Fantasy baseball lineup advice: Kade Anderson tops streaming candidates on penultimate day of the season

ESPN FantasySep 25, 2026, 04:23 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 Saturday

STARTING PITCHERS FOR SATURDAY

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
12.0	Kade Anderson	L	LAA	21.1%	29%	5.0	5.2	1.6	5.2
10.2	Jonah Tong	R	@WSH	5.5%	34%	5.2	6.4	2.3	5.4
10.0	Ryan Johnson	R	@SEA	11.7%	26%	5.4	6.5	2.2	5.0
9.0	Quinn Mathews	L	@MIL	11.0%	28%	5.1	6.9	2.3	5.1
9.0	Blake Snell	L	@SF	82.9%	9%	4.1	4.9	1.4	4.6
8.5	Corbin Burnes	R	@SD	9.2%	20%	4.6	5.8	1.9	4.4
8.4	Davis Martin	R	COL	35.0%	33%	4.9	6.2	2.2	4.3
8.3	Bailey Ober	R	TEX	14.8%	31%	5.5	7.2	2.9	4.8
7.7	Justin Verlander	R	PIT	1.7%	28%	5.5	7.6	2.9	4.8
7.5	Griffin Jax	R	@PHI	50.2%	9%	4.1	5.2	1.9	4.2
7.4	Walker Buehler	R	ARI	10.1%	21%	4.7	6.4	2.2	4.0
7.1	Elieser Hernandez	R	@MIA	0.1%	26%	4.9	6.8	2.5	4.2
7.1	Tanner Bibee	R	@KC	62.6%	37%	5.2	7.2	3.0	4.3
6.5	Matt Wilkinson	L	LAD	0.4%	14%	4.2	5.5	2.0	3.6
6.5	Jose Urquidy	R	TB	0.9%	7%	3.7	4.5	1.6	3.4
6.5	Jake Irvin	R	NYM	2.6%	24%	5.4	7.7	3.2	4.7
6.4	Antwone Kelly	R	@DET	0.4%	15%	4.4	5.9	2.2	3.9
6.4	Dustin May	R	STL	13.5%	14%	4.4	6.0	2.3	4.2
6.4	Trey Yesavage	R	CIN	43.7%	5%	3.1	3.7	1.2	3.3
6.3	Michael Wacha	R	CLE	73.5%	15%	4.7	6.1	2.4	3.7
5.8	Ryan Feltner	R	@CWS	0.4%	15%	4.7	6.9	2.6	4.0
5.5	Rhett Lowder	R	@TOR	2.5%	18%	4.6	6.5	2.6	3.7
5.3	Bradley Blalock	R	ATL	0.0%	21%	4.6	6.8	2.7	3.7
5.0	Trevor Williams	R	@MIN	0.1%	14%	4.3	6.3	2.6	3.7
4.6	Patrick Sandoval	L	CHC	2.0%	15%	4.5	7.1	3.0	4.4
4.5	Javier Assad	R	@BOS	1.8%	14%	4.2	6.2	2.7	3.7
4.4	Hayden Wesneski	R	@ATH	20.8%	22%	4.5	6.7	3.3	4.2
4.0	Jack Perkins	R	HOU	2.9%	19%	4.5	7.1	3.7	5.0

Pitchers to stream on Saturday

Kade Anderson has compiled 125 1/3 innings between the minors and majors, so he should pitch his finale with no restrictions, logging his usual 85 or so pitches. Last time out, that was enough to get him through seven shutout innings in Coors Field, where he fanned seven with no walks. Expecting a repeat is aggressive, but there is a chance with a home matchup against the Los Angeles Angels.
In rotisserie and category head-to-head, this weekend is all about category management. It comes with some baggage, but Jonah Tong heads the list for those needing strikeouts. The New York Mets end the season on the road against the Washington Nationals. Over the course of the season, the Nationals have generally put the ball in play, but they have fanned at a higher clip this month, and lineups during the final weekend don't usually reflect the best the team can offer.
Back to the Angels-Mariners matchup, Ryan Johnson is another option for punchouts, and he has better control than Tong. Not only that, the Mariners are also fanning more in September. Johnson has 24 strikeouts with just three walks over his last 22 2/3 frames.

Hitters to stream on Saturday

Chandler Simpson enters Friday's action with 46 stolen bases. Players like to chase round numbers, so Simpson will try to reach 50 bags when the Tampa Bay Rays visit the Philadelphia Phillies. Jonathan Aranda is also in play, especially if the Rays face a right-hander.
Teoscar Hernandez sports a .920 OPS against left-handed pitching this season, and the Los Angeles Dodgers are on the road against the San Francisco Giants and lefty Matt Wilkinson. The Dodgers will likely play their regulars Saturday and then give them a rest while they wait for the NLDS next week.
Sam Antonacci likely won't win the AL Rookie of the Year, but he'll be in the conversation. The Chicago White Sox are still playing for the AL Central title, so the leadoff hitter will likely get five chances to produce, the first facing Ryan Feltner, followed by a suspect Colorado Rockies bullpen.
Travis Bazzana is the Cleveland Guardians' counterpart to Antonacci. The Australian-born infielder is having a fine rookie season, batting atop the order. He's especially productive against right-handers, and the Kansas City Royals are slated to send Michael Wacha to the Kauffman Stadium mound.