What’s up, everyone!
If you’re unfamiliar with this article series, each week I take a look at some hitting matchups you should take advantage of and some hitting matchups you should avoid, based on who the hitters will likely be facing on the mound.
So let’s take a look at the hitters to start and avoid in Week 22 (8/28-9/3) 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
Toronto Blue Jays hitters – The Blue Jays have six games this week, and I’m not sure it’s possible for their week to be more hitter-friendly. They start the week off with three games against the Nationals, who own the second-worst team FIP in baseball, and they close the week with three games against the Rockies, who own the worst team FIP in the league, in Coors Field. So six games, three of them in Coors, against the worst and second-worst pitching staffs in baseball. It doesn’t get much better than that. Brandon Belt has been hitting pretty well lately, slashing .267/.450/.667 over the past two weeks and is definitely worth a look. Same with Daulton Varsho, who’s hitting .278/.366/.611 over the past two weeks.
Seattle Mariners hitters – The Mariners have six games this week, starting off with three games against the A’s, who own the third-worst team FIP in baseball, and closing with three games against the Mets, who own the seventh-worst team FIP in the league. Cal Raleigh has continued doing what he does best, which is hit dingers, as he’s sporting a .326 ISO over the past two weeks (though a .239 average) if you’re looking for some power from the catcher spot. And in deeper leagues, Dominic Canzone could be an interesting play, as he’s slashing .286/.342/.514 over the past two weeks.
Detroit Tigers hitters – The Tigers have a full seven-game week this week, starting with four against the Yankees, who own the 10th-worst team FIP in baseball. That series will see them face Gerrit Cole, so in daily leagues I might dodge that, but otherwise, you should be good. Then, after that, they’ll have three games against the White Sox, who own the fifth-worst team FIP in the league. Akil Baddoo has been hitting well lately, slashing .267/.353/.500 over the past two weeks and is worth a look in deeper leagues. Spencer Torkelson has also been hitting well, slashing .275/.383/.725 over the past two weeks and is worth a start, as is Kerry Carpenter, who’s been hitting a white-hot .351/.442/.811 over the past two weeks.
Baltimore Orioles hitters – The Orioles have six games this week, starting with three against the White Sox, who as I mentioned have the fifth-worst team FIP in baseball, and they close with three games against the Diamondbacks, who own the ninth-worst team FIP in the league. Ryan Mountcastle has been hitting really well lately, slashing .289/.347/.489 over the past two weeks and is worth a look this week. And Ryan O’Hearn continues to hit well, slashing .308/.357/.538 over the past two weeks, and even better, the Orioles aren’t slated to face any lefties, meaning O’Hearn should be good to go.
AVOID
Washington Nationals hitters – The Nats have a seven-game week this week, starting with three against the Blue Jays, who own the eighth-best team FIP in the league and closing with four against the Marlins, who own the ninth-best team FIP in baseball. They’re slated to face Kevin Gausman, José Berríos, Chris Bassitt, Eury Pérez, Jesús Luzardo, and Sandy Alcantara this week, and that’s a headache I don’t want to deal with.
Los Angeles Dodgers hitters – The Dodgers have a full seven-game week this week, but four of those games will be against Atlanta, who owns the third-best team FIP in baseball, and one of those games will be against Zac Gallen. That leaves just two games that are decent for your matchups (both against the D’Backs) and in weekly leagues, I don’t think that’s enough value to warrant starting your middle-of-the-road Dodgers hitters.
Cleveland Guardians hitters – The Guardians have six games this week, starting with three against the Twins, who own the fourth-best team FIP in baseball, and closing with three against the Rays, who own the second-best team FIP in the league, making it a tough week for your Guardians hitters.