Who Should I Start? Fantasy Baseball Start/Sit Decisions for Alex Kirilloff, Edouard Julien, Bryce Elder, Tyler Wells, more

Welcome RotoBallers to my fantasy baseball start/sit article for the week ahead, July 24 - July 30. This week's article will focus on Matt McLain, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Alex Kirilloff, Edouard Julien, Bryce Elder, Tyler Wells, Wilmer Flores, 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, July 24 - July 30!

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Reds Rookies

Matt McLain (2B/SS) vs. Christian Encarnacion-Strand (1B/3B/DH)

Our first comparison is between two of many young, intriguing Reds players. Matt McLain has played very well all season, slashing .301/.367/.519 with nine home runs, 34 RBI, and eight stolen bases. Christian Encarnacion-Strand finally got called up and is batting .294 with one HR and four RBI in 17 plate appearances. Both players are exciting fantasy options right now, but which one offers more short-term upside?

RotoBaller gives McLain a recommendation for Sunday. McLain will likely hit earlier in the lineup than CES, which is reflected in a higher run projection. While their other counting stat projections are similar, McLain also has the clear projection edge in batting average and slugging percentage.

Looking ahead to Week 18, the Reds will face tougher matchups with three games at the Brewers and three at the Dodgers. It is relatively difficult to compare these two players at this time given CES has few big-league at-bats. Looking into their profiles, McLain clearly offers more steal upside. However, while McLain has hit for power and average to this point, CES has been touted for his abilities in both. 

I would give the edge to McLain in roto leagues and may lean on McLain in general since he has been in the big leagues longer. However, I wouldn't be surprised to see CES outperform McLain on a per-game basis by the end of the season.

A Pair Of Twins

Alex Kirilloff (1B/OF) vs. Edouard Julien (2B)

We'll stick with same-team comparisons. Alex Kirilloff is finally healthy and is showing why he was a past touted fantasy option, slashing .284/.372/.468 with eight HR and 31 RBI in 231 plate appearances. Edouard Julien has also performed when given the opportunity, slashing .318/.399/.565 with nine HR, 16 RBI, and two stolen bases in 179 plate appearances. Both are currently providing plenty of fantasy value, but which one could be more useful?

Julien gets a slight recommendation for Sunday's tougher matchup against Lucas Giolito. Julien does have the projection edge in runs, hits, doubles, and HR, but Kirilloff has the clear edge in RBI. Ultimately, the decision may come down to positional depth for fantasy managers.

The Twins will face a tough matchup and a favorable matchup the following week, with three games against the Mariners and three at the Royals. Both have been on fire since returning from the All-Star break, with Kirilloff batting .345 with four homers and 13 RBI and Julien batting .619 with eight runs scored. Both are great choices, but unless fantasy managers are particularly looking for HR help, I would go with Julien.

Surprising Starters

Bryce Elder vs. Tyler Wells

This comparison is between two starting pitchers who have been surprisingly useful in fantasy this season. While both have scuffled a bit lately, Bryce Elder and Tyler Wells have each won seven games with a respective 3.31 ERA and 3.54 ERA. Who is the better play for Sunday and next week?

Despite the seemingly close projections, Wells receives a strong recommendation for Sunday. Elder will get a favorable matchup at the Brewers, while Wells will get a tough matchup at the Rays. Ultimately, Elder is projected to give up almost twice as many runs as Wells. Elder has started the second half with back-to-back awful starts, which makes the decision to start Wells easier.

Looking to next week, Elder is slated to face the Brewers again at home, while Wells should face the Yankees at home. Both offenses have struggled lately, but the Brewers will have just seen Elder. The decision may be a bit tougher depending on how the pitchers perform Sunday. But I would go with Wells given the matchup, recent performance, and overall higher strikeout upside.

Available Hot Bats

Wilmer Flores (1B/3B/DH) vs. Max Kepler (OF)

Our final comparison is between two players who are widely available but have started the second half strong. Wilmer Flores has had a scalding start to the second half with a .417/.464/1.042 slash line. Max Kepler hasn't been quite as good but still has a strong .333/.364/.600 second-half slash line. Which player could provide a bigger spark for fantasy managers?

Flores gets a strong recommendation for Sunday. The Giants will get a much better matchup at the Nationals compared to the Twins. Further, Flores is projected to lead in almost every category, which may have to do with his insane hot streak.

Looking to the following week, the Giants will have better matchups than the Twins with one game at the Tigers, two against the Athletics, and three against the Red Sox. They are slated to face three lefties. This shouldn't hurt Flores, who has hit for a higher average against lefties this season.

Overall, Flores' current hot streak is too great to pass up. While Kepler is the only choice for fantasy managers in need of an outfielder, Flores is the clear choice otherwise.

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