Below is a chart of every National League starting pitcher covered in MLB.com's 2008 Fantasy Preview, a rundown that includes established big leaguers and up-and-coming prospects.
The list features dollar values compiled by our MLB.com staff based on standard 23-man, $260, 5x5 NL-league play. We included projected stats for the 2008 season as well as a one-liner prediction that encapsulates every player's value in 10 words or fewer. This page will be updated throughout the spring to reflect the impact of inevitable transactions, injuries and changing job situations.
An indispensable part of the draft-day kit, the cheat sheet can make the difference between winning and losing your fantasy league. With quick-hitting rankings and forecasts, it'll help you keep the remaining players on the board in order as the draft wears on. The last thing you want to be doing is flipping through some magazine when it's your turn to pick.
So play fair, but don't forget your cheat sheet when you head to your draft.
| Starters |
TM |
$$ |
W |
SO |
ERA |
WHIP |
Notes |
| Johan Santana | NYM | 41 | 20 | 251 | 2.81 | 1.02 | Still the best in business. |
| Jake Peavy | SD | 34 | 17 | 220 | 3.08 | 1.17 | Challenging Johan for No. 1 starter spot. |
| Brandon Webb | ARI | 29 | 17 | 187 | 3.42 | 1.23 | Consummate ground-ball pitcher. |
| Dan Haren | ARI | 27 | 17 | 192 | 3.33 | 1.20 | Here to stay after standout year. |
| Aaron Harang | CIN | 26 | 15 | 210 | 3.68 | 1.24 | Only Peavy and Johan have more Ks in past two years. |
| Cole Hamels | PHI | 22 | 14 | 180 | 3.35 | 1.20 | Stud lefty needs to overcome health woes. |
| Rich Hill | CHC | 22 | 15 | 203 | 3.61 | 1.18 | Underrated lefty an excellent source of Ks. |
| Roy Oswalt | HOU | 22 | 16 | 161 | 3.54 | 1.27 | Don't rely on K from stable workhorse. |
| Yovani Gallardo | MIL | 21 | 15 | 177 | 3.46 | 1.18 | Knee surgery could delay start of phenom's season. |
| Tim Lincecum | SF | 21 | 12 | 199 | 3.73 | 1.21 | Last chance to buy low. |
| John Smoltz | ATL | 21 | 13 | 174 | 3.59 | 1.23 | Not your average 40-year-old. |
| Chris Young | SD | 20 | 13 | 173 | 3.55 | 1.19 | Injury-free season would vault him to elite. |
| Brett Myers | PHI | 20 | 13 | 181 | 4.02 | 1.28 | Aspiring ace can put relief nightmares behind him. |
| Jeff Francis | COL | 19 | 16 | 168 | 4.12 | 1.29 | Not affected by Coors Field. |
| Carlos Zambrano | CHC | 19 | 14 | 180 | 4.26 | 1.31 | Workload a major concern. |
| Ben Sheets | MIL | 18 | 13 | 154 | 3.71 | 1.19 | Must show he can remain healthy. |
| Matt Cain | SF | 18 | 11 | 184 | 3.94 | 1.26 | Could fly under radar after unlucky sophomore year. |
| Ted Lilly | CHC | 18 | 14 | 163 | 4.15 | 1.27 | NL brings out best in power lefty. |
| Ian Snell | PIT | 16 | 13 | 192 | 3.54 | 1.29 | Great value pick. |
| Chad Billingsley | LAD | 16 | 12 | 171 | 3.77 | 1.31 | Immense upside but might not fully bloom until '09. |
| Tim Hudson | ATL | 15 | 16 | 125 | 3.81 | 1.28 | Only if you can stomach the lack of Ks. |
| John Maine | NYM | 15 | 15 | 188 | 4.01 | 1.32 | Won't catch anyone by surprise this year. |
| Pedro Martinez | NYM | 14 | 12 | 141 | 3.62 | 1.25 | Possible bargain, but don't count on 200 IP. |
| Brad Penny | LAD | 14 | 13 | 140 | 3.95 | 1.34 | Likely to be overvalued. |
| Oliver Perez | NYM | 13 | 12 | 201 | 4.31 | 1.38 | Ks come with risk. |
| Derek Lowe | LAD | 12 | 14 | 145 | 3.79 | 1.30 | Steady, solid role player. |
| Randy Johnson | ARI | 11 | 11 | 146 | 4.15 | 1.33 | Injury risk may cause him to slip. |
| Bronson Arroyo | CIN | 11 | 12 | 154 | 3.86 | 1.29 | Better than his record shows. |
| Adam Wainwright | STL | 11 | 13 | 149 | 3.92 | 1.34 | Got hang of starting in second half last year. |
| Barry Zito | SF | 10 | 10 | 142 | 4.32 | 1.36 | Not helped by move to NL. |
| Homer Bailey | CIN | 9 | 11 | 135 | 3.99 | 1.29 | Healthy and primed to start fulfilling potential. |
| Franklin Morales | COL | 9 | 11 | 122 | 4.33 | 1.41 | Showed toughness in postseason, ready to shine. |
| Tom Gorzelanny | PIT | 9 | 13 | 143 | 4.08 | 1.34 | Regression more likely than progress. |
| Randy Wolf | SD | 9 | 12 | 149 | 3.92 | 1.33 | Cheap source of Ks when healthy. |
| Chuck James | ATL | 6 | 12 | 148 | 4.32 | 1.34 | Likely to need more seasoning before making leap. |
| Wandy Rodriguez | HOU | 6 | 11 | 146 | 4.06 | 1.36 | Enticing sleeper play. |
| Jason Schmidt | LAD | 6 | 6 | 83 | 4.49 | 1.41 | Expect rust upon return from shoulder surgery. |
| Greg Maddux | SD | 6 | 13 | 107 | 3.95 | 1.26 | Not ready to ride off into sunset yet. |
| Doug Davis | ARI | 6 | 12 | 153 | 4.42 | 1.44 | Strands too many baserunners for comfort. |
| Ubaldo Jimenez | COL | 5 | 10 | 161 | 4.98 | 1.50 | High-risk/high-reward option. |
| Hiroki Kuroda | LAD | 5 | 11 | 121 | 4.28 | 1.33 | Worth speculating on. |
| Orlando Hernandez | NYM | 4 | 7 | 99 | 4.33 | 1.42 | Useful across-the-board contributor when healthy. |
| Micah Owings | ARI | 4 | 11 | 136 | 4.35 | 1.38 | Set to build upon first full season. |
| Shawn Hill | WAS | 4 | 7 | 79 | 3.70 | 1.28 | All that separates him from breakthrough is health. |
| Chris Carpenter | STL | 4 | 4 | 46 | 3.91 | 1.33 | Worth tucking away if you have roster space. |
| Dave Bush | MIL | 4 | 9 | 114 | 4.22 | 1.27 | One adjustment away from breakthrough. |
| Mark Prior | SD | 3 | 7 | 91 | 3.81 | 1.31 | Second lease on life in San Diego. |
| Jeff Suppan | MIL | 3 | 12 | 109 | 4.48 | 1.46 | Serviceable reserve with win potential. |
| Carlos Villanueva | MIL | 3 | 10 | 115 | 4.29 | 1.42 | Swingman on wait list for rotation duty. |
| Tom Glavine | ATL | 2 | 10 | 97 | 5.02 | 1.48 | Leaving Queens could spell trouble. |
| Scott Olsen | FLA | 2 | 10 | 152 | 4.66 | 1.51 | Steer clear after troubling sophomore slump. |
| Chris Capuano | MIL | 2 | 9 | 97 | 4.19 | 1.34 | Turnaround possible with a rotation spot. |
| Edinson Volquez | CIN | 2 | 10 | 93 | 4.80 | 1.48 | Success hinges on improved command. |
| Anthony Reyes | STL | 2 | 7 | 100 | 4.62 | 1.30 | Rebound candidate. |
| Jason Bergmann | WAS | 2 | 7 | 133 | 4.54 | 1.34 | Could surprise in strikeout department. |
| Andrew Miller | FLA | 2 | 6 | 112 | 4.96 | 1.49 | Prospect may need more time at Triple-A. |
| Aaron Cook | COL | 2 | 12 | 81 | 4.11 | 1.36 | Abundance of grounders keeps him relevant. |
| Kyle Kendrick | PHI | 2 | 10 | 80 | 4.48 | 1.37 | Sophomore slump more likely than not. |
| Noah Lowry | SF | 2 | 5 | 81 | 4.68 | 1.54 | Overrated lefty sidelined until late April. |
| Sergio Mitre | FLA | 1 | 10 | 110 | 4.37 | 1.41 | Decent spot starter in deeper leagues. |
| Joel Pineiro | STL | 1 | 10 | 101 | 4.44 | 1.39 | Cards' latest reclaimation project? |
| Kyle Lohse | STL | 1 | 8 | 108 | 4.52 | 1.44 | Will benefit from move to STL. |
| Braden Looper | STL | 1 | 9 | 75 | 4.72 | 1.41 | Workload may take toll on former reliever. |
| Matt Morris | PIT | 1 | 9 | 104 | 4.70 | 1.45 | Will miss AT&T Park. |
| Jonathan Sanchez | SF | 1 | 6 | 134 | 4.54 | 1.38 | Could dominate once control is in check. |
| Paul Maholm | PIT | 1 | 10 | 97 | 4.38 | 1.36 | Control artists struggles on road. |
| Jason Hirsh | COL | 1 | 8 | 109 | 5.01 | 1.41 | Fly-ball pitcher in Colorado spells trouble. |
| Zach Duke | PIT | 1 | 7 | 88 | 4.49 | 1.46 | Luster of rookie campaign all but gone. |
| Matt Belisle | CIN | 1 | 7 | 90 | 4.77 | 1.48 | Would benefit from change of scenery. |
| Mark Mulder | STL | 1 | 6 | 60 | 4.91 | 1.43 | Cracking 100 IP would be an accomplishment. |
| Buddy Carlyle | ATL | 1 | 6 | 56 | 4.61 | 1.36 | Late bloomer worth looking into. |
| Esteban Loaiza | LAD | 1 | 5 | 55 | 4.84 | 1.47 | Bound for 'pen once Jason Schmidt is healthy. |
| Freddy Garcia | FA | 1 | 3 | 41 | 4.56 | 1.41 | Shell of former self after shoulder surgery. |
| Josh Towers | COL | 1 | 1 | 28 | 5.29 | 1.43 | Long shot to succeed at Coors. |
| Rick VandenHurk | FLA | 1 | 6 | 101 | 5.14 | 1.45 | Power arm needs polish. |
| Jon Lieber | CHC | 1 | 8 | 75 | 4.63 | 1.35 | Double-digit wins possible if secures rotation spot. |
| Mike Pelfrey | NYM | 1 | 6 | 81 | 4.58 | 1.45 | One El Duque injury away from rotation spot. |
| Anibal Sanchez | FLA | 1 | 4 | 52 | 4.21 | 1.48 | Will likely start season on DL. |
| Jamie Moyer | PHI | 1 | 8 | 101 | 4.97 | 1.50 | Crafty lefty could have enough left for surprise campaign. |
| Jo-Jo Reyes | ATL | 1 | 3 | 45 | 4.94 | 1.52 | Deserves rotation spot but likely will have to wait |
| Josh Fogg | CIN | 1 | 9 | 92 | 4.88 | 1.51 | Back-end starter in NL-only play at best. |
| Johnny Cueto | CIN | 1 | 5 | 91 | 4.19 | 1.36 | Will form quite the duo with Homer Bailey. |
| Manny Parra | MIL | 1 | 4 | 68 | 3.91 | 1.28 | Power lefty has keeper value as starter. |
| Mark Hendrickson | FLA | 1 | 6 | 78 | 4.64 | 1.41 | Probably better suited for relief role. |
| Jason Marquis | CHC | 1 | 9 | 92 | 5.07 | 1.49 | Prime example of why not to chase wins. |
| Adam Eaton | PHI | 1 | 8 | 84 | 5.18 | 1.54 | Hurt by cozy home park. |
| Claudio Vargas | MIL | 1 | 7 | 87 | 4.42 | 1.42 | Long shot to make rotation. |
| Sean Marshall | CHC | 1 | 6 | 76 | 4.61 | 1.41 | Potential is there, but what about a rotation spot? |
| Jair Jurrjens | ATL | 1 | 5 | 82 | 4.22 | 1.44 | Ready but will have to bide time in Triple-A. |
| Woody Williams | HOU | 1 | 7 | 81 | 5.37 | 1.48 | Homers "R" Us. |
| Max Scherzer | ARI | 1 | 2 | 60 | 4.55 | 1.43 | Has future as starter or reliever. |
| Chris Volstad | FLA | 1 | 3 | 55 | 4.40 | 1.38 | Ground-ball artist could be ready this year. |
| Carlos Carrasco | PHI | 1 | 3 | 42 | 4.56 | 1.52 | Probably a year away but has top starter stuff. |
| Billy Buckner | ARI | 1 | 3 | 47 | 4.77 | 1.39 | Swingman has value only as SP. |
| Matt Chico | WAS | 1 | 7 | 80 | 5.03 | 1.57 | Expect more growing pains. |
| Odalis Perez | WAS | 1 | 5 | 66 | 4.86 | 1.51 | Years removed from last quality campaign. |
| John Patterson | FA | 1 | 6 | 86 | 4.83 | 1.51 | Stock down after Nats cut him loose. |
| Pat Misch | SF | 1 | 3 | 65 | 4.21 | 1.36 | Will have to return to Minors, wait for call. |
| Ross Detwiler | WAS | 1 | 3 | 65 | 4.07 | 1.50 | First-rounder making beeline to bigs. |
| Clayton Kershaw | LAD | 1 | 1 | 24 | 4.29 | 1.40 | Fast tracked lefty is ace of the future |
| Jaime Garcia | STL | 1 | 2 | 65 | 4.87 | 1.54 | Healthy and back on sleeper lists. |
| Dallas Trahern | FLA | 1 | 3 | 32 | 5.01 | 1.42 | Innings eater with hard sinker could debut in '08. |
| Ryan Tucker | FLA | 1 | 1 | 28 | 4.76 | 1.56 | Big arm needs breaking pitch to excel. |
| Scott Elbert | LAD | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5.87 | 2.75 | Likely to be big league ready in '09. |
| Will Inman | SD | 1 | 0 | 24 | 4.87 | 1.40 | Command and competitive nature allow him to excel. |
| Burke Badenhop | FLA | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | Sinkerballer knows how to pitch. |
| Joe Savery | PHI | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | Should progress quickly with full focus on pitching. |
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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