Justin Steele DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell said on Wednesday that left-hander Justin Steele "is in line" to start the second game of the regular season in Tokyo, Japan, on March 19 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Fellow lefty Shota Imanaga was named the Opening Day starter for the first game in Tokyo. DFS gamers will likely be avoiding Steele in his first outing of the year against the toughest lineup in baseball, but he should be considered as a No. 3 starting pitcher target in upcoming fantasy drafts. The 29-year-old southpaw missed some time last year with injuries but finished with a strong 3.07 ERA (3.23 FIP), 1.09 WHIP and a 135:37 K:BB in 134 2/3 innings over his 24 starts. A below-average career strikeout rate of 24.4% limits Steele's fantasy upside, but he makes up for it by limiting hard contact, dominating lefties and issuing few walks (7.4% career walk rate).

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Justin Steele (elbow) is set to come off the injured list and take the mound against the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday. Steele has been out since late August due to elbow tendinitis. This is a welcoming sight for the Cubs who aren't quite eliminated from playoff contention yet. The return of Steele will push the rest of the starters back a day, according to manager Craig Counsell. Steele holds a 3.09 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 131/34 K/BB ratio this season. He'll be a favorable fantasy option for his first start back on the mound.

Chicago Cubs left-hander Justin Steele (elbow) threw a bullpen session on Wednesday and will throw another bullpen this weekend at Coors Field in Denver. "This is a true day-to-day thing and so we had a really good day today. This is like five days of straight good news, which is encouraging," manager Craig Counsell said. It was the first time that Steele threw off a mound since landing on the 15-day injured list a week ago with left-elbow issues. The 29-year-old southpaw will need to get through another bullpen before then facing live hitters. Barring a setback, Steele should be able to return to Chicago's rotation before the end of the year to help fantasy managers that are still playing for a championship. When healthy in 2024, Steele has been relevant in all fantasy leagues, going 5-5 with a 3.09 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP, and a career-best 24.9% strikeout rate in 22 starts (128 innings).