Tanner Bibee DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Tanner Bibee (illness) will make his season debut on Sunday against the Kansas City Royals. Bibee was initially scheduled to start on Opening Day, but dealt with food poisoning prior to first pitch. Instead, Ben Lively got the nod. On Saturday, Gavin Williams is set to take the mound. Last summer, Bibee logged a career-high 173 2/3 innings and posted a 3.47 ERA with a 1.12 WHIP. He tallied strikeouts at a solid 26.3 percent rate and showed solid command as he served up walks at a 6.2 percent rate. However, Bibee generated a modest .237 xBA and a 3.78 xERA, which were both just above the average marks. Fantasy managers should monitor his status leading up to this start in case he faces a setback. He should be viewed as a must-start option in all formats and a top play in DFS.

Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Tanner Bibee (illness) was scratched from his start on Opening Day due to food poisoning. As a result, the Guardians will give right-handed pitcher Ben Lively the starting nod. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor Bibee's status, but he should be ready to make his next scheduled start. Lively posted a 3.81 ERA with a 1.25 WHIP across 151 innings last season. He tallied 118 punchouts and served up walks at a modest 7.8 percent rate. He also generated a 4.00 xERA with a .240 xBA, which were both slightly below the average marks. Given Lively's low strikeout upside, he should not be targeted in any DFS competitions facing the Kansas City Royals, who will have first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino (hamstring) active.

Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Tanner Bibee has signed a long-term extension with the organization. The two sides have agreed on a five-year, $48 million extension through 2029 with $21 million club option for the 2030 season. This deal will buy-out the remaining years of arbitration eligibility and at least one year of free agency. This extension was well earned given how well Bibee has pitched over the last two seasons. He has posted a 3.25 ERA, 1.14 WHIP with over 300 strikeouts in 56 starts over the last two years. He'll be making his first Opening Day start against the Kansas City Royals on Thursday.