Walker Buehler DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Walker Buehler (illness) is scheduled to take the mound against the Texas Rangers on Saturday. The right-hander was scratched from his most recent start due to a minor illness. It sounds like Buehler looked fine during his five innings of work on Monday. The team doesn't believe this illness will linger into the regular season, so Buehler appears to be ready to go. Buehler is coming off a rough 2024 campaign, but he somewhat salvaged his value with his strong performance in the postseason. It's worth noting Buehler hasn't finished with an ERA under 4.02 since the 2021 season. He could be a solid back-end option for the Red Sox, but his fantasy value might be limited.

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Walker Buehler was scratched from his scheduled Grapefruit League start on Sunday due to an illness. Fantasy managerscan breathe a collective sigh of relief. The righty will work in camp on the back fields on Monday and Cooper Criswell will start in his place on Sunday. The former first-round draft pick has looked good this spring, allowing two earned runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out 11 batters in 10 inningspitched. After a rough couple of seasons in Los Angeles and dealing with injuries, the 2x All-Star will look to get his career back on track in Boston. The 30-year-old has an NFBC ADP of 250, but has the talent to outproduce that, especially given his environment with the Red Sox.

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Walker Buehler is interested in remaining in Boston for the foreseeable future. Earlier in the offseason, Buehler signed a one-year contract worth $21.05 million after spending his entire professional career with the Los Angeles Dodgers. As a Dodger, Buehler was a two-time World Series champion. He was a two-time NL All-Star and tallied double-digit wins in two seasons. He enjoyed his best campaign in 2021, when he logged a career-high 207 2/3 innings with a 2.47 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP. Last season, Buehler held a much higher 5.38 ERA with a 1.55 WHIP as he returned from Tommy John surgery. However, in the postseason, Buehler showed flashes of upside as he held a 3.60 ERA with a 1.13 WHIP across 13 innings of work. If the Vanderbilt product returns to form during the 2025 season, he could have several suitors in the offseason. Fantasy managers should expect Buehler to operate as the No. 3 option in the Boston rotation this season, behind Garrett Crochet and Tanner Houck.