It is vital to examine key fantasy baseball storylines and aspects this week to stay ahead of the curve and gain an edge on your league mates. We have 20 such fantasy baseball storylines for you to monitor. This guide will help you navigate the waiver wire, pinpoint potential streamers and more.
- Fantasy Baseball Trade Analyzer
- Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Assistant
- Fantasy Baseball Lineup Assistant
- MLB Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
20 Fantasy Baseball Things to Watch
1. Schedule Notes
- Zero teams have just five games this week!
- The following teams play seven games this week:
- Baltimore Orioles vs. SEA, vs. SDP
- Seattle Mariners at BAL, at WSH
2. Tarik Skubal (SP – DET)
Tarik Skubal had his first rehab assignment and reportedly looked fantastic. He should be back fairly soon, so we need to see if he is throwing at the same level as before the elbow issue.
3. Jake Bennett (SP – BOS)
Jake Bennett is expected to be recalled from the minors to take Brayan Bello‘s spot in the rotation. Bennett has been great in the minors this season, but lacks massive strikeout upside. We need to see if he can stick in the rotation in Boston.
4. The Return of Royce Lewis
Royce Lewis has a ton of talent, but has struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness in the Majors. He has returned from a brief demotion and was crushing in AAA. We need to see if he can finally put it all together.
5. Bryce Eldridge (1B, DH – SFG)
Bryce Eldridge struggled when he was first called up, but he is finally playing every day in San Francisco and making more contact than ever.
Eldridge has a ton of power, but has swing-and-miss struggles in the minors. If the contact improvements are here to stay, there is massive upside.
6. Colton Cowser (OF – BAL)
Colton Cowser struggled to start the season, but he has been insanely hot over the last two weeks, hitting five home runs. He still struggles against lefties, but the underlying contact skills have been better during this hot streak.
7. Max Kepler (OF – ARI)
Max Kepler signed a one-year deal with the Diamondbacks over the weekend. He is still suspended for PEDs, but will begin a rehab assignment until he is eligible to be activated.
Kepler is a good defender, but he has also had some good offensive seasons and is worth stashing in deeper leagues if he looks good in the minors.
8. Twins’ Closer Chaos
The Twins have been operating with a closer committee this season, but right now their best reliever has been Yoendrys Gomez, who appears to be taking the lead part of that committee. We need to see if he can grab and keep the job.
9. Royals’ Closer Chaos
Lucas Erceg has struggled and appears to have given up the closer role for now. Alex Lange has been the lead saves earner since Erceg lost the role. We need to see whether this is a committee with Erceg and Daniel Lynch, or whether Lange will have the role to himself.
10-14. Streaming Options
Brandon Young (SP – BAL) vs. SEA
Brandon Young has quietly been great, throwing 49.1 innings with a 3.47 ERA and 37 strikeouts. He has a good matchup at home versus a bad Mariners offense.
Troy Melton (SP, RP – DET) vs. MIN
Troy Melton has been great since his promotion and has a great matchup at home.
Michael Wacha (SP – KCR) vs. TEX
Michael Wacha is about as solid as they come for a pitcher, and he is facing one of the worst offenses in baseball at home.
Bubba Chandler (SP – PIT) vs. MIA
Bubba Chandler got an opener in his last start and looked much better. He has a great matchup at home in a great park this week.
Andrew Alvarez (SP, RP – WSH) at SF
Andrew Alvarez has quietly pitched very well, throwing 20.1 innings with a 3.54 ERA and 22 strikeouts. He is facing a bad Giants offense in a pitcher-friendly ballpark.
15-20. Two-Start Options
Spencer Arrighetti (SP – HOU) at LAA, at KCR
Spencer Arrighetti has been fantastic since joining the Astros’ rotation, throwing 51 innings with a 1.96 ERA and 46 strikeouts. The problem is that Arrighetti still struggles with control.
Arrighetti is walking hitters at a 12% rate and has been lucky with a low batting average on balls in play (BABIP) and a high strand rate. He has two good matchups this week, so you are using him everywhere, but there will be regression at some point.
Stephen Kolek (SP – KCR) vs. TEX, vs. HOU
Stephen Kolek has quietly been great, throwing 38 innings with a 3.32 ERA and 27 strikeouts. He’s been lucky in the BABIP department, but he’s also done a great job limiting walks, and his ERA indicators are not bad.
Kolek has a good matchup at the start of the week and a tougher one at the end, but both are at home. He is safe to start this week.
Taj Bradley (SP – MIN) at DET, vs. STL
Taj Bradley has been up and down this season, throwing 60.2 innings with a 3.56 ERA and 70 strikeouts, but a 1.32 WHIP. He has struggled with walks, and his last two outings have been uneven.
Bradley has decent matchups this week, but will always be a risk when he struggles with his control.
Grant Holmes (SP – ATL) at CWS, at NYM
Grant Holmes has been solid this season, but he has been better over the last five starts, posting a 3.16 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 25.2 innings.
However, Holmes still struggles with command, which leads to home runs. He is risky in the front half of the week with a powerful White Sox team on the docket.
Trevor Rogers (SP – BAL) vs. SEA, vs. SDP
Trevor Rogers has struggled a ton this season, throwing 54.1 innings with a 6.29 ERA. What keeps him as a viable option this week is that he is coming off a decent start and is facing the two worst offenses in the league versus lefties.
Andrew Abbott (SP – CIN) at SDP, vs. ARI
Andrew Abbott has been up and down this season, but has been better as of late. Since the start of May, Abbott has a 2.12 ERA and 23 strikeouts over 34 innings.
Abbott is still struggling with command and control, but he has the Reds’ offense supporting him. He has a tough matchup at the beginning of the week and an easy one to end it, so there is a bit of risk.
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