Fantasy Baseball Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Picks - Jorge Polanco, Thairo Estrada, Jordan Hicks, Ryan Weathers, more

Welcome RotoBallers to another edition of my 2024 fantasy baseball start/sit article for the week ahead, April 22 - April 28. This week's article will focus on Amed Rosario, Thairo Estrada, Jordan Hicks, Seth Lugo, Casey Mize, Martin Perez, Daulton Varsho, and Bryan De La Cruz.

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, April 22 - April 28!

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Fantasy Baseball Surging Second Basemen

Amed Rosario (2B/SS/OF) vs. Thairo Estrada (2B)

Our first comparison is between two second basemen who started slow but have been hitting well lately. Amed Rosario has been on fire and is now slashing .343/.352/.514 for the season. Thairo Estrada has also been on a tear, slashing .320/.346/.640 in his last seven games. Which one can continue their hot streak?

RotoBaller gives Rosario a strong recommendation for Sunday. The Rays will face a better matchup than the Giants. Consequently, Rosario has better projections across the board.

Looking to Week 5, the Rays will face great matchups with three games against the Tigers and three at the White Sox. The Giants will also face favorable matchups with three games against the Mets and three against the Pirates. The Giants are slated to face four lefties, which does not favor Estrada.

Both players have hit very well lately and will face good matchups. However, the pitch splits favor Rosario, the Giants' matchups are slightly worse, and Rosario has multi-position eligibility, tilting the Week 5 decision to Rosario.

Fantasy Baseball Strong Surprise Starters

Jordan Hicks vs. Seth Lugo

Our next comparison is between two starters who had some speculative hype this off-season and have delivered on it so far. Jordan Hicks has looked great in his return to a starter's role, going 2-0 with a 1.57 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and 20.7% strikeout rate. Seth Lugo has picked up where he left off in 2023, going 3-0 with a 1.05 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. Which one has a better chance of producing at a high level?

RotoBaller gives Hicks a slight recommendation for Sunday. Both players will face tough lineups. Lugo has a projection edge in wins and strikeouts, but Hicks has projection advantages in ERA and WHIP.

Hicks is slated for a decent Week 5 matchup against the Pirates, while Lugo will get a favorable matchup at the Tigers. Lugo draws the better matchup, but Hicks has better peripherals and underlying metrics. As such, I'll go with Hicks for Week 5.

Fantasy Baseball Uncertain Pitchers

Casey Mize vs. Martin Perez

We'll move on to two starters who have pitched well but may not have earned the trust of fantasy managers. Casey Mize has turned in two consecutive good starts but hasn't pitched since 2022. Martin Perez has a 2.55 ERA in his first four starts but has mostly provided little fantasy value throughout his career. Which one could get more fantasy managers on board in their next couple of starts?

Mize receives a strong recommendation for Sunday. Both players will face favorable matchups. Mize has an advantage in win and WHIP projections, but the others are nearly identical. I prefer Mize's matchup but think the choice between these two may be closer than advertised.

Both will face decent matchups in Week 5, with Mize against the Royals and Perez at the Giants. Mize may be the better long-term bet, but the Giants have struggled offensively compared to the Royals and Perez has pitched better overall, giving him the edge in Week 5.

Fantasy Baseball Afterthought Hitters 

Daulton Varsho (OF) vs. Bryan De La Cruz (OF)

Our final comparison is between two players who used to provide fantasy value earlier in their careers and are picking things up now. Daulton Varsho has mostly been a fantasy underachiever since losing catcher eligibility but has gone on a power run lately, slugging .905 with four home runs in his last seven games. Bryan De La Cruz has flashed fantasy value throughout his career and has started 2024 well. Which of these players has a better chance to return to form?

RotoBaller gives De La Cruz a strong recommendation for Sunday. Both players will face favorable matchups, but De La Cruz's clear batting average and slugging percentage projection advantages push things in his favor.

The Blue Jays face split matchups in Week 5, with four games at the Royals and three against the Dodgers. The Marlins will face three games at the Braves and three against the Nationals. Varsho has been on a power surge, but De La Cruz has played well overall, giving him the nod for Week 5.

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