Fantasy Baseball First Half - Successful Older AL Starting Pitchers

If you play at daily fantasy sports sites, you need to know which players to keep your eye on - and which to ignore. Here is what you need to know when it comes to playing fantasy baseball at daily fantasy sports when it comes to older pitchers. Most of the top starting pitchers in fantasy this season are under 30, with some well under 30. But three of the top four AL starter ERAs are from pitchers 34 or older.

Hiroki Kuroda, New York Yankees

Age: 38

Kuroda's 2.65 ERA is second in the AL behind Seattle's Felix Hernandez. His 1.053 ERA ranks fifth. With eight wins, Kuroda is halfway to matching last season's career-high 16 victories. Despite moving from Dodger Stadium to Yankee Stadium, Kuroda's numbers have improved. In four seasons with the Dodgers, Kuroda had a 3.45 ERA and 1.187 WHIP. In one and a half seasons with the Yankees, Kuroda has a 3.09 ERA and 1.126 WHIP. He has a career 2.41 ERA at Yankee Stadium. Kuroda does have just 84 strikeouts in 118 2/3 IP for a 6.4 K/9, below his career mark of 6.7.

Bartolo Colon, Oakland Athletics

Age: 41

When it comes to daily fantasy sports sites, you may be familiar with Bartolo Colon. He had his best numbers in years in 2012 with a 3.43 ERA and 1.208 WHIP in 24 starts before being suspended for 50 games for PEDs. He has been even better in 2013, with a 2.70 ERA (third-best in the AL) and 1.11 WHIP. Colon has just 70 strikeouts in 126 2/3 IP for a K/9 of just 5.0, but his 12 wins are third-best in the league. Colon was named to the AL All-Star team but was replaced on the roster after pitching on the Sunday before the game. At the break, Colon had 12 straight quality starts and had allowed two ER or fewer in 10 of 11 starts.

John Lackey, Boston Red Sox

Age: 34

Lackey led the AL with a 3.01 ERA in 2007, but his value plummeted after he joined the Red Sox in 2010. In 2011, Lackey had a 6.41 ERA and led MLB in earned runs allowed. After the season, Lackey was one of the Red Sox pitchers accused of eating fried chicken and drinking beer in the clubhouse during games in which they were not pitching. Lackey then underwent Tommy John surgery and missed the 2012 season. In his first start back in April 2013, Lackey hurt his biceps and was out another three weeks. Since then, however, Lackey has been healthy, and he finished the first half with a 2.78 ERA and 1.14 WHIP, which would be career bests if he can keep them up. Lackey also has an 8.3 K/9 for the first-place Red Sox.

Jon Lewin writes for a variety of daily fantasy sports sites like Draft Street . He lives in New York City.
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