Fantasy Baseball Week 11 WW/FAAB Preview
Get ready for this week's FAAB with the weekly preview.
We have made it through another week of the season, which has been a doozie. Plenty of injuries have required attention on our fantasy teams. There have been some good and bad performances, which may have caused some overreaction. Most people need to take a deep breath and wait longer, while others will start dropping some solid players to pick up when they do.
Most weeks throughout the season, I’ll bring you some FAAB previews for your weekend FAABing. It’ll be similar to my work last year, where I highlight schedules, 2-start pitchers, and bats to add/stream for the week. For players to target, I’ll use NFBC OC roster rates and mention players available in 60% or less of leagues. If you have any questions, feel free to message me.
If you want a full FAAB preview, listen to Bubba & the Bloom EP 139.
Schedule
7 Games- ARI, BAL, CIN, COL, SD, STL, TOR, WAS
6 Games- ATL, BOS, CHC, CLE, CWS, DET, HOU, KC, LAA, LAD, MIL, MIN, NYY, OAK, PIT, SEA, SF, TEX
5 Games- MIA, NYM, PHI, TB
Schedule highlights-
The DBacks face six RHP in seven games.
The Orioles face six RHP in seven games.
The Reds play three games in Coors and four games in GASP, four RHP, and three LHP.
The Rockies start the week with three in Coors. They face five RHP in seven games.
The White Sox face five RHP in six games.
The Tigers face five RHP in six games.
The Royals face five RHP in six games.
The Angels face five RHP in six games.
The Marlins face five RHP in five games. They only play two games in the first four-game stretch.
The Twins face five RHP in six games.
The Mets only play two games over the weekend but are in hitter-friendly London.
The Yankees face six RHP in six games.
The A’s face six RHP in six games.
The Phillies only play two games over the weekend but are in hitter-friendly London.
The Pirates face five RHP in six games.
The Cardinals face five RHP in seven games.
The Rays only play two games in the first four days; both are LHP.
The Jays face seven RHP in seven games.
2-Start Pitchers (Available in most Leagues)
Ryne Nelson, ARI (vs. SF, at SD) - Pass
Slade Cecconi, ARI (vs SF, at SD) - Deep league stream
Frankie Montas, CIN (at COL, vs CHC) - Deep league stream
Ryan Feltner, COL (vs CIN, at STL) - Hard Pass
Ty Blach, COL (vs CIN, at STL) - Hard Pass
Jake Woodford, CWS (at CHC, vs BOS) - Hard Pass
Tyler Anderson, LAA (vs. SD, vs. HOU) - Deep league stream
Joey Estes, OAK (vs SEA, vs TOR) - Pass
Matt Waldron, SD (at LAA, vs ARI) - 12-team and deeper stream
Keaton Winn, SF (at ARI, at TEX) - Pass
Kyle Gibson, STL (at HOU, vs COL) - 12-team and deeper stream
Bowden Francis, TOR (vs BAL, at OAK) - Deep league stream
Trevor Williams, WAS (vs NYM, vs ATL) - 12-team and deeper stream
FAAB/WW Hitting Targets (with quick thoughts)
JJ Bleday (OF - OAK) - Bleday put together a strong month of May as he hit .252 with five home runs. He racked up 17 extra-base hits with a .282 ISO, .887 OPS, and 155 wRC+. Bleday even walked 13.3% of the time while striking out 17.5%. Bleday hits second daily for the A’s and is even starting to hit versus LHP. The A’s face all RHP starters this week, albeit some tough righties. Bleday is more than a streaming bat these days.
Korey Lee (C - CWS) - Lee has become a great C2 option in 12-team and deeper leagues. He hit .290 in May with three home runs and three steals.
Michael Conforto (OF - SF) - Conforto started a rehab assignment this weekend and should return to the Giants early next week. Conforto was hitting .280 on the season with seven home runs before hitting the IL.
Jorge Mateo (2B,SS - BAL) - Mateo has become the primary 2B for the Orioles, and he’s been productive for fantasy managers. Since May 15, he has been hitting .256 with a home run and five stolen bases. Mateo can run wild, so he’s a great pickup at MI if you need steals.
Nelson Velasquez (OF - KC) - Velasquez is a streaky hitter that can supply a ton of power. He has six home runs since May 14 but is only hitting .204. Velasquez will not hit for an excellent batting average, but he can supply more power than most people on the waiver wire these days.
Nick Gonzales (2B - PIT) - Gonzales was hitting well at AAA and got the call to the Pirates on May 10. Since he was called up, Gonzales is hitting .319 with three home runs and two steals. Gonzales hits fifth most days and he’s taken advantage of that with 16 RBI and 11 runs scored. His 13.5% barrel and 50% hard-hit rates may be even more impressive. Gonzales is one of the top MI pickups this week.
Alex Kirilloff (1B,OF - MIN) - Kirilloff slumped for a bit, but his bat is heating back up. He entered Saturday hitting .353 over his last seven games with two home runs. During this streak, he has a 25% barrel rate and 41.7% hard-hit rate. The Twins face five RHP next week, so Kirilloff will have plenty of chances to produce again.
Kevin Pillar (OF - LAA) - Pillar joined the Angels on May 1, and over 19 games, he’s hitting .409 with five home runs and four stolen bases. He hits in the middle of the Angels order and has driven in 21 while scoring 14 runs. Pillar will cool down eventually, but ride this ridiculous hot streak while you can.
Brendan Rodgers (2B - COL) - Rodgers has been locked in late. He’s hit safely in 11 of his last 13 games for a .288 average. Rodgers does not run much and has little power, but he will hit for average and may provide some other counting stats along the way.
Joc Pederson (OF - ARI) - Joc Jams is raking this season. He primarily plays versus RHP, and that has benefited him greatly. Joc is hitting .308 on the season with seven home runs, 19 runs scored, and 20 RBI over 48 games. The DBacks face six RHP in seven games next week, so that it could be a big week for Joc.
Mark Vientos (3B - NYM) - Vientos was recalled on May 15, and he has been hitting so well that the Mets sent Brett Baty back to AAA, making Vientos the primary 3B. He’s hitting .310 with two home runs since he was recalled, with a 9.4% barrel rate and 46.9% hard-hit rate. Vientos hit his 3rd home run on Saturday, so his price tag may continue to grow.
Edmundo Sosa (2B,3B - PHI) - With Trea Turner out, Sosa has taken over as the primary SS for the Phillies. In May, he hit .306 with three home runs and two stolen bases, scoring 17 runs. He’s barreling the ball 7.8% of the time with a 51% hard-hit rate. Sosa has that MI and CI flexibility, which will make for a tremendous fantasy asset for the coming weeks.
Heliot Ramos (OF - SF) - Ramos has been a steady fantasy producer since he was called up. Since he was called up on May 8, Ramos is hitting .280 with two home runs and 13 RBI. Ramos is probably better left for deeper leagues, but he does have some 12-team appeal.
Adam Duvall (OF - ATL) - Duvall should be one of the pickups this week as he has been playing daily since Ronald Acuña’s season ended. He has hit safely in five of the last seven games with two home runs. Duvall has 40 home runs upside with a ton of run-producing upside.
Trevor Larnach (OF - MIN) - Larnach has had a good season for the Twins. He entered Saturday hitting safely in five of six games with two home runs while only striking out 9.1% of the time. Larnach has been leading off late, and the Twins face a ton of RHP next week, which could mean big things for Larnach.
Matt Vierling (3B,OF - DET) - Vierling is one of the hottest hitters in baseball. Over his last 14 games, Vierling is hitting .340 with four home runs, ten runs scored, and 13 RBI. Vierling is locked in and should be rostered in 12-team and deeper leagues while he’s swinging it so well.
David Hamilton (SS - BOS) - Hamilton has been picking up regular at-bats of late for the Red Sox while primarily playing SS. Since May 15, Hamilton is hitting .364 with one home run and five stolen bases. If you need power, then Sosa should be your MI add, but if you need speed, then Hamilton is your guy; both are targets after Gonzales.
Brett Wisely (SS - SF) - Wisley was recalled from the minors on May 21 and he has become the Giants regular at SS. Over the nine games since he was recalled, Wisely is hitting .435 with a home run and a stolen base. Wisely had an excellent hit tool throughout the minors, carrying over in his early stint with the Giants. Wisely may be left for deeper leagues, but he has 12-team viability.
Otto Lopez (2B - MIA) - Lopez has been a quiet fantasy producer as the everyday 2B for the Marlins. Since May 18, Lopez has been hitting .325 with eight RBI and three stolen bases while striking only 9.5% of the time. Lopez is a deep league player for now, but keep an eye on him in 12-team leagues.
Jesus Sanchez (OF - MIA) - The underlying stats suggested Sanchez should be producing better and that production has begun to show up. Sanchez entered Saturday hitting safely in five of his last seven games with a .391 average and two home runs. The Marlins only play five games this week, but they are all versus RHP, which could bode well for Sanchez.
Rob Refsnyder (OF - BOS) - Refsnyder has become a regular for the Red Sox and usually hits 3rd when he’s in the lineup. Since May 14, Refsnyder has been hitting .341 with a home run. He ends the week with four games versus the White Sox, which is always good for fantasy production.
FAAB/WW Pitching Targets (with quick thoughts)
Cooper Criswell (SP - BOS) - Criswell had been pitching well this season before a blow-up this past Monday versus the Orioles. He bounced back nicely on Saturday, throwing five innings while allowing one run with five strikeouts and picking up the win. He gets a great matchup versus the White Sox this week, making Criswell a solid stream again.
Reed Garrett (RP - NYM) - With Edwin Diaz on the IL, Garrett has taken over more of the closing duties for the Mets. He has had a couple of rough outings but has also picked up two saves. Garrett has been excellent this season, and he’s worth a look if you need saves; just know Adam Ottavino may get some chances, too.
Frankie Montas (SP - CIN) - Montas is a boring pitcher who does not bring a ton of upside, but he has two interesting starts this week. He’ll face the Rockies in Coors and the Cubs in GASP, which are tough matchups, but he could be in store for at least one win and some decent strikeout upside.
Ben Brown (SP - CHC) - Brown reentered the Cubs rotation when Kyle Hendricks went to the bullpen. He has been outstanding in two starts, allowing zero runs over 11 innings with 16 strikeouts. Brown should be one of the top starting pitchers added this week.
Trevor Williams (SP - WAS) - Williams continues to get the job done even though no one believes it. He faces the Mets and Braves this next week, making for a solid 2-start stream with the ability to hold him on your roster for future starts.
Matt Waldron (SP - SD) - Waldron’s season started slow, but he has been dialed in lately. He has allowed five runs over 23 innings pitched with 31 strikeouts in his last four starts. Waldron faces the Angels and DBacks this week, making Waldron one of the top pickups this week.
Patrick Sandoval (SP - LAA) - Sandoval bounced back nicely in his last start, allowing two runs over six innings and striking out seven versus the Yankees. Sandoval is having a nice season. He faces the Padres this week and then has a strong 2-step the following week. It may be worth adding Sandoval for cheap this week before the price goes up for his 2-step.
Jeremiah Estrada (RP - SD) - Estrada has been one of the best relievers this season. He has allowed one run over 18 innings pitched with 30 strikeouts. Estrada has two wins and a save with elite ratios and strikeouts. Estrada is an excellent reliever if you don’t have good starting pitchers to use from week to week.
Kyle Gibson (SP - STL) - Gibson has allowed three earned runs or less in eight of 11 starts with 52 strikeouts over 65 innings pitched. He has an intriguing 2-step this week versus the Astros and Rockies. Gibson is a formidable stream this week.
Yimi Garcia (RP - TOR) - With Jordan Romano going on the elbow with an elbow injury, Garcia could be the man in Toronto for now. Garcia has two saves on the season with 26 strikeouts in 22 innings pitched. He’ll be a popular waiver target for those in need of saves.