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Welcome RotoBallers to another edition of my 2024 fantasy baseball start/sit article for Week 13, June 24 - June 30. This week's article will focus on Anthony Santander, Heliot Ramos, Salvador Perez, Will Smith, Tobias Myers, Javier Assad, Pablo Lopez, and Reese Olson.
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 24 - June 30!
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Fantasy Baseball Streaking, Slugging Outfielders
Anthony Santander vs. Heliot Ramos
Our first comparison is between two outfielders who have provided premier power in June. Anthony Santander has been one of June's hottest hitters, slashing .300/.352/.738 with 11 home runs in 88 June plate appearances. Heliot Ramos is finally looking like a former Top-100 prospect, slashing .333/.407/.693 with eight HR in 86 June plate appearances. Both players are excellent fantasy plays, but which one has a better chance to stay hot?
RotoBaller gives Ramos a recommendation for Sunday. Both players have strong projections despite facing tough matchups. Santander has a slight projection advance in runs scored and a clear advantage in slugging percentage. However, Ramos has an advantage in RBI, batting average, and on-base percentage.
Looking to Week 14, the Orioles will face tougher matchups with three games against the Guardians and four against the Rangers. The Giants will face slightly better matchups with four games against the Cubs and three against the Dodgers. The O's are slated to face one lefty while the Giants will face three. This favors Ramos, who has crushed lefties this season.
Both players have been on fire in June and are solid fantasy picks. Santander hits in the middle of a stacked lineup, but Ramos has produced just about as much in June and gets the benefit of facing three lefties in Week 14 with slightly better matchups. Ramos has also produced a higher batting average, giving him the edge for Week 14.
Fantasy Baseball Slumping Top Catchers
Salvador Perez (C/1B) vs. Will Smith (C)
Our next comparison is between two fantasy catchers who have typically been top performers but have not provided in June. Salvador Perez has solid season numbers but has managed that despite a .167/.275/.233 slash line in 69 June plate appearances. Will Smith has put up nearly identical season stats to Perez but has also fallen off in June with a .208/.290/.396 slash line in 62 plate appearances. Which player has a better chance of turning things around sooner?
Perez gets a default recommendation for Sunday, as the Dodgers do not play. Perez's projections could vary depending on who the Rangers end up starting. However, he does have an encouraging .270 batting average projection and a .455 slugging percentage projection.
The Royals will face favorable matchups in Week 14, with a seven-game homestand against the Marlins and Guardians. The Dodgers will also face favorable matchups, with three games at the White Sox and three at the Giants. The Dodgers' offense has performed well recently, while the Royals' offense collectively has been in a slump.
Both players have dropped off throughout June. However, Perez seems to have gotten unlucky in June with just a .225 BABIP despite a 92.2-MPH average exit velocity. This is the most encouraging stat between both players at the moment, so I will give the nod to Perez for Week 14.
Fantasy Baseball Solid Streamers
Tobias Myers vs. Javier Assad
Our next comparison is between two starters who have performed well this season and may be available to stream. Tobias Myers has emerged out of nowhere with a 3.26 ERA, a 1.13 WHIP, and a 22.3% strikeout rate in 10 appearances (nine starts) and 47 innings pitched. Javier Assad has been a high-floor fantasy starter once again this season, going 4-2 with a 2.75 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP, and a 23.7% strikeout rate in 15 starts and 78 2/3 IP. Which pitcher is a better bet for the next couple of weeks?
RotoBaller gives Assad a strong recommendation for Sunday. Both players will face offenses who have stepped it up lately. Myers has a projection advantage in wins, but Assad has clear projection advantages in strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP. This matchup may be closer than projected given how well Myers has pitched lately, but Assad's consistency still gives him an advantage.
The two are slated to face each other in Week 14, with Myers drawing the better side of the matchup. Myers offers a higher ceiling and has looked strong in his last three starts. Assad will not produce as many standout starts but also has a lower chance of turning in a dud. As such, I prefer Myers in Week 14 for points leagues and Assad for roto leagues, although my assessment could shift to 100% Meyers depending on how he performs on Sunday.
Fantasy Baseball Erratic Starters
Pablo Lopez vs. Reese Olson
Our final comparison is between two starters who have strong Sunday matchups but may be hard to trust. Pablo Lopez was considered a top starter heading into this season but his 5.63 ERA and 25.6% strikeout rate have been very disappointing. Reese Olson's season numbers look strong, but he only recently broke a string of poor starts. At this point, which pitcher is the safer play?
RotoBaller gives Olson a strong recommendation for Sunday. Both players will face strong matchups. Lopez has a projection advantage in wins and strikeouts. However, he has an abysmal 5.77 projected ERA compared to 3.15 for Olson and a 1.35 WHIP projection compared to 1.10. This pushes the advantage squarely to Olson.
Lopez is scheduled for another favorable matchup in Week 14 with the Mariners, while Olson will also face a good matchup with the Angels. Lopez has been very frustrating from a fantasy perspective, and while he possesses a higher upside than Olson, he has been much more inconsistent overall. As such, I will take the conservative approach and go with Olson in Week 14.
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