Starts and Sits - All Hitter Matchups for Fantasy Baseball (July 16 - July 19)

July 17, 2026

Hitter fantasy baseball starts/sits, recommendations for all hitter matchups from 7/16 - 7/19 (2026). Our fantasy baseball BvP chart and hitter matchup ratings.

Hello RotoBallers! It's time to set those lineups, and we're here to guide you with our fantasy baseball hitter start/sit recommendations chart for the week ahead (July 16 - July 19). Today, we'll look at some lineup decisions for players like Kazuma Okamoto, A.J. Ewing, Justin Crawford, Nico Hoerner and more -- and how their matchups project for fantasy baseball. You can also check our Starting Pitcher Start/Sit Matchups Chart.

This fantasy baseball hitter matchups chart - also known as fantasy baseball BvP (batter vs. pitcher) - is designed to assist you in setting winning lineups for all fantasy baseball leagues and DFS competitions, as it identifies which players have the most favorable matchups.

So, who should you start and sit? We're here to help you with a quick reference start 'em, sit 'em grid for all of these hitter BvP matchups. This weekly article provides readers with a chart of every player matchup, the opponent, our start/sit recommendation, and the matchup rating projection confidence/startability score based on an array of metrics. Good luck RotoBallers!

Hitters Start/Sit Matchups Chart: July 16 - July 19

Players are sorted in alphabetical order by their last names. You can also use the color-coded chart below.

Start/Sit Color-Coded Matchups Chart

The below grid shows the same data but as a color-coded grid:

Fantasy Baseball Player News

James Wood, OF, Washington Nationals

Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood continues to impress and is establishing himself as one of the top power hitters in the MLB. He has hit 28 homers in 97 games and seems certain to pass his previous career-high of 31 homers from last year. His batting average is up from .256 to .279 while his wOBA has climbed from .353 to .416.

He's already matched his career high with 15 stolen bases as well. He has the highest barrel rate and the highest hard-hit rate in the majors this season, along with the second-highest average exit velocity behind only Oneil Cruz. With such strong underlying metrics and elite production, Wood looks poised to be a fantasy centerpiece for years to come. He's still only 23 years old and continues to be one of the most exciting hitters in the game heading into the second half.

Jonathan Aranda, 1B, Tampa Bay Rays

Across 406 plate appearances so far in 2026, Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Jonathan Aranda is hitting .297/.394/.471 with 14 home runs, 64 RBI, and 48 runs scored. After mostly working in a big-side platoon role through the early portion of his Rays career, the 28-year-old has emerged as an everyday staple in the heart of the Tampa Bay lineup this season.

Aranda's underlying metrics are not quite as strong as in previous years, but he still maintains a solid 10.4% barrel rate and 44.8% hard-hit rate. The lefty slugger has also posted a 12.6% walk rate while lowering his strikeout rate to a career-low 21.7%. While Aranda does not bring any speed, he profiles as a high-level source of run production and batting average with solid power. Fantasy managers should buy into his breakout season continuing into the second half of 2026.

RotoBaller recommends adding Valdez in 10-team leagues, and he is still rostered in only 47% of Yahoo formats. Managers looking for home runs and RBI should check the wire now.

Michael Busch, 1B, Chicago Cubs

Chicago Cubs first baseman Michael Busch has looked good so far in July, going 11-for-38 (.289) with a home run, three doubles, three RBI, and six runs scored in 10 games played and 44 plate appearances. But after a breakout 2025 campaign in which he hit .261/.343/.523 with an .866 OPS, 34 home runs, and 90 RBI in 155 regular-season games, he has underwhelmed for fantasy managers in the first half of 2026.

Busch went into this week's All-Star break with a .239/.368/.395 slash line, a .763 OPS, 11 home runs, 49 RBI, 40 runs scored, and two stolen bases in 95 games across 424 plate appearances. The 28-year-old left-handed hitter's expected batting average of .231 and xwOBA of .345 (wOBA of .342) don't give his fantasy managers much hope for a rebound in the second half. The good news is that Busch's strikeout rate sits at a career-low 22.2%, and he's walking at a career-high rate of 14.9%. However, his quality of contact is lacking, ranking in the 48th percentile in hard-hit rate and the 63rd percentile in barrel rate while sitting in just the 53rd percentile in expected slugging.

Busch is still an asset in OBP leagues, but fantasy managers shouldn't suddenly expect a power outburst in the second half.

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