It’s virtually impossible to see some things coming, but by preplanning for each and every week of the Fantasy Baseball season, you can often get a jump on the trends that are brewing around the league. Let’s take a look at how the upcoming week of the MLB campaign is shaping up.
MLB Schedule Breakdown
TEAM | # GAMES | HOME | AWAY | OPPONENTS |
Braves | 6 | 6 | 0 | vs CHC (3), vs MIA (3) |
Marlins | 6 | 3 | 3 | vs NYM (3), at ATL (3) |
Mets | 6 | 3 | 3 | at MIA (3), vs WAS (3) |
Phillies | 5 | 2 | 3 | at WAS (2), vs MIN (3) |
Nationals | 5 | 2 | 3 | vs PHI (2), at NYM (3) |
Cubs | 6 | 0 | 6 | at ATL (3), at MIL (3) |
Reds | 7 | 3 | 4 | vs MIL (3), at PIT (4) |
Brewers | 6 | 3 | 3 | at CIN (3), vs CHC (3) |
Pirates | 6 | 6 | 0 | vs STL (2), vs CIN (4) |
Cardinals | 5 | 3 | 2 | at PIT (2), vs SD (3) |
Diamondbacks | 6 | 3 | 3 | at SD (3), vs BOS (3) |
Rockies | 6 | 3 | 3 | at TB (3), vs LAD (3) |
Dodgers | 6 | 3 | 3 | vs SGF (3), at COL (3) |
Padres | 6 | 3 | 3 | vs ARI (3), at STL(3) |
Giants | 6 | 3 | 3 | at LAD (3), vs TB (3) |
Orioles | 6 | 3 | 6 | at TOR (3), vs NYY (3) |
Red Sox | 7 | 0 | 7 | at OAK (4), at ARI (3) |
Yankees | 6 | 3 | 3 | vs DET (3), at BAL (3) |
Rays | 6 | 3 | 3 | vs COL (3), at SFG (3) |
Blue Jays | 7 | 3 | 4 | vs BAL (3), at CLE (4) |
White Sox | 5 | 3 | 2 | at CLE (2), vs SEA (3) |
Indians | 6 | 6 | 0 | vs CHW (2), vs TOR (4) |
Tigers | 6 | 3 | 3 | at NYY (3), vs KC (3) |
Royals | 5 | 2 | 3 | vs MIN (2), at DET (3) |
Twins | 5 | 3 | 3 | vs KC (2), at PHI (3) |
Astros | 6 | 3 | 3 | at TEX (3), vs OAK (3) |
Angels | 6 | 2 | 4 | at SEA (2), vs TEX (4) |
Athletics | 7 | 4 | 3 | vs BOS (4), at HOU(3) |
Mariners | 5 | 2 | 3 | vs LAA (2), at CHW (3) |
Rangers | 7 | 3 | 4 | vs HOU (3), at LAA (4) |
Who’s Hot
Most of the Seattle Mariners- Domingo Santana , Tim Beckham , and Ryon Healy are all crushing the ball to start the season. Santana is is taking full advantage of full-time opportunities. People slept on him early in draft season after a disappointing 2018 led him to losing playing time in Milwaukee. However, with a full time role in Seattle, there is no reason to think that he can’t get close to duplicating his 2017 season when he hit 30 home runs and stole 15 bases. With Kyle Seager on the IL for the foreseeable future, Healy will get full run at third base. Healy has always had some power upside, but has been capped by poor plate discipline and a lack of full-time chances. While the playing time situation now favors him, he still shows poor plate discipline and will likely lose that time once Seager is back. He is worth a pick up for now, but he isn’t a long-term solution. Speaking of a short-term solution, Tim Beckham has been making his case for March MVP considerations. So far, Beckham has shown an improved approach, swinging outside the zone less and being more selective at the plate. This is obviously a small sample size, but something to monitor as we move through the early part of the season. Of course regression will slow him down, but if he continues with this approach, we could be looking at a mixed league worthy play for the duration of the year. For now, ride him while he is hot.
Joc Pederson - Pederson is hitting .583/.688/1.417 with three home runs in three games. Pederson has always had a ton of upside, but he has never run in the way the many thought he would coming from the minors and he has struggled versus left-handed pitching. In spite of hitting two home runs in the first game of the season, He sat versus a lefty in Game 2, which is indicative of the challenges he will face in terms of getting enough at-bats to make a serious impact this season.
Who’s Not
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. - Gurriel has started off the season with no hits and only one walk in eight plate appearances. While it is too early to bail on him yet, he will need to turn it around quickly as Vlad Guerrero Jr. will be ready soon and that will move Brandon Drury off of third base. If Gurriel doesn’t improve, he could find himself replaced by Drury and back into a utility role.
Alex Bregman - Bregman has only one hit and no walks in his first 12 plate appearances. His one hit is a home run, but one has to wonder if the injury in Spring is having an effect on him. At this point, there is nothing you can do, but if he continues to struggle, the Astros may give him a couple extra days of rest.
Ramón Laureano - One of the narratives floating around on Laureano during draft season was that his defense was so good that he could sustain any slumps. That is being put to the test right now after an 0-for-17 start with zero walks in his first five games. Dexter Fowler plays pretty good defense and had a great Spring Training, so he could be brought back up from Triple-A if Laureano continues to struggle.
Interleague Outlook
AWAY TEAM | HOME TEAM | GAMES | DH? | Player(s) Impacted |
Twins | Phillies | 3 | No | |
Rockies | Rays | 3 | Yes | |
Rays | Giants | 3 | No | |
Red Sox | D-Backs | 3 | No | J.D Martinez, Andrew Benintendi |
Top-25 SP Rankings
Rank | Pitcher | Game 1 | Game 2 |
1 | vs PHI |
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2 | at MIA |
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3 | at TEX |
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4 | at OAK | at ARI | |
5 | at TEX |
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6 | vs TOR |
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7 | vs MIN |
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8 | vs COL |
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9 | vs TOR |
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10 | vs TOR |
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11 | at COL |
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12 | vs STL |
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13 | vs WAS |
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14 | at BAL |
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15 | vs SD |
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16 | vs CHW | vs TOR | |
17 | at SD |
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18 | at NYM |
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19 | at NYM |
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20 | at KC |
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21 | vs WAS |
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22 | at OAK | at ARI | |
23 | at TB |
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24 | at PIT |
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25 | at LAD |
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On the Rise
German Márquez (SP #23, COL)
Madison Bumgarner (SP #25, SF)
On the Decline
Chris Sale (SP #4, BOS)
Zack Greinke (SP #17)
SP Rankings 26-50
Rank | Pitcher | Game 1 | Game 2 |
26 | at PIT |
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27 | vs COL |
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28 | vs MIN |
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29 | at TB |
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30 | vs DET |
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31 | at MIL |
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32 | at ATL | at MIL | |
33 | at STL |
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34 | at SD |
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35 | vs TEX |
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36 | at OAK |
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37 | vs SF |
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38 | vs STL | vs CIN | |
39 | at ATL |
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40 | at MIL |
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41 | at CHW |
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42 | at BAL |
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43 | vs LAD |
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44 | at KC | at PHI | |
45 | vs CHW |
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46 | at OAK |
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47 | at ATL |
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48 | vs TB |
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49 | vs CHC |
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50 | at COL |
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On the Rise
Kyle Freeland (SP #29, COL)
Ross Stripling (SP #37, LAD)
On the Decline
Yu Darvish (SP #31, CHC)
Eduardo Rodríguez (SP #46, BOS)
SP Rankings 51-75
Rank | Pitcher | Game 1 | Game 2 |
51 | vs SF |
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52 | vs SEA |
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53 | vs CHC |
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54 | at SF |
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55 | vs NYY |
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56 | vs SD |
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57 | at ARI |
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58 | at CIN |
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59 | vs ARI |
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60 | vs CIN |
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61 | at CLE |
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62 | vs PHI | at NYM | |
63 | vs CHC | at MIA | |
64 | vs BOS |
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65 | at LAD | vs BOS | |
66 | vs MIN |
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67 | at ATL |
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68 | at NYY |
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69 | vs OAK |
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70 | Marco Gonzalez | vs LAA |
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71 | Jake Junis | at DET |
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72 | vs MIA |
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73 | at CLE |
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74 | vs ARI | at STL | |
75 | vs BAL |
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On the Rise
Matthew Boyd (SP #68, DET)
Matt Shoemaker (SP #75, TOR)
On the Decline
Carlos Rodón (SP #61, CHW)
Dylan Bundy (SP #55, BAL)