Hitter Ranks: Analyzing Every Lineup Based On Expected Schedules – Week 24

Sorry this is late, but hopefully it remains helpful!

• As a reminder, this analysis is geared toward a standard, daily, 12-team H2H redraft league, as that is typically the most popular fantasy baseball format. We will primarily factor in the five standard categories: Runs, RBI, Home Runs, Batting Average, and Stolen Bases.
• This is a safe space for me where I answer to no one but myself…and you if you leave a comment.
• 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 I’ll add them once those eligibilities are earned. 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 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 in the comments below!

 

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 Joe Gallina, 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 sometime in late March) 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.

 

Arizona Diamondbacks

MIL, @COL, @MIL

Auto-Start: Corbin Carroll, Ketel Marte, Christian Walker, Eugenio Suárez

Streamable/Deep League: Joc Pederson, Jake McCarthy, Geraldo Perdomo

Avoid: Josh Bell, Randal Grichuk

Comments:

• Lourdes Gurriel Jr. will likely return for the final few series, but he’s a very volatile player in terms of production, and none of the players above will see much of a change in playing time on Gurriel’s return.
• Joc Pederson and Randal Grichuk are fully plato0ned. There are only three lefties projected to start across these series, which is good news for Joc and bad news for Grichuk.

Atlanta

LAD, @CIN, @MIA

Auto-Start: Michael Harris II, Marcell Ozuna, Matt Olson

Streamable/Deep League: Jorge Soler

Avoid: Sean Murphy, Jarred Kelenic, Whit Merrifield, Ramón Laureano

Comments:

• Michael Harris II finally seems ready to assert himself as a leadoff hitter and his skill set is ideal for it. It’s annoying that he hasn’t stolen a base since May, but he should get an opportunity or two hitting second.
• Sean Murphy is playing more, but not necessarily playing better. He’s a second catcher to me, at best.
• Jarred Kelenic and Ramón Laureano aren’t playing enough to draw attention.
• Even if Whit Merrifield gets healthy, I think he’ll likely find himself lower in the batting order with Jorge Soler and Michael Harris II heating up a bit.

 

Baltimore Orioles

@DET, SFG, DET

Auto-Start: Gunnar Henderson, Cedric Mullins, Anthony Santander, Adley Rutschman

Streamable/Deep League: Ryan O’Hearn

Avoid: Jackson Holliday, Eloy Jiménez, Colton Cowser

Comments:

• Cedric Mullins is getting a ton of action thanks to all of the righties Baltimore has faced, and they’ll see a whole bunch more against the Tigers and Giants. As a bonus, the O’s avoid Skubal in both series. Steals will be hard to come by against Detroit, but Mullins should snag a bag against the Giants.
• Adley Rutschman continues to struggle, but the constant playing time, soft upcoming matchups, and underlying ability make it hard for me to justify benching him. Let it ride.
• Ryan O’Hearn is going to play nearly every day until Ryan Mountcastle returns, and there’s still no date on that yet. He’s not a must-add in 12-teamers, but you could do far worse for a streamer despite the recent struggles.
• Jackson Holliday and Coby Mayo have a ton of upside and some good upcoming matchups, but they are buried in the batting order and struggling badly. In redraft, you can look elsewhere.

 

 

Boston Red Sox

@NYY, @TBR, MIN

Auto-Start: Jarren Duran, Rafael Devers, Tyler O’Neill, Connor Wong

Streamable/Deep League: Connor Wong, Triston Casas, Ceddanne Rafaela, Masataka Yoshida

Avoid: Trevor Story, Wilyer Abreu

Comments:

• Tyler O’Neill is notoriously streaky but he’s super hot right now and playing every day, so let it ride.
• Connor Wong is getting extra plate appearances by starting at first base against lefties due to the struggles of Triston Casas, making Wong a great hold for volume.
• The Red Sox will only face one left-handed starter across these three series, so if you’re desperate for power then Triston Casas may still be viable. This also benefits Masataka Yoshida, ought to be a solid points play.
• The return of Trevor Story is a fun story but not an actionable one for me.

 

Chicago Cubs

@COL, OAK, WAS

Auto-Start: Ian Happ, Dansby Swanson, Seiya Suzuki, Cody Bellinger, Isaac Paredes, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Michael Busch, Nico Hoerner

Streamable/Deep League: Miguel Amaya

Avoid: No one you were potentially considering

Comments:

• Going to Colorado is always a boon. Happ and Swanson have been struggling of late, but they hit near the top of the lineup and will get plenty of chances to heat up.
• Really though, the entire slew of starters the Cubs will see even outside of Coors should be pretty exploitable. This offense should be pretty wicked hot.
• Miguel Amaya has predictably cooled off, but he plays a lot and the matchups are good if you’re in dire need.
• The stolen base matchups are above average for both Nico Hoerner and Pete Crow-Armstrong, though stealing may not always be necessary in these games.

Chicago White Sox

OAK, @LAA, @SD

Auto-Start: None

Streamable/Deep League: Luis Robert Jr., Andrew Vaughn

Avoid: Everyone else

Comments:

• Luis Robert Jr. is frustrating but capable of exploding at any moment and the White Sox will face some exploitable pitching. If you want a safer play in a 10- or 12-teamer, though, I get looking elsewhere.
• Andrew Vaughn is fine in points leagues, I guess, as he puts balls in play and isn’t striking out much, though this offense is putrid and counting stats are hard to come by.

Cincinnati Reds

@MIN, ATL, PIT

Auto-Start: Elly De La Cruz

Streamable/Deep League: Jonathan India, Spencer Steer, Ty France, TJ Friedl, Jake Fraley, Tyler Stephenson

Avoid:

Comments:

• I don’t ever consider benching Elly De La Cruz. Don’t get too cute.
• The Reds will face a ton of righties coming up, which is awesome for TJ Friedl and Jake Fraley. Fraley has stolen a ton of bases, surprisingly, though I prefer Friedl for every category except OBP over Fraley.
• Jonathan India has struggled badly of late, but he continues to lead off and get on base at a decent rate even with a cold bat, so if you need runs he’s still viable option.
• Tyler Stephenson is having a strong season and plays a lot, which is important for a fantasy catcher, but he’s also ice cold and the matchups are just average, so if you’re itching for a lift, Stephenson could be ditched for a streamer.

 

Cleveland Guardians

TBR, MIN, STL

Auto-Start: José Ramírez, Steven Kwan, Andrés Giménez, Josh Naylor, Lane Thomas

Streamable/Deep League: None

Avoid: Kyle Manzardo, Jhonkensy Noel

Comments:

• The top half of this lineup is rocking and I see no reason that will stop.
• Josh Nayor maybe hasn’t been great, but with everyone else around him hitting well he can get production even if the bat is a bit cold.
• Lane Thomas rises just about as fast as he fell! I don’t love that he’s been caught stealing in each of his last two attempts, but the Guardians will likely keep giving him chances.

Colorado Rockies

CHC, ARI, @LAD

Auto-Start: Ezequiel Tovar, Brenton Doyle, Ryan McMahon, Michael Toglia

Streamable/Deep League: Charlie Blackmon, Brendan Rodgers

Avoid: Nolan Jones

Comments:

• Six straight games in Coors. You know the drill.
• Brendan Rodgers doesn’t have elite skills and has been struggling on the road, but he usually does well at home if you need a second baseman.
• Whatever Nolan Jones had in 2023, it’s long gone.

 

Detroit Tigers

BAL, @KCR, @BAL

Auto-Start: Parker Meadows, Riley Greene

Streamable/Deep League: Kerry Carpenter, Spencer Torkelson, Colt Keith, Trey Sweeney

Avoid: Matt Vierling, Jace Jung

Comments:

• This is one of the tougher set of matchups, as they’ll catch Burnes twice plus Lugo and Ragans and face a lefty in each series.
• Riley Greene is the truth.
• Parker Meadows largely feasted against subpar pitching, but he’s playing every day and leading off against righties so I’m inclined to let it ride. He hasn’t stolen a base in a while, though with the Tigers trying to keep their season alive, I expect them to give Meadows a green light or two against the Orioles, who are somewhat vulnerable to the running game.
• The difficult matchups make Kerry Carpenter and Spencer Torkelson situational plays for power in the short-term.
• Trey Sweeney is hitting the ball hard and swiping some bags, though he’ll likely sit against the lefties.
• Matt Vierling has produced plenty of late hitting third, but he doesn’t play regularly and the matchups are much tougher over the next three series.

 

Houston Astros

@LAA, @SD, LAA

Auto-Start: Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, Alex Bregman, Kyle Tucker, Yainer Diaz

Streamable/Deep League: Jeremy Peña, Mauricio Dubón

Avoid: Jon Singleton

Comments:

• Play the top half of the order every day.
• Jon Singleton has been surprisingly good of late, but there are a ton of lefti4es on this schedule and I expect him to sit quite a bit.
• If you’re in a deep league, Mauricio Dubón should get plenty of starts against all those lefties from the Angels and those games should feature lots of runs.

 

Kansas City Royals

@PIT, DET, SFG

Auto-Start: Bobby Witt Jr., Salvador Perez

Streamable/Deep League: Tommy Pham

Avoid: Maikel Garcia, Michael Massey, MJ Melendez

Comments:

• Tommy Pham is leading off for yet another team, but these hot streaks have not generally lasted long and I’m not a huge fan overall. You can certainly keep starting him, but I’m not bending over backwards to scoop him up as I believe he’s far more likely to turn down than keep going strong.
• You can run against the Pirates and Giants with relative ease, but I worry that Maikel Garcia won’t hit enough to make it count.
• Several lefties are on the schedule, including Snell and Skubal, which makes MJ Melendez and Michael Massey less than appealing.

 

Los Angeles Angels

HOU, CWS, @HOU

Auto-Start: Taylor Ward, Zach Neto

Streamable/Deep League: Nolan Schanuel, Niko Kavadas

Avoid: Mickey Moniak, Logan O’Hoppe

Comments:

• Taylor Ward and Zach Neto continue to hit well and while the upcoming matchups are pretty tough, they aren’t so tough that I’d bench them.
• Nolan Schanuel is more of a points league player due to his ability to take walks and put the ball in play despite limited power.
• Niko Kavadas has tons of power and will take a walk, making him an intriguing deep league play for home runs but limited contact skills combined with an approach that tries to put every batted ball in the air means his batting average will likely be a significant drag.
• Mickey Moniak has too many contact issues to be relied on.
• Logan O’Hoppe has a potentially bright future but I’d rather stream right now.

 

Los Angeles Dodgers

@ATL, @MIA, COL

Auto-Start: Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernández, Tommy Edman, Max Muncy, Will Smith

Streamable/Deep League: Miguel Rojas

Avoid: Gavin Lux, Andy Pages

Comments:

• Don’t bench your stars, even struggling ones like Freddie Freeman.
• Tommy Edman is playing every day and hitting like crazy so let it ride.
• Will Smith is hitting better of late and has more upside than the vast majority of catchers.
• Gavin Lux had a nice run but his extremely limited pop and part-time role are too much to overcome.
• If you’re in a points league and need a shortstop, Miguel Rojas puts a ton of balls in play and has a very high floor, especially for a guy who is almost certainly on your wire. Sure, the ceiling is also very low, but he will have very few, if any, negative days, and that matters.

 

Miami Marlins

@WAS, LAD, ATL

Auto-Start: Connor Norby

Streamable/Deep League: Xavier Edwards, Otto Lopez

Avoid: Jake Burger, Kyle Stowers, Jonah Bride

Comments:

• Connor Norby is a drag in points leagues but the pop is real.
• Xavier Edwards is hitting more and running more and starting less? I can’t pretend to know why that’s happening, but if you need steals then he’s a viable play. Otherwise, I’m avoiding him.
• Otto Lopez has a decent hit tool and enough speed to keep spinning the BABIP wheel and come out on top. I don’t buy the power, but the slap hits should keep coming.
• Jake Burger has brought the strikeouts down, but matchups with the Dodgers and Atlanta have me less than confident that he can start hitting for power again.
• Jonah Bride is a slap hitter like Lopez, but he hits lower in the order and doesn’t run.

 

Milwaukee Brewers

@ARI, PHI, ARI

Auto-Start: Jackson Chourio, William Contreras, Willy Adames

Streamable/Deep League:

Avoid: Brice Turang, Joey Ortiz, Rhys Hoskins

Comments:

• Jackson Chourio has looked a little more human of late but there’s too much talent for that to matter when setting your lineups.
• Brice Turang and Joey Ortiz are fine players overall, but right now they’re hitting at the bottom of the order and are facing two teams who haven’t allowed many stolen bases this season. It’s not that Arizona or Philadelphia are particularly good at stopping runners, it’s just that teams don’t seem to run that often against them, and if we assume that trend will generally continue, then Ortiz and Turang are not guys to target.

 

Minnesota Twins

CIN, @CLE, @BOS

Auto-Start: Royce Lewis, Matt Wallner

Streamable/Deep League: Carlos Santana, Jose Miranda, Byron Buxton

Avoid: Edouard Julien, Ryan Jeffers, Willi Castro

Comments:

• I realize Royce Lewis has been brutal lately, but the upcoming matchups aren’t tough and Lewis has an insane ability to produce when he’s clicking.
• Matt Wallner is playing every day and hitting dingers. Sure, he strikes out a ton, but the walks balance it out a little bit and quite frankly strikeouts come with the territory when you’re chasing home runs.
• Jose Miranda and Carlos Santana are solid plays in points leagues but they are more stop-gaps than answers to your issues for the remainder of the season.
• Edouard Julien is too passive.
• Ryan Jeffers is having such an up-and-down year, and while he’s a fine catcher if you are looking for power only (I’d rather have Francisco Alvarez, for what it’s worth), I’d stream in most scenarios.

 

 

New York Mets

@PHI, WAS, PHI

Auto-Start: Francisco Lindor, Mark Vientos, Pete Alonso,

Streamable/Deep League: Brandon Nimmo, Starling Marte, Francisco Alvarez, Jose Iglesias

Avoid: Jesse Winker, J.D. Martinez

Comments:

• This offense has struggled a bit lately and the two series against the Phillies will likely be tough sledding, but the elite hitters on this team are too good to bench.
• It hurts a bit putting Brandon Nimmo and Starling Marte in the streamable column but realistically they are only valuable in specific scenarios right now. Nimmo can provide OBP while Marte might steal a base, and I’m not sure I want to count on either right now.
• It hurts even more to put J.D. Martinez in the Avoid category, but the power hasn’t come through and he’s only eligible at utility.

 

New York Yankees

BOS, @SEA, @OAK

Auto-Start: Gleyber Torres, Juan Soto, Aaron Judge, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Austin Wells

Streamable/Deep League: Giancarlo Stanton, Anthony Volpe

Avoid: Jasson Domínguez, Anthony Rizzo, Alex Verdugo

Comments:

• Most of the top two-thirds of this batting order should be locked in, save for Giancarlo Stanton who is an auto-start for power and streamable if you lose points for strikeouts or don’t have a big power need.
• Anthony Volpe had a rough week but I continue to believe that he can provide value. If there’s a tempting shortstop on the wire you can go for it, but that hasn’t been the case for me in most leagues.
• Jasson Domínguez has a tantalizing upside and was raking in the minors before being recalled, but Alex Verdugo was hitting well over the last couple of weeks (.328/.361/.448 in his last 16 games) and with the division race being so close I wonder if we will see more of a timeshare between these two if Dominguez doesn’t start heating up.

 

Oakland Athletics

@CWS, @CHC, NYY

Auto-Start: Lawrence Butler, Brent Rooker

Streamable/Deep League: Zack Gelof

Avoid: Shea Langeliers, JJ Bleday

Comments:

• You weren’t really wondering what to do with Lawrence Butler or Brent Rooker.
• Zack Gelof has been swinging a hot bat, though he looked absolutely dreadful for the entire season up to this recent stretch. Second base is tough to fill so go ahead and ride the hot hand if you want, but I am highly skeptical that this sticks.
• JJ Bleday is fine for OBP or points, I guess, but the overall skills are limited. He does hit plenty of doubles, if you’re into that sort of thing, but don’t expect counting stats to come with them.

 

Philadelphia Phillies

NYM, @MIL, @NYM

Auto-Start: Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos, J.T. Realmuto

Streamable/Deep League: Bryson Stott

Avoid: Brandon Marsh

Comments:

• The top of this lineup is about as good as there is in baseball and the closest thing to an ace they’ll ace soon is David Peterson. Start with confidence.
• It’s very encouraging to see Kyle Schwarber back in the lineup today. The sore elbow is a bummer, but not so much so that I would entertain benching him when he’s in the lineup. I mean, the guy has seven home runs and 25 combined runs and RBI in his last eight games, for goodness sake.
• Bryson Stott’s volatile season continues, and while I think the talent is fine, the Mets and Brewers are fairly good at limiting steals and the Phillies will face four lefties in these three series. Those two details push Stott into more of a streamer/mid-range option depending on what’s on the wire, especially if you aren’t in dire need of steals.

 

 

Pittsburgh Pirates

KCR, @STL, @CIN

Auto-Start: Bryan Reynolds, Oneil Cruz

Streamable/Deep League: Nick Gonzales, Andrew McCutchen, Joey Bart, Isiah Kiner-Falefa

Avoid: Rowdy Tellez, Bryan De La Cruz

Comments:

• Nick Gonzales has pop and seems to have regained some form after missing time with an injury.
• Andrew McCutchen is one of the best dudes in the league and I’m glad he wants to play another year because I love rooting for that guy. For fantasy, he’s an OBP play with a bit of pop.
• Joey Bart doesn’t play a ton, but he’s got a decent bat and good matchups if you need a streamer.
• For volume, Isiah Kiner-Falefa can slot into most positions and leads off almost every single day. He’s mostly viable in points leagues.

 

San Diego Padres

@SFG, HOU, CWS

Auto-Start: Luis Arraez, Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Jackson Merrill

Streamable/Deep League: Jurickson Profar, Jake Cronenworth, Xander Bogaerts

Avoid: Kyle Higashioka

Comments:

• Luis Arraez is hitting .372 with a .404 OBP over his last 30 games and hasn’t struck out in over a month.
• Jackson Merrill is struggling a bit over the last week but good lord this power surge never ends. I don’t know what clicked for him starting in August but he basically stopped hitting the ball on the ground and started putting them over the fence. Merrill still hits most fly balls up the middle or the other way which makes me a little worried about how he can repeat this potential 25 home run campaign, but that’s a question to save for the offseason.
• Jurickson Profar, Jake Cronenworth, and Xander Bogaerts make sense in points leagues but none have explosive power or speed so if you are chasing one of those categories, don’t expect a ton of help from these names.
• Kyle Higashioka has been a streamable catcher at times, but this is not one of those times.

 

San Francisco Giants

SDP, @BAL, @KCR

Auto-Start: Matt Chapman

Streamable/Deep League: Tyler Fitzgerald, Mike Yastrzemski,  LaMonte Wade Jr., Michael Conforto, Heliot Ramos

Avoid: Patrick Bailey, Jerar Encarnación,

Comments:

• Generally, the Giants face a slew of mostly average right-handed starters, so the plethora of southpaws they rotate into their lineup will get plenty of at-bats.
• Tyler Fitzgerald has been better of late and shortstop is a tough position to fill, but I remain less than confident that he’s a fantasy difference-maker long-term with the high strikeout rate, low walk rate, and insane BABIP.
• Mike Yastrzemski, LaMonte Wade Jr., and Michael Conforto are streamers for power and/or OBP if you need it.
• Heliot Ramos doesn’t need to be dropped, per se, and I’m glad he’s reigning in the strikeouts, but his profile lends itself toward streakiness and this slump may get worse before it gets better.
• Patrick Bailey is a BABIP-dependent hitter who you can probably drop for a streamer.
• Jerar Encarnación won’t really play much but I imagine he’s been on your fantasy site’s leaderboard for the last seven days so I figured I’d mention him.

 

Seattle Mariners

TEX, NYY, @TEX

Auto-Start: Julio Rodríguez, Cal Raleigh, Randy Arozarena, Victor Robles

Streamable/Deep League: Victor Robles, Luke Raley, Justin Turner

Avoid: Jorge Polanco, J.P. Crawford

Comments:

• If I did have a list for you, Julio Rodríguez would be just inside the top 25 hitters. Over his last 14 games, J-Rod is hitting .305/.373/.492 with three home runs, four steals, and 23 combined runs and RBI with amazing plate discipline. Look, Julio is one of the most athletically-gifted players in the league and while he’s had a disappointing season, I’d be betting on him to keep this up.
• Cal Raleigh is a premier power-hitting catcher and these matchups are pretty good.
• Randy Arozarena can be maddening, I know, but he’s been plenty good enough over the last few weeks to keep putting him in your lineup.
• Victor Robles is benefitting from guys like Julio and Arozarena producing at the same time and recently reclaimed the leadoff role. If nothing else, he should score plenty of runs and steal plenty of bases with a solid batting average. There won’t be much power, but that’s fine.
• Luke Raley is notoriously streaky but he’s hot right now and so is the rest of the offense so why not?
• Justin Turner is a decent points league play with some positional flexibility, though the power hasn’t been anything like it was in years past and I don’t expect that to change.

 

St. Louis Cardinals

@TOR, PIT, CLE

Auto-Start: None

Streamable/Deep League: Masyn Winn, Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, Brendan Donovan, Lars Nootbaar

Avoid: Alec Burleson

Comments:

• Masyn Winn is having a solid year, but outside of runs scored and putting balls in play, there isn’t anything he does with much consistency.
• Brendan Donovan doesn’t have power but he gets on base a ton and may be sneaking around under the radar on your wire.
• Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, and Lars Nootbaar are fine players but I don’t think any are “must-keep” guys if there’s something surprisingly good on your wire.
• The Cardinals will see several lefties over these three series, and I expect Alec Burleson to sit for each one of them. He hasn’t been that great of late, so if you want to chase something else for your last outfield spot, go right ahead.

 

Tampa Bay Rays

@CLE, BOS, TOR

Auto-Start: None

Streamable/Deep League: Brandon Lowe, Junior Caminero, Yandy Díaz, Josh Lowe, José Caballero, Jonathan Aranda

Avoid: Jose Siri, Taylor Walls, Christopher Morel, Jonny DeLuca

Comments:

• No one on this team plays every day except for Junior Caminero and Josh Lowe, and neither is hitting all that well right now.
• Yandy Díaz is hitting well lately but sitting twice a week.
• José Caballero can steal bases if you need them.
• Jonathan Aranda has an interesting bat for dynasty leagues and is getting time at first and second.
• I have no idea why they keep leading off with Christopher Morel, but I guess it’s cool.
• Jonny DeLuca has been awfully good of late, but it feels incredibly luck/BABIP-driven and I’m looking every day at the wire for an upgrade before this falls apart.

 

Texas Rangers

@SEA, TOR, SEA

Auto-Start: Marcus Semien, Wyatt Langford

Streamable/Deep League: Nathaniel Lowe,

Avoid: Adolis García, Jonah Heim, Josh Smith, Josh Jung

Comments:

• After a slow, dismal summer, Marcus Semien and Wyatt Langford have turned it on and are firing on all cylinders. Let it ride.
• Nathaniel Lowe is also hot of late, but I am less confident in his underlying talent.
• It’s important to note that this is one of the toughest pitching schedules for this timeframe, and I expect it to get a little ugly for Josh Jung and Josh Smith, who haven’t been reliable for the last month.
• Adolis García is droppable if you haven’t already.

 

Toronto Blue Jays

STL, @TEX, @TBR

Auto-Start: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., George Springer

Streamable/Deep League: Spencer Horwitz, Ernie Clement

Avoid: Will Wagner, Daulton Varsho

Comments:

• Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Springer have been good enough to just leave in your lineup.
• Spencer Horwitz has several big games lately, but the Blue Jays still bench him against the majority of lefties so watch the lineups.
• Ernie Clement plays a lot and has hit the ball fairly well, but his value is in volume and versatility, not upside.
• Daulton Varsho has turned into a pumpkin and I’m not waiting to see what happens next.

 

Washington Nationals

MIA, @NYM, @CHC

Auto-Start: James Wood, Dylan Crews, CJ Abrams

Streamable/Deep League: Keibert Ruiz, Luis Garcia Jr.

Avoid: José Tena, Jacob Young, Andrés Chaparro

Comments:

• James Wood, Dylan Crews, and CJ Abrams are the cream of the crop talent-wise on this squad and it’s a nice core for Washington to build on.
• Keibert Ruiz is a streamable catcher who has limited power but tons of contact ability.
• Luis Garcia Jr. is streaky due to his reliance on BABIP but he makes enough contact to leave in the lineup against righties if you don’t have other middle infield options.
• I know José Tena and Andrés Chaparro have hit well lately, but it really feels like a mirage to me. I’d be glad to have gotten what you did, but also very ready to find a replacement ASAP.

 

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