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 play just five games this week.
- The following teams play seven games this week:
- Atlanta Braves at PHI (1), vs. TBR, vs. PHI
- Philadelphia Phillies at PHI (1), vs. HOU, at PHI
2. The Playoff Races
There are a number of interesting playoff races down the stretch that will be exciting to watch and are important for fantasy.
As teams begin to pull away in playoff races or fall out of them, it will impact how deep pitchers are allowed to go into games and how often hitters sit. Paying attention to these things can be the difference between winning a title or not in fantasy leagues.
3. Team Schedules
Along with playoff races, you should be very keyed in on the remaining schedules, as many teams will play the same opponents more than once over the next few weeks, which can be great or terrible.
For instance, the Reds’ next three series are against the Dodgers, Brewers and Dodgers again. With those teams’ pitching staffs on the docket, their hitters are much less exciting. Teams like the Cardinals are more interesting because they get San Francisco twice, with the White Sox sandwiched in between, or teams like the A’s, who are home all week.
4. Ethan Salas (C – SDP)
Ethan Salas is a top prospect who made his debut this week. He is still just 20 years old and may not get a full run in San Diego as they compete for a Wild Card spot, but he has loads of talent.
This experience in the Bigs will likely put Salas in line for an Opening Day roster spot in 2027. The Padres have three catchers on the roster right now, so we need to see how they use Salas down the stretch.
5. Leo Bernal (C – STL)
Leo Bernal is another catching prospect who made his debut this past week. However, he figures to have a bigger role in St. Louis despite the Cardinals already rostering three catchers.
Bernal has been given starts at designated hitter, first base and behind the plate. He has started out hot, slashing .333/.407/.500 with a home run and six RBI. Bernal profiles more as an accumulator and will be given playing time to rack up stats, which makes him interesting down the stretch.
6. Adael Amador (2B – COL)
Adael Amador was called up recently and appears to be in line for a full-time playing role as the Rockies’ second baseman. He has a series on the road this week, which hurts his value. After that, though, the Rockies play 10 straight days at home. Coors Field is perfect for a contact hitter like Amador, who can spray it to all fields.
7. Yohandy Morales (1B, 3B – WSH)
Yohandy Morales made his Major League debut recently and has hit the ground running with a .455/.455/.909 triple slash line and a home run. Morales has a ton of power, but he swings and misses a ton as well.
If Morales can get regular playing time down the stretch, a hot streak could mean a bunch of home runs. There is a batting average and playing-time risk if the Nationals decide they do not want to give him a full run.
8. Kyle Harrison (SP – MIL) and Chase Burns (SP – CIN)
Kyle Harrison has been struggling since returning from the injured list (IL), and it appears he may be losing his rotation spot in Milwaukee. The Reds have also said they will limit Chase Burns down the stretch, as they are not in playoff contention.
Both of these young aces may become much less valuable to fantasy teams for the rest of the season, so we need to see how their respective teams will use them.
9. Corbin Burnes (SP – ARI)
Corbin Burnes is expected to come off the IL this week and make his debut after missing the entire season recovering from Tommy John surgery.
You shouldn’t expect much from him for the rest of the season, and he needs time to ramp up, but we should watch how his stuff looks so we have a better idea of where to draft him in 2027.
10. Diamondbacks’ Closing Chaos
The Diamondbacks have had a rotating committee in the ninth inning since finally moving away from Paul Sewald, but it seems like they may be zeroing in on Juan Morillo.
Morillo has been fantastic this season, with a 2.08 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 56.1 innings. He has registered two saves for the Diamondbacks since August 26th. Brandyn Garcia may factor in too as the lefty, but this is something to track.
11-14. Streaming Options
Brandon Young (SP – BAL) vs. CLE
Brandon Young has been very good this season, throwing 137 innings with a 3.42 ERA and 110 strikeouts. He gets an anemic Guardians offense at home and then sets up for a two-start week the following week, which makes him a potential stream-and-hold option.
Quinn Mathews (SP – STL) at SFG
Quinn Mathews has shown some good skills when he doesn’t walk too many hitters. Thankfully, he travels to San Francisco to face a Giants team that doesn’t walk or hit much versus lefty pitchers.
Andrew Alvarez (SP, RP – WSH) vs. LAA
Andrew Alvarez has been pretty impressive since entering the Nationals’ rotation. He gets an Angels team at home that has the second-highest strikeout rate versus lefties this season.
Dustin May (SP – MIL) vs. CIN
The Reds strike out the most versus right-handers and have the second-worst wOBA against them, making Dustin May a nice streaming play this week.
15-20. Two-Start Options
Troy Melton (SP – DET) vs. MIN, vs. COL
Troy Melton has been great since coming up from the minors, throwing 102.1 innings with a 2.20 ERA and 84 strikeouts. He has struggled a bit more as of late, but with a Rockies start at home at the end of the week, you should be playing him in all formats.
Noah Cameron (SP – KCR) vs. ARI, at BOS
Noah Cameron has been fantastic since the All-Star break, throwing 58.2 innings with a 2.76 ERA and 47 strikeouts. He has two tough matchups here, but considering how well he has pitched recently, you should be using him in all formats.
Jacob Lopez (SP – ATH) vs. TOR, vs. SEA
Jacob Lopez has been on an unbelievable hot stretch, throwing 49.2 innings since the All-Star break, allowing a 2.36 ERA and striking out 60 hitters. He has two great matchups this week, but they are both in Sacramento, which is a difficult place to pitch, so there is a little risk.
Landen Roupp (SP – SFG) vs. STL, vs. SDP
Landen Roupp has been up and down much of the season, throwing 144.2 innings with a 4.17 ERA and 137 strikeouts. A lot of it comes down to control with Roupp. When he limits the walks, he looks like an ace, but he can struggle to find the zone at times. He has decent matchups this week, so he is worth the risk if you have a stable WHIP already.
Bubba Chandler (SP – PIT) at CWS, at CHC
Bubba Chandler has quietly been much better as of late, throwing 41.2 innings with a 3.24 ERA and 36 strikeouts in the second half. He has tougher matchups, and both are away from home, but this is an improving arm that should be considered in deeper formats.
Jonah Tong (SP – NYM) at MIA, at NYY
Jonah Tong is a top prospect who pitched well in limited appearances last season, but has spent most of the year in Triple-A this season. He is expected to be recalled on Monday and has decent matchups, but he is a risky bet with a lot of upside because of his strikeout potential.
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