RADIO
Welcome RotoBallers to another edition of my 2024 fantasy baseball start/sit article for Week 23, August 26 - September 1. This week's article will focus on Joey Loperfido, Jo Adell, Adrian Del Castillo, Joey Bart, Seth Lugo, Erick Fedde, Javier Assad, and Jonathan Cannon. 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, August 26 - September 1!
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Fantasy Baseball Available Hot Outfielders
Joey Loperfido vs. Jo Adell
Our first comparison is between two outfielders who have hit well lately and are available in most leagues. Joey Loperfido has a .450/.476/1.000 in his last seven games with the Blue Jays, while Jo Adell has slashed .385/.385/.538. Which player is a better pickup for fantasy managers looking for a boost?
RotoBaller gives Adell a strong recommendation for Sunday. Loperfido will face a lefty in Tyler Anderson, and he has struggled against lefties this season. Consequently, Adell has projections advantages in all counting stats as well as slugging percentage.
Looking to Week 24, the Blue Jays will face tougher matchups with five games at the Red Sox and three at the Twins. The Angels will also face tough matchups with three games at the Tigers and three against the Mariners.
Adell has a higher pedigree than Loperfido, but he is long past due as a former top prospect. The Blue Jays will play eight games in Week 23 and have been hot overall, so I will give the nod to Loperfido.
Fantasy Baseball Catcher Support
Adrian Del Castillo vs. Joey Bart
Our next comparison is between two catchers who could help fantasy managers. Adrian Del Castillo has impressed since getting called up, slashing .341/.400/.610 in 45 plate appearances. Joey Bart has finally started to perform like a former top prospect, slashing .277/.350/.508 in 214 plate appearances. Which one is a better short-term bet?
Bart gets a strong recommendation for Sunday. Bart draws a more favorable matchup, which reflects in projection advantages in all categories except stolen bases. Del Castillo still draws decent projections.
The Diamondbacks will face tough matchups in Week 24, with three games against the Mets and three against the Dodgers. The Pirates will draw stronger matchups, with three games against the Cubs and three at the Guardians. The Diamondbacks are slated to face two lefties and the Pirates three, which benefits both players.
Both players have had great Augusts and are worthwhile fantasy pickups in deeper leagues. However, The Diamondbacks offense has been much better than the Pirates overall, so I prefer Del Castillo.
Fantasy Baseball Slumping Second-Half Starters
Seth Lugo vs. Erick Fedde
Our next comparison is between two starters who have crashed in the second half after great first halves. Seth Lugo has a 4.76 ERA in 39 2/3 second-half innings pitched, while Erick Fedde has compiled a 4.78 ERA in 32 IP. Which pitcher has a better chance of returning to form down the stretch?
RotoBaller gives Lugo a strong recommendation for Sunday. Lugo draws a better matchup than Fedde, and the projections resemble Lugo's first-half performance and Fedde's second-half performance. I do think this matchup will be closer than projected, as two of Fedde's last three starts have been decent.
Both will draw tough Week 24 matchups, with Lugo at the Astros and Fedde at the Yankees. I would prefer to avoid both if possible. However, the Royals have provided more run support lately and the Yankees are quite tough in Yankee Stadium, so I will reluctantly go with Lugo.
Fantasy Baseball Favorable-Matchup Streamers
Javier Assad vs. Jonathan Cannon
Our final comparison is between two pitchers who draw favorable matchups and may be available. Javier Assad has produced decent results with a 3.11 ERA in 23 starts. Jonathan Cannon owns a 4.26 ERA in 86 2/3 IP this season. Which pitcher has a better chance to produce in their few starts?
RotoBaller gives Cannon a strong recommendation. Assad has a higher strikeout projection and a lower ERA projection, but he also has a much higher WHIP projection and a lower IP projection.
Assad is slated to face the Nationals on the road in his next start, while Cannon will face the Mets. Assad has allowed too many walks and hasn't pitched deep into games, but his second half has been better than Cannon's. Given this and the better matchup, I will go with Assad for Week 24.
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