Fantasy Baseball: Top 100 SP Rankings & Injury Updates (7/16)

Fantasy baseball managers, it's time for the weekly update to 'The List,' detailing the top 100 starting pitchers. This week's update, published on July 16, provides critical insights into current SP valuations, injury impacts, and potential minor league stashes for 12-team, H2H, 5x5 formats focusing on Wins over Quality Starts Source.

Injury Report: Assessing Stashed Pitchers

One of the key features of this week's update is a dedicated table for injured pitchers, outlining their relative rank if they were fully healthy. This is particularly useful for managers managing IL spots and benches. Several top-tier arms remain on the sidelines:

• Garrett Crochet, Max Fried, Cole Ragans, Tyler Glasnow: All are projected in the 1-10 range when healthy, indicating their elite potential upon return.
• Blake Snell, Kyle Harrison: Both are placed in the 11-20 range, suggesting high-end SP2 or SP3 value.
• Corbin Burnes, Justin Steele, Brandon Woodruff: Ranked in the 21-30 tier, highlighting their significant fantasy impact once active.

Injured pitchers are removed from the main Top 100 List, causing a natural bump for healthy arms. For example, Kyle Harrison (previously 18) and Nick Lodolo (previously 42) have been removed from the main list this week due to their injuries.

Top Tier Movement and Notes

Across the top 60 pitchers, an automatic +2 spot bump has been applied due to the removal of injured players. The very top of the rankings remains relatively stable, but specific notes provide context:

• Jacob Misiorowski (MIL, #1): Despite concerns about fatigue and remaining innings, he holds the top spot.
• Tarik Skubal (DET, #2): Appears to be returning to his elite form.
• Chris Sale (ATL, #3): Continues to perform at a high level.
• Cam Schlittler (NYY, #4): Workload and velocity suggest he can maintain his strong performance throughout the season.
• Paul Skenes (PIT, #7): Velocity dips are a concern, but he remains highly productive.
• Shohei Ohtani (LAD, #10): His ranking involves an assumption about his pitching regularity moving forward, which could change.

Minor League SPs to Stash

For those looking to bolster their roster with future talent, a speculative minor league stash list is provided. This list prioritizes players based on their potential immediate impact if called up, rather than a definitive long-term projection. Highlighted in green are players expected to be called up before the All-Star Break with a solid impact:

• Brody Hopkins (Rays, #1): Expected August 1st ETA, a legitimate arm who could promote quickly.
• Jack Wenninger (Mets, #2): August 1st ETA, with a strong curveball, filling a potential team need.
• Hagen Smith (#5): August 1st ETA, a southpaw with a strong heater and breakers.
• River Ryan (Dodgers, #7): Known for absurd breakers and throws hard, but recently returned to the IL.

Remember, this stash list is a bonus and a loose guide, focusing on players who would be an "auto-add" or "spec-add" if called up now, with an eye on their ETA.

Navigating Weekly Changes

The rankings, especially in the back half, are dynamic and reflect waiver wire opportunities. The goal is to chase ceiling over floor for many situations, particularly when considering players outside of your core SP1-4. Managers are encouraged to read the full notes to understand the rationale behind specific movements, as rankings can shift aggressively based on recent performance and potential upside.