Week 20 is here in fantasy baseball, so the playoffs are likely right around the corner in head-to-head leagues. If your league’s trade deadline has passed, the only way to improve your roster is on the waiver wire. That means making wise pickups and, in many cases, not wasting valuable FAAB dollars.
One of the easiest ways is by taking advantage of the schedule. Maximizing your games played can be a significant advantage in your weekly matchup. Here is look at the upcoming slate.
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A Look at the Schedule
Week 20 gives fantasy managers a chance to take advantage of the schedule. The New York Yankees have a monster eight-game week. Eight teams (Diamondbacks, Orioles, White Sox, Reds, Indians, Astros, Angels, Rangers) have seven games this week. Conversely, two organizations (Royals, Brewers) play just five contests. The remaining 19 teams have six games.
The Rockies play six games, but they are exclusively at Coors Field. They face the Diamondbacks and Marlins in a strong slate. Fantasy managers should consider adding Ian Desmond or Ryan McMahon before setting their lineups.
Ideally, maximizing games is the way to go. Managers should avoid using Royals and Brewers this week, especially options ranked outside the top 100. Instead, add a player with seven games. Here are the top options owned in fewer than 50 percent of Yahoo Leagues.
Note: The Yankees have eight games, but all of their starting options are above the roster percentage threshold. The red-hot Gio Urshela and Mike Tauchman have risen to 55 and 53 percent rostered, respectively, as of Friday morning.
Top Pickups
Christian Walker (1B – ARI): 32% owned
To the surprise of some fantasy owners, Walker is having a productive season in Arizona. He has 20 homers and seven steals while batting .257 with a .349 OBP. According to FantasyPros, Walker has been the 16th-best first baseman this year ahead of Paul Goldschmidt, Rhys Hoskins, Joey Gallo, and many others.
The Diamondbacks head to Colorado for the first three games of the week before returning home to face the Giants. Walker has neutral platoon splits between home and road, but Coors Field should give him a boost. Add him.
Jesse Winker (OF – CIN): 26% owned
Winker crushes right-handed pitching. For his career, he is a .309/.396/.510 hitter against righties with 27 homers in 685 plate appearances. The Reds are scheduled to face seven right-handed starters this week. Expect Winker to bat leadoff and produce for fantasy managers.
Oscar Mercado (OF – CLE): 48% owned
Mercado was not called up until mid-May, but the 24-year-old already has nine homers and nine steals while batting .279. He is slightly better against left-handed pitching, and the Indians are set to face four lefty starters next week. Mercado is a nice power and speed combo add.
Jarrod Dyson (OF – ARI): 11% owned
Fantasy managers looking for a steal or two to put them over the top should add Dyson. He ties Jonathan Villar for fourth in MLB with 24 steals. Dyson consistently bats leadoff for the Diamondbacks and is batting .255 on the year with a 10.7% walk rate and career-high six homers. Dyson is the premier steals add for Week 20.
Aristides Aquino (OF – CIN): 29% owned
Called up on August 1, Aquino has batted clean-up in the Reds’ last three games. Before his promotion, the outfielder batted .299/.356/.636 with 28 homers in Triple-A over 323 plate appearances. Aquino bats right-handed, and the Reds are facing exclusively right-handed starters next week. He may not have the best matchups, but Aquino could nevertheless be an underrated power source to add for the stretch run.
David Fletcher (2B/3B/SS/OF – LAA): 38% owned
Fletcher mashes right-handed pitching. This season, he is batting .301 with a .355 OBP against righties. He also has seven of his eight steals versus them. The Angels are set to face seven right-handed starters next week, making Fletcher a strong addition for any manager needing middle-infield help.
Carson Kelly (C – ARI): 17% owned
Add Carson Kelly’s name to the list of underrated Diamondbacks. He is 12th among catchers on the FantasyPros Player Rater for the season. Kelly is batting .263/.349/.527 with 14 homers, so grab him if you’re looking for a catcher.
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Tyler Watts is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Tyler, follow him @tylerpwatts.
