Fantasy Baseball Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Picks - Giancarlo Stanton, Teoscar Hernandez, Hurston Waldrep, Drew Thorpe, More

Welcome back RotoBallers to another edition of my 2024 fantasy baseball start/sit article for Week 13, June 17 - June 23. This week's article will focus on Andrew Vaughn, Tyler Soderstrom, Giancarlo Stanton, Teoscar Hernandez, Ben Lively, JP Sears, Hurston Waldrep, and Cade Povich.

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-racking 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 up to four players and receive fantasy projections for today, tomorrow, the current week, next week, or the rest of the season.

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. Let's get into some start vs. sit comparisons for the week ahead, June 17 - June 23!

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Fantasy Baseball Hot-Hitting First Basemen

Andrew Vaughn (1B) vs. Tyler Soderstrom (C/1B)

Our first comparison is between two first basemen who have been producing offensively in June. Andrew Vaughn has really picked things up at the plate, slashing .333/.362/.644 with four home runs in 47 June plate appearances. Tyler Soderstrom has started to see more playing time and is making the most of it, slashing .281/.378/.563 in 37 June plate appearances. Which player has a better chance of staying hot?

RotoBaller gives Vaughn a strong recommendation for Sunday. The projections are actually pretty close across the board, but Vaughn does have projection advantages in runs scored, batting average, and slugging percentage. Vaughn will also face a lefty, which gives him a relative advantage.

Looking to Week 13, the White Sox will face tougher matchups with three games against the Astros and three at the Tigers. The Athletics draw slightly better matchups, with three games against the Royals and three against the Twins. The A's are slated to face two lefties, which hurts Soderstrom's chances of playing.

Both players have been turning things around lately. However, Vaughn has been hitting even better than Soderstrom and does not have to worry about losing playing time due to matchup splits. As such, I prefer Vaughn for Week 13.

Fantasy Baseball Sluggers

Giancarlo Stanton (OF/DH) vs. Teoscar Hernandez (OF)

Our next comparison is between two power hitters who have been flexing their muscles. Giancarlo Stanton has hit for power all season but has brought his average up in June, slashing .268/.348/.585 with four HR and 11 RBI in 46 plate appearances. Teoscar Hernandez has been somewhat of a surprise standout in a strong Dodgers lineup, slashing .279/.367/.698 with five HR and 12 RBI in 49 plate appearances. Both benefit from hitting in great lineups, but which one is a better fantasy play?

RotoBaller gives Stanton a strong recommendation for Sunday. Both players have similar batting average and slugging projections, but Stanton has an advantage in runs scored, HR, and RBI. He also draws a more favorable hitting venue, which may have impacted his projections.

The Yankees will face decent matchups in Week 13, with a six-game homestand against the back of the Orioles' and Braves' rotations. The Dodgers will face excellent matchups, with four games at the Rockies and two games against the Angels. Both teams are slated to face two lefties, which benefits both players.

Stanton and Hernandez have provided plenty of fantasy value lately and will be solid fantasy plays next week. Stanton is known for his power contributions, but Hernandez has actually provided more pop while hitting for a better average. The Dodgers should feast offensively with a four-game stint in Coors Field. Everything adds up to Hernandez getting an advantage for Week 13.

Fantasy Baseball Serviceable Streamers

Ben Lively vs. JP Sears

Our next comparison is between two starters who may be available to pick up and can provide decent fantasy results to end the week. Ben Lively has slotted into the Guardians rotation, going 6-2 with a 2.59 ERA, a 1.11 WHIP, and a 21.8% strikeout rate in 10 starts and 55 2/3 innings pitched. JP Sears has had an inconsistent season but is 4-5 with a 4.02 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP, and a 16.8% strikeout rate in 14 starts and 78 1/3 IP. Which pitcher offers a higher floor over their next few starts?

RotoBaller gives Lively a strong recommendation for Sunday. Lively will face a struggling Blue Jays lineup, while Sears will face the surging Twins. Lively has clear projection advantages in wins and ERA, pushing the overall projections in his favor. Both have low strikeout and higher WHIP projections and are projected to each pitch 5 1/3 innings.

Both players are slated for immediate rematches in Week 13, with Lively against the Blue Jays and Sears against the Twins. Neither pitcher offers much strikeout upside, but Lively has gotten more consistent results and has a more encouraging 4.04 SIERA compared to Sears' 4.71 SIERA. I prefer Lively given his better matchup, better underlying stats, and stronger supporting offense.

Fantasy Baseball Rookie Starters

Hurston Waldrep vs. Drew Thorpe

Our final comparison is between two prospect starters who have only made a few big-league starts. Hurston Waldrep is baseball's No. 72 overall prospect, per MLB Pipeline, and is an intriguing fantasy option despite his rough first start. Drew Thorpe is another top-100 prospect and had a solid debut outing. Both players are very relevant in dynasty leagues, but which one has a better chance of providing fantasy value now?

RotoBaller gives Thorpe a strong recommendation for Sunday. Waldrep will face a much better matchup. However, Thorpe has better projections across the board. Neither player has great projections and fantasy managers may prefer to gamble on the better matchup, but Thorpe appears to have an overall higher floor.

Waldrep is scheduled for a tough Week 13 matchup at the Yankees, while Thorpe will draw a favorable matchup at the Tigers. It is difficult to draw any confident conclusions since neither player has a big-league track record, but Thorpe is a higher-ranked prospect and has been consistently excellent throughout his minor-league tenure. The White Sox also have more incentive/need to keep Thorpe in their rotation compared to Waldrep and the Braves, so I prefer Thorpe for the near future.

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