Lucky number seven. Well lucky in the sense that I am happy to be taking over the MLB Weekly Preview starting with the upcoming Week 7 of the Fantasy Baseball season. I obviously have some big shoes to fill taking over for the growing legend that is Jeff Mans, but it seems only fitting that a person whose moniker is the Fantasy Nomad will now be responsible for roaming into the future to bring you the fantasy baseball insight that will give you an edge on your competition in the week ahead.
Jeff has done a fantastic job laying the groundwork and now I want to take the Weekly Preview to the next level with your help. I have already added a few minor things on top of what you have already come to expect in each week’s preview, such as some insight on the effects that interleague play will have on specific players both from a hitting a pitching perspective and some reasoning as to why I ranked a pitcher at a certain spot along with some statistical insight that you will hopefully find useful going forward. I plan on adding a few more things in the week’s to come, but since this weekly preview is for YOU I want to give YOU the opportunity to share in the comments section below anything else you would like to find in this article each week that you feel will help you be more prepared for the week ahead. You can also tweet me @FantasyNomad if you have any Fantasy Sports questions whether it involves season long, dynasty, or daily league play. So without further ado let's dive into what lies ahead for Week 7 of the Fantasy Baseball season.
Interleague Schedule
Here is a look at which interleague games are on the schedule for week 7. Fortunately this week’s slate of interleague games should have little negative effect on your fantasy team as only two teams, the Yankees and Angels, are losing their designated hitter and it is only for a game or two. On the flipside, other than the Rockies, the other two NL teams who are gaining a DH in their lineup (Mets and Pirates) do not offer up a player really worth adding in any format.
NL Teams Getting a DH
Mets at Yankees (3x Monday-Wednesday)
Rockies at Royals (3x Monday-Wednesday) And to think the Rockies could not become even more dangerous offensively.
Pirates at Yankees (3x Friday-Sunday)
AL Team’s Losing a DH
Angels at Phillies (2x Tuesday and Wednesday) Less at-bats for rookie C.J. Cron
Tuesday's Angels starter is TBD, but Garrett Richards, who gets the start on Wednesday, recieves a little extra bump in value this week as he already owns an impressive 9.20 K/9 rate (11th highest in AL) and will now get the opportunity to face a lineup with a pitcher hitting in it. Score! If you need even more convincing why Richards is a great play this week check out the Weekly Starting Pitcher rankings below.
Yankees at Mets (1x Thursday) Mets starting two righties so RHH Alfonso Soriano may get a day or two off with the LHH Brett Gardner starting in left. C.C. Sabathia will face Dillion Gee in this interleague matchup versus a National League lineup and lord knows C.C. needs all the extra advantages he can get as he has allowed four or more runs in five of his seven starts, including in each of his last two outings where he has failed to make it past the fifth inning.
Total Games This Week
Playing Five Games: Rockies and Phillies
Playing Six Games:
AL: Red Sox, White Sox, Indians, Tigers, Astros, Royals, Twins, A’s, mariners, and Rangers
NL: DBacks, Braves, Reds, Dodgers, Brewers, Pirates, Padres, and Nationals
Playing Seven Games:
AL: Angels, Orioles, Yankees, Rays, and Blue Jays
NL: Cubs, Marlins, Mets, Giants, and Cardinals
Click here for a look back at the Week That Was by Glenn Colten
Loaded Lefty or Righty Matchups
Most Games vs. Righties
Six Games: Cubs, Marlins, Yankees, Padres, and Giants,
Five Games: DBacks, Orioles, Red Sox, Royals, Dodgers, A’s, Pirates, Cardinals, and Nationals
Four Games: Braves, White Sox, Reds, Indians, Brewers, Twins, Mets, Mariners, Rays, Rangers, and Blue Jays
Three Games: Tigers, Astros, and Phillies
Two Games: Angels and Rockies
Most Games vs Lefties
Five Games: Angels
Three Games: Rockies, Tigers, Astros, Mets, and Blue Jays
Two Games: Braves, Orioles, White Sox, Reds, Indians, Royals, Brewers, Twins, Mariners, Cardinals, Rays, and Rangers
One Game: DBacks, Red Sox, Cubs, Dodgers, Marlins, Yankees, A’s, Pirates, Giants, and Nationals
Week 7 Starting Pitcher Rankings
You can click on the players in blue to be sent to their player page at FantasyAlarm.com for the latest updates, player stats, and much, much more.
Adam Wainwright (StL) -- Tue-CHC (Arrieta), Sun-ATL (Floyd)
David Price (TB) -- Tue-@SEA (Iwakuma), Sun-@LAA (Santiago)
Felix Hernandez (SEA) -- Mon-TB (Ramos), Sun-@MIN (Nolasco)
Yu Darvish (TEX) -- Wed-@HOU (Feldman): Held Astros to one hit with 9 K’s in 2nd outing of the season.
Masahiro Tanaka (NYY) -- Wed-@NYM (Mejia): His 8.29 K/BB is 3rd best in MLB and it’s the Mets in Citi Field.
Cliff Lee (PHI) -- Tue-LAA (Santiago), Sun-CIN (Leake)
Jordan Zimmermann (WSH) -- Mon-@ARI (Collmenter), Sun-NYM (Wheeler)
Clayton Kershaw (LAD) -- Sat-@ARI (Collmenter)
Jose Fernandez (MIA) -- Wed-@LAD (Maholm): May seem low but has only 1 start and matchup little less favorable than other 1 start pitchers ranked ahead of him. Update: Fernandez went on the 15-day disabled list Monday with a sprained right elbow. Wednesday's Marlins stater TBD.
Johnny Cueto (CIN) -- Wed-SD (Kennedy): Second pitcher in MLB history to go at least 7 innings with no more than 2 runs allowed through a pitchers 1st eight starts to begin a season. Oh, and it’s the Padres.
Tyler Lyons (STL) -- Mon-CHC (Wood), Sat-ATL (Harang): Two starts vs two teams in the top 5 in strikeouts among NL teams. Lyons has struck out 18 batters in 18 innings as a starter this season, including seven in his last start which came against the Braves in Atlanta where he held them to just one run on four hits and a walk over six innings pitched.
Stephen Strasburg (WSH) -- Tue-@ARI (Arroyo)
Gio Gonzalez (WSH) -- Sat-NYM (Colon): Gonzalez is 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA at home in three starts compared to 1-3 with a 5.46 ERA in five road starts this season, but regardless of all that he would still be a must start versus the Mets.
Zack Greinke (LAD) -- Fri-@ARI (Miley)
Sonny Gray (OAK) -- Fri-@CLE (McAllister)
Nathan Eovaldi (MIA) -- Wed-PHI (Kendricks): Marlins have 2nd best run scoring offense in baseball, best home record, and Eovaldi’s 7.50 K/BB rate is second best among NL starters.
Michael Wacha (STL) -- Wed-CHC (Hammel)
Julio Teheran (ATL) -- Wed-@SF (Bumgarner)
Hisashi Iwakuma (SEA) -- Tue-TB (Price): Would like to rank him higher but win probability is low based on low expected run support.
Jeff Samardzija (CHC) -- Thu-@STL (Lynn): Held STL to one run with no walks and struck out four in matchup back on April 11th.
Dan Haren (LAD) -- Mon-MIA (Koehler), Sun-@ARI (Arroyo)
Scott Kazmir (OAK) -- Sat-@CLE (Tomlin)
Jonathon Niese (NYM) -- Fri-@WSH (Roark)
Madison Bumgarner (SF) -- Wed-ATL (Teheran)
Mike Minor (ATL) -- Tue-@SF (Vogelsong)
Ervin Santana (ATL) -- Fri-@STL (Miller)
Jesse Chavez (OAK) -- Mon-CWS (Danks), Sun-@CLE (Masterson)
Garrett Richards (LAA) -- Wed-@PHI: Did You Know? (Click here: Garrett Richards)
Jose Quintana (CWS) -- Fri-@HOU (McHugh): Seriously when is this kid gonna get the respect he deserves? I saw him rated outside the top 60 by some others. Are you kidding me? For one it’s the Astros. Secondly, he is in the top five in about every pitching category, not just your standard categories either, among AL lefties since 2012. Since 2012 folks, let’s get on board and give this 25-year old his due, but hey at least it opens an opportunity for you to buy low on him.
Hiroki Kuroda (NYY) -- Mon-NYM (Colon), Sat-PIT (TBD)
Max Scherzer (DET) -- Fri-@BOS (Lester)
Tim Hudson (SF) -- Fri-MIA (Alvarez): Hudson leads all of baseball with a ridiculous 12.00 K/BB rate and Marlins 2nd most K’s as a team in MLB; loss of Brandon Belt decreases chances for the W though.
Tim Lincecum (SF) -- Mon-ATL (Floyd), Sat-MIA (Koehler)
- Alfredo Simon (CIN) -- Thu-SD (Ross)
- Tanner Roark (WAS) -- Fri NYM (Niese)
Justin Verlander (DET) -- Wed-@BAL (Chen): JV has allowed 10 runs and four home runs vs the O’s over last 3 starts (20 IP) dating back to last year, including allowing two home runs in his one start at Camden last year. For more on JV’s peripherals click here: Justin Verlander
C.J. Wilson (LAA) -- Mon-@TOR (Buehrle), Sat-TB (Ramos)
Lance Lynn (STL) -- Thu-CHC (Samardzija)
A.J. Burnett (PHI) -- Wed-LAA (Richards)
Yordano Ventura (KC) -- Fri-BAL (Tillman)
James Shields (KC) -- Tue-COL (De La Rosa), Sun-BAL (Jimenez)
Gerrit Cole (PIT) -- Tue-@MIL (Estrada), Sun-@NYY (Nuno)
Homer Bailey (CIN) -- Fri-@PHI (Kendrick)
Jered Weaver (LAA) -- Fri-TB (Archer)
Travis Wood (CHC) -- Mon-@STL (Lyons), Sat-MIL (Garza)
R.A. Dickey (TOR) -- Tue-CLE (Salazar), Sun-@TEX (Lewis)
Marco Estrada (MIL) -- Tue-PIT (Cole), Sun-@CHC (Arrieta)
Mike Leake (CIN) -- Tue-SD (Cashner), Sun-@PHI (Lee)
David Phelps (NYY) -- Fri-PIT (Morton)
Jon Lester (BOS) -- Fri-DET (Scherzer)
Vidal Nuno (NYY) -- Tue-NYM (Wheeler), Sun-PIT (Cole)
Zack Wheeler (NYM) -- Tue-@NYY (Nuno), Sun-@WSH (Zimmermann)
Matt Cain (SF) -- Thu-MIA (Eovaldi)
Yovani Gallardo (MIL) -- Thu-PIT (Volquez)
Wily Peralta (MIL) -- Wed-PIT (Liriano)
CC Sabathia (NYY) -- Thu-@NYM (Gee) Update: On DL with fluid that caused swelling in his stomach, I mean his knee.
Doug Fister (WSH) -- Wed-@ARI (McCarthy): Expecting a bounce back as he overthrew prior to his last start.
Anibal Sanchez (DET) -- Sat @BOS (Lackey) Note: Sanchez is expected to return to the Tigers rotation on Saturday, but an official decision is unlikely to be made until Tuesday or Wednesday.
John Lackey (BOS) -- Sat-DET (Ray, but likely Anibal Sanchez)
Shelby Miller (STL) -- Fri-ATL (Santana)
Andrew Cashner (SD) -- Tue-@CIN (Leake), Sun-@COL (Nicasio)
Best of Luck and remember to view our Daily Fantasy Baseball Playbook if you play DFS, post your comments or questions below, and/or hit me up on twitter @FantasyNomad.
