With the playoffs approaching for many and everyone now in crunch time, this article will now have a new format to help guide you through the short-term decision-making that comes into play at this point in the season.
I will group players into tiers and go over each team’s lineup and outlook for the next three series. Players will be classified as Auto-Start, Solid Start, Streamer, and Desperate. If I don’t list a guy, it’s because you don’t need him.
Auto-Start – Just leave them in all season. Don’t get cute.
Solid Start – A safe start at the moment, but if they’re struck by a slump, they could get moved down to Streamer by the next update.
Streamer – Worth considering in a 12-teamer due to a hot streak, a specific matchup (such as heading to Coors), or a specific tool (such as speed). It may also include players who I would usually consider a Solid Start, but are dealing with playing time issues due to either injury or platoons that might cause them to play in fewer than four or five games that week.
Desperate – For players in deep leagues or in very dire straits. Prospects waiting to be called up will usually be in this category.
As you may have noticed, we no longer allow comments on the site. I’m grateful to have been able to engage with you all here, and if you have questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me on Twitter (@ifthechufits), BlueSky (scottchu.pitcherlist.com), or Reddit (u/ChusephEsquire).
IL – This will be limited to hitters who would actually make one of the tiers above immediately upon activation.
- As a reminder, this article is geared toward a standard, daily, 12-team H2H redraft league, as that is typically the most popular fantasy baseball format. They will only factor in the five standard categories: Runs, RBI, Home Runs, Batting Average, and Stolen Bases.
- I take rankings like this as more of an art than a science. Every person’s rankings are influenced by their own biases, strategic philosophies, determinations of risk, and projections. It’s why no two rankings are ever exactly alike. My way of evaluating and ranking players has worked out well for me over the years, but it might not be a great fit for you. I can’t possibly predict your team’s specific needs, your league mates’ player evaluations, or your current waiver wire, and if I could, it’d be weird in a bad way.
- This is a safe space for me where I answer to no one but myself…and you if you hit me up on Twitter (@ifthechufits), BlueSky (scottchu.pitcherlist.com), or Reddit (u/ChusephEsquire).
- I’m doing my best to use five starts or 10 appearances as the threshold for positional eligibility. I have not included presumed eligibilities based on likely new positions, but once those eligibilities are earned, I’ll add them in. This is just a maintenance thing, and we will update eligibility throughout the season. Feel free to let me know if I’m missing any!
Ranking Philosophy
To keep things in the same ilk, here are a couple of notes on how I generally evaluate hitters before we dive in:
- In 12-team formats, I just don’t see much value in guys who only provide stolen bases. It’s an important category, especially in Roto, but in shallower formats, there are too many other (and better) ways to get the steals you need without sacrificing production in the other categories.
- If I want to get some insight on whether what I’m seeing is new or if it’s just a normal fluctuation, I’d use my favorite tool—the rolling chart, which I’ll also reference as appropriate. You can also get rolling charts from sources like FanGraphs or Baseball Savant. If you have any questions about how to do that or how to read these charts, reach out to me!
- No stat is an island, and they should all be taken in proper context. For ranking purposes, the primary starting points I use are plate discipline, wRC+, quality of contact metrics (also known as Statcast batted ball data), lineup context, and the skills we can measure using tools such as our PLV Hitter Attributes (available for PL Pro members). I also use various projections (some free, some I buy) and dollar value generators.
- Positional eligibility, and specifically multi-eligibility, is neat, but also isn’t a huge factor in many 10- and 12-team leagues anymore due to the prevalence of multi-eligible players. It’s of more value in deeper contests like the NFBC, or in leagues with limited roster moves (draft and hold leagues, transaction limits/costs, extremely short benches, etc.), but even then, the value is fairly situational and context-dependent.
- On a similar note, I don’t penalize players for only qualifying in the utility slot. At most, it is a mild inconvenience if a DH-only player is available at a great value and you already have filled your utility spots.
- Anyone talented enough to make it to the big leagues can be brilliant or putrid for 50 to 100 at-bats, regardless of true talent. Heck, it could even last over a month with no change in potential or skill. It also could be wildly meaningful. We can’t and don’t know which of these will be true until it’s over, though track record, scouting, and trends can give us hints.
- If you’d like input on a player or have any feedback, your best bet is to reach out to me on the website formerly known as Twitter (@ifthechufits) or BlueSky (scottchu.pitcherlist.com), or Reddit (u/ChusephEsquire).
Read The Notes
- These rankings talk about what I generally project for a player, but these rankings are not projections. They include projections but also take into account performance risk, injury risk, team context, ceiling, and floor.
Check out the Hacks & Jacks podcast featuring Scott Chu and Brett Ford, which also happened to be a finalist for Best Baseball Podcast of 2021 by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA)!
I also host an AMA in the r/fantasybaseball subreddit every Friday starting around noon ET that lasts through the rest of the day and into the weekend, so feel free to join the fun and ask questions or make comments.
- Auto-Start – Corbin Carroll, Ketel Marte, Geraldo Perdomo
- Solid Start – Gabriel Moreno
- Streamer – None
- Desperate – Jake McCarthy, Jordan Lawlar, Tim Tawa, Alek Thomas, Blaze Alexander
- IL – Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Tyler Locklear
The Diamondbacks might have one of the most challenging slates of opposing starters on the horizon, with Ranger Suárez, Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Yu Darvish, Michael King, and Nick Pivetta all taking the mound in opposition. That makes guys who I might have considered streamers more of a desperate play, but the first four guys (Perdomo, Marte, Carroll, and Perdomo) should remain in lineups.
Jordan Lawlar still isn’t getting starts, and if not now, then when? The D-Backs are all but out of the playoffs but continue to favor Adrian Del Castillo and Blaze Alexander at third base and DH. I’m not sure he’s draftable in 2026 redraft leagues. I’m sure he will get a shot eventually, but the core of this lineup, and coincidentally, the guys who block Lawlar, are all under team control until 2029 or beyond.
Alek Thomas has endured a bumpy ride in his major league career, but has shown flashes of upside in the last week. While it’s tempting to scoop him on the wire, keep in mind that he sits against all lefties and that his overall power and speed are very limited. Even with a full season, it’s hard to imagine him totaling more than 10-12 home runs and 10-12 steals with mediocre (or worse) ratios as he struggles to get the ball in the air and doesn’t hit the ball hard enough or run fast enough to live on grounders.
- Auto-Start – Nick Kurtz, Brent Rooker, Jacob Wilson, Shea Langeliers
- Solid Start – Tyler Soderstrom
- Streamer – Lawrence Butler
- Desperate – Zack Gelof, Carlos Cortes
- IL – None
This team ends with six games at home, so hopefully they can turn it around after an ugly week.
Tyler Soderstrom appears to be healthy now and should remain in lineups. Hopefully, the days off are few and far between, though a number of lefties are on the horizon, and he did sit against a few before he was hurt.
Lawrence Butler continues to strike out at a high clip (his 15-game rolling strikeout rate has been over 30% for most of the second half), but he swiped three bags in a game recently and has strung a few hits together while occasionally leading off. The A’s won’t see a left-handed starter for at least a week, though, meaning Butler should keep starting and can be streamed if you need a bit of pop and speed. It gets a little hairy starting Wednesday (9/23), though, as he’ll draw some tough starters and a few lefties.
Carlos Cortes hit four home runs in five games, and that’s really cool, but he doesn’t play very often, and I’d bet this was more a flash in the pan than a breakout.
Atlanta
- Auto-Start – Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson
- Solid Start – Ozzie Albies, Jurickson Profar, Drake Baldwin
- Streamer – Ha-Seong Kim
- Desperate – Michael Harris II, Marcell Ozuna, Nacho Alvarez Jr.
- IL – None
And all of a sudden, this team is hitting again. Ronald Acuña Jr. and Matt Olson are the most trustworthy options here based on talent and track record and should be left in lineups the rest of the way.
Jurickson Profar isn’t producing much on his own, but he’s piled up some runs over the last week with the resurgence of Olson and Acuña, and should continue to score runs with them hitting. Profar is hitting the ball hard lately, though, so perhaps the production picks up even more soon as they catch the backend of the rotations from Washington and Pittsburgh.
Drake Baldwin is playing a lot more than he did earlier this season and only seems to sit once or twice a week, generally against lefties. He just got done demolishing the Tigers and is a solid catcher play for the rest of the season.
Ha-Seong Kim has scored a run in eight straight games while hitting sixth in front of the only cold part of this offense. All that run-scoring isn’t likely to continue, but he should get plenty more singles and at least a few counting stats if the guys in front of him stay hot.
- Auto-Start – None
- Solid Start – Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holliday
- Streamer – Dylan Beavers, Adley Rutschman
- Desperate – Samuel Basallo, Colton Cowser, Coby Mayo, Tyler O’Neill, Jordan Westburg, Jeremiah Jackson
- IL – None
Gunnar Henderson hasn’t hit a home run since August 24, and if it weren’t for his six stolen bases this month, he’d be hurting you instead of helping.
Jackson Holliday’s on-base streak ended at 17 games, but I’m loving the on-base skills.
Jeremiah Jackson has legitimate power, but his decision-making, especially out of the zone, scares me, and I think he’ll be a very streaky contributor until that changes.
Jordan Westburg is very aggressive early in the count, and it has led to streakiness throughout his short career. I like the talent, but this weakness makes him a tough sell in your championship week.
Dylan Beavers will keep sitting against some lefties, but the plate discipline is great, and he’s finally flashed a bit of pop.
- Auto-Start – Jarren Duran, Trevor Story
- Solid Start – Alex Bregman
- Streamer – Romy González, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu,
- Desperate – Masataka Yoshida, Nathaniel Lowe, Carlos Narváez, Nate Eaton
- IL – Roman Anthony
Jarren Duran sits against the occasional lefty and isn’t running as much these days, but he’s putting up hits, and that means the runs should keep coming.
Alex Bregman is back to his usual game of taking a bunch of walks and should stay in your lineups.
Romy González just isn’t striking out these days, and while I’m not a huge believer in the overall skill set (he pops out a lot and most of the recent success is from an unsustainable line drive rate) he can be streamed while hot.
Masataka Yoshida hits fourth against lefties and doesn’t strike out, but this recent hitting streak isn’t something I’d be betting on in 12-teamers.
Rob Refsnyder and Nate Eaton can be considered against lefties, but that’s about it.
Wilyer Abreu is bac,k and while he faces some tough pitching, he’s an acceptable play in deeper leagues as most of his coming opponents are right-handed.
- Auto-Start – Nico Hoerner
- Solid Start – Michael Busch, Ian Happ, Dansby Swanson
- Streamer – Moisés Ballesteros
- Desperate – Matt Shaw, Willi Castro, Seiya Suzuki, Pete Crow-Armstrong
- IL – Kyle Tucker
Moisés Ballesteros won’t carry that catcher eligibility with him for very long, so you might as well use it while you can. He’s got a decent hit tool and a bit of pop, so as long as the Cubs are facing a righty, he should keep hitting fourth. Please note, though, that I’m only interested in Ballesteros as a catcher for fantasy.
In a redraft league with three outfielders, I’d drop Seiya Suzuki and hope we find out what the heck happened in the offseason.
Pete Crow-Armstrong has been a little better lately, but I wouldn’t call it good. I’d be actively trying to upgrade in a 12-teamer, though if you don’t get to that by the weekend, you might as well keep him in against a rather tasty matchup against the Cardinals.
Matt Shaw and Willi Castro have some value in deep formats where their positional eligibility is useful.
- Auto-Start – None
- Solid Start – None
- Streamer – Kyle Teel, Colson Montgomery, Lenyn Sosa
- Desperate – Chase Meidroth, Andrew Benintendi, Miguel Vargas
- IL – Luis Robert Jr.
This offense is as streaky as it is bad.
Colson Montgomery has given more than a few fantasy managers moments of glory during that insane 12-game stretch, but the extreme contact issues are tough to ignore, and I doubt other teams are going to let him beat them going forward.
Miguel Vargas walks, and that’s about it.
Kyle Teel doesn’t play against lefties, but he sprays enough line drives around that there’s value in most formats as a back-end catcher.
- Auto-Start – None
- Solid Start – Elly De La Cruz
- Streamer – Spencer Steer
- Desperate – Matt McLain, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Will Benson, TJ Friedl, Austin Hays, Noelvi Marte, Sal Stewart, Tyler Stephenson
- IL – None
It’s a fairly tough pitching slate for the Reds the rest of the way, so it’s hard to get too excited about any of these options.
Elly De La Cruz isn’t hitting at all so far in September, but is taking a lot of walks lately, and he still steals bases, plus the strikeouts aren’t as bad as you think. If you absolutely don’t need steals, I guess you could bench him, but I don’t see many scenarios outside of certain types of points leagues where I want to let someone else have him on their roster.
Spencer Steer had a heck of a week and is eligible in the corners and in the outfield, but this feels like some random heat to me. For example, his average exit velocity over the weekend was about 85 miles per hour despite hitting three home runs. That was 100% home ballpark magic, and even with a home series, I don’t think I love it.
- Auto-Start – José Ramírez
- Solid Start – Steven Kwan, Bo Naylor
- Streamer – Kyle Manzardo
- Desperate – CJ Kayfus, Daniel Schneemann, Brayan Rocchio
- IL – Lane Thomas
Steven Kwan gives the Tigers fits and is as hot as he’s ever been.
Kyle Manzardo still has another date with Skubal tonight, but after tha,t there aren’t too many remaining lefties on the schedule.
Bo Naylor has been on fire over his last nine games and has been getting his bat on everything pitchers throw at him. I don’t love him in the Skubal matchup, but everything else should be fine, especially now that he’s hitting fifth.
- Auto-Start – None
- Solid Start – None
- Streamer – Hunter Goodman
- Desperate – None
- No thanks – Everyone else
- IL – None
They end it on the road, so you can basically cut them all loose.
Hunter Goodman can be held as a catcher, but if he’s been in your outfield, you can move on.
Mickey Moniak has been crazy hot, but the Coors effect is rough, and he’s been terrible away from home (83 wRC+).
- Auto-Start – None
- Solid Start – Riley Greene
- Streamer – Spencer Torkelson, Gleyber Torres, Kerry Carpenter
- Desperate – Parker Meadows, Wenceel Pérez, Zack McKinstry, Dillon Dingler
- IL – None
Riley Greene is striking out in bunches again while being ice cold, but I don’t want to let him go because I firmly believe in his ability. If you DID choose to ride a hotter hand, it would be because the Tigers will see three lefties to end the season and only three of his 34 homers come from same-sided pitching, though none of the upcoming southpaws are at all intimidating.
Spencer Torkelson is the hottest bat in this offense, and the upcoming matchups look pretty exploitable for a power hitter.
Gleyber Torres is best deployed in points leagues, but he can provide some runs if you need them.
- Auto-Start – Jose Altuve
- Solid Start –Jeremy Peña, Yainer Diaz,
- Streamer – Carlos Correa, Isaac Paredes
- Desperate – Christian Walker, Jesus Sanchez
- IL – None
This offense is cold, but they have arguably the best remaining situation for hitters, with three games in Sacramento and three against the Angels.
Isaac Paredes is back and went straight to hitting third, so you might as well plug him in if you need a third baseman.
Jeremy Peña should be back with Sunday off, plus a rest day on Monday, and should be kept in your lineups the rest of the way
Carlos Correa is striking out more than usual, but can be kept as a streamer thanks to the matchups.
Christian Walker’s strikeout rate has gone through the roof, and the walks have totally disappeared. The matchups are good enough to keep him in your corner infield spot in a deep league, but otherwise maybe you should browse the wire if you haven’t already.
- Auto-Start – Bobby Witt Jr., Maikel Garcia, Vinnie Pasquantino, Salvador Perez
- Solid Start – None
- Streamer – Jac Caglianone, Carter Jensen
- Desperate – Jonathan India, Mike Yastrzemski
- IL – None
Kansas City also catches the Athletics and Angels on the road, and the offense was already running hot.
Yeah, I know Maikel Garcia isn’t doing great lately, but he still hits in the heart of this lineup, and I think this offense is going to go bonkers this week.
Jac Caglianone has finally started showing some patience, and it has paid dividends. Assuming the elbow is fine, he’s a decent bet for some power numbers to close out the year.
Carter Jensen is a notable prospect with plenty of pop, though the hit tool was a concern in the minors. Still, he has torn the cover off the ball and is eligible at catcher, so get him in there.
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
- Auto-Start – None
- Solid Start – None
- Streamer – Taylor Ward
- Desperate – Jo Adell, Mike Trout, Yoán Moncada, Nolan Schanuel
- IL – None
Jo Adell might find his stroke again before the season is out, but he’s notoriously streaky due to the contact issues, and we don’t have much time to wait. Plus, there’s a bit of a hangover when you leave Coors, and he may need a game or two to adjust back.
Taylor Ward hits home runs in bunches, but coming back from Coors can be tough due to the fact that pitches are moving more when you leave. If you need power, keep Ward in. If you need anything else, you should look elsewhere.
Mike Trout can be considered a streamer in deep OBP leagues, but otherwise, I’d be moving on.
- Auto-Start –Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts
- Solid Start – Freddie Freeman, Andy Pages
- Streamer – Max Muncy, Teoscar Hernández
- Desperate – Miguel Rojas, Tommy Edman
- IL – Will Smith
Mookie Betts slowed down a bit last week, but you’re not benching him at this point.
Andy Pages hasn’t hit for as much power in the second half, but he’s gotten much better at avoiding strikeouts, and that should keep leading to runs, and also more RBI than he’s gotten lately (RBI are pretty luck-based, so that should correct itself).
Teoscar Hernández’s fire went out, and his penchant for streakiness makes him droppable if you’re in the playoffs. He should get some RBI over the final week, but that’s about it.
- Auto-Start – None
- Solid Start – Jakob Marsee, Agustín Ramírez, Otto Lopez
- Streamer – Liam Hicks, Xavier Edwards
- Desperate – Heriberto Hernández, Troy Johnston
- IL – Kyle Stowers
Jakob Marsee is leading off again and should get some runs and steals. The home runs we saw early won’t come back, but he can pile up doubles when he’s hot thanks to his speed.
Otto Lopez might be a little bit better than replacement-level after all. Not much better, but possibly better.
Xavier Edwards finally swiped two bags in a game like he used to do all the time last season. If the guys around him weren’t hitting, Edwards would be more in the desperate tier.
Agustín Ramírez is hitting for more power lately, especially when it comes to doubles, and plays every day. That’s a solid start as a catcher and a streamer in your utility spot.
I haven’t said much about Heriberto Hernández this year, partially because the playing time was sporadic at first and the production is very streaky, but he’s taking a lot of walks of late and since September 7 has a .275/.404/.450 line. It’s not amazing, but it’s not nothing.
Liam Hicks can be streamed at catcher, especially in points leagues. It’s largely empty OBP, but while the guys around him are hitting, it can lead to a bit more.
Troy Johnston is also empty ratios, but he’s an outfielder and first baseman, so it’s less useful.
- Auto-Start – Jackson Chourio
- Solid Start – Christian Yelich, William Contreras
- Streamer – Caleb Durbin, Sal Frelick, Brice Turang
- Desperate – Isaac Collins, Joey Ortiz, Jake Bauers, Andrew Vaughn
- IL – None
The Brewers have clinched a bye, which makes evaluating some of their players a bit weird.
William Contreras and Christian Yelich may sit just to get some rest throughout the week, but they should play enough to keep on your roster.
Bryce Turang hasn’t run nearly as much in September, and while he should continue to be in the lineup, I fear the running may be over until the playoffs.
Jake Bauers and Andrew Vaughn may get some extra time on the field while they give their key players some rest and might be worth streaming for a day, especially when Cincy comes to town.
- Auto-Start – None
- Solid Start – Royce Lewis, Byron Buxton,
- Streamer – Brooks Lee, Luke Keaschall
- Desperate – Trevor Larnach, Kody Clemens, Austin Martin
- IL – None
Luke Keaschall has three doubles in his last four games, but the overall production has been fairly slow, and his home run drought has dragged on. This is a normal adjustment period for a young player; it just happens to be coming at a bad time.
Royce Lewis is hot and healthy, so keep it going. The stolen bases are the biggest surprise.
Austin Martin and Trevor Larnach hit second and third against righties, and that means something for deep league managers. Neither does a whole lot with it, but plate appearances are plate appearances.
Brooks Lee is a lot streakier than most slap-hitting utilitymen, but with just a week left, perhaps the hot streak can carry to the end of the season.
- Auto-Start – Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, Pete Alonso
- Solid Start – Brandon Nimmo
- Streamer – None
- Desperate – Jeff McNeil, Cedric Mullins, Francisco Alvarez, Brett Baty, Mark Vientos
- IL – None
This offense is a tale of two halves right now, with the top half being unstoppable and the bottom half rolling over far too often.
Brandon Nimmo gets to clean up Lindor, Soto, and Alonso, and should be a great bet for RBI to end the year.
Cedric Mullins might be interesting in that series against Miami, as they are extremely vulnerable to stolen bases. I wouldn’t be looking for anything besides speed, though, and he’ll sit twice in that series against the Cubs.
Jeff McNeil is hard to start even in points leagues right now.
- Auto-Start – Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, Jazz Chisholm Jr.
- Solid Start – Trent Grisham, Ben Rice
- Streamer – Giancarlo Stanton
- Desperate – Paul Goldschmidt, Anthony Volpe, Austin Wells, José Caballero
- IL – None
With the White Sox and Orioles coming to town, this is a very attractive lineup to stream from, even with the guys at the bottom of it.
Trent Grisham and Ben Rice would be an auto-start if not for the two lefties in the middle of the week, possibly impacting their playing time.
Giancarlo Stanton will hit at least one home run this week.
Paul Goldschmidt will get two starts this week and might do something in those two games.
Anthony Volpe can be streamed for steals and maybe even a home run, but your ratios might not look great.
- Auto-Start – Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper
- Solid Start – Alex Bohm, Harrison Bader
- Streamer – J.T. Realmuto, Bryson Stott, Brandon Marsh
- Desperate – Max Kepler
- IL – Trea Turner
The Phillies are on the verge of clinching a bye, at which point I imagine they will let some of their older players get some R&R before the playoffs.
Trea Turner will probably tune up over the weekend when activated, but I wouldn’t expect any steals.
Alec Bohm looked fantastic coming off the IL with eight hits in three games. I imagine he will stay in the lineup every day to the end of the season to get his groove back.
Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto are three guys I expect to get two days off (or more) this week to get rested and healthy for the playoffs.
Harrison Bader is a leadoff man now, which is simply insane to me as players who strike out as often as he does rarely get this kind of role. Still, he has it and should keep it until Trea Turner comes back on Friday, making him a reliable source of runs.
Bryson Stott hasn’t stolen a base since August and has been caught twice in September, so he may not be a great source of steals. Thankfully, he is hitting well enough to keep plugged into the middle-infield spot if you need a warm body in there.
- Auto-Start – None
- Solid Start – None
- Streamer – None
- Desperate – Jared Triolo, Nick Gonzales, Spencer Horwitz, Bryan Reynolds, Tommy Pham, Oneil Cruz
- IL – None
Y’all, this offense is really ba,d and they face several tough pitchers in Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Spencer Strider, and Chris Sale. Just skip them in 12-teamers.
- Auto-Start – Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Jackson Merrill
- Solid Start – None
- Streamer –Xander Bogaerts, Luis Arraez
- Desperate – Ramón Laureano, Jake Cronenworth, Gavin Sheets, Ryan O’Hearn
- IL – None
Fernando Tatis Jr. has more home runs in September than he did in the three prior months combined. UPDATE: Tatis is apparently sick, but should be back for the weekend series and I’d fire him up for it once available.
Luis Arraez (and to a lesser extent, Xander Bogaerts) would move up a tier in points leagues with a strikeout penalty.
Jackson Merrill hit for power against some non-Rockies pitching, which helps make it feel more real. With the offense clicking and soft matchups on the horizon, he can stay in lineups with confidence.
Ramón Laureano has a .143/.204/.265 line in his last 13 games. Those in deep leagues might as well let it ride due to the easy matchups, but in 12-teamers I’d be moving on in a hurry.
Xander Bogaerts returns to action and should hit fifth or sixth, making him a stream-worthy option at shortstop for the final week.
While the upcoming matchups are far from scary, the back half of this lineup doesn’t do quite enough for me to recommend them in 12-teamers.
- Auto-Start – None
- Solid Start – Willy Adames, Matt Chapman, Rafael Devers
- Streamer – None
- Desperate – Jung Hoo Lee, Heliot Ramos, Casey Schmitt, Patrick Bailey, Bryce Eldridge
- IL – None
The offense can’t score runs right now, but at least they end the year with a manageable slate of pitchers, particularly over the weekend when the Rockies come to town.
The entire top half of this lineup – Heliot Ramos, Rafael Devers, Willy Adames, and Matt Chapman – were all duds last week (Ramos and Devers have been duds even longer), but I left three of them as a solid start due to the matchups.
Heliot Ramos didn’t get off so easy, though, as his streaky nature and poor late-season push are just too much to bear. Sure, he might pop a homer or two if he gets hot this week, but that’s all.
Bryce Eldridge would have been a much more interesting name if he had been called up in July or August, as he’s a top-15 prospect due to his impressive power and has shown a willingness to take plenty of walks. The strikeouts spiked up a bit this year, which isn’t a huge surprise considering his profile and the fact that he’s 20 years old, but he could be a 25-home run hitter as soon as 2026 if he gets a path to playing time.
- Auto-Start – Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodríguez, Josh Naylor,
- Solid Start – Jorge Polanco, Randy Arozarena, Eugenio Suárez
- Streamer –
- Desperate – J.P. Crawford, Dominic Canzone, Victor Robles
- IL – None
The Mariners will likely clinch a bye in the first half of the week, so some players might get an extra rest day. Hopefully that doesn’t come too early, though, as facing the Rockies is a good thing for fantasy hitters.
Randy Arozarena had a rough week, but he’s still the leadoff man for an offense that’s scoring a ton of runs and gets the Rockies for three games. If you want to bench him after that, go for it.
Eugenio Suárez is not cold anymore because this is just who he is. Just leave him in the lineup.
Jorge Polanco might move down to streamer after the series with the Rockies.
J.P. Crawford doesn’t get the volume he used to as a leadoff hitter, but he does play every day and is putting the ball in play a ton, which is nice when the next five hitters after you are crushing the ball.
Dominic Canzone doesn’t play against lefties, and your fantasy site probably says he has been great for the last two weeks, but the reality is that he has eight hits in back-to-back games earlier this month, and that’s about it.
- Auto-Start – None
- Solid Start – Iván Herrera, Alec Burleson
- Streamer – Brendan Donovan, Nolan Arenado, Thomas Saggese
- Desperate – Lars Nootbaar, Victor Scott II
- IL – None
Brendan Donovan is the leadoff man again, and while he doesn’t play against all lefties, he does put the ball in play and steals a base here and there. You could bump him up to a solid start in points leagues.
Thomas Saggese has had a ton of hits the last two weeks, and while he doesn’t hit home runs or steal bases, he could get you some counting stats.
Alec Burleson has been the best hitter on this team for a few weeks now, and there’s no good reason to bench him now. He’s an even easier start in points leagues.
- Auto-Start – Junior Caminero, Yandy Díaz
- Solid Start – , Brandon Lowe, Chandler Simpson
- Streamer – None
- Desperate – Josh Lowe, Jake Mangum
- IL – Jonathan Aranda
Tampa is at home all week, which means they are better-than-usual as streamers.
Junior Caminero seems healthy now and should stay in your lineup.
Yandy Díaz has quietly been fantastic this season, though the career-high in home runs can be attributed to his temporary home ballpark. I’m not counting on any home runs this week as they’ll be on the road, but the hits should continue to fall.
Chandler Simpson still doesn’t run as much as we’d hope, but he is playing more regularly, and the pitchers for Baltimore and Toronto aren’t scary enough to make me think Simpson will stop hitting singles and doubles.
- Auto-Start – None
- Solid Start – Wyatt Langford
- Streamer – None
- Desperate – Josh Jung, Joc Pederson
- IL – None
It was nice to see Wyatt Langford hit a home run in his return, and is probably the only guy on this offense that I would start without thinking too hard.
Josh Jung hasn’t shown the power we hoped for this season, but he’s on a six-game hitting streak, and the Rangers don’t face any overly tough pitching outside of Joe Ryan on Thursday, so I guess he fits the bill of a third base streamer?
Joc Pederson is leading off against righties and doing his Joc Pederson thing of being super streaky. I suppose you can roll these dice if you must.
I’m not counting on Corey Seager or Marcus Semien to return this week, and even if they do, it’s likely just the weekend.
- Auto-Start – George Springer, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
- Solid Start – None
- Streamer – Daulton Varsho, Addison Barger, Alejandro Kirk
- Desperate – Nathan Lukes, Ernie Clement, Andrés Giménez, Anthony Santander
- IL – Anthony Santander
This offense has cooled off at just the wrong time, but there’s no way I’m considering benching George Springer or Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Daulton Varsho is hitting second, which is interesting, but he’s streaky and strikes out in bunches, so it’s a streamer who borders on desperate.
Points leaguers should hold Alejandro Kirk, as should category leaguers, though if you specifically need power or speed, take a peek at the wire.
Addison Barger is batting fourth against righties, but with the tougher matchups this week and his cooled-off performance, I’m not terribly excited about him as anything but a back-end corner infielder in deeper leagues.
Anthony Santander could pop up for a few games this week if you need a power streamer with a name you recognize.
Bo Bichette should be back for the postseason, but he won’t be a factor in the regular season.
- Auto-Start – None
- Solid Start – CJ Abrams, Daylen Lile
- Streamer – Josh Bell, Dylan Crews,
- Desperate – James Wood, Luis García Jr.
- IL – Keibert Ruiz
CJ Abrams is running a bit, despite the lack of hits, but I’m worried about his streaky nature in these desperate times.
Daylen Lile keeps hitting, and while I’m not crazy about his long-term prospects as a prospect, you gotta keep him in.
Josh Bell is Josh Bell again, but he still plays every day and has decent matchups, especially this weekend against the White Sox.
Dylan Crews is running, though he’s not hitting for any power at all, and his other counting stats are not impressive. Hopefully, he hits second more like he did on Sunday.
It pains me to move James Wood, and I expect to hear something this offseason about what happened. This is a monstrously talented kid who just can’t break out of a funk.
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