Sport: MLB

There are many approaches when it comes to building a fantasy baseball roster in a draft. Some people like to go hitter-heavy by using most of their earliest draft picks on hitters and then piecing together a rotation later on.

Others prefer to go pitcher-heavy, doing the complete opposite, where they will pick pitchers early and figure out hitting later in drafts. And still others prefer a balanced approach, ignoring neither pitchers nor hitters, and building a team that utilizes a bit of everything.

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Drafting a Late-Round Pitching Staff

What if we took one of those approaches to the extreme? What if, for the sake of argument, for every time a fantasy team was drafting a player, they selected a hitter and a closer through the first 175 picks made in a draft? That would mean the following:

In 10-team leagues, approximately 18 rounds into the draft
In 12-team leagues, approximately 15 rounds into the draft
In 15-team leagues, approximately 12 rounds into the draft

Let’s assume that at least one reliever has been taken, and the rest of the team is constructed with hitters. What kind of roster could we build? Let’s figure this out together, shall we? In total, I will select 12 different starting pitchers.

It’s important to set the parameters first. Using NFBC ADP, the timeline set will be as of the beginning of January, using ADP from the three weeks prior in all Draft Champions formats. These numbers can and will fluctuate over time, and it’s very important to keep updated with these. However, as of this writing, the ADP (Average Draft Position) does take into account 12 picks that have been made over the past 21 days of drafts.

Picks 175 – 225

There are some surprisingly nice options here to start your rotation. For instance, Cade Horton finished the season with 11 wins with a 2.67 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and a 13.5% K-BB rate over 22 starts. Those are impressive numbers, alongside two pitches with an xBA of under .200 on the season. With a solid defense behind him, and a full season planned, we could see him take a big step forward here… Edward Cabrera has always been a nice strikeout pitcher who didn’t have the command to keep runners off the bases. Last year, he lowered his strikeout rate to a career-low 8.3%, and his 1.23 WHIP was also a career-best. Could we see him finally be the pitcher we’ve always believed he could be? 2026 might be the year for him, as he now gets the same defense as the aforementioned Horton… MacKenzie Gore has started the season off strong in each of the past two seasons before struggling during the summer months. There’s a chance that this is who he is, giving you a chance to sell high before an eventual crash… It’s hard to believe that Aaron Nola is as bad as he was in 2025. Before last season, six of his previous eight years saw him post an ERA under 4.00 with a high total of strikeouts and a solid WHIP to boot…. Zac Gallen showed in the second half of the season that his dominant self was still in there. His ADP will surely rise once he finds a new home, but he’s a better pitcher than the one who posted a 4.83 ERA in 2025.

My favorites: Cade Horton, Aaron Nola, Zac Gallen, MacKenzie Gore

Picks 225 – 275

This grouping of players has a lot of players who are injured, and their draft prices fit accordingly. Keep an eye on the health and status of Kris Bubic as we get closer to Spring Training. If his offseason has been as normal as what was promised, then he may be able to provide some quality innings to start the season… Merrill Kelly was quietly effective last season, sporting an ERA of 3.52 and a WHIP of 1.11 over 32 games started. Assuming he stays healthy, he’s a boring, yet stable pitcher to have in your rotation… All three of Joe Musgrove, Shane McClanahan, and Bryce Miller come with injury baggage this year. At this price, one of them could be worth a shot here, albeit with a preferably short leash… Casey Mize showed moments of brilliance last season. He finished with a career-high 22.2% strikeout rate, a career-second-best 5.7% walk rate, and a very important 28 games started last season. This might be who he is, and health remains a priority, but the talent is there… Joey Cantillo had a very good season last year, despite his struggles in July. If he can somehow lower his walks and regain the effectiveness on his slider, he could be an extremely solid value at this price… Shane Smith got better as the season wore on, though he is prone to some blow-ups. He’s not talented enough to win you your league, but he’s not bad enough to lose it either.

My favorites: Merrill Kelly, Shane Smith, Joey Cantillo

Picks 275 – 325 (select three players)

There is a nice mix of potential youth and “remember-me” type of players here. Hurston Waldrep had two pitches with an xBA of at most .170 last season, with the dominant one being his splitter. Equipped with a 45.4% Whiff Rate, it was one of baseball’s best in its class. The problem is that when his other pitches aren’t working, batters wait for the splitter not to be thrown and can then tee off on him. He’ll need better secondaries, but the potential is there… Mike Burrows goes to a pitcher’s haven in Houston, where the Astros know how to get the best out of their arms. If the 26-year-old righty can make his fastball more effective (.302 xBA, .529 xSLG), then that, paired with his changeup, could be an effective 1-2 punch… Kodai Senga had a fantastic first half of the season last year, until an injury derailed all the momentum he had. Keep an eye on updates as we approach the start of the season, because if he’s 100% healthy, he’s an SP2-3 on a typical roster build… Ian Seymour was being stretched out last season and had his moments. If he can develop his cutter, then his three-pitch arsenal is definitely something to watch… Bailey Ober battled through injuries last year, leading to a 5.11 ERA over 27 games started. He still managed to limit the damage with a 5.0% walk rate and had an xERA of 4.40, and is just one season removed from finishing with much better results… Remember Reese Olson? He is being drafted incredibly late, but should be healthy in 2026. His numbers from last year suggest that a rebound is in place… Jameson Taillon may not strike out a lot of batters, but he keeps hitters off the bases, has a great defense behind him, and limits the damage done… Grayson Rodriguez was traded to the Angels this past offseason, is said to be healthy, and has had success in the (distant) past. While he has major red flags to worry about, being drafted this late alleviates those worries because he can be dropped if he struggles or gets hurt again.

My favorites: Kodai Senga, Grayson Rodriguez, Reese Olson

Picks 325+

This final section will feature a lot of questions that might get answered by Spring Training. Both Brayan Bello and Jose Soriano took big steps forward in 2025, showing effectiveness in spurts big and small. Both should have rotation spots in 2026 and could continue their progress, though it’s hard to imagine either growing much more than they have already… Reid Detmers returns with another shot to be in the rotation. The hope is that he learned a lot last year in the bullpen (like managing his fastball velocity) and can use them to continue his development next season… Luis Gil managed a major lat issue last year, but still finished with a very respectable 3.32 ERA over eleven starts. If he stays healthy, he could figure into your fantasy plans… Jacob Lopez suffered from a left elbow flexor strain in August, and while he didn’t pitch again down the stretch, the belief was that he could have made enough progress to do so. That said, his status this spring will be one to monitor… Tyler Mahle signed with the Giants this offseason, and, when healthy, he’s been a very effective pitcher. Heading to a pitcher’s park with a franchise that knows how to develop pitching can only help his development.

My favorites: Luis Gil, Tyler Mahle

Final Rotation:

Cade Horton, Aaron Nola, Zac Gallen, MacKenzie Gore, Merrill Kelly, Shane Smith, Joey Cantillo, Kodai Senga, Grayson Rodriguez, Reese Olson, Luis Gil, Tyler Mahle

Pair that with an elite offense, two elite closers, and what do you have? A rotation that should provide volume in innings pitched, above-average strikeouts, an average ERA and WHIP, and a decent showing in wins. Do this, and then utilize your FAAB money on replacing injured players and those later picks that didn’t pan out. Plus, while most fantasy players will be spending their time, energy, and money on buying saves, you’ll be spending less on potential streamers and speculative starters.

It’s not the best idea in the world, but it’s definitely not something that hurts you so much that you have little to no chance of winning post-draft.

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