Only the Rockies and Padres have the day off on Wednesday, so we're dealing with a pretty packed schedule. The probable starting pitcher rankings isn't all that strong, though, so we had to work a little harder to put together today's list to help you in daily season-long fantasy baseball leagues and MLB DFS contests.
Walker Buehler (vs. Reds) and Carlos Carrasco (@ Mariners) were likely drafted as aces, but both have disappointed majorly this year. They're too good not to bounce back at some point, and given Buehler's matchup today, we like him as the top pitcher. Carrasco is still striking batters out and has advanced stats that are significantly better than his standard numbers (4.84 FIP; 12.60 ERA), so we're expecting a much better showing today despite a statistically tough matchup.
We're not nearly as high on Sonny Gray (@ Dodgers), who's had a strong start but left his last outing early because of a calf contusion. More worrisome is his matchup against the Dodgers, who have crushed righties this season. Cody Bellinger (knee) might be out, which would help, but Gray is still a risk.
There are four afternoon games, plus another three that get underway between 6:30 p.m. ET and 7:05 p.m. ET, so you'll have to be cognizant of that when setting your lineups. The Blue Jays-Twins game looks to be the only one that's in real danger of being postponed because of weather.
Today's Starting Pitcher Rankings: Wednesday, April 17
(O) = Opener
| Rank | Pitcher | Team | Opponent | Opp. wRC+ vs. LHP (rank) | Opp. wRC+ vs. RHP (rank) |
| 1 | Walker Buehler | Dodgers | vs. Reds | N/A | 61 (28th) |
| 2 | Cole Hamels | Cubs | @ Marlins | 77 (T-21st) | N/A |
| 3 | Trevor Williams | Pirates | @ Tigers | N/A | 62 (27th) |
| 4 | Jake Arrieta | Phillies | vs. Mets | N/A | 104 (T-14th) |
| 5 | Jeff Samardzija | Giants | @ Nationals | N/A | 102 (T-16th) |
| 6 | Carlos Carrasco | Indians | @ Mariners | N/A | 126 (3rd) |
| 7 | Brad Keller | Royals | @ White Sox | N/A | 109 (T-9th) |
| 8 | Jeremy Hellickson | Nationals | vs. Giants | N/A | 47 (29th) |
| 9 | J.A. Happ | Yankees | vs. Red Sox | 85 (17th) | N/A |
| 10 | Jake Odorizzi | Twins | vs. Blue Jays | N/A | 82 (22nd) |
| 11 | Kevin Gausman | Braves | vs. D-backs | N/A | 99 (18th) |
| 12 | Lucas Giolito | White Sox | vs. Royals | N/A | 106 (13th) |
| 13 | Spencer Turnbull | Tigers | vs. Pirates | N/A | 91 (20th) |
| 14 | Zack Wheeler | Mets | @ Phillies | N/A | 109 (T-9th) |
| 15 | Frankie Montas | A's | vs. Astros | N/A | 121 (4th) |
| 16 | Michael Wacha | Cardinals | @ Brewers | N/A | 104 (T-14th) |
| 17 | Nathan Eovaldi | Red Sox | @ Yankees | N/A | 129 (2nd) |
| 18 | Sonny Gray | Reds | @ Dodgers | N/A | 137 (1st) |
| 19 | Zack Godley | D-backs | @ Braves | N/A | 109 (T-9th) |
| 20 | Wade Miley | Astros | @ A's | 132 (7th) | NA |
| 21 | David Hess | Orioles | @ Rays | N/A | 117 (7th) |
| 22 | Corbin Burnes | Brewers | vs. Cardinals | N/A | 109 (T-9th) |
| 23 | Erik Swanson | Mariners | vs. Indians | N/A | 65 (25th) |
| 24 | Trent Thornton | Blue Jays | vs. Twins | N/A | 113 (8th) |
| 25 | Lance Lynn | Rangers | vs. Angels | N/A | 93 (19th) |
| 26 | Matt Harvey | Angels | @ Rangers | N/A | 118 (T-5th) |
| 27 | Sandy Alcantara | Marlins | vs. Cubs | N/A | 118 (T-5th) |
| 28 | Ryne Stanek (O) | Rays | vs. Orioles | N/A | 86 (21st) |
wRC+ is defined by Fangraphs as "[measuring] how a player’s wRC compares with league average after controlling for park effects. League average for position players is 100, and every point above 100 is a percentage point above league average. For example, a 125 wRC+ means a player created 25% more runs than a league average hitter would have in the same number of plate appearances. Similarly, every point below 100 is a percentage point below league average, so a 80 wRC+ means a player created 20% fewer runs than league average." For more on the stat, click here.