This is always one of my least favorite weeks of the fantasy calendar – the dreaded five game week. This upcoming week has the Braves, Red Sox, Marlins, Yankees, Athletics, Giants, and Rays getting only five games to produce stats.
Making matters even worse is that we have to balance the abbreviated five-game weeks of seven teams with full boat, seven-game schedules for the Guardians, Cardinals, and Nationals. It would be one thing if the Red Sox were on the seven-game side of this coin, as we would be mashing the start button on everyone from those lineups. But Cleveland, St. Louis, and Washington are all offenses lacking in one way or another (thump, vibes, and talent, respectively) that it may be the odd week you start someone like Orlando Arcia over Paul Dejong despite the former playing in a staggering 28% fewer games.
As if this fake game we play isn’t complicated enough, good luck making your starting decisions this week if you have some large disparities in games being played. We both know that we are bound to make the incorrect choices.
The stats and ownership percentages below are updated as of noon central time on 7/21.
As always, if you want advice on specific roster decisions you might have, feel free to leave a comment. You can also find me on twitter (@mcouill7).
CATCHERS
10/12 Team Adds
Keibert Ruiz (WSN, 44% CBS Ownership) – Just as anticipated, Ruiz has conquered the mighty, top-ranked Jonah Heim to become the number one-rated catcher over the past seven days in our Player Rater. He has taken advantage of some warm weather and poor pitching from the Cardinals and Cubs and marched to a .417/.550/.941 line since the All-Star break. The power outbreak has been especially surprising as the Washington backstop entered 2023 with a .373 career slug; his 11 homers to-date double his career total. Now would be the perfect time for Ruiz to grow into the elite bat his prospect history projected as the Nationals have a pretty breezy schedule over the next two weeks as follows: vs COL, at NYM, vs MIL, at CIN. (1-3% FAAB)
QUICK HITS: Alejandro Kirk (TOR, 42% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Yainer Diaz (HOU, 34% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Danny Jansen (TOR, 31% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Gabriel Moreno (ARI, 31% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Patrick Bailey (SFG, 29% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Endy Rodriguez (PIT, 23% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Bo Naylor (CLE, 23% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB)
15 Team Adds
Luis Campusano (SDP, 6% CBS Ownership) – If A.J. Preller is looking for one culprit for the putrid Padres season, he doesn’t have to look beyond the catcher position. San Diego catchers have combined for a 56 wRC+ and league-worst -0.7 WAR to-date. Campsuno returned on Tuesday from a lengthy absence after tearing a thumb ligament in mid-April. He torched Triple-A pitching during his rehab assignment for a .333/.444/.600 line (151 wRC+) in 18 plate appearances. If the 24-year-old can hover anywhere near his Steamer-projected line of .244/.309/.402 (97 wRC+), he will cement himself into the Dads’ lineup and get enough run to be usable in deeper leagues. (1-3% FAAB)
QUICK HITS: Blake Sabol (C/OF, SFG, 16% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Yan Gomes (CHC, 16% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Christian Bethancourt (TBR, 14% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Connor Wong (BOS, 7% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Matt Thaiss (LAA, 5% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Jake Rogers (DET, 4% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Miguel Amaya (CHC, 3% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB)
INFIELDERS
10/12 Team Adds
Edouard Julien (2B, MIN, 29% CBS Ownership) – It’s a tale as old as time in the fantasy baseball world… a prospect rockets through the minors swinging a magma-hot bat, arrives in the majors, struggles a little bit, and then is totally discarded by our gracious community and ignored after he finds his footing finally. Take a guess at what Julien’s wRC+ is to-date. I’ll give you a few seconds… think about it like you are trying to imagine an obscure reliever that pitched for the Angels and Guardians in your Immaculate Grid. You ready for the answer? 167!!! That’s right, Julien, who started the season looking totally overmatched with a 30% K-rate to 3.3% BB-rate in April a after those rates were 24.7% and 18.8%, respectively, in Triple-A last year, has pulled his season wRC+ up to even Ronald Acuna Jr. In July so far, the Minnesota second baseman is scorching major league pitching with a .500/.500/1.000 line, good for an absurd 325 wRC+, with five homers. That production has come with a 29.6% barrel-rate and 51.9% HardHit-rate. Streaks don’t get much hotter than Julien’s right now. (3-5% FAAB)
QUICK HITS: Geraldo Perdomo (2B/SS, ARI, 47% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Jake Burger (3B, CHW, 45% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Brett Baty (3B, NYM, 44% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Triston Casas (1B, BOS, 42% CBS Ownership, 3-5% FAAB), Maikel Garcia (3B/SS, KCR, 39% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), J.P. Crawford (SS, SEA, 35% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Carlos Santana (1B, PIT, 33% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Mauricio Dubon (2B/SS/OF, HOU, 35% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Luis Garcia (2B/SS, WSN, 29% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Zach Neto (SS, LAA, 27% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Garrett Cooper (1B, MIA, 23% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Ronny Mauricio (SS, NYM, 24% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB)
15 Team Adds
Willi Castro (2B/3B/SS/OF, MIN, 22% CBS Ownership) – Willi has wiggled his way back into the Twins’ daily lineup as the baseball Swiss army knife has supplanted Michael Taylor in centerfield this past week. The switch-hitting Castro has now started three straight over Taylor and six of the last seven total games. With Jorge Polanco returning soon, Castro’s time on the dirt is probably over but his middling .247/.322/.365 line (95 wRC+) is just good enough to play in Minnesota’s lineup. Willi is the best option for deep leaguers desperate for steals as he currently has 22 in 219 at-bats over 82 games – pretty easy to double that and see he’s on a 40 steal pace. (1-3% FAAB)
QUICK HITS: Chris Taylor (2B/3B/SS/OF, LAD, 19% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Zach McKinstry (2B/3B/OF, DET, 18% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Jon Berti (2B/3B/SS, MI, 17% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Nick Pratto (1B/OF, KCR, 16% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Colt Keith (3B, DET, 16% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Paul DeJong (SS, STL, 13% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Tony Kemp (2B/OF, OAK, 8% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Brandon Belt (1B, TOR, 7% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Andy Ibanez (2B/3B/OF, DET, 4% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Dominic Smith (1B, WSN, 5% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Jordan Diaz (2B, OAK, 3% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Emmanuel Rivera (1B/3B, ARI, 2% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Harold Castro (1B/2B/3B/OF, COL, 1% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB)
Only Team Adds
Michael Toglia (1B/OF, COL, 3% CBS Ownership) – Somewhere in the deepest circles of hell, CA and I will find Bud Black and finally get our revenge for the mental torment he has wrought. Until that day, the best we fantasy players can do with fringe young Colorado bats is identify the juiciest weeks of the Rockies’ schedule and take our shot. The Rox have a brilliantly delicious week for bats with three games in steamy Washington and then three at home against the Athletics (be calm, my beating heart). Toglia has a .250/.325/.444 career line in Coors Field, the biggest question is how many at-bats will his manager grant him this upcoming week? (1% FAAB)
Jonah Bride (2B/3B, OAK, 0% CBS Ownership) – Bride was called up as the corresponding move when the A’s placed Ryan Noda on the IL for a fractured jaw. While Noda spends the coming weeks on a liquids-only diet, Bride should at least find himself in a short-side platoon role for Oakland. If any Athletics veterans are shipped out at the trade deadline, Jonah could be a viable AL-only piece, especially if you have OBP as a category, just for league average-ish volume (all projection systems have him slated for a 95-to-99 wRC+). (1% FAAB)
OUTFIELDERS
10/12 Team Adds
Alex Kirilloff (1B/OF, MIN, 36% CBS Ownership) – I swear, I didn’t watch Fargo this week and become entranced in the Minnesota winter scenes. Like why on earth am even mesmerized and attracted to those parts of that movie? They’re stunningly beautiful to me. What level of Midwestern have I reached that I’m wasting my July away daydreaming about snow? So, what has inspired me to choose my third Twin this week? Well, a West Coast road trip that jumpstarted the Minnesota lineup to produce average six runs a night over seven games against the A’s and M’s certainly didn’t hurt. Kirilloff has hit for a blistering .311/.373/.600 line (165 wRC+) with three homers and 13 RBI in July after a dismal 72 wRC+ in June. He’s locked in and maybe his chronically ailing wrist is finally back to full strength. (3-5% FAAB)
QUICK HITS: Nolan Jones (1B/OF, COL, 48% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Charlie Blackmon (COL, 48% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), LaMonte Wade (1B/OF, SFG, 47% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Chas McCormick (HOU, 43% CBS Ownership, 3% FAAB), Adam Duvall (BOS, 43% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Luis Matos (SFG, 37% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Brandon Marsh (PHI, 33% CBS Ownership Rate, 1-3% FAAB), Tommy Pham (OF, NYM, 31% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Jose Siri (TBR, 26% CBS Ownership, 3% FAAB), Kerry Carpenter (DET, 24% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Will Benson (CIN, 22% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB)
15 Team Adds
Jurickson Profar (COL, 18% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB) – Has Profar been any good this year? No, absolutely not (.240/.322/.369, six homers, 76 wRC+). Are you in a deep league and are recently juggling an injury to (choose as many as you want): Cedric Mullins, Adolis Garcia, Starling Marte, Andrew Vaughn, Kris Bryant, Jarred Kelenic, Tommy Pham, or Harrison Bader? Well, you can do worse than the switch-hitting Rockies leadoff (like seriously, what the fuck, Bud?) hitter at Washington and in Coors for six games this upcoming week. (1% FAAB)
QUICK HITS: David Peralta (LAD, 15% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Jesus Sanchez (MIA, 14% CBS Ownership, 3% FAAB), Alek Thomas (ARI, 13% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Ryan O’Hearn (1B/OF, BAL, 12% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Kevin Kiermaier (TOR, 9% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Matt Vierling (DET, 8% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Brenton Doyle (COL, 7% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Drew Waters (KCR, 8% CBS Ownership, 3% FAAB), Travis Jankowski (TEX, 6% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Mike Tauchman (CHC, 4% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Akil Baddoo (DET, 3% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB)
Only Team Adds
Alec Burleson (1B/OF, STL, 4% CBS Ownership) – As the Cardinals await the fall of the trade guillotine to behead their team, it’s not a bad idea to start collecting the fringe players on the St. Louis MLB and Triple-A rosters that should see larger roles. It’s not hard to envision this Cards lineup running roughshod on the remaining schedule, fueled by anger and the desire to catch John Mozeliak’s favor. Burleson is a solid bat and should start getting a strong-side platoon, at minimum, when the trade blade comes to lop off Tyler O’Neill. ZiPS already projects for what full-time at-bats could look like for Burleson – .263/.308/.418 (100 wRC+) with six homers over 183 at-bats rest of season. (1-3% FAAB)
Franchy Cordero (1B/OF, NYY, 2% CBS Ownership) – The injuries plaguing the Yankees couldn’t have come better for the left-handed Cordero as the upcoming week sees them have games in Yankee Stadium and at Baltimore, both are positive parks for lefty bats. The Yankees have the misfortune of only playing five games, with one coming against the lefty Jose Quintana. Even if Franchy only gets four starts, he’s best pinch hitting option for Aaron Boone in the fifth game. (1-3% FAAB)
STARTING PITCHERS
10/12 Team Adds
Logan Allen (CLE, 50% CBS Ownership) – I like when pitching decisions are easy for a week. Allen shoved in his return to the Guardians’ rotation for a win against the Pirates on Tuesday, throwing five shutout innings with eight strikeouts while allowing only one hit and walk each. And now the Cleveland lefty has a two-start week against the hapless Royals and White Sox? Yes, please. (3-5% FAAB)
QUICK HITS: Griffin Canning (LAA, 46% CBS Ownership, 3-5% FAAB), Clarke Schmidt (NYY, 46% CBS Ownership, 3% FAAB), JP Sears (OAK, 42% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Matt Manning (DET, 41% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Graham Ashcraft (CIN, 31% CBS Ownership, 3% FAAB), Cristopher Sanchez (PHI, 27% CBS Ownership, 3% FAAB), Ryne Nelson (ARI, 26% CBS Ownership, 3% FAAB), Ben Lively (CIN, 24% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Reese Olson (DET, 23% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB)
15 Team Adds
Steven Matz (STL, 15% CBS Ownership) – As the Cardinals and Mozeliak have spent this past week chatting about how they need to improve pitching and deviate from contact-oriented arms, it’s hard not to feel a little bad for Matz. The sinker baller is pretty much culprit number one for what has gone wrong with the St. Louis pitching staff since his signing before the 2022 season. However, maybe Matz got the memo on “strikeouts = good” now circulating in the Redbird clubhouse as he has an 11.7 K/9 with a 3.07 ERA in three starts since re-entering the rotation recently. He also has a two start week in two pitchers parks (at ARI, vs CHC) upcoming, which makes him a solid streaming option. (1-3% FAAB)
QUICK HITS: Kutter Crawford (BOS, 21% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Jose Quintana (NYM, 20% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Quinn Priester (PIT, 18% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Brandon Bielak (HOU, 18% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Hyun-Jin Ryu (TOR, 17% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Patrick Corbin (WSN, 16% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Ross Stripling (SFG, 12% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Adrian Houser (MIL, 6% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Michael Grove (LAD, 5% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Luis Medina (OAK, 5% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Chase Silseth (LAA, 5% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB)
Only Team Adds
Robert Gasser (MIL, 4% CBS Ownership) – The Brewers are putting on a master class of how mediocre a team can be and still roll right to a Central division title against their Midwest brethren. However, the Julio Teheran revival has floundered as he has a 9.37 ERA over his last three starts. Adrian Houser and Colin Rea are the most mid pitching options one can imagine. If the Brew Crew want to inject some talent into their rotation while awaiting Brandon Woodruff’s return, Gasser looks to be their best option. In 85 Triple-A innings this season, the 24-year-old has managed a 4.02 ERA (3.72 FIP) with 10.9 K/9 in the hitter-friendly International League. (1% FAAB)
Touki Toussaint (CHW, 2% CBS Ownership) – I’m back again this week with another risky two-start pitcher for those in deep leagues looking for some strikeout volume. After feeling pretty good about suggesting Luis Medina last weekend, which would have brought you his win with 5.2 innings of no runs and six Ks so far (likely before getting shelled by Houston tonight), let’s wade even further out in the risk pool with Touki. The good for Toussaint – over his last four outings (three starts and one outing as a bulk reliever), he has a decent 4.50 ERA and sterling 0.45 HR/9 rate in 20 innings with 17 strikeouts and a 55.5% groundball-rate. The bad for Toussaint – he has and 1.40 WHIP with 13 walks (5.85 BB/9) over that time, and both of these starts are coming at Guaranteed Rate Field during some warm weather. If you are desperate to rack up some strikeouts and can stomach the ratios risk, Touki’s two starts versus the Cubs and Guardians are widely available for devouring. (1-3% FAAB)
RELIEVERS
10/12 Team Adds
Adbert Alzolay (CHC, 35% CBS Ownership) – After hexing Hunter Harvey last week into a shoulder injury after my continued support, Alzolay rises to the top of the “available closer no one is super confident in” list for this week. (3% FAAB)
QUICK HITS: Andres Munoz (SEA, 41% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Kyle Finnegan (WSN, 35% CBS Ownership, 3% FAAB), Nick Pivetta (BOS, 33% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Kendall Graveman (CHW, 27% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Bryan Abreu (HOU, 25% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Daniel Bard (COL, 21% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Brusdar Graterol (LAD, 20% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Justin Lawrence (COL, 20% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB)
15 Team Adds
Kevin Ginkel (ARI, 11% CBS Ownership) – For being such a such a good team, the Diamondbacks have an incredibly volatile bullpen. Part of that is the organization rolling out all of the stops for victories and riding the hot hand at closer, so it is encouraging to see a shift from a strategy that allowed Mark Melancon to stumble to 16 saves last year. Ginkel is the latest Arizona reliever to step into the temporary closer seat, picking up two this past week after Scott McGough has lost the touch on his splitter again. The job will likely be Ginkel’s until the Diamondbacks find some help at the deadline (Jordan Hicks, Kendall Graveman, and Scott Barlow would probably all supplant Ginkel). (3% FAAB)
QUICK HITS: Tanner Scott (MIA, 19% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Mark Leiter Jr. (CHC, 11% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Trevor May (OAK, 11% CBS Ownership, 3% FAAB), Tyler Rogers (SFG, 11% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Matt Brash (SEA, 9% CBS Ownership 1% FAAB), Jason Foley (DET, 6% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Chris Martin (BOS, 5% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Griffin Jax (MIN, 5% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Carlos Hernandez (KCR, 3% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB)
Only Team Adds
Ryan Brasier (LAD, 0% CBS Ownership) – After everyone spent the preseason fretting over whether the Dodgers’ run as kings of the NL West was coming to an end, they have now marched themselves to the top of the division and second in the NL behind the otherworldly Braves. In classic Dodgers fashion, they have retooled another reliever castoff as Brasier has a 1.38 ERA (2.74 FIP) and 0.77 WHIP in 13 innings with 7.6 K/9 since his return from Triple-A in late June. He picked up a win and a save this past week while moving into higher-leverage spots. Get ready for his 20 save season in LA next year. (1% FAAB)
Yimi Garcia (TOR, 4% CBS Ownership) – Following Jordan Romano’s brief absence from tweaking his back at the All-Star Game, it was Garcia, not Erik Swanson, that picked up the save this past week in a pinch. The Blue Jays played their hand on showing the preference for saves if Romano’s back injury (or another ailment, because you know… pitchers) continues. It’s handcuff time if you are a Romano owner in a deep league with no viable saves options on your wire. (1-3% FAAB)
