Fantasy Baseball Week 23 Preview

Welcome to the newest edition of the Weekly MLB Preview!

GAME BREAKDOWN GRID FOR WEEK 23 (9/5 to 9/11)

Analysis: Looking for statistics which will influence your upcoming lineup? Check out these tidbits:

• Since the All-Star break, the Arizona Diamondbacks staff has surrendered the most earned runs in the major leagues with 252. By comparison, the Chicago Cubs have allowed less than half that number with 119.
• While many thought that the New York Yankees dismantling their team and restocking their farm system at the trade deadline would keep their offense down, they finished fifth for home runs in the month of August with 42 and fourth in runs with 148. Look for the team to promote additional prospects who will have an impact upon the fantasy landscape, including Clint Frazier and Mason Williams.
• While the Diamondbacks pitching staff has been brutal, there is hope for their batters this upcoming week. Of their next six games they face four left-handed pitchers. The team is currently fourth-best in the majors against southpaws, batting .273. Players who especially succeed against lefties include Paul Goldschmidt (to no one’s surprise he’s batting .337), Yasmany Tomas (.304) and Jean Segura (.286).   

INTERLEAGUE OUTLOOK

Analysis: Week 23 again features a very light slate of interleague contests, with a mix of the NL and AL being at home. David Ortiz looks to lose some at bats as the Red Sox face the San Diego Padres, while options like Tommy La Stella or Jorge Soler may come into additional at bats for the Cubs against the Houston Astros. Looking down the road, the interleague schedule remains light for the close of the season, good news for owners who are worried about their stud DH’s losing playing time.

STARTING PITCHER RANKINGS

Analysis: There is a surprising shortage of reliable two-start options in Week 23, outside of Chris Sale and Masahiro Tanaka. My third ranked pitcher is Gio Gonzalez, and while in past years this spot wouldn’t have raised any eyebrows, his 4.14 ERA and 1.28 WHIP are concerning, especially given the weak division that he pitches in. Yet in despite of all that, the weak divisional opponents is the reason for his spot here. Facing the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies at home should be a much-needed shot in the arm to the 30-year-old southpaw. Despite his struggles, Gonzalez is still averaging nearly a strikeout per inning, and has surrendered three earned runs or less in ten of his last twelve starts.

Matt Moore is a pitcher that I thought would blossom several years ago, but injuries and inconsistency have derailed this highly touted prospect. Since being acquired by the San Francisco Giants at the trade deadline, Moore has shown glimpses of his pedigree, including a near no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers on August 25^th. He faces the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks, and while both lineups provide plenty of pop, owners can cross their fingers that Moore will continue to limit free passes and provide upside totals in strikeouts.

Rich Hill’s kryptonite this season has been his ongoing blister issues. I’d rank him higher since he should theoretically dominate both the Miami Marlins and Diamondbacks, but there is significant questions regarding his availability.

Analysis: Despite a rough outing against the Boston Red Sox his last time taking the mount, I’m still confident that Danny Duffy will continue his streak of quality performances. He takes on the Minnesota Twins his next time out, a team that he held to one run over six innings of work not long ago. While the strikeout totals have dwindled in a per-start basis of late, few could argue that Duffy has provided his owners with everything they could have hoped for and then some. His BABIP suggests that continued regression is inevitable, but even with another minor correction, he remains a locked in SP2.

I’ve spouted on in prior columns about my mancrush on Los Angeles Dodgers starter Julio Urias. By all accounts his next start may be his last of the season, given how far he has already surpassed his minor league workload totals from 2015. He quickly developed into a must-start, matchup-proof option for me whenever he takes the mound, and his stock continues to rise.

It only took until early September for David Price to finally get everything working again. Sure, his 3.97 ERA and 1.23 WHIP numbers are horrific compared to expectations entering the season, he has really begun to turn things around over his last four starts. During that time span he’s struck out 27 batters over 28 innings, while only allowing six earned runs. His name still holds plenty of value by itself, but savvy managers may be able to approach Price owners and offer a trade while his price hasn’t skyrocketed yet.