Welcome to the 2019 Fantasy Baseball Week 16 Hitting Planner! Anyone that followed the Week 15 Hitting Planner saw my greatest triumph. I successfully predicted that the awful San Francisco offense would do well. Not only did they do well, but they also scored 40 runs in a four-game sweep of the Rockies.
Only Bet O'Clock's Odds Converter could find a format where that bet would have made sense.
The main thing on my mind this week has been the performance of prospect Luis Robert in Triple-A. Since being promoted to that level he's hit .433 with a ridiculous 1.552 OPS in seven games.
The White Sox's top prospect has hit five home runs and driven in 11 runs in those games. It's clear he's ready for the Major Leagues but of course, it's not likely we'll see him this year, thanks to service time shenanigans.
Hope everyone's enjoying baseball now before the inevitable strike happens.
If you want to read more about any of the games other top prospects, check out the Week 16 Prospect Report by Tyler Thompson!
2019 Fantasy Baseball Week 16 Hitting Planner
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Offense to Target - Seattle Mariners
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Owing anyone on the Mariners offense has been a roller coaster experience and the ride could hit another peak next week, as Seattle will play a full seven-game schedule at home.
In their first series against the Rangers, Seattle should pick up the hitting against the suddenly struggling Texas staff. While they started the season quickly, they have looked poor over the last two weeks. Since July 5th the Rangers have a team ERA of 8.02 and are giving up almost two home runs per nine innings.
Next, the Mariners will play four games against the Tigers. Like the Rangers, Detroit started the season well but has faltered in recent weeks. Over the last two weeks, Detroit's team ERA is 7.39 to go along with the 26th ranked K-BB%.
Seattle catching both pitching staffs at their worst might help their normally poor offense catch lightning in a bottle.
Notable Players
Dan Vogelbach is a good bet to hit a couple of home runs against the long-ball prone rotations. Owners who need a catcher need to check if Omar Narvaez is available. Mallex Smith should be able to get on base a little more than usual, which will help owners struggling for steals.
Offense to Avoid - Toronto Blue Jays
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It's been a while since I've picked on the Jays but the timing just feels right. I'm from Toronto and the apathy towards the team this season has been such a stark contrast to the last few years, with good reason. The offense is ranked 27th in the league, even with Lourdes Gurriel Jr. playing out of his mind.
Toronto will start next week with a three-game series against the Indians. Toronto will have the incredible misfortune of running into Cleveland's top three of Mike Clevinger, Trevor Bauer, and Shane Bieber. Any Jays players will see a massive spike in strikeouts this week.
Things don't get easier for the Jays as their next series is against the Rays. Tampa Bay has struggled a bit of late, but still own one of the best strikeout to walk ratios in the league, the perfect recipe to dominate a team that has the seventh-worst K% in the league.
Notable Players
Vladimir Gurerrero Jr. is having a tough rookie campaign and will be in tough against a couple of good rotations. Essentially all Jays but Gurriel Jr. should be avoided during the rough week.
Offense to Target - Arizona Diamondbacks
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The Diamondbacks won the matchup lottery and will face off against the Orioles and Marlins next week.
As we all know, the Orioles have one of the worst pitching staffs in the league. No metric I can throw out there will defend them, so I'll post them for reference. Baltimore carries a team ERA of 5.75 and has allowed a league-high 184 home runs in 93 games.
The Miami pitching staff has been better than expected, thanks to the boost provided by their young arms. Zac Gallen and Jordan Yamamoto have given the Marlins a big boost in the rotation. Still, the Marlins have an average staff at best and should be easy pickings for one of the best offenses in the league.
Notable Players
Adam Jones, Christian Walker, and Jake Lamb are three D'Backs bats that could come alive and are owned in under 50% of Yahoo! leagues. Deep league players should look into Nick Ahmed for the week and possibly beyond, as the shortstop has hit .355 over the last two weeks.
Offense to Avoid - Washington Nationals
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Washington has a pretty tough schedule next week. Their opponent may shock you!
That's the last time I'll use a clickbaity sentence but it might shock you to find that I'm saying to avoid the Nats based on their matchup with the Rockies, who just got crushed by the Giants.
On the road, Colorado owns the fifth-best ERA (3.96), eighth-lowest opponents average (.243), and eighth-fewest home runs allowed. Fortunately for the Rockies, this whole series takes place in Washington. Playing away from Coors Field does wonders, so don't be surprised in the Nats bats are quiet early next week.
Their next series is against the Dodgers, a far more obvious bad matchup. The Dodgers have the lowest team ERA in the majors at 3.43 and own the second-best K-BB% in the majors. They are a tough draw for any team.
Notable Players
The Nationals' big three of Anthony Rendon, Juan Soto, and Trea Turner probably shouldn't be benched. Owners should be looking avoid and/or temper expectations for Adam Eaton, Victor Robles, and Howie Kendrick. Kendrick has already lost the starting job but I'll mention him because he's still owned in 49% of leagues.
Check out the rest of our 2019 Fantasy Baseball content from our great team of writers.
