With a doubleheader on top of a full 15-game slate, Friday is a jam-packed night around MLB. That means plenty of action — and plenty of starting pitchers out there for your fantasy baseball squads. There’s a little bit of everything, from top-tier names (Spencer Strider, Tyler Glasnow, Pablo Lopez, Sandy Alcantara), exciting young arms (Tarik Skubal, Gavin Williams), under-the-radar options with juicy matchups, even Michael Lorenzen looking to follow up last week’s no-hitter. So let’s break it all down, with recommendations on who to start, who to sit and who to stream off the waiver wire.
Starting pitcher rankings for Friday, August 18
Pitchers to stream
Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers — Skubal has alternated starts where he looks like a budding ace with clunkers of late, but the lefty’s overwhelming four-seam fastball — the pitch carries an xBA of .197 and a 27.2% whiff rate, as he commands it expertly at the top of the strike zone — is simply too good to give up on. Especially when he’ll get a matchup against a weak Guardians lineup on Wednesday night, a team that isn’t very likely to punish his mistakes with Josh Naylor on the shelf. Skubal carries more strikeout upside than anyone else you might find on your waiver wire.
Seth Lugo, San Diego Padres — Lugo wasn’t at his sharpest last time out against the Diamondbacks, but I think he’ll fare much better in a rematch against Arizona on Friday night. The righty pitched to a 3.04 ERA across eight starts in June and July, and he has among the best infield defenses in baseball backing him up. Arizona has been slumping on offense of late, and Lugo should have more than enough to get through five or six solid innings.
Kyle Gibson, Baltimore Orioles — Gibson was lit up against the Mariners last weekend, but we’ve seen him bounce back from inconsistent stretches before — the veteran had put up five quality starts over his previous six outings, after all. He has a dream matchup on Friday, getting the woeful Athletics at pitcher-friendly Oakland Coliseum, and with Baltimore’s bats backing him, he’s as good a bet for a win as you’ll find on the waiver wire.
Xzavion Curry, Cleveland Guardians — Curry threw 70 pitches his last time out, so he should be stretched out enough to make five or six innings an easily attainable goal in this one. He also gets the Tigers’ mediocre offense, and the righty held his own against the Rays before two sixth-inning runs spoiled his line last time out. Don’t expect a ton of strikeouts, but Curry’s effective slider could be enough to carry him through on a day without a ton of other compelling options.
And now, without further ado, here are your full starting pitcher rankings for fantasy baseball on Friday, August 18.
