RADIO
Welcome RotoBallers to another edition of my 2024 fantasy baseball start/sit article for Week 19, July 29 - August 4. This week's article will focus on Tyler Fitzgerald, Jeff McNeil, Austin Hays, Randy Arozarena, Jose Soriano, Tobias Myers, Carlos Rodon, and Jose Berrios.
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, July 29 - August 4!
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Fantasy Baseball Second-Half Leaders
Tyler Fitzgerald (SS/OF) vs. Jeff McNeil (2B/OF)
Our first comparison is between two outfielders who have been some of fantasy's hottest second-half hitters. Tyler Fitzgerald is on a torrid pace, batting .500 with six home runs in 29 second-half plate appearances. Jeff McNeil has obliterated his first-half numbers, batting .393 with four HR in 30 second-half plate appearances. Which player has a better chance to continue their hot start?
RotoBaller gives Fitzgerald a strong recommendation for Sunday. The Giants draw a much better matchup than the Mets. This likely partially contributes to the projection disparities in conjunction with how hot Fitzgerald has been, as he has clear advantages in all categories.
Looking to Week 20, the Giants will only play five games, but two are against the Athletics and three are at the Reds. The Mets will also face favorable matchups with three games against the back of the Twins rotation and three at the Angels.
Fitzgerald has had better overall offensive numbers, so I think he offers a higher floor for the rest of the second half. The Mets have been playing much better baseball lately but Fitzgerald has been so hot at the plate that I will go with him for Week 20. Further, fantasy managers may not have much more chance to add Fitzgerald if he stays hot.
Fantasy Baseball Traded Outfielders
Austin Hays vs. Randy Arozarena
Our next comparison is between two players who have disappointed from a fantasy perspective but now have new real-life homes. Despite being an All-Star in 2023, Austin Hays has a middling .255/.316/.395 slash line but now has a new opportunity with the Phillies. Randy Arozarena has had a surprising .211/.318/.394 slash line with 15 HR and 16 stolen bases and now joins the Mariners. Which player could benefit more from a fresh start?
Arozarena gets a strong recommendation for Sunday. The projections indicate Arozarena getting a start, while only giving two at-bats for Hays. Arozarena will face a much tougher matchup, receiving projection edges in counting stats while Hays receives clear projection advantages in ratios. If Hays starts, fantasy managers may prefer to go with him in points leagues.
The Phillies will face very tough Week 20 matchups, with three games against the Yankees and three at the Mariners. The Mariners will also have tough matchups with three at the Red Sox and three against the Phillies. Hays may receive more playing time with his new team, but Arozarena has had more plate appearances lately and has started the second half strong. Therefore, I will go with him for Week 20.
Fantasy Baseball Surprising Starters
Jose Soriano vs. Tobias Myers
Our next comparison is between two starters who were not on the fantasy radar to start the season but have pitched well. Jose Soriano is 6-7 with a 3.51 ERA, a 1.17 WHIP, and a 19.8% strikeout rate in 95 innings pitched. Tobias Myers has produced similar numbers, going 6-4 with a 3.14 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP, and a 21.7% strikeout rate in 77 1/3 IP. Which pitcher could provide more value to fantasy managers in the next few weeks?
RotoBaller gives Myers a strong recommendation for Sunday. Both have strong projections overall, but Myers draws a fantastic matchup against the Marlins, although they have hit better lately. Soriano has a slightly higher strikeout projection and is expected to pitch slightly deeper into the game, but Myers has projection advantages in wins, ERA, and WHIP.
Soriano will face a favorable matchup in his Week 20 start at the Nationals, while Myers will face a middling matchup against the Reds. I think both are fine fantasy options, but since both players are pretty even, I will break the tie based on matchup and go with Soriano.
Fantasy Baseball Tough-Trust Starters
Carlos Rodon vs. Jose Berrios
Our final comparison is between two pitchers who have had some strong starts but ultimately have been inconsistent. Carlos Rodon has pitched better than his dreadful 2023 season, but he still owns a lackluster 4.42 ERA and 25.2% strikeout rate in 21 starts and 114 IP. Jose Berrios had a great start to the season but has dropped off since, culminating in a 4.08 ERA and 18.0% strikeout rate in 21 starts and 123 2/3 IP. Which pitcher offers a higher floor in their next starts?
RotoBaller gives Berrios a strong recommendation for Sunday. Both pitchers will face surging lineups and neither has great projections. Rodon has projections advantages in wins and strikeouts, but he has a projected 5.42 ERA and 1.52 WHIP. Berrios' 4.28 ERA and 1.29 WHIP aren't stellar, but they are much better than Rodon's, tipping things in his favor.
Things won't get easier for Rodon in his next start, which will be against the Rangers. The same goes for Berrios, who will be at the A's. I would prefer to avoid both for Week 20 and beyond if possible. However, Rodon has a better offense backing him and has pitched relatively better than Berrios in July, so I would go with him if I had to.
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