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Welcome RotoBallers to my fantasy baseball start/sit article for the week ahead, June 26 - July 2. This week's article will focus on Maikel Garcia, Tommy Edman, Mookie Betts, Nick Castellanos, Tyler Glasnow, Bailey Ober, Henry Davis, and Patrick Bailey.
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, June 26 - July 2!
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Streaking Shortstops
Maikel Garcia (3B/SS) vs. Tommy Edman (3B/SS/OF)
Our first comparison is between two shortstop-eligible players who have been hitting well lately. Maikel Garcia has had a solid rookie season for the Royals, slashing .288/.345/.399 with 10 steals. Tommy Edman has performed a little below expectations overall but has turned things up lately, slashing .273/.429/.545 over his last seven games. Which of these players is projected to stay hotter in the coming week?
RotoBaller gives this matchup a toss-up for Sunday. Both are slated to face tougher matchups, although it is worth noting that Edman will be playing in a hitter-friendly London Stadium. Both are projected for very similar stats across the board. Edman is given a very slight edge, which I think makes sense given the lineup he hits in.
Looking ahead to Week 14, both teams will face tough matchups. The Royals will play three games against the Guardians and three against the Dodgers, while the Cardinals will play three against the Astros and three against the Yankees. The Royals will face two lefties while the Cardinals will face one. This favors Garcia, as both players have hit better against lefties this season.
While Garcia may be the better hitter at the moment, Edman's context in a hot Cardinals lineup needs to be considered. Both provide little power and a lot of speed, but the lineup Edman hits in compared to Garcia gives him the edge for Week 14.
Slumping Stud Outfielders
Mookie Betts (2B/SS/OF) vs. Nick Castellanos
Our next comparison is between two top outfield options who have struggled at the plate lately. Mookie Betts and Nick Castellanos are both having solid seasons overall but have unimpressive .241/.281/.345 and .267/.281/.333 respective slash lines in the last seven games. Which player has a better chance of getting back on track in the coming days?
This Sunday matchup is also a toss-up. Betts has the projection edge in home runs and walks, while Castellanos has the edge in hits and RBI. Betts is given the check mark, although Castellanos will have the better matchup, which tilts the scale in his favor for me.
Both teams have very good matchups next week, but the Dodgers get the edge with three at the Rockies and three at the Royals, while the Phillies get three at the Cubs and three against the Nationals. This should help their offenses overall, as both teams have struggled lately.
While both players have been middling of late, Betts has still managed to hit the ball hard at 91 mph compared to Castellanos at 84.2 mph. Both are set up with good chances to bounce back this week, but I would give the edge to Betts if I could only pick one.
Struggling Starter Or Strong Streamer?
Tyler Glasnow vs. Bailey Ober
We'll next look at a widely-rostered pitcher who has not met expectations and a pitcher who may be available in your league and has pitched well. Tyler Glasnow has an impressive 30.3% strikeout rate in his first five starts, but he also has a poor 11.9% walk rate and a 4.97 ERA. Bailey Ober is just 72 percent rostered but has a 2.83 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 23.2% strikeout rate in 11 starts. Which one should fantasy managers have more confidence in for Sunday?
While both players have favorable matchups, Glasnow receives a slight recommendation for Sunday. Glasnow is projected to allow more walks, but he is also projected to rack up more strikeouts and allow fewer hits. Both pitchers are worth starting and I wouldn't blame fantasy managers if they chose the seemingly safer Ober over Glasnow.
Both players will face tougher matchups in Week 14, with Glasnow at the Mariners and Ober at the Orioles. I think this decision partly comes down to the league format. At this time, I would prefer Ober in roto leagues because Glasnow is only positively contributing to strikeouts. I think the decision is closer in points leagues because Glasnow's high strikeouts can make up for a potentially poor performance.
Fantasy managers may want to see how Glasnow pitches Sunday before coming to a decision. Regardless, Glasnow offers a higher ceiling and lower floor. Therefore, I would generally lean Ober for a more conservative play, especially in roto leagues and Glasnow otherwise.
Rookie Catchers
Henry Davis vs. Patrick Bailey
Our final comparison is between two prospect backstops. Henry Davis has only played five big-league games but has shown some promise at the plate. Patrick Bailey has hit very well this season with the Giants, slashing .330/.361/.560 in 27 games. Which one has a better chance to give fantasy managers a boost at a shallow position?
Bailey receives a strong recommendation for Sunday. He has the benefit of a favorable matchup, while Davis will face a tough matchup. This is reflected in stronger projections in almost all counting categories.
Both teams have tough matchups in Week 14, with the Pirates facing three against the Padres and three against the Brewers and the Giants facing three at the Blue Jays and three at the Mets. It is worth noting that the Giants have played very well lately, while the Pirates have been on a slide.
Davis is considered the higher-end prospect of the two, but fantasy managers have gotten to see a larger big-league sample size from Bailey. Considering this plus recent team performance, I would prefer to start Bailey next week. This decision may be different once Davis plays more, but both look like promising fantasy options.
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