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Quickly get start 'em sit 'em advice for Who Should I Start fantasy baseball lineup questions from 9/18 - 9/24 (2023). Connelly tells you who to start and sit.
Welcome RotoBallers to my fantasy baseball start/sit article for the week ahead, September 18 - September 24. This week's article will focus on Bo Bichette, Ceddanne Rafaela, Dean Kremer, Gavin Williams, Jordan Wicks, Jose Quintana, Corbin Carroll, and Adley Rutschman.
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 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, September 18 - September 24!
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Shortstops: Slumping Stud or Surging Rookie
Bo Bichette vs. Ceddanne Rafaela (SS, OF)
Fantasy managers could be faced with difficult roster decisions as they head into the final few weeks of the season. Bo Bichette was a top fantasy pick but has struggled mightily lately, batting just .154 in September after missing time with a right quad strain. On the other hand, prospect Ceddanne Rafaela has slashed .357/.386/.595 since joining the Red Sox at the end of August and may be available in fantasy leagues. Is now the time to drop Bichette?
RotoBaller gives Bichette a recommendation for Sunday. Bichette will face a better matchup, although the matchups are pretty close overall. While both players have nearly identical counting stat projections, Bichette has the edge in average and slugging projections.
Looking ahead to Week 26, the Blue Jays will face very tough matchups with three games at the Yankees and three at the Rays. The Red Sox will face middling matchups with three at the Rangers and three against the White Sox. Both offenses haven't been great lately, although the Blue Jays in particular have really struggled.
At some point, fantasy managers have to make tough decisions with so much on the line and so little time left. Bichette is clearly the better of the two players overall. With the Blue Jays struggling and Rafaela hitting very well, I would swap Bichette for Rafaela for the rest of the fantasy season.
Middling Streamers
Dean Kremer vs. Gavin Williams
Our next comparison is between two starters with varying outcomes who may be available to stream on Sunday. Dean Kremer has produced serviceable results for points leagues with a 4.25 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, and 20.9% strikeout rate over 29 starts. Gavin Williams has had a solid rookie season but hasn't wowed from a fantasy perspective, compiling a 3.43 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and 23.1% strikeout rate in 15 starts. Which pitcher offers fantasy managers more upside if they need a streamer to end the week?
RotoBaller gives Kremer a recommendation for Sunday. Unfortunately, both will face two of the hottest offenses in baseball. However, Kremer is projected to pitch deeper into the game, giving him the edge in quality start and win projections. Both should be avoided in roto leagues, but Kremer's projections make him a more desirable points league streamer.
The two players are slated to face each other's teams the following week. The Orioles have been slumping offensively lately, but they have one of baseball's best offenses overall. The Guardians present a middling matchup overall. The ultimate decision may come down to how these pitchers fare in their Sunday starts, but I would lean toward Kremer for his higher potential ceiling.
Hot-Hand Streamers
Jordan Wicks vs. Jose Quintana
Digging deeper into the streaming pool, both Jordan Wicks and Jose Quintana have offered higher-floor outputs in limited starts. Jordan Wicks has made a great first impression, going 3-0 with a 1.99 ERA in four starts. Jose Quintana has pitched well since joining the Mets in the second half with a 3.05 ERA in 10 starts. Neither offers a ton of strikeout upside, but which one is a safer play?
Wicks receives a slight recommendation for Sunday as both will face middling matchups. While Quintana has an advantage in ERA projection and quality start projection, Wicks has the edge in wins and WHIP. Both are solid options overall.
Wicks draws a clearly better matchup the following week against the Rockies, while Quintana will face a tough matchup at the Phillies. Both pitchers have similar profiles, but the much better matchup makes Wicks the choice for the following week.
Slumping Contenders
Corbin Carroll (OF) vs. Adley Rutschman (C)
Our final comparison is between two high-end, young fantasy players who are on teams competing for the playoffs. Corbin Carroll has five steals in the past seven games but has slashed just .241/.267/.241. Adley Rutschman hasn't provided much of anything in the last seven games, slashing .115/.258/.154. Which of these players has a better chance to turn things around for the final stretch?
RotoBaller gives this matchup a toss-up. Carroll has the clear projection edge in steals, but Rutschman makes up for it in batting average, walks, strikeouts, and RBI. The ultimate decision likely comes down to league format, where Carroll makes more sense in roto leagues and Rutschman makes more sense in points leagues.
Both teams have tough matchups the following week, but the Diamondbacks will only play five games compared to seven for the Orioles. Rutschman also gets a slight relative edge as the O's will play all their games on the road, avoiding the now pitcher-friendly Camden Yards. Unless fantasy managers are specifically chasing steals, they may benefit more from starting Rutschman given the additional games.
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