Welcome to the 2022 Fantasy Baseball Week 8 Hitting Planner!
Now that we are seven weeks into the Fantasy Baseball season, we have a good idea of who our teams are.
Some teams are sitting pretty at the top of the standings, and others are wondering where it all went wrong.
Luckily, there is still time to rebound for those at the bottom.
2022 Fantasy Baseball Week 8 Hitting Planner
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Week 8 Schedule
| Team | Games | Home | Away | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHC | 9 | 9 | 0 | MIL | MIL | MIL | STL | STL | STL | STL |
| DET | 8 | 5 | 3 | MIN | MIN | MIN | MIN | @NYY | @NYY | @NYY |
| MIL | 8 | 4 | 4 | @CHC | @CHC | @CHC | SD | SD | SD | SD |
| STL | 8 | 3 | 5 | SD | SD | SD | @CHC | @CHC | @CHC | @CHC |
| MIN | 8 | 0 | 8 | @DET | @DET | @DET | @DET | @TOR | @TOR | @TOR |
| COL | 7 | 7 | 0 | MIA | MIA | MIA | ATL | ATL | ATL | ATL |
| LAD | 7 | 7 | 0 | PIT | PIT | PIT | NYM | NYM | NYM | NYM |
| TEX | 7 | 7 | 0 | TB | TB | TB | TB | SEA | SEA | SEA |
| BAL | 7 | 6 | 1 | @BOS | SEA | SEA | SEA | CLE | CLE | CLE |
| MIA | 7 | 4 | 3 | @COL | @COL | @COL | SF | SF | SF | SF |
| NYM | 7 | 3 | 4 | WAS | WAS | WAS | @LAD | @LAD | @LAD | @LAD |
| TB | 7 | 3 | 4 | @TEX | @TEX | @TEX | @TEX | CHW | CHW | CHW |
| ATL | 7 | 0 | 7 | @ARI | @ARI | @ARI | @COL | @COL | @COL | @COL |
| SD | 7 | 0 | 7 | @STL | @STL | @STL | @MIL | @MIL | @MIL | @MIL |
| SF | 7 | 0 | 7 | @PHI | @PHI | @PHI | @MIA | @MIA | @MIA | @MIA |
| WAS | 7 | 0 | 7 | @NYM | @NYM | @NYM | @CIN | @CIN | @CIN | @CIN |
| NYY | 6 | 6 | 0 | LAA | LAA | LAA | DET | DET | DET | |
| OAK | 6 | 6 | 0 | HOU | HOU | HOU | BOS | BOS | BOS | |
| PHI | 6 | 6 | 0 | SF | SF | SF | LAA | LAA | LAA | |
| TOR | 6 | 6 | 0 | CHW | CHW | CHW | MIN | MIN | MIN | |
| CIN | 6 | 4 | 2 | @BOS | @BOS | WAS | WAS | WAS | WAS | |
| ARI | 6 | 3 | 3 | ATL | ATL | ATL | @PIT | @PIT | @PIT | |
| BOS | 6 | 3 | 3 | BAL | CIN | CIN | @OAK | @OAK | @OAK | |
| CLE | 6 | 3 | 3 | KC | KC | KC | @BAL | @BAL | @BAL | |
| KC | 6 | 3 | 3 | @CLE | @CLE | @CLE | HOU | HOU | HOU | |
| PIT | 6 | 3 | 3 | @LAD | @LAD | @LAD | ARI | ARI | ARI | |
| CHW | 6 | 0 | 6 | @TOR | @TOR | @TOR | @TB | @TB | @TB | |
| HOU | 6 | 0 | 6 | @OAK | @OAK | @OAK | @KC | @KC | @KC | |
| LAA | 6 | 0 | 6 | @NYY | @NYY | @NYY | @PHI | @PHI | @PHI | |
| SEA | 6 | 0 | 6 | @BAL | @BAL | @BAL | @TEX | @TEX | @TEX |
Offenses to Target
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox got off to a slow start, to say the least. A tough start combined with the Yankees fast start was a bad start for the folks in Beantown. Fortunately, it appears the team has figured things out recently, with a big thanks going to Trevor Story. More on him later.
The Red Sox will start the week with one game against the Baltimore Orioles before hosting the Cincinnati Reds for two. The Orioles have a 3.87 ERA and 4.16 FIP and are projected to throw Tyler Wells who currently has a 4.30 ERA, 4.07 FIP, and 4.43 xFIP. The Reds currently have the worst ERA (5.73) in the league combined with a 4.82 FIP. They will have Luis Castillo and Mike Minor on the mound according to projections.
The Red Sox will finish the week with the Oakland Athletics. The Athletics pitching staff started well with a 3.87 ERA and 3.91 FIP, but as a rebuilding team, most believe those numbers will continue to rise.
Notable Players
Welcome to the 2022 season Trevor Story. Story has a .224/.304/.442 line with 8 HR, 23 R, 33 RBI, and 5 SB, but that line did not look too good a week ago. Since May 16th, Story has flipped the page, hitting .355/.432/1.065 with 7 HR, 12 R, 18 RBI, and 2 SB. It earned him player of the week honors, and it also earned back the trust of fantasy managers.
Alex Verdugo has to get going eventually. He is much better than the .215/.258/.322 line that we currently see. Offense is down, but he is a career .281/.338/.430 hitter and next week would be a good week to get back on track.
Franchy Cordero is another player that seems to be heating up over the last week. Since May 16th, Cordero is hitting .241/.258/.483 with 1 HR, 7 R, and 6 RBI. He may be worth keeping an eye on in deeper leagues to see if the power comes around.
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves got off to a slow start which many attributed to a World Series hangover. Not having Ronald Acuna Jr.at the top of the lineup probably did not help either. However, they are showing signs of life and have a favorable schedule that could help the offense.
They will head west this week, starting with a three-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Diamondbacks started hot with their pitching, but currently have a 4.01 ERA and 4.24 FIP. The Braves will have to face the talented young pitcher, Zac Gallen, but could take advantage of the otherwise weak Diamondbacks staff.
Finally, the Braves will finish the week with four games in Colorado. The Rockies have a 4.85 ERA and 4.13 FIP, and we know what Coors Field can do for an offense. It could be a fruitful week for the Braves.
Notable Players
If William Contreras is not on rosters, he needs to be currently. He is hitting .273/.373/.773 7 HR, 12 R, 11 RBI, with 1 SB. Yes, 7 of his 12 hits have been home runs. That leads all active catchers, and the Braves are wanting to keep his hot hand in the lineup that they have been using him at DH and in left field. If the team is doing what they can to ride the hot hand, then we should as well with our Fantasy Baseball rosters.
Dansby Swanson is a frustrating player to predict offensively. He will go through stretches where he is unplayable, and also stretches where he can carry lineups. Since May 17th, he is hitting .438/.471/.656 with 2 HR, 4 R, 7 RBI, and 2 SB.
Most believed Austin Riley would regress some from his phenomenal 2021, but not many expected his batting average to drop this much. He is currently hitting .244/.324/.464 with 9 HR, 19 R, 20 RBI, and 2 SB. Most expected the batting average to be in the .260s-.270s, so maybe he can see that average climb back up over the next week.
Offenses to Avoid
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox have been disappointing to start the 2022 season, especially on offense. Their .233/.289/.358 team line is near the bottom of the league, and it probably will not get any better over the next week.
They start the week in Canada with three with the Blue Jays. The Jays pitching staff has a 3.58 ERA and 3.57 FIP which places them in the top third of the league. They are also projected to have Kevin Gausman, Hyun Jin Ryu, and Alex Manoah on the mound for that series. Tough.
The Sox will then head south to face the Tampa Bay Rays who always find a way to be successful. Their 3.30 ERA is in the top 5 of the league and a 3.72 FIP mostly supports it. Oh, and it looks like Shane McClanahan will be available for that series.
Notable Players
Yoan Moncada returned recently from injury and appears to be behind the curve. He is hitting .136/.177/.254 with 2 HR, 4 R, and 4 RBI and with the tough pitching next week, it may not get better soon. Stay patient with Moncada.
Yasmani Grandal was expected to be one of the better catchers and was being drafted as such. That has not shown up with a .174/.272/.235 line with 2 HR, 5 R, and 9 RBI. Is the deadened ball affecting his game this much?
Jose Abreu is having one of his worst seasons to date with a .229/.320/.392 line with 5 HR, 21 R, and 19 RBI. Is age catching up to him? The dead baseballs? Just a slow start?
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are still rebuilding, with a few top prospects on the rise or right at the major league level. However, that means the team is still a bit behind at the major league level, especially on offense. Going by team wRC+, the Tigers 78 wRC+ as a team ranks them dead last in all of baseball. It has been a rough few weeks and it is a tough week ahead.
They begin the week with four against divisional foe, the Minnesota Twins. The Twins currently have a 3.31 ERA and have been one of the better teams to start the year.
The week ends with a weekend series with the New York Yankees, who have arguably been the best team in baseball to start the year. The Yankees pitching staff is ranked top 3 with a 3.00 ERA and is supported by a 3.15 FIP.
Notable Players
After signing a big deal this offseason, Javier Baez was expected to provide plenty of value to this offense. That has not been the case. Baez is hitting .201/.241/.321 with 3 HR, 10 R, 12 RBI, and 0 SB. It has been a slow start, maybe due to him getting adjusted to a new team, but this is not what Fantasy Baseball players wanted to see.
Spencer Torkelson has gotten off to a slow start to his major league career. His .183/.293/.317 line with 4 HR, 9 R, and 11 RBI is not what most fans expected. He is still a hold for dynasty, but it is time to look elsewhere in redraft if one has not already.
Jonathan Schoop had a great year in 2021, and many thought he could be an ideal late round fantasy target this year. Unfortunately, a .172/.217/.287 line with 4 HR, 14 R, 9 RBI, and 1 SB has been a major disappointment. He should not be on rosters right now.
2022 Fantasy Baseball Week 8 Hitting Planner Waiver Pickup
MJ Melendez, C, Kansas City Royals
It is not often that a catcher makes up the waiver target of the week. It is also shocking when that catcher is on the same team as Salvador Perez. Yet, here we are with MJ Melendez as the waiver pickup of the week. To be fair, I almost chose another catcher, William Contreras, but since he was mentioned earlier, we decided to go with Melendez here.
Melendez is currently hitting .259/.317/.483 with 3 HR, 7 R, and 7 RBI. Catcher is sometimes a tough position to find any value, and Melendez has already become a solid contributor in a short amount of time.
He may hit a wall eventually, but right now, he is playing well and should be rostered. Plus, there is a good shot that one was looking for a catcher upgrade anyways. Here is one for free.
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