Fantasy Baseball Draft Strategy: Cole Ragans, Michael King, Nick Pivetta (2024)

Pitcher eligibility isn’t important in every fantasy baseball league. Many leagues don’t distinguish between starters and relievers. However, in leagues that differentiate between them, it’s possible to gain an edge by slotting RP-eligible starters into an RP spot. For instance, gamers punting saves in head-to-head leagues can target RP-eligible starters instead of closers or non-closing relievers to enhance their outlook for recording wins and strikeouts.

Sometimes, the edge isn’t as apparent. In leagues with weekly lineup changes, gamers might have more starting pitchers projected to start twice in a week than they have SP spots. That gamer could potentially use all of those pitchers if one of them has RP eligibility. Furthermore, if a team is locked into a place in roto league standings for saves, using an RP-eligible starter might be more valuable. Pushing any edges, no matter how small, can be the difference between a mediocre finish and a championship in fantasy baseball. With that in mind, the following RP-eligible starting pitchers are exciting targets.

RP-Eligible Starting Pitchers to Target

Cole Ragans (SP, RP – KC) | 103.0 ADP

Cole Ragans was a revelation for the Royals. According to FanGraphs, in 12 starts spanning 71.2 innings for Kansas City, the lefty had a 2.64 ERA, 3.57 SIERA, 1.07 WHIP, 9.4 BB%, 31.1 K%, 29.1 CSW%, 101 Stuff+, 102 Location+ and 104 Pitching+.

Ragans isn’t resting on his laurels after a breakout. Instead, he’s tinkering with his arsenal, reportedly working on a sinker/two-seamer.

Notable pitchers reportedly working on a new pitch this spring: pic.twitter.com/QULfSDQbiw

– Underdog MLB (@Underdog__MLB) February 19, 2024

There wasn’t anything flukey about his breakout. Ragans also pitched over 120 innings last season and 130 in 2022, setting the stage for 150-plus if he’s healthy all season in 2024. Gamers should be willing to reach an entire round ahead of Ragans’s average draft position (ADP) to secure him.

Michael King (SP, RP – SD) | 151.0 ADP

Michael King was a lights-out reliever for the Yankees in 2022 and at the beginning of 2023. They wisely gave him a chance to start, and the gamble panned out. In nine starts totaling 40.1 innings, King had a 2.23 ERA, 3.16 SIERA, 1.14 WHIP, 5.5 BB%, 31.3 K%, 33.3 CSW%, 112 Stuff+, 106 Location+ and 107 Pitching+.

He’ll ply his trade for the Padres after the Yankees shipped him to San Diego in a blockbuster trade. King’s new home ballpark is the most pitcher-friendly venue. PETCO Park has the lowest park factor for runs (0.860) and suppresses homers (0.931). Since King split time relieving and starting last season, he pitched only 104.2 innings. Thus, he’s likely to face an innings restriction of some sort this year. Nevertheless, King is undervalued for the quality of innings he’ll provide and worth reaching ahead of his ADP to pick.

Nick Pivetta (SP, RP – BOS) | 187.0 ADP

Nick Pivetta didn’t get off to a good start in Boston’s rotation last year. Fortunately, a move to the bullpen was what the doctor ordered. He thrived in a bulk-reliever gig. The righty’s stellar play earned him some starts mixed in with bulk-relief appearances during the summer.

In 13 appearances (eight starts) from July 31 through the end of the regular season, Pivetta spun a 3.94 ERA, 2.94 SIERA, 1.05 WHIP, 6.5 BB%, 33.6 K% and 31.8 CSW% in 61.2 innings. In addition, Pivetta had blistering pitch-modeling data, even when narrowed to only his starts. In 87.0 innings as a starter, Pivetta had a 118 Stuff+, 101 Location+ and 106 Pitching+. He’s an attractive target near his ADP, with the fallback of bulk-relieving on the table if he stumbles as a starter.