It is vital to look at important fantasy baseball storylines and aspects this week to be ahead of the curve and gain an edge on your league mates. We have 20 such storylines for you to monitor. This guide will help you navigate the waiver wire, pinpoint potential streamers and more.
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- Fantasy Baseball Trade Analyzer
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- MLB Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
- Rest-of-Season Projections
20 Fantasy Baseball Things to Watch
1. Schedule Notes
- Zero teams play just five games this week.
- The following teams play seven games this week:
- Chicago White Sox vs. DET, vs. KC
- Detroit Tigers at CWS, vs. CHC
- Minnesota Twins at ATH, v.s TOR
- New York Mets at LAD, at COL
- Los Angeles Dodgers vs. NYM, at STL
- San Diego Padres at SF, at MIL
- San Francisco Giants vs. SD, vs. ATL
2. Cole Young (2B, SS – SEA)
Cole Young is a top-100 prospect who was called up by the Mariners last week. He was hitting .277/392/.461 with five home runs and four stolen bases in AAA this year. He doesn’t have a ton of power or speed, but possesses a bit of both, along with great contact skills and vision. Young should play regularly on a good offense, so he is worth taking a shot on in deeper formats.
3. Jacob Melton (OF – HOU)
Jacob Melton is a top-50 prospect for the Astros who made his debut on Sunday. He was mediocre in AAA, but he had missed time with an injury. He hit 15 home runs and stole 30 bases last season between AA and AAA. There are some questions as to where and how much he will play in Houston, so we need to see what his playing time situation will look like.
4. Thairo Estrada (2B – COL)
Thairo Estrada was a popular sleeper during draft season before suffering an injury that cost him the first two months of the season. Estrada has a bit of pop and speed, but he will hit in the middle of the Rockies’ lineup and will benefit from Coors Field’s thin mountain air.
5. Coby Mayo (3B – BAL)
Coby Mayo is a top prospect for the Orioles who has returned to the Major Leagues. He has struggled mightily in his limited Major League time, but he has not had much of an opportunity to make it work. There is a ton of power in the bat. If he can find full-time plate appearances, he could be a big power boost for fantasy.
6. Jake Mangum (OF – TB)
Jake Mangum has returned from the injured list (IL) and immediately made an impact, swatting his first career home run. He was really good before getting injured, hitting .329/.370/.421 with eight stolen bases. Chandler Simpson was sent down to make room for Mangum, and he could be a great replacement to make up for the speed Simpson provided.
7. Jac Caglianone (1B – KC)
Jac Caglianone is a top-25 prospect expected to be called up by the Royals this week. He has hit .323/.391/.600 between AA and AAA this season with 15 home runs and two stolen bases. There is a ton of power in the bat, and he has made better-than-expected contact, which is impressive. Caglianone will be a priority pickup in all formats.
8. Henry Davis (C – PIT)
Henry Davis has returned to the Majors, and the former first overall pick has hit .292/.370/.458 over the last two weeks. Davis has struggled to make consistent contact, but the power is in the bat. If he can make close to league-average contact, he could turn into a stud.
9. Parker Meadows (OF – DET)
Parker Meadows is working his way back from a nerve issue in his arm. When healthy, Meadows has shown a lot of promise as a hitter. The Tigers’ offense is going to be good around him for the first time in his time with the team. When he comes back, we need to see if he will play every day and where he hits in the lineup.
10. Sawyer Gipson-Long (SP – DET)
With Jackson Jobe hitting the IL, Sawyer Gipson-Long is returning to the Majors for the first time since getting Tommy John surgery. Gipson-Long was a popular sleeper before the injury, and he has looked good in AAA, so we need to see if he can carry that over.
11. Christian Encarnacion-Strand (1B – CIN)
Christian Encarnacion-Strand is expected to return this week after missing time with an injury. There is a ton of pop in the bat, but he has struggled to stay healthy and hit for average in the Majors the last two seasons. Encarnacion-Strand has been great in AAA, so we need to see if he can make it work in the Majors.
12-14. Streaming Options
Trevor Williams (SP – WSH) at TEX
Trevor Williams isn’t a very good pitcher, but he can limit hard contact, and the Rangers have been terrible offensively this season.
Michael Wacha (SP – KC) at CWS
Michael Wacha has been excellent this season and is facing a terrible White Sox team.
Cal Quantrill (SP – MIA) vs. COL
The Rockies are the worst team in Major League history, and they do their worst work on the road, so you can stream just about anyone against them.
15-20. Two-Start Options
Lance McCullers (SP – HOU) at PIT, at CLE
After getting destroyed in his second start of the season, Lance McCullers has been great over his last three starts, including 20 strikeouts over his last two starts. Talent has never been the issue for McCullers; health was the problem. These are two pretty good matchups. You should stream him as long as he is healthy.
Michael Lorenzen (SP, RP – KC) at STL, at CWS
Michael Lorenzen has been up and down this season, but he tends to offer a safe floor despite a low ceiling. These are two good matchups, and while he has been better at home this season than on the road, you shouldn’t pass up an end-of-the-week matchup versus a terrible White Sox team.
Shane Smith (SP – CWS) vs. DET, vs. KC
Shane Smith has been great this season, but he unfortunately pitches for the White Sox, so it is hard for you to get a lot of wins out of him. He has a tough start to the week, but a nice ending versus a bad Royals offense.
Stephen Kolek (SP, RP – SD) at SF, at MIL
Stephen Kolek has been really good since joining the rotation for the Padres, even if the stuff hasn’t been as strong as it was in the bullpen. He faces two struggling offenses in the Brewers and the Giants, so there is a good shot for him to keep his success going for now.
Cade Horton (SP – CHC) at WSH, at DET
Cade Horton has good stuff, but he is not yet polished enough to make it work consistently. The back half of this two-step is quite daunting, given how hot the Tigers have been and the Nationals’ formidable offense. You might get a win or two here, but there is a lot of risk.
Jonathan Cannon (SP – CWS) vs. DET, vs. KC
Better in quality starts leagues than wins leagues, Jonathan Cannon goes deep into games, but on the White Sox, he just doesn’t get a lot of wins. This is a good back half of the week but a hard front half, so there is a fair amount of risk here.
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