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Welcome RotoBallers to another edition of my 2024 fantasy baseball start/sit article for Week 26, September 16 - September 22. This week's article will focus on Luke Raley, Jonathan Aranda, Kerry Carpenter, Parker Meadows, Rhett Lowder, DL Hall, Taj Bradley, and Kutter Crawford. Whether you are prepping to set your weekly lineups or determining who to play in a pivotal daily matchup, choosing who to start vs. sit is one of the most nerve-racking and potentially frustrating aspects of fantasy baseball. Fortunately, there is a free solution available at RotoBaller.
The Who Should I Start Tool allows you to quickly compare up to four players and receive fantasy projections for today, tomorrow, the current week, next week, or the rest of the season. The tool provides rankings, projections, recent news, and schedules side-by-side to aid in your decision-making. The tool defaults to ESPN scoring, but the Premium version within Team Sync will automatically use your league's scoring and roster settings when making recommendations.
Each week, I will use the tool to review a few interesting start/sit comparisons for the final day of the period and preview the following week. Let's get into some start vs. sit comparisons for the week ahead, September 16 - September 22!
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Fantasy Baseball Deep First Base Options
Luke Raley (1B/OF) vs. Jonathan Aranda (1B)
Our first comparison is between two first-base-eligible players who have hit well lately and are likely available. Luke Raley is slashing .316/.409/.684 with two stolen bases in 38 September at-bats. Jonathan Aranda has a .567 slugging percentage in 30 September at-bats. Which one can provide a bigger boost?
RotoBaller gives Aranda a strong recommendation for Sunday. This mostly has to do with the fact that Raley is not projected to start, as he will be facing a lefty in Andrew Heaney. Both lefty hitters usually sit against lefties, so Aranda essentially gets this one by default.
Looking to Week 27, the Mariners will face tough matchups with three games against the Yankees and three at the Rangers. The Rays will face better matchups, with three games against the Red Sox and three against the Blue Jays. The Mariners are slated to face two lefties, while the Rays should face all righties.
Raley has been hitting better overall in September, but fantasy managers need volume at this point in the season. Aranda will face better matchups and should see more playing time given the handedness matchups, so I will give him the Week 27 nod.
Fantasy Baseball Tigers Outfielders
Kerry Carpenter vs. Parker Meadows
Our next comparison is between two Tigers outfielders who have helped the team push for a playoff spot. Kerry Carpenter has provided average and power all season long. Parker Meadows has turned things around with a .305/.352/.534 second-half slash line. Which player is a better late fantasy play?
Carpenter gets a strong recommendation for Sunday. Both hitters are left-handed and will face a lefty in Cade Povich. Meadows has hit much better against lefties than Carpenter. However, Carpenter has a much better batting average and slugging percentage projection. Ultimately, Carpenter gets the edge as the better overall hitter.
The Tigers will face middling matchups in Week 27, with three games at the Royals and three at the Orioles. They are slated to face two lefties, which, in theory, would benefit Meadows.
This decision may come down to league format. Meadows provides stolen bases whereas Carpenter does not. Meadows also may see a bit more playing time due to the matchups. However, Carpenter has been a consistent hitter all season and offers a higher floor. As such, I will give the Week 27 edge to Carpenter.
Fantasy Baseball Young Starters
Rhett Lowder vs. DL Hall
Our next comparison is between two young pitchers who have performed lately. Rhett Lowder has an impressive 0.59 ERA in his first three big-league starts. DL Hall has an even better 0.52 ERA in his four second-half appearances. Which one has a better chance to excel in the final few weeks?
RotoBaller gives Lowder a strong recommendation for Sunday. Lowder draws a better matchup and has projection advantages across the board. Interestingly, this includes strikeouts, despite Hall having a 31.8% strikeout rate in the second half compared to Lowder's 19.4%. I think this may be closer than projected.
Lowder is slated to face the Pirates at home in his Week 27 start, while Hall will face a rematch against the Diamondbacks. Hall has better stuff than Lowder but has not been used exclusively as a starter and will face a tougher matchup. As such, I will take the higher floor in Lowder.
Fantasy Baseball Scary Starters
Taj Bradley vs. Kutter Crawford
Our final comparison is between two pitchers who posted strong first halves but pitched poorly in the second half. Taj Bradley has a 6.29 ERA in 54 1/3 second-half innings. Kutter Crawford has been worse with a 6.41 ERA in 53 1/3 second-half IP. Which player is more worth the risk?
RotoBaller gives Crawford a recommendation for Sunday. Both draw tough matchups and have poor projections overall. Crawford has projection advantages in ERA and WHIP, while Bradley has projection advantages in wins and strikeouts. This matchup could come down to fantasy manager preference.
Bradley will draw a favorable Week 27 matchup against the Blue Jays, while Crawford will face a middling matchup against the Twins. Both pitchers have improved lately, so it may come down to who pitches better on Sunday. However, I will play the matchups and go with Bradley for Week 27.
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