Fantasy drafts are not just won in the early rounds but also the later ones. Late-round finds can help catapult players to success throughout the year. With the 2024 fantasy baseball season here and drafts in full swing, here’s a look at 10 buy-low pitchers who have the potential to provide great value this season.
A Note on Buy-Low Pitchers
As we noted in our buy-low hitters‘ breakdown, we’re looking at players — specifically starters, as late-inning relievers are always in demand — who are ranked below the top 150 but can provide serious value beyond their ranking.
We’re not going to call these players sleepers due to either their past production or prospect status. However, these individuals could be considered as such.
Our buy-low candidates are influenced by both Yahoo! and ESPN head-to-head and roto rankings. If one player is rated below #150 in one or both, that individual will be included here.
Best Value Grabs
Here’s a look at 10 value pitchers that can pay big dividends:
- SP Gavin Williams (#168 by ESPN, #174 by Yahoo!)
- SP Chris Sale (#194 by ESPN, #137 by Yahoo!)
- SP Bryan Woo (#199 by ESPN, #187 by Yahoo!)
- SP Yu Darvish (#222 by ESPN, #162 by Yahoo!)
- SP Nathan Eovaldi (#245 by ESPN, #202 by Yahoo!)
- SP Nick Lodolo (#268 by ESPN, #208 by Yahoo!)
- SP Nestor Cortes (#277 by ESPN, #293 by Yahoo!)
- SP Frankie Montas (NR by ESPN, NR by Yahoo!)
- SP Seth Lugo (NR by ESPN, NR by Yahoo!)
- SP Kutter Crawford (NR by ESPN, #340 by Yahoo!)
Several of these names were mentioned in our look at potential breakout pitchers, including Kutter Crawford and Bryan Woo.
Those two burst onto the scene as starters thanks to fastballs with plenty of life and good secondary stuff. The same can be said for Seth Lugo, who’s likely better as a pick-up option in the waiver wire but someone to monitor.
Cleveland starter Gavin Williams might be the most interesting name on this list. Unlike several pitchers, Williams has that eye-popping fastball that can sit in the upper 90s and touch triple digits. However, Williams struck out seven or more in just four of his 16 outings and he threw five or fewer innings in the majority of his 2023 starts.
Command is a concern here but Williams, if available later, can be a very good find.
Then, there are the likes of Nathan Eovaldi, Nestor Cortes, and Yu Darvish. Cortes and Darvish pitched well in their first outings of 2024 and have a knack for giving hitters different looks and changing speeds. The two were very good in 2022 and that can’t be ignored.
And as for Eovaldi, the Rangers starter was a borderline elite option for much of 2023. His ranking doesn’t do him justice, even if he averages around 8.5 K/9 like he did in 2022-23.
*NR means not rated in the top 300 by ESPN or top 375 by Yahoo!
Five Pitchers Who Could Be Breakout Stars This Year | 2024 Fantasy Baseball: Ranking the Top Players | 20 Funny Fantasy Baseball Team Names for 2024 | 2024 Fantasy Baseball Closer Chart | 2024 Fantasy Baseball: Notable Injury Cheat Sheet