Aside from the obvious addition of Brandon Marsh, fantasy managers will find their hitters in unusual places this weekend, as the Tigers, Rockies and White Sox could all be sources of help. On the pitching side, there are some established waiver wire options in shallow leagues, while Landon Knack is a great all-format option.
Combinations to target
Phillies @Marlins
Philadelphia’s productive lineup could have a stellar weekend against a starting trio of Roddery Munoz, Yonny Chirinos and Kyle Tyler. With all three pitchers pitching from the right side, left-handed hitter Brandon Marsh (21%) is the best man to target. Edmundo Sosa (8%) is an option in deeper formats.
Tigers @ Angels
The Tigers could score in bunches against three mediocre starters and an Angels bullpen that ranks 29th in baseball with a 5.04 ERA. There are plenty of lineup regulars who are exempt and could have a great series, including Matt Vierling (29%), Mark Canha (22%), Wenceel Perez (4%), and Colt Keith (12%).
White Sox x Rockies
There is a lot of offensive potential on both sides of this matchup, as five of the six starters in the series have a WHIP of 1.30 or better. While Colorado hitters are rarely recommended on the road, Hunter Goodman is a possible streamer this weekend. And of the lowly White Sox, Paul DeJong (15%), Tommy Pham (6%) and Korey Lee (2%) deserve consideration in 12-team leagues.
D-backs vs.
Arizona’s offense boasts the third-highest batting average in baseball against lefties, which is a good indicator that they will have success against J.P. Sears and Hogan Harris on Friday and Saturday before facing right-hander Luis Medina (5.25 ERA , 1.54 WHIP) to end the series. Jake McCarthy (11%) has played regularly, and Randal Grichuk (1%) will start against lefties in the first two games of the series.
Fights to avoid
Marlins @ Phillies
Coaches rarely target Miami hitters first, but this is a particularly tough weekend for one of the worst lineups in baseball, as the Phillies will field three effective starters: Ranger Suarez, Aaron Nola and Christopher Sanchez. All of Miami’s hitters, including Jazz Chisholm Jr., should be benched in shallow leagues.
Blue Jays vs. Yankees
New York’s weekend starters (Marcus Stroman, Nestor Cortes, Gerrit Cole) should be good enough to keep Toronto’s underperforming offense in check until the game is moved to a bullpen with an ERA of 3, 59. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is Toronto’s only starting hitter this weekend.
Guardians @ Real
Cleveland has done well offensively this season, but could be in for a bad weekend when they face two of baseball’s ERA leaders (Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo) and a solid starter in Alec March. Jose Ramirez, Josh Naylor and Steven Kwan are the three members of this matchup-proof lineup, but the others should be scrutinized more closely than usual.
Looking for Salvages
Aroldis Chapman (Pittsburgh Pirates, 41%)
I write this paragraph with some trepidation, as Chapman (3.86 ERA, 1.61 WHIP) is far from a certainty at any point in the season. But the 36-year-old is the favorite for saves while David Bednar resides on the IL, making him worthy of fantasy consideration for a weekend series in Atlanta. Chapman’s chances of protecting the lead are increased by the fact that both of Pittsburgh’s best starters (Jared Jones, Paul Skenes) are pitching in this series.
Looking for robberies
Will Benson (Cincinnati Reds, 10%)
Benson is in the midst of a disappointing season that includes a .188 average and .654 OPS. But he also has a useful combination of power and speed and regularly plays against righties, which should put him in the lineup for the weekend’s three games. Boosting Benson’s chances is the fact that two of his starters, Sonny Gray and Lance Lynn, have each allowed 10 steals this year.
Streaming Beginners
In order, here are the best streamers for the weekend, with start date and Yahoo roster rate in parentheses.
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Taj Bradley vs WSH (Sunday, 54%)
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Landon Knack @SF (Friday the 15th)
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Reese Olson @LAA (Saturday 40)
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Tobias Myers x CHC (Saturday, 45)
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Spencer Schwellenbach x PIT (Sunday, 22)
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Tylor Megill x HOU (Saturday 13)
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Mitchell Parker @TB (Friday the 34th)
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Carson Spiers @STL (Saturday 10)
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Alec Marsh x CLE (Friday the 19th)
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Jonathan Cannon x COL (Saturday, 7)
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Colin Rea x CHC (Friday 20)
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Aaron Civale x WSH (Saturday, 36)
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José Quintana x HOU (Friday, 8)
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Cal Quantrill @CWS (Saturday 23)
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Lance Lynn x CIN (Sunday 21)
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Griffin Canning x DET (Saturday 12)
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Drew Thorpe x COL (Friday the 13th)
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Cade Povich x TEX (Saturday, 11)
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Cole Irvin x TEX (Sunday, 39)
