the groove when he faces a deep Cubs lineup. Managers should proceed with caution.
• Chris Bassitt remains one of the most consistent ballplayers today. He is rarely exciting, yet he gets the job done. Bassitt loses value this week due to a tough Dodgers lineup.
• Paul Blackburn may be the best thing the A’s have going for them. I highly doubt he will be the best thing fantasy managers have going for them this week when he faces the Yankees and Orioles. Consider benching the pitcher, especially in leagues that count wins.
• Tanner Houck threw a complete-game shutout against the Guardians. It sounds ridiculous to tell managers to be cautious of his next matchup, but here I am. Houck’s next start is a rematch against Cleveland, a slightly concerning fact because of history in a small sample size. Houck dominated the Angels earlier in the season but faced them again just a week later, allowing 12 hits and four runs. Managers should still start the righty, but be ready for a bad result.

Top 50 Pitchers (4/22 – 4/28)

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Ryan Pasti is a featured writer at FantasyPros, providing unique insights and in-depth analysis.