Washington Nationals right-hander Jordan Zimmermann ended his 2014 regular season on a significant high note by no-hitting the Miami Marlins Sunday, but it's still not enough to get him into my overall top 20 for next season. This theme has resonated with me for years in fantasy leagues, loading up on hitting -- and specifically versatile power hitters -- as opposed to taking the safer route with starting pitching. There's tremendous depth in the latter group, but offensively, the cupboard is comparatively bare. The wise fantasy owner must covet hitting early. And as another season ends -- and I hope you loved it as much as I did! -- it's worth reminding everyone that there really isn't enough offense to go around, regardless of strategy.

Before we get to my ridiculously early look at 2015, let's discuss Zimmermann, because he deserves it. The 28-year-old has been one of fantasy's better options for four seasons, though he's never been regarded as a top-10 choice among hurlers. That's because of the depth, but also because Zimmermann isn't a major strikeout pitcher. He has made strides, though; his 10 whiffs Sunday gave him 182 in 199⅔ innings, the best rate of his career. Zimmermann has started 32 games for three consecutive seasons, so he's durable, and his ERA/WHIP are always strong. I'll rank him among my top 15 starting pitchers for 2015 based on safety and reliability, but not top 10. Those guys, such as teammate Stephen Strasburg, really pile on the strikeouts.

As for my overall top 20, it's heavy on the bats, though a few pitchers make it.