Fantasy Baseball Weekend Preview: Help could come from unexpected places to close Week 13
Aside from the obvious add of Brandon Marsh, fantasy managers will find their hitters in unusual places this weekend, as the Tigers, Rockies and White Sox could be sources of help. On the pitching side, there are some established options on waivers in shallow leagues, while Landon Knack is a great option in all formats.
Matchups to Target
Phillies @ Marlins
Philadelphia's productive lineup could have a stellar weekend against a starting trio of Roddery Munoz, Yonny Chirinos and Kyle Tyler. With all three hurlers throwing from the right side, lefty hitter Brandon Marsh (21%) is the best man to target. Edmundo Sosa (8%) is an option in deeper formats.
Tigers @ Angels
The Tigers could score in bunches against three mediocre starters and an Angels bullpen that ranks 29th in baseball with a 5.04 ERA. There are plenty of lineup regulars who are sitting on waivers and could have a great series, including Matt Vierling (29%), Mark Canha (22%), Wenceel Perez (4%) and Colt Keith (12%).
White Sox vs. Rockies
There is plenty of offensive potential on both sides of this matchup, as five of the six starters in the series own a WHIP of 1.30 or higher. Although Colorado hitters are rarely recommended on the road, Hunter Goodman is a possible catching streamer this weekend. And from the lowly White Sox, Paul DeJong (15%), Tommy Pham (6%) and Korey Lee (2%) warrant consideration in 12-team leagues.
D-backs vs. A’s
Arizona’s offense owns baseball’s third-highest batting average against left-handers, which is a good indictor that they will succeed vs. JP Sears and Hogan Harris on Friday and Saturday, before taking on right-hander Luis Medina (5.25 ERA, 1.54 WHIP) to close out the series. Jake McCarthy (11%) has been playing regularly, and Randal Grichuk (1%) will start against southpaws in the initial two games of the series.
Matchups to Avoid
Marlins @ Phillies
Managers rarely target Miami hitters in the first place, but this is a particularly tough weekend for one of baseball’s worst lineups, as the Phillies will roll out three effective starters in Ranger Suarez, Aaron Nola and Christopher Sanchez. All Miami hitters, including Jazz Chisholm Jr., should be on the bench in shallow leagues.
Blue Jays vs. Yankees
New York’s weekend starters (Marcus Stroman, Nestor Cortes, Gerrit Cole) should be good enough to hold Toronto’s underachieving offense in check until the game is turned over to a bullpen with a 3.59 ERA. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is Toronto’s only must-start hitter this weekend.
Guardians @ Royals
Cleveland has fared well offensively this season but may have a down weekend when it faces two of baseball’s ERA leaders (Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo) and a solid starter in Alec March. Jose Ramirez, Josh Naylor and Steven Kwan are the three matchup-proof members of this lineup, but the others should be scrutinized more than usual.
Seeking Saves
Aroldis Chapman (Pittsburgh Pirates, 41%)
I type this paragraph with some trepidation, as Chapman (3.86 ERA, 1.61 WHIP) is far from a sure thing at any point in the season. But the 36-year-old is the favorite for saves while David Bednar resides on the IL, which makes him worthy of fantasy consideration for a weekend series in Atlanta. Chapman’s chances of protecting a lead are enhanced by the fact that both of Pittsburgh’s best starters (Jared Jones, Paul Skenes) are pitching in this series.
Seeking Steals
Will Benson (Cincinnati Reds, 10%)
Benson is in the midst of a disappointing season that includes a .188 average and a .654 OPS. But he also has a useful power-speed blend and plays regularly vs. righties, which should get him into the lineup for all three weekend games. Adding to Benson’s chances is the fact that two of the starters, Sonny Gray and Lance Lynn, have each allowed 10 steals this year.
Streaming Starters
In order, here are the best streamers for the weekend, with their start date and Yahoo roster rate in brackets.
Taj Bradley vs. WSH (Sunday, 54%)
Landon Knack @SF (Friday, 15)
Reese Olson @LAA (Saturday, 40)
Tobias Myers vs. CHC (Saturday, 45)
Spencer Schwellenbach vs. PIT (Sunday, 22)
Tylor Megill vs. HOU (Saturday, 13)
Mitchell Parker @TB (Friday, 34)
Carson Spiers @STL (Saturday, 10)
Alec Marsh vs. CLE (Friday, 19)
Jonathan Cannon vs. COL (Saturday, 7)
Colin Rea vs. CHC (Friday, 20)
Aaron Civale vs. WSH (Saturday, 36)
Jose Quintana vs. HOU (Friday, 8)
Cal Quantrill @CWS (Saturday, 23)
Lance Lynn vs. CIN (Sunday, 21)
Griffin Canning vs. DET (Saturday, 12)
Drew Thorpe vs. COL (Friday, 13)
Cade Povich vs. TEX (Saturday, 11)
Cole Irvin vs. TEX (Sunday, 39)