Hey everybody!
If you’re unfamiliar with this series, each week I highlight hitting matchups you should take advantage of in your fantasy baseball league and ones that you should try to avoid based on the pitching matchups those hitters are slated to face that week. I also try to highlight a catcher to two to stream (if there are catchers worth streaming) because that position can be a real pain.
If you’d like to learn more about when it becomes less risky to stream hitters (and pitchers) and when certain team stats start to stabilize during the year, check out this article.
So let’s take a look at the hitters you should start and avoid for Week 8 (5/18-5/24) of the fantasy baseball season.
Notes: All pitching matchups mentioned here are based on projections as of this post’s publication. It is entirely possible that the actual matchups could change for any number of reasons. Keep in mind, this article is geared toward middle-of-the-road players, meaning you should be starting top-of-the-line bats regardless of the matchup. Always start your studs.
START
Texas Rangers hitters – The Rangers get six games this week with some pretty favorable matchups ahead. They kick the week off with three games in Coors Field against the Rockies, which is always a good time for hitters. There, they’ll see Jose Quintana, whoever replaces Chase Dollander and Kyle Freeland, none of whom worry me in Coors.
After that, they’ll get three games against the Angels, who own the 10th-worst team FIP in baseball, where they’ll see Grayson Rodriguez, Walbert Ureña, and Reid Detmers. Obviously, we know Rodriguez can be a problem, but we also have no idea how he’s going to be looking over his first few starts, so I’m not actively avoiding him just yet.
Seattle Mariners hitters – The Mariners have six games this week, kicking off with three games against the White Sox, who own the seventh-worst team FIP in baseball, where they’ll see Noah Schultz, Anthony Kay, and Sean Burke, none of whom concern me.
After that, they’ll get three games against the Royals, who own the eighth-worst team FIP in the league, where they’ll see Noah Cameron, Stephen Kolek, and Seth Lugo, who again, don’t concern me at all.
Josh Naylor has been hitting well lately, slashing .333/.382/.451 over the past two weeks, so make sure you’ve got him in your lineups this week. Same with Randy Arozarena, who’s hitting .362/.444/.468 over the past two weeks. And in deeper leagues, Luke Raley is worth a look, as he’s hitting .346/.452/.923 over the past two weeks.
Detroit Tigers hitters – The Tigers have a full seven-game week this week, starting off with four games against the Guardians, where they’ll see Slade Cecconi, Parker Messick, Tanner Bibee, and Joey Cantillo. Obviously, Messick would be someone to avoid in daily leagues if you can, and while Cantillo has looked solid so far, he’s not someone I’m overly concerned about just yet.
After that, the Tigers get three games against the Orioles, who own the ninth-worst team FIP in baseball, where they’ll see Chris Bassitt, Brandon Young, and Trevor Rogers. In daily leagues, I’d probably avoid Rogers, but otherwise, I think you’re good to go this week in weekly leagues. There should be decent value to be had here.
This is a deep league recommendation only, but Matt Vierling owns a .215 ISO over the past two weeks, so if you’re in need of some help, there could be something there.
CATCHER TO STREAM: There hasn’t been much of a batting average lately, but Dillon Dingler hits near the top of the Tigers’ lineup and owns a .210 ISO over the past two weeks, so if you need help at the catcher position and he’s around, he could be helpful.
AVOID
Washington Nationals hitters – The Nats have a seven-game week this week, which would normally be exciting, but they’ve got some tough matchups ahead.
They start the week off with four games against the Mets, who own the fourth-best team FIP in all of baseball. There, they’ll see Christian Scott, Nolan McLean, whoever replaces Clay Holmes (which I’d guess would be Sean Manaea unless they choose to call up Jonah Tong or something), and David Peterson.
There are a couple of matchups there you could take advantage of in a daily league, like whoever ends up replacing Holmes and the Peterson matchup, but Scott has looked pretty solid, and McLean has been lights out.
After that series, the Nats get three games against Atlanta, who owns the 11th-best team FIP in the league, where they’ll see Bryce Elder, Grant Holmes, and JR Ritchie. Again, wouldn’t mind starting my guys in a daily league against Holmes. Elder has been excellent so far, and Ritchie hasn’t been too bad either, and taken altogether, there’s enough uncertainty around this week that I’d be looking elsewhere than my mid-tier Nats hitters if I could.
Los Angeles Dodgers hitters – The Dodgers get six games this week, kicking off with three against the Padres, who own the fifth-best team FIP in baseball. There, they’ll see Michael King, Griffin Canning, and Randy Vásquez.
After that, the Dodgers get three games against the Brewers, who own the best team FIP in the league, where they’ll see Logan Henderson, Brandon Sproat, and Jacob Misiorowski.
There might be a matchup or two you could take advantage of here in daily leagues, but in weekly leagues, I’m avoiding my mid-level Dodgers hitters this week.
Tampa Bay Rays hitters – The Rays also get six games this week, starting off with three against the Orioles, where they’ll see Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish, and Shane Baz. I’m not all that worried about Baz, but Rogers is a concern, and Bradish has been looking great lately.
After that, they’ll get three games against the Yankees, who own the second-best team FIP in the league, where they’ll see Carlos Rodón, Tyan Weathers, and Will Warren, making this a tough week for your mid-tier Rays hitters.
