Fantasy Baseball Pitcher Rankings: Why Chris Sale Still Carries League-Winning Upside
Chris Sale’s Atlanta renaissance is real, even if durability remains the elephant in the room. When he’s on the mound, Sale still flashes Cy Young-level dominance, making him one of the most volatile—and potentially league-winning—arms in 2026 drafts.
SP6 – Chris Sale, Atlanta Braves (NFBC ADP – 34)
After his Cy Young-winning season with the Braves, Sale pitched well in 2025, but he was only on the mound for two-thirds of the season due to a fractured rib.
Sale opened the year with struggles over his first four starts (14 runs, 29 baserunners, and three home runs over 19.0 innings with 24 strikeouts). He allowed two runs or fewer over his next 13 games, leading to a 5-2 record with a 1.41 ERA, 1.000 WHIP, and 108 strikeouts over 83.0 innings. Over his final four starts, he posted a 3.42 ERA, 0.930 WHIP, and 33 strikeouts over 23.2 innings.
His average fastball (94.8 mph) was a tick below 2024. Sale’s ticket to success comes from an electric slider (.141 BAA with 119 strikeouts), which he threw 45.8% of the time. Batters handled his four-seamer (.312 BAA) while mixing in two low-volume pitches (changeup – .306 BAA and sinker – .200 BAA).
Chris Sale 2026 Fantasy Baseball Outlook
Fantasy Outlook: Sale will turn 37 in late March, but his success with the Braves over his last 50 games (25-8 with a 2.46 ERA, 1.035 WHIP, and 390 strikeouts over 303.1 innings) is well worth an ace investment. When on the clock, I would select him over Cristopher Sanchez. An excellent chance at 15+ wins with a sub-2.50 ERA and 225+ strikeouts.
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With 20+ years of experience in the high-stakes fantasy market, I aim to research and compete at the highest level in baseball and football each season. I've contributed as a writer/analyst for Sports Draft Daily, ScoutPro, Scout Fantasy, Fulltime Fantasy, FFToolbox, and Sports Illustrated Fantasy. I'm honored to be in the National Fantasy Baseball Championship Hall of Fame. My drafting philosophy is risk-averse yet open to betting on potential game-changers. I approach player selection with a neutral perspective, acknowledging that fantasy sports are inherently unpredictable due to injuries, performance dips, and managerial decisions. My work focuses on these main areas: - Season-long fantasy baseball and football - BestBall Baseball and Football Events - Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS): DraftKings, FanDuel, and Underdog - Long Shot Player Prop Parlays for NFL I participate in various leagues and contests, including NFBC, NFFC, RTSports, FFPC, DraftKings, Underdog Fantasy, FanDuel, and FFWC, with the goal of leveraging my extensive experience and research for success in each game format. A fantasy follower can expect in-depth profiles of NFL and MLB players, along with season-long and weekly projections for each fantasy football season. In addition, I have many strategy articles to help develop fantasy players' learning curves.
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