How and when to draft starting pitching can be an extremely polarizing fantasy baseball debate. Some will tell you it is imperative to draft an ace or two early to anchor your rotation.
Others will remind you of the vast depth at the position and how you can wait a few rounds, stack some hitters, then build your rotation.
Your league’s scoring system can help determine how you proceed, but the most important factor is to read the room, see what your opponents are doing and assess where the value is strongest in the early rounds.
But when it comes to your late rounds, bulking up on pitching is typically recommended by all.
Having one of your late-round starting pitchers post breakout numbers is an enormous advantage.
Just ask anyone who took Spencer Strider or Logan Gilbert last season or Carlos Rodon the year before.
While high-end picks such as Jacob deGrom, Walker Buehler and Lucas Giolito failed to deliver, those unheralded hurlers helped their managers dominate in pitching categories across the board.
Finding such gems might not be easy, but there are a few names to keep on your radar for upcoming drafts and waiver wire pick-ups.
Though some may doubt that lightning can strike twice for the Braves, Jared Shuster and Dylan Dodd are two names you need to know.
The lefties are competing for the fifth-starter job, as Atlanta has sent oft-injured Mike Soroka to minor league camp already.
Soroka could be back, depending on how his hamstring heals, but given his history and the nature of injuries in general, both Shuster (the early favorite) and Dodd could be late-round gems.
You always need to take spring training numbers with a grain of salt, but so far both look dominant. Shuster, who tossed 48 ²/₃ innings at Triple-A Gwinnett last year, has solid command of his three-pitch arsenal and is sporting a 1.45 ERA with a 0.59 WHIP and 18-4 K-BB rate over 18 ²/₃ spring innings.
Dodd received his Triple-A promotion late last year, but his four-pitch arsenal is strong, and he has a 0.69 ERA with a 15-2 K-BB over 13 spring innings. Shuster’s extra seasoning may give him the early edge, but both could be in the rotation at some point this season.
Late-round picks should never be dismissed. Adding potential hopefuls such as Shuster, Dodd — or even pitchers like Clarke Schmidt or Gavin Stone — could prove to be a difference-maker in your league.
Some fantasy managers might favor veterans such as Michael Wacha or Mike Clevinger still, but proper scouting of prospects is what ultimately makes you a fantasy champion.
Howard Bender is the head of content at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on Twitter @rotobuzzguy and catch him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 6-8 p.m. Go to FantasyAlarm.com for all your fantasy baseball advice.