September 1 will be here tomorrow, and with it will come expanded rosters. With the expanded rosters will come some daily lineup frustration of regulars on non-postseason clubs sitting in favor of youngsters. Platoon players and poor defenders are also in greater danger of coming out of games earlier as a result of deeper bullpens and benches that will result in earlier relief pitcher appearances to neutralize platoon hitters and deeper benches for opposing managers to dip into in order to counter. Poor baserunners are also in danger of getting lifted early for speedy pinch-runners. Today’s an important day, too. In order for players to be postseason eligible, they need to be on a team’s 40-man roster, the 60-day disabled list or the bereavement/family medical emergency list as of midnight ET, as you can see here. Be sure to check out the MLB transactions page to see if any intriguing players were added to postseason conteders’ 40-man and act accordingly.

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Notable Matchups

Red Sox @ Braves (3), vs. Astros (3)
Boston will lose the services of the designated hitter for their first three games in Atlanta next week. They also don’t have the easiest schedule of opposing pitchers. Having said that, the studs in Boston’s lineups are obviously matchup-proof players who should always start.

Rockies vs. Giants (3), vs. Dodgers (3)
Going back to the start of the second half (well, not technically the second half of the season, but post-All-star break), the Rockies have alternated full weeks at home and on the road. Last week, they spent the week on the road. You know what that means for this week. They project to draw a lefty-heavy run of starting pitchers with four on tap compared to two righties next week.

Dodgers vs. Mets (3), @ Rockies (3)
The Dodgers are one of the two National League West foes visiting the Rockies next week, and their hitters will get the value boost that accompanies playing at Coors Field. It’s not all rainbows and butterflies, though. The Dodgers do have the misfortune of drawing Jacob deGrom and Zack Wheeler in their three-game series against the Mets to open the week.

Yankees @ Athletics (3), @ Mariners (3)
The good news for the Yankees next week is that their lineup should receive some reinforcements. The bad news is that they’re on the road for both of their three-game series. The Bronx Bombers haven’t exactly played terribly on the road sporting a .188 ISO and 101 wRC+, per FanGraphs, but those numbers are a far cry from their MLB leading marks of a .213 ISO and 122 wRC+ at home. Making matters worse, O.co Coliseum and Safeco Field are both pitcher-friendly venues that suppress run scoring and homers.

Athletics vs. Yankees (3), vs. Rangers (3)
The A’s are having a remarkable season, but their offense hasn’t been the same force it is on the road when playing in front of their loyal fans. They’re basically the reverse of the aforementioned and visiting Yankees. Oakland leads MLB in road ISO (.207) and wRC+ (119), but they have just a .163 ISO and a 96 wRC+ at home. Not all is doom and gloom, though. The pitching matchups for the host A’s are rather ho-hum overall.

Phillies @ Marlins (3), @ Mets (3)
Continuing the theme of teams with sizable home/road splits who draw the unfavorable side of the split for all of next week, the Phillies are on the road fro both of their three-game series. The Phillies haven’t exactly been world beaters at home with a .179 SO, .317 wOBA, and 96 wRC+, but those marks are all notably higher than their road numbers of a .143 ISO, .304 wOBA, and 87 wRC+. The pitching matchups aren’t particularly enticing, either, and include Trevor Richards (3.28 ERA at home), Noah Syndergaard, and Jacob deGrom.

Giants @ Rockies (3), @ Brewers (3)
The Giants are the other National League West foe of the Rockies who are visiting Colorado this week. They also play a three-game series in hitter-friendly, homer-friendly Miller Park. The two road series provide a sizable bump to San Francisco’s hitters’ values, but there’s limited fantasy value on a Giants offense with an MLB worst 69 wRC+ in the second half that’s now without Buster Posey for the rest of the year.

Cardinals @ Nationals (3), @ Tigers (3)
The Cardinals will be able to utilize a designated hitter for three games next week in Detroit. They’re projected to face one lefty and one righty with one probable pitcher still up in the air. Matt Adams could make for a decent late-week streamer in deeper leagues if Detroit announces a second right-handed starter getting the ball for the three-game series.

Rangers vs. Angels (3), @ Athletics (3)
The Rangers have been a frequently highlighted team in this year’s Weekly Planner due to their extreme home/road splits, and they’ll be splitting their six-game week down the middle with a home series followed by a road series next week.

Cubs @ Brewers (3), @ Nationals (4)
The Cubs are one of a half-dozen teams with a seven-game week next week. Three of their games next week will be in the hitting-friendly confines of Miller Park before visiting hitter-friendly Nationals Park for four. Yes, hitter-friendly Nationals Park. It probably isn’t one of the first hitter-friendly venues that come to mind, but it enhances runs (1.005) and homers (1.030). A matchup with Max Scherzer looms, but one with Stephen Strasburg doesn’t appear nearly as daunting is it would have prior to his last DL stint. Chicago’s bats get two thumbs up next week.

Reds @ Pirates (3), vs. Padres (4)
The Red Legs have been one of the worst offenses in the second half ranking 25th in wRC+ (89), and their first three games next week are in run and homer-suppressing PNC Park, but their last four are in their homer-friendly home digs. Furthermore, the pitching matchups are soft.

Indians vs. Royals (3), @ Blue Jays (4)
Speaking of soft pitching matchups, Cleveland’s offense should feast against the thoroughly below-average collection of probable pitchers they’ll face in their seven games next week. How soft you ask? Ryan Borucki is arguably the best pitcher on tap for the Tribe next week. Cleveland’s bats should get fat next week.

Nationals vs. Cardinals (3), Cubs (4)
The Nationals fans will have a chance to watch their grossly underachieving squad play seven games at home next week. The pitching matchups slant slightly toward southpaws with four lined up next week. The lefty lean for pitching matchups takes a bite out of the value of Bryce Harper and Adam Eaton, but it makes Ryan Zimmerman (59% Yahoo! and 55% ESPN) an enticing streamer.

Hitter Notes

Luis Urias (SD)
Urias has hit and hit some more at every professional stop, and his bat didn’t slow down at the highest level of the minors. This year, he recorded a .296/.398/.447 slash at the Triple-A level, and before tossing too much salt on it due to the hitter-friendly nature of the Pacific Coast League, notice his 127 wRC+. His stellar bat work helped him earn a call-up to the Friars, and he should see regular playing time down the stretch. Urias real-life value is likely to be greater than his standard scoring league value, however, his strong on-base and bat-to-ball skills will play well in non-traditional scoring formats such as points leagues and those that use extra-base hits instead of homers. His nearly non-existent stolen-base ability and very modest power will put a lot of pressure on his batting average to carry his value in standard scoring leagues, and he’ll need to maintain a table-setter lineup spot in order to further help his fantasy appeal with run-scoring potential. If you’re in need of batting average help or have a weakness at second base or middle infielder in general, Urias is worth a look in leagues as shallow as 12-team mixers.

Didi Gregorius (NYY)
Gary Sanchez (NYY)
As I alluded to above, the Yankees have reinforcements on the way. Both Gregorius and Sanchez are expected back possibly as early as the weekend. Assuming neither suffers a setback, gamers in leagues with weekly lineup changes will be able to start both next week.

Pitcher Notes

James Paxton (SEA)
Paxton is scheduled to start tomorrow. Assuming he comes out of that start unscathed, all systems are a go for using him in fantasy leagues next week.

Charlie Morton (HOU)
Morton is on the 10-day disabled list with right shoulder discomfort, but the move appears to be precautionary, and he’s expected to miss only one turn in the rotation.

Sean Manaea (OAK)
Manaea’s outlook for the rest of the season is murky. He’s been diagnosed with rotator cuff tendinitis and doesn’t have a timetable for a return. The lefty’s season got off to a blistering start, but he’s the owner of a 4.54 ERA in 21 starts spanning 117 innings since the beginning of May, and the advanced metrics are right in line with the underwhelming ERA. Gamers who haven’t already cut bait can feel free to do so now.

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Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.