Top 10 Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitchers in 2010

2010's top 10 fantasy baseball starting pitchers include quite a few former Cy Young pitchers. The top 10 fantasy baseball starting pitchers are also all expected to have great years in 2010, and could turn an average team into a fantasy baseball league winner. The key really, is to make sure that your team gets at least one of these pitchers, tries for two, and hopes to attain three of these great starting pitchers for the 2010 season. There are definitely tiers when it comes to evaluating starting pitchers in the Major Leagues right now, and a few of them have really raised the bar on the rest of the league.

A few of the most important components of a starting pitcher are that they will get their 30+ starts, they will be the #1 or #2 pitcher in their team's rotation, and they will be in the Cy Young discussion. They don't have to win the 2010 Cy Young Award, but you don't want to be stuck with starting pitchers that become a risk every time they are on the mound. There will be plenty of risky pitchers you can go with in later rounds, where the prospects will also reside in most fantasy baseball drafts, but there are also around 10 starting pitchers that will come off of all draft boards in the first four rounds.

Most leagues count wins and ERA as the most important attributes for a starting pitcher, but many leagues also take into account WHiP and strikeouts. This is where it is important to figure out how many walks a pitcher is projected to give up, and just how many quality starts you can expect out of your starting pitcher. There are only a few starting pitchers out there which are great in every category, and if they play for a really good team, their value sky-rockets. Make sure you don't get left out in the cold on fantasy baseball draft day, and take a good hard look at the top 10 fantasy baseball starting pitchers available in 2010.

2010 Top 10 Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitchers

1. Tim Lincecum (San Francisco Giants) -- He brings every important category for starting pitchers, is coming off a Cy Young season in 2009, and just seems to be getting better and better. He holds down the No.1 spot in these rankings.

2. Roy Halladay (Philadelphia Phillies) -- Halladay now plays for a winning team, and will probably get 20+ wins with the high-powered offense the Phillies have. He will get a ton of innings, 200+ strike-outs, and should fool quite a few National League hitters in his first season over there.

3. Felix Hernandez (Seattle Mariners) -- Hernandez is the ace of a great pitching staff, and now has Cliff Lee backing him up. It means he won't have to carry the team by himself this year, and should be able to improve on his 2009 numbers. Look for him to get close to leading the American League in strike-outs and battle for the 2010 Cy Young.

4. CC Sabathia (New York Yankees) -- Sabathia will win 20 games again for the Yankees, he will post 200+ strike-outs and he will still do it with a respectable ERA. The wins make him slightly more valuable than the No.5 ranked pitcher, but his ERA could turn off some fantasy owners. Expect it to be around 3.30.

5. Zack Greinke (Kansas City Royals) -- Greinke is a pitcher that will help out any fantasy baseball team, and would be much more valuable if he played for a good team. The win column may suffer yet again, but if he can duplicated 2009's Cy Young season, he should have great ERA, WHiP, and strike-out numbers.

6. Cliff Lee (Seattle Mariners) -- Lee is now the best No.2 starter in baseball, and should really help out the Mariners in 2010. He will pitch in a bigger park, probably dropping his ERA, and he will definitely post some impressive strike-out and win totals.

7. Dan Haren (Arizona Diamondbacks) -- Haren is a great guy to rely upon for a low ERA, a good 200+ strike-out season, and maybe he will close in on 20 wins if Arizona can score some runs for him in 2010. Haren may slip off the radar for some fantasy baseball owners, so keep an eye out for him in round three or four.

8. Justin Verlander (Detroit Tigers) -- The Tigers paid Verlander for the long term, so he no longer needs to worry about money. Hopefully that allows him to keep a steady keel in 2010, and he could end up with his best season as a Tiger. He should be very impressive again, and will be a great guy for strike-outs and wins.

9. Jon Lester (Boston Red Sox) -- Lester is going to go quicker than the top eight pitchers because people love the Red Sox, and he won't let people down. He is looking to push his win total to 20 in 2010, and has another good Red Sox team to support him along the way. There isn't much risk with Lester, and he could end up anchoring a good staff.

10. Johan Santana (New York Mets) -- Santana will be looking to bounce back in 2010, and the Mets are really hoping for it. Santana is a risk after a rough 2009 season, but he could turn into a huge steal if he can get back to the form that made him a superstar in Minnesota. Risk equals reward some time, so if you are up to it, this guy could be interesting in 2010.

References:

Top 10 Fantasy Keepers

Player Profiles: www.mlb.com