Who Should I Start? Fantasy Baseball Start/Sit Decisions for Oswaldo Cabrera, J.D. Davis, Tanner Houck, Jack Flaherty, more

Welcome RotoBallers to another edition of my 2024 fantasy baseball start/sit article for the week ahead, April 8 - April 14. This week's article will focus on Oswaldo Cabrera, J.D. Davis, Julio Rodriguez, Corbin Carroll, Tanner Houck, Jack Flaherty, Spencer Steer, and Ha-Seong Kim.

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, April 8 - April 14!

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Third Base Replacements

Oswaldo Cabrera (3B/OF) vs. J.D. Davis (1B/3B)

Our first comparison is between two third basemen who may be available in your leagues if you suffered one of several injuries at the position. Oswaldo Cabrera is currently rostered in 72% of leagues and has gotten off to a great start with regular playing time. J.D. Davis is widely available, rostered in just 16% of leagues, and has also had a strong start. Which player offers a better chance to fill the gap for fantasy managers?

RotoBaller gives Cabrera a strong recommendation for Sunday. The Yankees will face Bowden Francis, who struggled mightily in his first start, while the Athletics will face Jack Flaherty, who pitched well in his first start. The projections are pretty close between the two, although Cabrera has the edge in RBI and stolen bases.

Looking to Week 3, the Yankees will face favorable matchups with three games against the Marlins and three at the Guardians. The Athletics will face tougher matchups with three games at the Rangers and three against the Nationals.

Davis has hit for power throughout his career, while Cabrera struggled in his 2023 rookie season. However, Cabrera's lineup context is much better than Davis's. Davis may end up being more reliable throughout the season, but Cabrera's lineup and matchups give him the nod for Week 3.

Slow-Starting Studs

Julio Rodriguez (OF) vs. Corbin Carroll (OF)

Our next comparison is between two top fantasy players who have struggled out of the gate. Julio Rodriguez has struggled with the rest of his team, slashing .161/.235/.194. The Diamondbacks offense has started strong, but Corbin Carroll has not been a part of their success, slashing .192/.364/.231. Fantasy managers surely won't think of benching either this early in the season, but which one has the better chance of getting back on the right track?

RotoBaller gives Carroll a recommendation for Sunday. J. Rod has the projection advantage in RBI, but Carroll has the advantage in runs scored, stolen bases, and batting average.

The Mariners will face tough matchups the following week with three at the Blue Jays and three against the Cubs. On the other hand, the Diamondbacks will face stellar matchups with three games at the Rockies and three against the Cardinals. Both players will eventually get back to producing as fantasy managers expect, but Carroll's superior matchups in Week 3 give him a better chance to do that first.

Sunday Streamers

Tanner Houck vs. Jack Flaherty

We'll now do a classic comparison between two starters who may be available to help fantasy managers finish their weeks strong. Tanner Houck had a fantastic first start, pitching six scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts. Jack Flaherty also had a strong start, allowing one run over six innings pitched with seven strikeouts. With both players at under 65% rostership, which one is the better pickup for the short term?

Houck receives a strong recommendation for Sunday. Houck will get a decent matchup at the Angels, although Flaherty will get a great matchup against the A's. Flaherty has a clear advantage in strikeout projections, but Houck gets the edge in ERA and WHIP. I think this matchup may be more of a coin toss than the projections suggest.

Houck is slated for a rematch in his next start against the Angels, while Flaherty will face a slumping Twins lineup. The decision on who to start in Week 3 may come down to who pitches better on Sunday. The matchup is pretty close overall, so I will give the edge to Houck the following week, as his first start was even better than Flaherty's.

Swiss Army Knife Players 

Spencer Steer (1B/2B/3B/OF) vs. Ha-Seong Kim (2B/3B/SS)

Our final comparison is between two players who can slot into several positions depending on the site. Spencer Steer has picked up where he left off last season, slashing .423/.500/.808. Ha-Seong Kim has continued to provide a bit of everything with a .216/.302/.351 slash line, one home run, and three stolen bases. Which super-utility man is worth the start for the end of Week 2 and Week 3?

RotoBaller gives Steer a strong recommendation for Sunday. Perhaps it is the better matchup or that Kim has been in a bit of a slump lately, but Steer has better projections in all categories except stolen bases.

The Reds face favorable matchups in Week 3, with four games against the Brewers and three at the White Sox. On the other hand, the Padres will face three games against the Cubs and three at the Dodgers. Steer has gotten off to a better start than Kim, has better matchups, and will play one more game, so he gets the start for Week 3.

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