The Smash and Grab: 4 Teams With Elite Hitting Opportunities in Week 22

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 (5)

This week is weird. There are scheduling quirks, like people not playing on Sunday. And the majority of the volume resides in the six-game teams, not seven. The following teams play seven games: Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals, Pittsburgh Pirates and Toronto Blue Jays

Who do I like among the seven-game teams?

Chicago White Sox: One of the league's best offenses is clicking, and is there anyone more underrated than Tim Anderson? The guy is gonna hit over .300 again, and he's 15th in the league in runs scored. That's a pretty darn good tablesetter for the big boppers in the middle of the lineup. The White Sox will face off with the next team on our list in a four-game set north of the border, finishing with three games against the Chicago Cubs. Brian Goodwin and Danny Mendick are two options who could be worth a look.

Toronto Blue Jays: There's not a whole lot of introduction needed for the Blue Jays. This offense is ballin'. But there are some outside-the-box plays who we could get some juice on that may not be so obvious. Corey Dickerson is typically batting in the middle of the order against righties. Alejandro Kirk is starting to get some run at the catcher slot, and Randal Grichuk, while usually lower in the order, is getting a lot of playing time.

Six-Game Teams (15)

Baltimore Orioles: This team is not good -- let's be clear. But when you can get six straight home games at Camden Yards, a place which ranks inside the top-10 in park factor and home run factor, you gotta roll with it. Austin Hays is criminally under-rostered and slamming the ball. Anthony Santander leads all hitters in baseball with eight home runs across the last two weeks. D.J. Stewart is typically in the five-hole against righties. There's some fantasy goodness here -- exploit it.

Minnesota Twins: This one may be off the reservation a bit, but bear with me. The Twins have actually performed quite well after trading away Nelson Cruz. They have a .327 wOBA in the last 30 days and have been cookin' at the dish. Now, let's examine the matchups. They will start the week with three games at Fenway, which is not an intimidating staff by any stretch of the imagination. But then, this gets very, very spicy at the end of the week, wrapping up with three games against the Milwaukee Brewers, and they don't face any of the Big 3 in that Milwaukee rotation. Consider some options like Brent Rooker or Luis Arraez.

Five-Game Teams (5)

Tampa Bay Rays, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Angels, Detroit Tigers, Atlanta Braves

Coors Field

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