The Smash and Grab: 4 Teams With Elite Hitting Opportunities in Week 25
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 (7)
The following teams play at least seven games: Houston Astros, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers.
Who do I like most among these offenses?
Tampa Bay Rays: The Rays have been just a delight in the second half of the season, and their offense has been absolutely crushing the baseball. Over the last 30 days, they rank second both in team wOBA and isolated power (ISO), and perhaps one of the large keys to their success is the massive cutdown in their whiff rate. They have posted a 21.2% strikeout rate over that time frame. With three in Canada against the Toronto Blue Jays and four against the Detroit Tigers, it could be a monster week. Three of the seven starters they will face are lefties.
New York Yankees: This offense is in full-on struggle mode, and maybe facing a single game against the Minnesota Twins followed by three in Camden Yards against the Baltimore Orioles will jumpstart their plight. This offense is just too darn talented to stay dormant. They are right in the middle of the pack in wOBA over the last month, but their .191 ISO has been spicy.
Houston Astros: The Astros will open the week with four games against the very poor Texas Rangers staff. That is followed by three games in the desert against the Arizona Diamondbacks -- and missing Zac Gallen lines them up for a nice set of matchups. If you need some exposure to this offense, Aledmys Diaz and Chas McCormick have been getting decent run at the bottom of this lineup.
Six-Game Teams (23)
Los Angeles Dodgers: The best six-game option in my eyes is the Dodgers, and it's not close. They will begin the week at home against the Diamondbacks, who are completely out of things and have very little to play for. And then LA travels to Cincinnati and gets to play in the bandbox known as Great American Ball Park. The Reds are slated to line up their trio of Luis Castillo, Sonny Gray, and Wade Miley, so this won't be easy, but there's too much opportunity here to ignore it. Five of the six pitchers the Dodgers are schedule face are right-handed.
Five-Game Teams (0)
Coors Field
None
