Fantasy Baseball Lineup Notes: Batting Order, Platoons, and Playing Time Changes - Week 7

It's now Week 7 in the fantasy baseball season and the internet is buzzing! Mostly because of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef but I'd like to think it's because of the fantastic info I'm giving you all in these immaculate weekly articles. Trends have been identified and the more you take advantage of them by reading these articles, the more likely you are to win I always say!

In this article, we'll go over some of the trends we're seeing with platoon hitters, notable playing time changes, and batting order notes. We'll focus on a couple of players for each section and provide some added depth and insight to help you build your lineup. I'm also going to sprinkle in some Kendrick Lamar references as well and see just how far I can get before our editors tell me to sit down and be humble. So, let's get it!

If there are players that you'd like to see covered or discussed that fit any of the criteria below, feel free to hit me up!

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• Who should I start? Fantasy baseball player comparisons
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Platoon Player Updates for Fantasy Baseball

Richie Palacios - OF, Tampa Bay Rays

Stop me if you've heard this one before. You just traded a player to the Tampa Bay Rays and now that player is exceeding what he's done in the past for you. That's exactly what's happening with Richie Palacios, who the St. Louis Cardinals traded to the Tampa Bay Rays this offseason. This lefty platoons strictly against righties, hitting for an .866 OPS. His splits get even more interesting when you see he's hitting for a .438 batting average against righties when away from Tropicana Field. Target him in DFS on the road vs. righties and you may experience a feeling of euphoria.

Palacios also has been drawing walks at a 16.8% clip, putting him in the 99th percentile. Palacios' 147 wRC+ ranks second on the Rays with players who have come to the plate 100 times or more this season. Fantasy managers should have this 26-year-old on their radar at the very least as he should be available in your league's waiver wire.

Jake Fraley - OF, Cincinnati Reds

Another lefty brought in to platoon against righties, Fraley has provided consistency to the Reds lineup. Though not a power hitter, his 118 wRC+ is second best on the Reds behind only Elly De La Cruz. And though he doesn't generally face lefties, he does have a .286 BA in 14 AB against lefties this season, including his only homer of the year.

Jake Fraley snaps his hitless streak and the tying run is at the plate pic.twitter.com/EQmWjPxMCV

— ATBBTTR (@ATBBTTR) May 5, 2024

There are some warning signs with Fraley when looking at his expected statistics as his .345 wOBA is considerably higher than his .288 xwOBA, signaling that he's getting lucky. That may leave you saying "Jake, don't kill my vibe" when negative regression comes, but his OPS in the past two seasons has also been higher than his current .765 OPS, so he may just settle in where he's at. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues may want to take a look here at the 28-year-old if they need another bench option.

Other platoon names to keep an eye on:

Miguel Rojas - 2B, Los Angeles Dodgers
Michael Massey - 2B, Kansas City Royals

Playing Time Updates for Fantasy Baseball

Colton Cowser - OF, Baltimore Orioles

This lefty, who had generally been platooning against righties, has started to become an everyday player and a fan favorite in Baltimore. Fans love him so much that they've started mooing at him in the stands. And with six bombs already on the year, he's helping the Orioles use their Hydration Station more and creating swimming pools from the spillage.

COLTON COWSER CAN’T STOP WON’T STOP pic.twitter.com/H9IKOe1DPl

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 23, 2024

At a .389 wOBA and a .366 xwOBA, the lefty is getting a little lucky but nothing to the degree where we need to question his production. He's owned in 65% of leagues in Yahoo and 42% on ESPN. If he's on your waiver wire, then snatch him up quickly. Baltimore is quickly becoming the home of all the stars and Cowser just may be on his way to being one.

Jose Miranda - 3B, Minnesota Twins

A beneficiary to a couple injuries to Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton, Miranda has started getting more playing time and is helping the Twins destroy all teams around them. His .780 OPS is good enough for a 124 wRC+ and he should continue to receive increased playing time while Buxton recovers from right-knee inflammation.

Miranda's expected stats tell a different story, though. The gap between his .344 wOBA and .279 xwOBA is pretty large and he's only walking at a 3.9% clip. If his bat starts to regress negatively, then he'll fail to find other ways to get on base. Fantasy managers should be weary about adding Miranda if they're tempted to add to their bench until his expected stats improve.

Other names to keep an eye on who are now receiving more playing time:

Blake Sabol - C, San Francisco Giants
Pete Crow-Armstrong - OF, Chicago Cubs

Batting Order Changes for Fantasy Baseball

Abraham Toro - 3B, Oakland Athletics

The Oakland A's are no longer a doormat in the American League. They're not exactly lighting the world on fire by any means, but they're outperforming expectations. One player that's lighting their fire is Abraham Toro, who's hitting .425 over his last 10 games (with multiple hits in seven of those 10) and has been moved back into the leadoff spot in Oakland. He's bounced around the lineup quite a bit and had a stint in the leadoff spot earlier this season. The A's are looking to take advantage of his hot bat at the top of the lineup compared to having him in the fifth, sixth, or seventh spot as he had been.

The Toro'd Pitchers Department 😤 pic.twitter.com/pBxSr7amFY

— Oakland A's (@Athletics) May 1, 2024

Toro has been a touch lucky based off his .354 wOBA and his .328 xwOBA, but it's nothing extravagant. He should continue to get plenty of chances in this A's lineup and is very likely sitting there on your waiver wire now, ripe for the picking.

Kyle Tucker - OF, Houston Astros

There isn't a bigger disappointment in Major League Baseball right now than the Houston Astros. No one truly expected them to be the cellar dwellers in the AL West and many are viewing their downfall as poetic justice. That isn't the fault of Kyle Tucker, though, who's been absolutely smashing the ball. His 11 homers are tied for second in the majors and he leads the Astros with a 172 wRC+.

Kyle Tucker homers for the third game in a row! pic.twitter.com/Rddz2cJcwt

— MLB (@MLB) May 8, 2024

Tucker ranks in the 99th percentile with a .434 xwOBA, just a few ticks higher than his .416 wOBA. That gap falls in line with his yearly marks, telling us that his fantastic year is likely to continue and that his superpowers won't be neutralized anytime soon.

Other players to keep an eye on for batting order changes:

Brice Turang - 2B, Milwaukee Brewers
Brayan Rocchio - SS, Cleveland Guardians

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