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Fantasy Baseball Weekly Planner: Week 12

Fantasy Baseball Weekly Planner: Week 12

The total games scheduled for teams next week are all over the map. Five teams are scheduled for a week-low five games. Two teams are at the other end of the spectrum with eight games, five teams play seven games, and 18 teams are scheduled for six games.

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Notable Matchups

Colorado Rockies at SEA (2), at MIL (3)
It’s a double-whammy of bad news for Colorado’s hitters next week. First, they’re one of the teams with a week-low five games. Second, they’re on the road for both series — that’s a huge downgrade for their hitters next week.

San Francisco Giants at LAA (2), vs. OAK (3)
The Giants are another of the teams with a five-game week. Their lineup will get a lift with the designated hitter for a two-game set in Los Angeles against the Angels. However, their platoon-heavy approach cripples the value of some of their deep-league options in leagues with weekly lineup changes since they’re likely to face three southpaws and two righties.

Cincinnati Reds at MIN (2), vs. ATL (4)
The Reds are among the 18 teams scheduled to play six games next week, and they have a few things working for their hitters. First, their lineup will get a lift with a designated hitter for two contests in Minnesota. Second, they’re home at Great American Ball Park for four contests. According to the FantasyPros MLB Park Factors tool, Great American “Small” Park has the second-highest park factor for runs (1.106) and leads the way for homers (1.347). The Reds have taken advantage of their home cooking. According to FanGraphs, they have the second-highest wRC+ (123) at home. Finally, their pitching matchups are largely soft.

Minnesota Twins vs. CIN (2), vs. CLE (4)
The Twins have six games on tap. Their pitching matchups are a mixed bag. However, they’re in this section to acknowledge that all of their games are in American League ballparks, so Nelson Cruz isn’t in danger of riding the pine, as he would be without the designated hitter spot in a National League ballpark visit.

Philadelphia Phillies vs. WSH (2), at NYM (4)
Not all six-game weeks are created equal. The Phillies reach that total with a doubleheader in New York against the Mets next Friday. As a reminder, doubleheader games are seven innings each, as they were in 2020.

Houston Astros at BAL (3), at DET (4)
There’s a lot to like about the Astros’ schedule next week, starting with the fact that they’ll play seven games. Additionally, their pitching matchups are favorable. The park factors are pretty sweet, too, especially at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

Atlanta Braves at NYM (4), at CIN (4)
The Braves are one of the two teams scheduled to play eight games. Their week starts with a doubleheader against the Mets. The volume is great, and so is a trip to Great American Ball Park for four contests to close the week.

New York Mets vs. ATL (4), vs. PHI (4)
The Mets have a bizarre week ahead of them. They play eight games, but they’re off Wednesday. They’re scheduled to play two doubleheaders next week. The first is on Monday, and the second follows on Thursday. The four games that make up the pair of doubleheaders will amount to 28 innings of baseball — if they don’t go to extra innings. So, they’re basically the equivalent of three games. This is all a winded way of saying that it’s probably prudent to view their eight-game week similarly to a seven-game week.

Hitter Notes

Mike Moustakas (CIN)
Mike Moustakas started a rehab assignment on Tuesday. However, he felt soreness in his injured foot, prompting his rehab assignment to be put on hold. The initial expectation was a return to the club this weekend. However, it looks like it will be a longer wait before the Moose is let loose again.

Jean Segura (PHI) and Bryce Harper (PHI)
Segura is on the injured list and should miss three weeks with a groin strain. The news isn’t as dire for Bryce Harper, who could return from back soreness for a weekend series in San Francisco against the Giants.

George Springer (TOR)
Springer started a rehab assignment on Tuesday night at the Triple-A level. Gamers in weekly leagues will want to monitor his status through the weekend, as a return next week seems plausible.

Cody Bellinger (LAD)
The Dodgers attempted to wait out Cody Bellinger’s left hamstring tightness. However, after three missed games, they opted to place him on the injured list. ESPN Staff Writer Alden Gonzalez reports that he is first eligible to be activated next Tuesday, and manager Dave Roberts said the “hope” is that Bellinger won’t miss more than the required 10 days.

Byron Buxton (MIN)
Byron Buxton is basically in limbo. He’s joined the Twins, but he hasn’t been activated from the injured list. He’ll need to prove that he is healthy before the team activates him, and he is yet to do so. Manager Rocco Baldelli went so far as to say that “he may play more rehab games — that’s not definite, but it’s certainly a possibility.” So gamers will have to continue to exercise patience and stay abreast of updates.

Pitcher Notes

Jacob deGrom (NYM)
deGrom exited another start early. This time, he left Wednesday night’s turn after striking out eight of nine batters in three perfect innings because of right shoulder soreness. The initial indications are the injury isn’t serious. However, the Mets are understandably doing their due diligence, and they sent him for an MRI yesterday.

Luis Severino (NYY)
The good news with Luis Severino is that he hasn’t suffered a setback with his Tommy John surgery. The bad news is that his return will be delayed by a different setback, a Grade 2 groin strain. He remains a high-upside stash for gamers who have the injured list or deep bench space.

Tyler Glasnow (TB)
Glasnow has a partial UCL tear, and he is going to take the rest-and-rehab route in hopes of avoiding Tommy John surgery. Still, surgery remains a possibility, and his timeline for return is unclear.

Max Scherzer (WSH)
The injury bug won’t leave the aces alone. In Max Scherzer’s case, the injury is groin inflammation. He was placed on the injured list Tuesday retroactively to Saturday. The team reportedly initially weighed the possibility of pushing his Wednesday start back rather than placing him on the injured list. I suspect that is an indication he could be back as early as next week.

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Whether you’re new to fantasy baseball or a seasoned pro, our Fantasy Baseball 101: Strategy Tips & Advice page is for you. You can get started with our Sabermetrics Glossary or head to a more advanced strategy – like Maximizing Your Potential in Multi-Lineup Contests – to learn more.

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

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