Fantasy baseball lineup advice for Sunday: Three pitchers to use for late playoff push

ESPN FantasyAug 29, 2026, 04:22 PM ET
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Check out all of our starting pitcher rankings and other lineup selection tools here to help you make smart fantasy baseball lineup decisions. All fantasy advice is geared toward ESPN 10-team leagues with standard scoring.

Note: All information is accurate as of the time of publication. For updates, as well as any breaking news that might impact today's MLB slate, be sure to check out the latest fantasy baseball buzz.

Other resources: RP depth chart | 2026 Rankings
ESPN's 2026 Player Rater | Betting notes for Sunday

STARTING PITCHERS FOR SUNDAY

Pitchers are ranked in order of their Forecaster/Daily Notes projected fantasy points (FPTS), using ESPN's standard scoring system (2 points per win, minus-2 per loss, 3 per inning, 1 per K, minus-1 apiece per hit or walk allowed, minus-2 per earned run allowed).

T: The pitcher's handedness. OPP: Opposing team. RST%: The pitcher's roster percentage in ESPN leagues. W%: The individual starting pitcher's win probability using ESPN projections. IP: Projected innings pitched. H+BB: Projected hits plus walks allowed. ER: Projected earned runs allowed. K: Projected strikeouts.

If a team is planning on using an "opener" to start their game, but will rely on a "bulk pitcher" to follow him on the mound after 1-2 innings, the bulk pitcher is listed and indicated with an asterisk.

FPTS	Pitcher	T	Opp	Rst%	W%	IP	H+BB	ER	K
12.9	Zack Wheeler	R	@LAA	97.9%	48%	5.9	6.9	2.5	6.6
12.9	Logan Gilbert	R	@TOR	98.5%	40%	6.0	6.7	2.4	6.1
12.6	Parker Messick	L	KC	95.2%	41%	5.8	6.8	2.2	6.1
12.3	Drew Rasmussen	R	SD	94.9%	27%	5.4	5.8	1.6	5.2
12.1	Braxton Ashcraft	R	@STL	91.2%	42%	5.6	6.5	2.1	5.4
11.4	Zac Thornton	L	HOU	13.6%	29%	5.5	6.1	1.8	4.6
11.3	Robbie Ray	L	@TB	71.0%	34%	5.6	6.8	1.9	5.2
11.3	Chase Burns	R	@CHC	98.4%	30%	5.2	6.2	2.0	5.8
10.6	Ranger Suarez	L	@NYY	73.5%	34%	5.3	6.7	2.3	5.6
10.3	Shota Imanaga	L	CIN	85.5%	29%	5.3	6.3	2.4	5.3
10.2	Tyler Glasnow	R	@DET	84.5%	29%	5.0	6.0	2.0	5.2
9.7	Ethan Pecko	R	@NYM	0.3%	22%	4.8	5.8	1.7	4.6
9.4	Anthony Kay*	L	@MIN	6.4%	31%	5.3	6.9	2.4	4.9
9.4	Will Warren	R	BOS	37.7%	24%	5.3	6.9	2.5	5.5
9.2	Framber Valdez	L	LAD	67.9%	31%	5.9	8.0	3.0	5.4
8.8	Andrew Alvarez	L	MIA	4.1%	24%	4.9	6.2	2.1	4.6
8.8	Tyler Mahle	R	COL	25.5%	32%	5.3	7.0	2.7	5.1
8.7	Matthew Liberatore	L	PIT	5.3%	20%	5.4	7.2	2.6	5.2
8.4	Janson Junk	R	@WSH	2.8%	29%	5.2	6.3	2.4	4.0
7.8	Zebby Matthews	R	CWS	11.5%	27%	5.3	7.4	3.0	5.3
7.7	Max Scherzer	R	SEA	3.1%	22%	4.9	6.4	2.4	4.4
7.0	Seth Lugo	R	@CLE	24.5%	21%	5.4	7.7	3.0	4.8
6.6	Kumar Rocker	R	@MIL	5.1%	22%	5.1	7.3	3.0	4.7
6.1	Dustin May	R	TEX	16.5%	10%	4.0	5.4	2.1	3.8
5.9	Yusei Kikuchi	L	PHI	7.2%	16%	5.2	7.8	3.2	5.1
4.5	Chris Bassitt	R	@ATH	6.2%	35%	5.4	8.6	4.2	5.2
4.3	Mason Adams	R	@ATL	0.5%	5%	3.4	4.8	2.0	3.2
1.8	Jeffrey Springs	L	BAL	7.7%	16%	4.6	7.6	4.3	4.4

Pitchers to stream on Sunday

Tyler Mahle might not be top of mind when it comes to needing a solid effort from a streamer to make the fantasy playoffs, but the right-hander has pitched well since the break, recording a 2.68 ERA and 1.04 WHIP with 39 strikeouts over 40 1/3 innings. The Atlanta Braves will be favored at home facing the Colorado Rockies, adding to Mahle's appeal.
Zac Thornton has not been dominant, but great control over his last four outings helped generate a 2.86 ERA over that span, and he benefits from the New York Mets wrapping up a series against the Houston Astros at pitcher-friendly Citi Field. The visitors don't strike out much, but that's not Alvarez's game. For the season, the Astros sport a below-average offense against left-handers.
The Washington Nationals needed someone to step up for their injury-riddled rotation, and Andrew Alvarez did just that with a strong August, recording a 3.00 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in five starts, generating 22 punchouts over 27 frames. The lefty will be at home to close the month against the Miami Marlins, who have a below-average wOBA and above-average strikeout rate versus left-handers.

Hitters to stream on Sunday

Typically, streaming pitchers is more common than streaming hitters on Sunday. However, with the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants enjoying a rare Sunday off, fantasy lineups may have a hole or two. The Baltimore Orioles wrap up a road series with the Athletics in one of the best hitting parks in the league. Coby Mayo, Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Blaze Alexander benefit from the platoon edge on Jeffrey Springs. The Orioles head to Coors Field to begin next week, adding to their appeal.