RADIO
Welcome RotoBallers to my fantasy baseball start/sit article for the week ahead, May 8th - May 14th. This week's article will focus on players like Mason Miller, Bryce Miller, LaMonte Wade Jr., Nick Senzel, Miguel Vargas, Ezequiel Duran, Alex Bregman, and Nolan Arenado.
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 withinTeam 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, May 8th - May 14th!
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Our first comparison is between two recent call-ups who went toe to toe earlier in the week. Mason Miller has caught fantasy managers' attention in three starts, including seven no-hit innings in his last outing. On the other hand, Bryce Miller looked equally impressive in his MLB debut, allowing one run over six innings with 10 strikeouts. Both are all over the fantasy radar, but which one is the better start on Sunday?
Somewhat surprisingly, Mason gets a strong recommendation for Sunday. His matchup with the Royals is certainly better than against the Astros. He is given a clear lead in strikeout projection, while also getting the advantage in hits and earned runs. The projections favor Mason, but I think the overall small samples make the matchup closer than listed.
Looking ahead to Week 7, a number of things give Bryce the edge between the two. First, the Mariners have a much better matchup with the Tigers, whereas the A's will face the Rangers at home. Second, I still find it hard to put trust in Mason, who has little professional experience, may not pitch deep into games, and plays for one of baseball's worst teams.
Both of these pitchers are exciting fantasy options, but Bryce Miller has a longer track record of prospect pedigree and plays on a better team. He also draws a better matchup, making him the preferred starter for Week 7.
Under-Rostered Performers
LaMonte Wade Jr. (1B/OF) vs. Nick Senzel (OF)
Our next comparison is between two players who have hit well but are widely available. LaMonte Wade Jr. has provided power, slugging .538, and is just 20% rostered. Nick Senzel, a past fantasy prospect has provided a bit of everything but is only 41% rostered. Which one is the better bet to pick up to give fantasy managers a boost next week?
RotoBaller gives Senzel a slight recommendation for Sunday. Wade has the advantage in home runs and walks, but Senzel has the edge in hits, RBI, and strikeouts. Senzel does draw the better matchup and may also be third-base eligible depending on the league, so positional need may also help break the tie for fantasy managers.
Looking to the following week, the Reds draw much tougher matchups with three against the Mets and three at the Marlins. The Giants get great matchups, with three against the Nationals and four at the Diamondbacks. The Reds are slated to face all righties, while the Giants will face two lefties.
Wade has historically hit poorly against lefties, but he has done better this season. Regardless, the matchups for the Giants are too great to pass up. While Senzel offers more steal upside, Wade gets the nod here in all other facets.
Surging Infielders
Miguel Vargas (3B) vs. Ezequiel Duran (2B)
This comparison is between two young players who are or were fantasy prospects and have been showing why lately. Both Miguel Vargas and Ezequiel Duran hit in strong lineups and have been very hot recently, with respective slash lines of .296/.345/.741 and .357/.379/.607 in the last seven games. Which one is more likely to keep it going?
RotoBaller gives this matchup a toss-up. The projections are pretty even across the board, with the most distinguishable differences going in favor of Vargas for strikeouts and walks. Duran has the edge in hits, home runs, and RBI. As such, it looks like Vargas is the better Sunday play in points leagues and Duran is the better play in roto leagues.
The Rangers draw better matchups for the following week, with three at the Mariners and four at the A's. The Dodgers get six games, three at the Brewers and three against the Padres. Both are slated to face two lefties. Vargas and Duran have historically hit righties better, although Duran's splits are more eve than Vargas'.
Both hitters are fine starts for the following week, and a preference may come down to your positional needs. Generally, I may give the slight edge to Duran simply because the Rangers have clearly better matchups and get to play one more game than the Dodgers.
Cold Third Basemen
Alex Bregman vs. Nolan Arenado
Our final comparison is between two fantasy staples at the hot corner who have not helped fantasy managers lately. Both Alex Bregman and Nolan Arenado have failed to provide the average and power fantasy managers have come to expect, with respective slash lines of .208/.340/.342 and.238/.291/.315 . Sitting either is likely tough, but who has a better chance of turning it around in the coming week?
Bregman gets a strong recommendation for Sunday. Bregman gets the advantage for most categories and will be facing the earlier-mentioned Bryce Miller. Arenado's matchup against Alex Faedo is better, but it does not translate to a better-projected performance.
Both clubs have tough matchups in Week 7, with the Astros playing three at the Angels and three at the White Sox, and the Cardinals getting three at the Cubs and three at the Red Sox. The Cardinals' offense has been slumping overall compared to the Astros, so this makes Bregman the more optimistic play for the following week.
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