Welcome to the 2021 Fantasy Baseball Week 2 Hitting Planner!
A week of baseball means one thing, time for overreactions. Especially in Fantasy Baseball.
Some of us are dominating week one and believe that this could be our year. Others may be rethinking their draft strategies as they see themselves falling behind in the early-season standings.
Now is the time to brag about that late-round "sleeper" that we swore would breakout. Some of us are questioning if they should have taken Ozzie Albies in the third round after his slow start.
Also, I have to know, are Yermin Mercedes and Akil Baddoo legit?
There are a lot of questions and concerns running through all of our minds after just one week of baseball. I have to remind myself to take it easy because there is a lot of baseball left to be played.
Without further ado, we should get into the week two hitting planner.
2021 Fantasy Baseball Week 2 Hitting Planner
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Schedule
Click to enlarge - Credit: Baseball Monster
Offenses to Target
Houston Astros
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The Astros have gotten out to a scorching hot start in 2021, averaging over six runs per game early in the young season. They have 12 home runs and a team OPS of .893 to thank for that blazing start.
It turns out, the Astros do not need to know what pitch is coming to be good hitters. The core of the Astros lineup has gotten off to a great start.
In week two, they will take on the Detroit Tigers who are 25th in ERA currently (5.87), and travel to Seattle who is 14th (3.89) but finished 23rd in team ERA in 2020 with a 4.98 ERA. I think the Astros have a shot to keep this hot stretch alive for a little longer.
Notable Players
The main guys such as Carlos Correa, Michael Brantley, Yordan Alvarez, and Jose Altuve have gotten off to quick starts. Kyle Tucker might be hurting fantasy owners in their AVG and OBP leagues, but he is still providing great value with three home runs and a .538 slugging percentage.
If managers took a shot on Yuli Gurriel late in their drafts, they are seeing a great value early. Gurriel sits at .409/.536/.591 at the time of writing. Aledmys Diaz was not even drafted in most leagues, but currently has an OPS over 1.000 in limited time. Should his playing time increase, he could be worth a look off the waiver wire in deeper or AL only leagues.
Tampa Bay Rays
The defending American League champions have not gotten off to the best start in 2021. They have a team OPS under .700 and have started the season 2-4.
They have yet to hit for power early in the season, only totaling five home runs total as a team. Randy Arozarena has yet to hit a home run after his magical postseason run.
However, I do not think it is time to jump ship on the Rays' offense. They could bounce back this week as they get four games with the Texas Rangers, who currently sport a team ERA north of 8.00. A bad pitching staff can do wonders for a struggling offense.
After Texas, the Rays will head to New York for a weekend series with the tough Yankees. While the Yankees will be stiff competition, Yankees stadium is known as a hitter-friendly park that could get the Rays bats going.
Look for the Rays' offense to get on track.
Notable Players
Austin Meadows is hitting .182/.280/.500 to start the season, with two of his four hits being home runs. He is too talented to slump for long and I expect his average and OBP numbers to climb soon.
Arozarena has started .300/.364/.350 despite the lack of power. While I did think the power Arozarena showed in the postseason was unsustainable, I still think he could hit for decent power numbers.
Brandon Lowe is off to an odd start, hitting .267/.500/.333 with no home runs. The average and OBP numbers are pretty consistent with his career numbers, so fantasy owners should not fret too much over Lowe. I would think the power numbers tick up soon.
Joey Wendle and Manuel Margot have gotten off to hot starts. If fantasy owners need to fill a spot in the lineup this week, they could be solid options. Another good week and fantasy owners could consider selling high on these two names.
Week 2 Offenses to Avoid
Arizona Diamondbacks
We did not expect the Diamondbacks to have a great offense this season, but it has looked really bad early. Outside of Ketel Marte, Asdrubal Cabrera, and Steven Vogt, the Diamondbacks offense has been slow out of the gates.
They are currently playing in Colorado, so they are in a favorable park to get their bats going.
Next week, they take on Oakland twice before traveling to Washington for a four-game series. It may be best to fade a few of their players next week to see if the offense can turn it around.
Notable Players
Marte has started off strong after a down 2020 season. He has started the year .462/.500/.846 with two home runs, five runs, and five RBIs. That is exactly the start we love to see as fantasy owners.
Cabrera and Vogt have started off well and could be worth looks in deeper leagues depending on league format.
Fantasy owners that took a shot on Christian Walker have not been pleased as he currently has an OPS of .533. David Peralta currently has an OPS under .500.
Eduardo Escobar has been putrid at the plate. He is currently batting .050/.050/.050 and has struck out eight times in his first seventeen ABs.
The Diamondbacks were not expected to have the best offense coming into 2021, but there were some players that could have been fantasy relevant in some formats. Right now, Ketel Marte is the only player fantasy owners can have confidence in assuming he is healthy after a hamstring injury.
Chicago Cubs
Through six games, the Chicago Cubs are averaging 3.5 runs per game. I look at this team and see a ball club that is currently feast or famine at the plate.
Out of the twenty-one hits they have as a team, seven have been home runs. As a team, they are striking out 35.5% of the time (60 strikeouts in 169 ABs). While strikeouts and home runs have become more prevalent in today's game, this is not the best recipe for success. It also diminishes players' fantasy value.
They will play three in Milwaukee and a weekend home series with the Atlanta Braves next week. These are two teams who figure to have stronger pitching staffs, so the offensive struggles could continue for the Cubbies.
Notable Players
Kris Bryant, currently, is the best hitter on the Cubs with a .783 OPS, one home run, four runs, and two RBIs. That is not exactly the most attractive line for Fantasy Baseball, but the competition is light in Chicago currently.
Here are how Bryant's teammates have started the year:
Javier Baez- .136/.174/.273 one home run, two runs, three RBIs.
David Bote- .091/.214/.364 one home run, one run, two RBIs.
Willson Contreras- .071/.333/.286 one home run, three runs, three RBIs
Ian Happ- .125/.333/.313 one home run, three runs, one RBI
Anthony Rizzo- .105/.250/.158 zero home runs, one run, one RBI.
At least Contreras and Happ are getting on base. However, Fantasy Baseball owners with Cubs players are stressed out to start the year. I was hoping Ian Happ would build on a good 2020 season and carry it over into 2021, but that has not been the case so far.
Thankfully, it is still early in the season and the Cubs can turn it around offensively, but it will not get any easier with their upcoming schedule. Fantasy owners need to be cautious with the Cubs, they could really bring a fantasy team down at their current rate.
2021 Fantasy Baseball Hitting Planner Week 2 Sleeper Option
Akil Baddoo, OF, Detroit Tigers
Without question, Baddoo has been the story of baseball throughout the first week-plus of the 2021 season. The Rule 5 selection has had a storybook beginning and he has looked like a steal for the Detroit Tigers so far.
Currently slashing .455/.455/1.182 with two home runs, two runs, and six RBIs, Baddoo has been impressive in his short time in the majors.
The Tigers OF options are the best currently, and with the way Baddoo has played thus far, I think he may start stealing playing time from some of the veterans on the team.
The only concern I have about Baddoo's fantasy future is the plate discipline. He will eventually need to learn to take a walk, or those numbers will come crashing back down to earth.
I am not sure if Baddoo is legit for the long-term or if he is a short-time high, but it might be time to consider picking up Baddoo. If he is not already rostered in dynasty leagues, he will be soon because of this run he is currently on. Picking him up now could be beneficial for fantasy owners. If he turns into something, he costs almost nothing, or owners may be able to flip him for a more established asset.
I hope Baddoo is legit. His story has been great to start off the 2021 baseball season.
Check out the rest of our 2021 Fantasy Baseball content from our great team of writers.
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[…] The 2021 MLB storylines are plentiful but at least we are talking about action on the field. Speaking of, Fantasy owners should be looking ahead to next week’s action with our Week 2 Hitting Planner. […]