Who Should I Start? Fantasy Baseball Start/Sit Decisions for Tanner Bibee, Chase Silseth, Kerry Carpenter, Max Kepler, more

Welcome RotoBallers to my fantasy baseball start/sit article for the week ahead, August 14 - August 20. This week's article will focus on Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Davis Schneider, Joey Votto, Josh Bell, Tanner Bibee, Chase Silseth, Kerry Carpenter, and Max Kepler.

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-wracking 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 any two players and receive fantasy projections for today, tomorrow, or the current week.

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. Hopefully, this series will help both daily fantasy managers end their weeks strong and also get them comfortable with routinely using the tool during the week to make tough roster decisions. Let's get into some start vs. sit comparisons for the week ahead, August 14 - August 20!

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Young Sluggers

Christian Encarnacion-Strand (3B) vs. Davis Schneider (2B)

Our first comparison is between two young players who have gotten off to strong starts. Fantasy managers have likely heard of Christian Encarnacion-Strand, who has put together a serviceable .263/.317/.408 slash line in his first 82 big-league plate appearances. They maybe haven't heard of Davis Schneider, but he has made a stellar first impression with a .409/.519/.682 slash line in six games. Both players have a lot to prove, but which one is more worth taking a gamble on?

Schneider gets a recommendation for Sunday's game. Both will face middling/slightly favorable matchups. However, while CES has a slight strikeout projection edge, Schneider has the advantage for almost every other category.

Looking ahead to Week 21, the Reds will face tougher matchups with two games against the Guardians and three against the Blue Jays. The Blue Jays will face two against the Phillies and three at the Reds. Great American Ball Park is very hitter-friendly, but the Reds' starting rotation is weaker than the Blue Jays', favoring Schneider.

CES's prospect pedigree and season-long performance beginning in spring training make him a better long-term pick, but Schneider has been on fire and has better matchups the following week. Schneider may drop into obscurity by the end of the season, but he seems like the better bet to give a boost to fantasy managers' lineups in the short term.

Streaking First Basemen

Joey Votto vs. Josh Bell

Our next comparison is between two first basemen who are available in leagues but have hit well lately. Joey Votto has not provided the top-tier fantasy output he once did, but he has hit .250 with four home runs in August. Josh Bell has also had a disappointing season overall but has stepped things up since joining the Marlins, slashing .314 with four HR. Which player has a better chance to stay hot in the following week?

RotoBaller gives Votto a recommendation for Sunday. Bell will face a tough matchup against Gerrit Cole, while Votto will have a relatively better matchup against Mitch Keller. Consequently, Votto has better projections nearly across the board.

As mentioned earlier, the Reds will play five games against tougher matchups. The Marlins will play six games but face very tough matchups with three games against the Astros and three at the Dodgers. The Marlins are slated to face two lefties. This shouldn't impact Bell, who has hit lefties and righties pretty evenly this season.

Both teams' offenses have struggled overall in August despite these hitters performing well. The Marlins do play one more game but their matchups are so tough that it will likely cancel that advantage out. This decision is pretty close, but the Reds have performed better for fantasy all season. As such, I would give the edge to Votto.

Young Starters

Tanner Bibee vs. Chase Silseth

These two rookie starters have both pitched well when given the opportunity. Tanner Bibee has slotted right into the Guardians' lineup, going 8-2 with a 2.92 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in 18 starts. Chase Silseth has only recently joined the starting rotation for the Angels but has a 2.04 ERA and 38.8% strikeout rate in three starts. Who should fantasy managers trust more for the next couple of starts?

Bibee gets a slight recommendation for Sunday. Both pitchers will face tough matchups. Silseth has the clear projection edge in strikeouts, but Bibee's advantage in ERA and WHIP projections offset this.

Looking to next week, Bibee will draw a favorable matchup against the Tigers while Silseth will face a tougher matchup against the Rays. Silseth offers more strikeout upside but Bibee offers a greater track record of success.

Both are strong start candidates for Week 21 and the final decision may come down to league format. Silseth seems like the better play in roto leagues for fantasy managers chasing strikeouts, while Bibee seems like the safer floor play in all leagues.

Power-Hitting Outfielders

Kerry Carpenter vs. Max Kepler

Our final comparison is between two outfielders who have provided power this season if nothing else. Kerry Carpenter has had a solid overall season despite hitting in a weaker Tigers lineup, slashing .278/.338/.496 with 14 HR and 40 RBI. Max Kepler's season batting average leaves something to be desired. He has stepped things up in the second half, slashing .298/.343/.585 with seven HR and 15 RBI. Which player could offer a bigger fantasy boost?

RotoBaller gives Carpenter a slight recommendation for Sunday. Both players will face favorable matchups and have nearly identical counting stat projections. However, Carpenter's higher batting average and slugging percentage projections ultimately give him the advantage.

The Tigers will face middling matchups the following week with two games at the Twins and four at the Guardians. The Twins will only play five games but face better matchups with two games against the Tigers and three against the Pirates.

The Twins have had a better offensive performance in August overall compared to the Tigers and do draw better matchups despite playing one fewer game. While both players are hitting well and would be fine starting options for Week 21, I think Kepler gets the edge given his team's better performance lately.

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