Welcome to the FantasyPros Week 21 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 Monday, August 19, through Sunday, August 25.

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

• Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Advice
• Fantasy Baseball Trade Advice
• Fantasy Baseball Start/Sit Lineup Advice
• MLB Prop Bet Cheat Sheet

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

Be sure to check the FantasyPros Pitcher Planner for the most up-to-date information.

Top 50 Starting Pitcher Rankings: Week 21

Best Matchups

• Tarik Skubal is the best pitcher in baseball facing the worst team in baseball. I mean, come on. It doesn’t get much better than this. Skubal takes an MLB-best 2.53 ERA and runner-up 0.92 WHIP to dominate the White Sox, who are 3-27 in their last 30 games. Look at any stat. It will point to more reasons the Tigers’ Cy Young frontrunner should do well here.
• Blake Snell has an ERA of 1.35 and 49 strikeouts in 33.1 innings (five starts) since the All-Star Break. One of these starts is a no-hitter. Is there anything more predictable in baseball? Snell has a 41-17 record with an ERA of 2.38 and 590 strikeouts in 465 post All-Star Break innings throughout his career. The second-half pitcher is an asset to have down the stretch. Start the Giants’ stud against the Mariners. Duh.
• Yusei Kikuchi was weak for the Blue Jays this year. He suffered a 4.75 ERA and 1.34 WHIP across 22 appearances this season. He wasn’t fantasy-viable. However, a change of scenery after a trade to the Astros has boosted his value. Kikuchi now has a 2.70 ERA and 13.3 K/9 in three starts for his new team. A small sample size, yes, but still a good sign. Kikuchi is a valid option from the lower end of the top-50 list after injuries to stars such as Hunter Greene and Tyler Glasnow and he should be good against Boston and a struggling Baltimore team.

Unfavorable Matchups

• Seth Lugo is in a slump. Is he getting unlucky, or is his 5.81 ERA over his last six starts simply catching up to his 3.98 xERA? Lugo’s ERA has ballooned to 3.04 after these performances, a testament to his talent earlier in the season. The Royals starter still shows flashes of dominance; amidst those six games, he has a complete game and an 8-inning game where he allowed just one run each. That makes his ERA from the other four starts a dangerous 9.8. Managers should still start Lugo against the Angels but probably sit him against the Phillies.
• George Kirby needs to wake up from a nightmare. The Mariners pitcher had a career-worst start in Detroit on August 13. He allowed 12 hits, three homers, and six earned runs. A scoring change benefitted his ERA, linking five unearned runs to defensive errors , while initial scoring charged Kirby with 11 runs. Kirby is rattled and heading into a game versus the Giants.
• Erick Fedde is the anti-Kikuchi. He is 1-2 with a 5.63 ERA and 6.75 K/9 in 16 innings as a Cardinal. This is a drastic disappointment from his 7-4 record, 3.11 ERA, and 7.99 K/9 for the White Sox this season. It is probably wise to bench Fedde, as he faces two competitive offenses in Milwaukee and Minnesota. Wait for the 31-year-old to settle in.

Top 50 Pitchers (8/19 – 8/25)

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