X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Fantasy Baseball Lineup Notes: Batting Order, Platoons, and Playing Time Changes - Week 21

Adolis Garcia - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, MLB DFS Picks, Injury News

Analyzing MLB starting lineup trends and emerging fantasy baseball sleepers for Week 21 (2024). Kevin reviews batting order changes, playing time, and platoons.

We're now onto Week 21 of the fantasy baseball season. Normally I'd give you my sarcastic Rockies update here but nothing tops the reality of Joc Pederson hitting a little league homer against the purple pinstripes so here I am, just drowning in the misery of my Rockies fandom. We've bottomed out as our doom and gloom surroundings have become more predictable than a Kris Bryant IL stint. But I digress.

In all seriousness, I want to thank everyone who has read this article this season. This will be the last weekly update of the 2024 season but I am certain we'll be back next year. Remember all the good recommendations I told you about (David Fry, you were awesome) and forget all the bad ones that immediately burst into flames (I never said to stash Alek Thomas before he got sent to the minors, I promise). That being said, we've still got six players to highlight to help you win your fantasy baseball championship. So let's get to it.

In this article, we'll go over some of the trends we're seeing with platoon hitters, notable playing time changes, and batting order notes. We'll focus on a couple of players for each section and provide some added depth and insight to help you build your lineup. If there are players who you'd like to see covered or discussed that fit any of the criteria below, feel free to hit me up on X! Now, let's get to it.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Platoon Player Updates for Fantasy Baseball

David Peralta - OF, San Diego Padres

Don't look now but the San Diego Padres are on absolute fire and are just 2.0 GB of the Dodgers of the NL West lead (along with fellow division rival Arizona). They're 10-2 and have been driven by an offense led by Jackson Merrill, Jurickson Profar, Manny Machado and...David Peralta?

Yes, David Peralta. His 162 wRC+ since the All-Star break is second behind only Jackson Merrill for those that have 50 or more PA in the second half. And as a lefty who platoons against righties, he matches our platooning formula for success.

As we move onto our luck factor check, his season-long .333 wOBA and .328 xwOBA tell us his results are fairly true, so when he inevitably cools down, it won't be demonstrably bad.

You should expect above-average production from him going forward. With five of his six homers on the season coming in the second half, along with 12 of his 21 RBI, he's hot and needs to be snagged up ASAP. Pick him up now and ride that hot streak.

Kerry Carpenter - OF, Detroit Tigers

Not an unfamiliar name to this article but he just came off the IL, so now's a better time than any to highlight him again. Carpenter and his 163 OPS+ missed all of June and July with a back injury he suffered in late May. And since he's returned, he's hit three homers in three games. The power's there and now we just have to hope his back issues don't flare up.

Carpenter has a .391 xwOBA, putting him just a touch above guys like Ketel Marte, who has a .389 xwOBA that's in the 95th percentile. At that point, any negative regression he sees from his .403 wOBA will still get you a top-of-the-line type of production at the plate.

There's a decent chance he's on your waiver wire and there's no reason he should be. Grab him before others realize he's healthy again and get him in your lineup ASAP.

Other platoon names to keep an eye on:

Gavin Lux - 2B, Los Angeles Dodgers
Wilyer Abreu - OF, Boston Red Sox

 

Playing Time Updates for Fantasy Baseball

Eloy Jimenez - DH, Baltimore Orioles

I won't lie to you, this is a bit of a confusing case. Jimenez has been a very good acquisition by the Orioles and is putting up really solid numbers for Baltimore (.414/.433/.483 slash line in 30 PA). However, he's found himself in a bit of a weird role.

He's not exactly in a platoon role and facing only lefties (though he's been much better vs. righties in Baltimore) but he's also not getting consistent starts against righties. His hot streak just hasn't meant much to the Orioles as he's only been in the starting lineup for seven of Baltimore's 13 games since he was acquired at the trade deadline.

Jimenez hasn't quite been placed into a platoon role with Baltimore, but his pattern of starts is concerning given he was essentially an everyday type of player with the White Sox. He's also gotten most of his production with Baltimore off singles (12 hits, 10 singles) and doesn't have a homer as an Oriole yet.

Fantasy managers shouldn't drop him by any means, but his everyday reliability is more than in question right now. Take caution with the 27-year-old going forward and only count on him when needed.

Andres Chaparro - 1B, Washington Nationals

I know what you weekly readers are thinking...I JUST told you to pick up Juan Yepez as a 1B for the Nationals last week. So why another Nationals first baseman? Well, Yepez has slid into the DH role as the Nationals called up Chaparro this week to man first base.

While Chaparro has only played in three games, he's collected four hits and recorded two walks in the only game he hasn't gotten a hit in yet. In a low-stress environment in Washington, he's likely to be given quite a few opportunities to prove himself. That makes him a cheap option for you to sneakily snag.

Chaparro was solid in the minors before being called up, hitting for a .961 OPS for Triple-A Reno (Diamondbacks) and then for a 1.076 OPS for Triple-A Rochester (Nationals) after Washington acquired him at the trade deadline.

After spending eight seasons in the minor leagues, he's finally getting a shot and it looks like he'll continue to get time at 1B for the Nationals. Snatch him up and don't be afraid to get him in your lineup if you need help at first base.

Other names to keep an eye on who are now receiving more playing time:

Xavier Edwards - SS, Miami Marlins
Juan Yepez - 1B/DH, Washington Nationals

 

Batting Order Changes for Fantasy Baseball

Adolis Garcia - OF, Texas Rangers

It hasn't quite been a great honeymoon season for the world champion Texas Rangers (still say it while you can, Rangers fans) as they are 10 GB of the AL West and 10.5 GB of a Wild Card spot. If they're going to have any miracle run in them, then it has to start now and there needs to be sparks.

A recent change to their lineup is moving up Garcia from the seven hole and getting him in the cleanup spot. He's hit for a .962 OPS in August, so the bump in the order is warranted and fantasy managers should take note. If the Rangers decide to get on in front of him, he will drive them in.

Though his season-long stats haven't been pretty, his .298 wOBA and .309 xwOBA point toward some positive regression. Given his recent hot streak in August, we're in the midst of his numbers normalizing. Fantasy managers should capitalize on his hot streak while they can.

Michael Massey - 2B, Kansas City Royals

Though generally in a platoon role, Massey gets the benefit of being a lefty to face righties. So when Kansas City starts facing a string of righties, we see Massey start to take off. And with a .937 OPS in August, it's earned him a bump up in the lineup from the six hole into the leadoff spot, getting him plenty more at-bats and chances to get on in front of and driven in by Bobby Witt Jr.

Seven of his 34 runs and five of his 35 RBI have come in August. That's very decent production!

His .320 season-long wOBA and his .310 xwOBA do point toward a touch of negative regression coming, but that's not a large enough gap to make me concerned. Given his hot streak in August and the benefit of hitting in front of Witt, he should continue to get plenty of chances to get on base in front of one of the most dangerous hitters in the majors this season.

Snatch him up and ride that hot streak until it's finished.

Other players to keep an eye on for batting order changes:

Logan O'Hoppe - C, Los Angeles Angels
Jackson Chourio - OF, Milwaukee Brewers

And that's it! Thank you again to everyone who followed along this season and good luck in your fantasy championships!



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Tyler Soderstrom

Returns to A's Lineup
Tyler Warren

Sidelined on Wednesday with Toe Injury
Jaylen Waddle

Questionable for Week 3 Against Buffalo
Joe Burrow

Bengals Not Closing the Door on Joe Burrow Returning This Year
CFB

LaNorris Sellers to Play Against Missouri?
Kyle Tucker

Progress has "Plateaued"
Isaac Paredes

has "Outside Chance" to Return This Weekend
CFB

Kaidon Salter Expected To Start for Colorado on Saturday
Willson Contreras

Goes on 10-Day Injured List, Done for Season
Justin Fields

Ruled Out for Week 3 Due to Concussion
Jayden Reed

Out Indefinitely After Foot and Shoulder Surgery
Washington Commanders

Preston Smith Signs With Commanders
Trey Jemison III

Joins Knicks on Two-Way Contract
Kevin McCullar Jr.

Signs New Two-Way Deal With Knicks
Matt Ryan

Returns to Knicks on Exhibit 10 Contract
New York Knicks

Alex Len Signs Exhibit 9 Deal With Knicks
Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Expected to Take on Larger Offensive Role With Hawks
Thomas Sorber

Undergoes Surgery
Dominic Canzone

Has Five-Hit, Three-Homer Game Tuesday
Cal Raleigh

Sets Single-Season Home Run Record for a Switch-Hitter
Jayden Reed

Undergoes Clavicle and Foot Surgeries, Out for Foreseeable Future
Bo Bichette

to Miss Rest of Regular Season
Zach Neto

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Hand Injury
Yordan Alvarez

Out on Tuesday, Dealing With "Significant" Ankle Sprain
Aaron Jones Sr.

Vikings Place Aaron Jones Sr. on Injured Reserve With Hamstring Injury
CFB

Diego Pavia Refutes Report of Seeking Seventh Collegiate Season
Christian Kirk

Expected to Return in Week 3
CFB

Diego Pavia Seeking Another Year of Eligibility
Tarik Skubal

on Track to Start Thursday
CFB

Kevorian Barnes Questionable Against SMU
Bo Bichette

has Short-Term Knee Injury, Could Return for Postseason
Tosan Evbuomwan

Joins Knicks
NBA

Kai Jones Links Up With EuroLeague Team
Bismack Biyombo

Returns to Spurs
Bones Hyland

Rejoins Timberwolves
Kobe Bufkin

Moves to Brooklyn
Trey Yesavage

Sets Franchise Strikeout Record On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

To Receive MRI For Sprained Left Ankle On Tuesday
Willson Contreras

Exits Early Monday With Right-Biceps Tightness
Yordan Alvarez

Exits With Ankle Sprain
Brock Bowers

Officially Active on Monday Night
Jauan Jennings

Day-to-Day With Ankle Injury
Logan O'Hoppe

Activated Off Seven-Day Injured List
CBJ

Denton Mateychuk Dealing With Groin Issue
Bo Horvat

Fine for Training Camp
Kirby Dach

on Track to Be Ready for Opening Night
Jose Altuve

Returns Against Rangers
J.J. McCarthy

Expected to Miss 2-4 Weeks With High-Ankle Sprain
J.J. McCarthy

Likely Out for Week 3 With High-Ankle Sprain
Jean Silva

Gets Finished For The First Time In His Career
Aaron Jones Sr.

Unlikely to Play in Week 3 Due to Hamstring Injury
Diego Lopes

Returns To The Win Column
Jayden Daniels

' Week 3 Status in Doubt
Rob Font

Outclassed In The Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
David Martinez

Wins His Second UFC Fight
Jared Gordon

Suffers Brutal TKO Loss At Noche UFC 3
Rafa Garcia

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Brian Thomas Jr.

Dealing with Wrist Injury
Dustin Stoltzfus

Drops A Decision At Noche UFC 3
Kelvin Gastelum

Gets Back In The Win Column
Diego Ferreira

Suffers Second-Round TKO
Alexander Hernandez

Extends His Win Streak With A Brutal TKO
Quang Le

Suffers First-Round Knockout
Santiago Luna

Shines In His UFC Debut
Christopher Bell

Earns his First Bristol Cup Series Victory
Alex Bowman

Falls Short of Advancing Through Cup Series Playoffs
Chase Briscoe

Collects his Third Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Ryan Blaney

Strong Top-Five Bristol Performance Advances him to the Playoffs
Corey Heim

Earns his First Career Cup Series Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Leads Greece to Bronze Medal
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Drops 28 Points in EuroBasket Finals
CFB

Indiana's Lee Beebe Jr. Out for Season with Knee Injury
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder Named EuroBasket MVP
Bryce Eldridge

Giants to Promote Bryce Eldridge
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Progressing in Recovery
Jonathan Kuminga

Receives New Offer From Warriors
Kenneth Walker III

Bounces Back with Big Week 2 Performance
Bijan Robinson

Rushes for 143 Yards in Week 2
Justin Fields

Currently in Concussion Protocol
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Calling Around to Available Free-Agent Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow

to Undergo Surgery, Out at Least Three Months
Emil Heineman

Aiming to Take the "Next Step" This Season
Braeden Cootes

Good to Go for Camp
Ivan Fedotov

Blue Jackets Acquire Ivan Fedotov From Flyers
Garrett Crochet

Punches Out 12 in Win
Cole Ragans

to Return on Wednesday
George Kirby

Strikes Out 14 in Win
Quentin Grimes

Still Not Close to a New Contract Agreement
Joel Embiid

"Looking Slender, Spry and in Positive Spirits"
Ty Gibbs

Has Arguably his Best Career Drive, but Only Finishes 10th
Chase Elliott

Despite Crashing Out at Bristol, Chase Elliott Advances to Round of 12
Austin Dillon

Misses Round of 12 After Extremely Mediocre Bristol Run
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Fails to Advance to Round of 12
Josh Berry

Finishes Last in All Three Round of 16 Races to Fail to Advance
CFB

Ryan Williams Explodes In Return To Field
CFB

Drew Allar Plays Mediocre Game In Blowout Win
CFB

LaNorris Sellers Exits Game In Blowout Loss
CFB

DJ Lagway Tosses Five Interceptions In Loss
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Plays Game Manager in Saturday's Win
CFB

CJ Carr Remains Poised In Narrow Loss
CFB

John Mateer Leads Oklahoma In Rout
CFB

Arch Manning Struggles Against UTEP
CFB

Jeremiah Smith Impresses In Win
CFB

Sam Leavitt Shines As Arizona State Rebounds From Week 2 Loss
Ivan Demidov

Turning Heads in Rookie Camp
NHL

Calvin de Haan Signs With Swedish Team
Samuel Girard

Skates With Non-Contact Jersey
Mackenzie Blackwood

Dealing With Injury Ahead of Training Camp
Spencer Knight

Signs Three-Year Extension With Blackhawks
Chris Buescher

May have Another Solid Run at Bristol
Corey Perry

Out 6-8 Weeks Following Surgery
Kyle Busch

Should DFS Managers Roster Kyle Busch at Bristol?
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Too Risky to Consider Rostering at Bristol?
Michael McDowell

Could be A Solid Value Option For Bristol DFS Lineups
Chase Elliott

Probably Won't Factor in for Bristol Win
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Not as Strong at Bristol as Other Short Tracks
Alex Bowman

Needs to Win to Make Round of 12
Ross Chastain

has Never Led at Bristol but Has Been Pretty Consistent
Austin Dillon

Richmond Speed Unlikely to Carry Over to Bristol
Josh Berry

Might Run Well at Bristol, but Almost Certainly Won't Win to Advance
Justin Haley

Bristol One of Justin Haley's Few Recent Bright Spots
CFB

Austin Simmons Listed As Game-Time Decision Against Arkansas
CFB

Nico Iamaleava Struggles In Fourth Straight Loss
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Dealing With a "Tweak"
BUF

Alexandar Georgiev Joins Sabres on One-Year Deal
Corey Perry

Injured During Pre-Camp Skate
CFB

Antonio Williams Out Against Georgia Tech
CFB

CJ Bailey Flashes Again in Win Over Wake Forest
CFB

Jaxson Moi a Game-Time Decision for Tennessee on Saturday
Jean Silva

A Favorite At Noche UFC 3
Diego Lopes

Set For Noche UFC 3 Main Event
Rob Font

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
David Martinez

Set For Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
Rafa Garcia

An Underdog At Noche UFC 3
Jared Gordon

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Dustin Stoltzfus

Looks To Return To The Win Column
Kelvin Gastelum

In Dire Need Of Victory
Diego Ferreira

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Malcolm Brogdon

Heading to Knicks on One-Year Deal
Landry Shamet

Staying with the Knicks

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP