RADIO
Welcome RotoBallers to my fantasy baseball start/sit article for the week ahead, August 7 - August 13. This week's article will focus on Jeimer Candelario, Mike Tauchman, Corbin Carroll, Julio Rodriguez, Charlie Morton, Lance Lynn, Geraldo Perdomo, and J.P. 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-wracking 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 any two players and receive fantasy projections for today, tomorrow, or the current week.
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. Hopefully, this series will help both daily fantasy managers end their weeks strong and also get them comfortable with routinely using the tool during the week to make tough roster decisions. Let's get into some start vs. sit comparisons for the week ahead, August 7 - August 13!
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Hot Cubs Hitters
Jeimer Candelario (3B) vs. Mike Tauchman (OF)
Our first comparison is between two Cubs players who have been hitting well. Jeimer Candelario was recently traded to the Cubs but has hit well all season with a .272/.354/.493 slash line, 16 home runs, and 54 RBI. Mike Tauchman has been a surprising asset in the second half, slashing .367/.426/.650. Both players have been providing results, but which one has a better chance to help fantasy managers in the coming days?
RotoBaller gives this matchup a toss-up for Sunday. The projections for both players are nearly identical across the board. Candelario has a slight home run projection advantage, while Tauchman has a slight runs projection advantage. Ultimately, this decision may come down to positional needs.
Looking ahead to Week 20, the Cubs will face tougher matchups with three games at the Mets and three at the Blue Jays. They are slated to face two lefties, which benefits Tauchman, who has outhit them .286 compared to .243 for Candelario.
Both players have been crushing the baseball lately and would be solid fantasy starts for the upcoming week. However, Tauchman's higher success against lefties compared to Candelario gives him the edge for Week 20.
Slumping Stud Outfielders
Corbin Carroll vs. Julio Rodriguez
Our next comparison is between two of baseball's best young hitters who have underperformed lately. Corbin Carroll has stolen eight bases but is slashing just .219/.301/.425 in the second half. Julio Rodriguez has fared a bit better but is still underperforming lately, slashing .226/.273/.355 over the last seven games. Which player has a better chance to turn things around?
Carroll gets a recommendation for Sunday. Both players face decent matchups, with the Diamondbacks at the Twins and the Mariners at the Angels. However, Carroll gets the projection edge in batting average, slugging percentage, stolen bases, and strikeouts.
Both teams will only get five games the following week, with the Diamondbacks facing two against the Dodgers and three against the Padres and the Mariners facing two against the Padres and three against the Orioles. The Diamondbacks will face three lefties, while the Mariners will face all righties.
Carroll has hit lefties better than Rodriguez has hit righties, but both have slumped heavily over the last week. While both have stolen three and two bases, Carroll has at least walked 6.9% to a 17.2% strikeout rate compared to a 6.1% walk rate and 36.4% strikeout rate for Rodriguez. I don't have a ton of confidence in either right now, but would prefer to start Carroll if I had to pick one.
Veteran Starters
Charlie Morton vs. Lance Lynn
These two veterans have been reliable fantasy starters throughout their careers but haven't necessarily been so this season. Charlie Morton has a decent 3.62 ERA overall but has allowed 11 runs in his last three starts. Lance Lynn is now on the Dodgers but has a poor 6.32 ERA through 22 starts. Which starter offers the highest floor for Sunday?
Morton receives the start recommendation for Sunday. Both players will face tougher matchups, with Morton at the Cubs and Lynn at the Padres. While the two have mostly-similar projections, Morton takes the lead with a higher win projection and a much lower ERA projection.
Looking to next week, both players will face favorable matchups, with Morton at the Mets and Lynn against the Rockies. Fantasy managers may not be thrilled to start either, but Morton has been more consistent overall this season compared to Lynn. While Lynn has turned in some great starts, his higher likelihood to turn in a dud makes Morton the more attractive start for the following week.
Shortstop Replacements
Geraldo Perdomo (2B/SS) vs. J.P. Crawford
Our final comparison is between two players who are widely available and could fill in for Bo Bichette (knee), who recently went on the injured list with right-patellar tendinitis. Geraldo Perdomo has had a quietly successful season, slashing .272/.375/.400 with 13 SB. J.P. Crawford has provided consistency all season, slashing .266/.380/.407. Which one of these players can serve as a better stopgap?
Crawford gets a slight recommendation for Sunday. While Perdomo has a better SB and strikeout projection, Crawford has better projections in almost all other categories, giving him the edge.
As mentioned previously, both teams will only get five games the following week, with the Diamondbacks facing two against the Dodgers and three against the Padres and the Mariners facing two against the Padres and three against the Orioles. The Diamondbacks will face three lefties, while the Mariners will face all righties.
The lefty slate does favor Perdomo, but Crawford has hit much better lately. Crawford's .333/.529/.500 slash line over the last seven games is superior to Perdomo's .207/.233/.207. Perdomo is worth considering in roto leagues given his steal skills, but Crawford seems like the better option overall.
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