Though rankings are always nice, I prefer drafting my fantasy teams using a tier system. The idea is to have as many upper tier players at as many positions as possible. It works the best in fantasy baseball as balance is often a key to success. Here are my tiers for starting pitchers for the 2010 season.

TIER 1
Tim Lincecum (SF), Roy Halladay (PHI), Felix Hernandez (SEA)

TIER 2
C.C. Sabathia (NYY), Zach Greinke (KC), Cliff Lee (SEA), Justin Verlander (DET), Dar Haren (ARI)

TIER 3
Johan Santana (NYM), Jon Lester (BOS), Josh Beckett (BOS), Tommy Hanson (ATL), Chris Carpenter (STL), Ubaldo Jimenez (COL), Adam Wainwright (STL), Chad Billingsley (LA), Matt Cain (SF), Cole Hamels (PHI), Yovani Gallardo (MIL)

TIER 4
Clayton Kershaw (LA), Ricky Nolasco (FLA), John Lackey (BOS), James Shields (TB), Ryan Dempster (CHC), Roy Oswalt (HOU), Jered Weaver (ANA), Jake Peavy (CHW), A.J. Burnett (NYY), Rick Porcello (DET), Jair Jurrjens (ATL), Tim Hudson (ATL), Matt Garza (TB), Brett Anderson (OAK), Kevin Slowley (MIN), Wandy Rodriguez (HOU)

TIER 5
Clay Buchholz (BOS), Max Scherzer (DET), Francisco Liriano (MIN), Scott Baker (MIN), Ted Lilly (CHC), David Price (TB), Derek Lowe (ATL), Johnny Cueto (CIN), Daisuke Matsuzaka (BOS), Hiroki Kuroda (LA), Brad Penny (STL), Mark Buerhle (CHW), Joba Chamberlain (NYY), Edwin Jackson (ARI), Joe Saunders (ANA), Justin Masterson (CLE), Scott Kazmir (ANA), Aaron Harang (CIN)

TIER 6
Jonathan Sanchez (SF), Clayton Richard (SD), Bronson Arroyo (CIN), Ryan Rowland-Smith (SEA), Randy Wolf (MIL), Andy Pettitte (NYY), Joe Blanton (PHI), John Maine (NYM), J.A. Happ (PHI), Stephen Strasburg (WAS), Kevin Correia (SD), Shaun Marcum (TOR), Pedro Martinez (PHI), Joel Pinerio (STL), Sean Gallagher (SD), Jorge De La Rosa (COL), Jake Westbrook (CLE), Mike Pelfery (NYM), Nick Blackburn (MIN), Kevin Milwood (BAL), Chris Volstad (FLA), Ian Snell (SEA), Gil Meche (KC), Aaron Cook (COL), Jeff Nieman (TB), Manny Parra (MLW),

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