The Smash and Grab: 4 Teams With Elite Hitting Opportunities in Week 20
One thing I have learned in my journey in fantasy baseball is that volume is key -- especially in hitting.
In standard rotisserie leagues, only one category is ratio-based (batting average), which allows us to maximize at-bats and plate appearances to rack up those counting statistics in runs, home runs, runs batted in, and stolen bases. And as simplistic as the approach seems, the best fantasy players find ways to garner as many shots as possible -- via volume.
Each week, this report will analyze the matchups for the upcoming week to see if any teams, in particular, stand out from a volume perspective as we gear up for those Free Agent Budget (FAB) bids.
The seven-game teams? Those are obvious. But what about the other matchups? Let's dig in and find out.
Seven-Game Teams (6)
There is a lot of high-powered volume this week. The following teams play seven games: Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, and Toronto Blue Jays.
With so much volume, who sticks out?
Cincinnati Reds: We have waxed poetically about this team all year long, and they are exploding at the plate right now. They are desperately trying to catch the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central, and the Reds' offense has been absurd. Over the last seven days, they lead all of baseball in nearly every statistical category, including wOBA, wRC+, and isolated power (ISO). And as one of the few teams that has seven full games without a doubleheader, guys like Kyle Farmer, Aristides Aquino and Shogo Akiyama carry extra weight.
Milwaukee Brewers: This schedule may line up even better than it does for the Reds. They start the week facing the maligned Cubs' rotation, and while they will have to deal with Kyle Hendricks, the rest of the Cubs' pitchers are murky at best. Then, it gets even better as they travel to face the Pittsburgh Pirates, facing the struggling Mitch Keller, Bryse Wilson and Steven Brault.
Toronto Blue Jays: In back-to-back weeks, the Jays make this list. This lineup is so incredibly deep and can mix and match versus any arm they face, and they haven't slowed down now that they are back in Canada for home games. Two of their matchups will certainly be challenging, facing Shohei Ohtani and Patrick Sandoval. But they get the struggling Mariners' rotation at the end of the week, and that's where we go all in.
Six-Game Teams (23)
Atlanta Braves: Despite Atlanta losing do-it-all slugger Ronald Acuna, there's plenty of firepower we can focus on. They begin the week at home against the Reds, and they will, fortunately, miss ace Luis Castillo, who has turned around his season. It gets better at the end of the week, facing a Washington staff that will roll out rookie Josiah Gray, struggling Patrick Corbin, and rookie Paolo Espino. Time to cook.
Five-Game Teams (1)
Coors Field
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