Welcome back to another edition of Quick Grades! I cannot believe the season is winding down, and we are getting ready for the final stretch. The trade deadline is now behind us, and several stars have new teams. Juan Soto is sure to see a huge boost in value moving to San Diego. Other hitters could see increased values as well. Quick Grades are here to help!
Each week I rank the top 100 hitters without bias using a variety of data. I take games played, park factors, matchups, and projections to help you find the top hitters for the upcoming week. I have described the process in more detail below and have the top-100 projected hitters for the week. Thanks for stopping by, and best of luck in your leagues this week.
The Quick Grade Series
Each week, I will provide breakdowns of hitters with a grade range from 40 to 100. Think about a school grade (90-100 being an A, 80-89 equaling a B, 70-79 = C, and so on). Grades are weighted based on several different factors that I discuss below.
Week 17 covers games for the week of Monday, August 8, through Sunday, August 14.
You can find last week’s Quick Grades here.
How It Works
We established that each hitter would have a grade based on four categories that would land them a total score between 40 and 100. Each of the four categories will are graded from 10 to 25, which lands us at that total score. Here is what goes into it:
- Games Played – Let’s start simple. The more games played in a week, the more stats a player can accumulate. Maximizing plate appearances for fantasy baseball is huge. If the player you roster has seven games versus a different player having five games, it is a no-brainer. If a team is scheduled to play seven games that week, the team’s hitter will get 25 points. Six games earn a hitter 23 points, and five games drop you down to 20. If a team is set to play more than seven games in a week, that player will get 27 points for games.
- Ballpark Factors – Is a hitter playing four games in Coors? What about three in Oakland? These things matter. We will use the FantasyPros park factors to help us out there. I have created an algorithm that gives each ballpark a score from 10-25. Then factoring in how many games a hitter plays where each week, a score of 10-to-25 is given.
- Matchups – Does a hitter have strong splits against a left or right-handed pitcher? What if they face three lefties this week with a poor split against lefties? We factor that in.
- Projections – Finally, we will factor in projections. I will update using FantasyPros projections and scale them down to a weekly projection. It is not perfect, but using projections with the other factors can help project how a player might perform.
Week 17 Hitter Grades (8/8-8/14)
Team to Stream: Arizona Diamondbacks
In all my weeks writing this article, I do not remember a team having more favorable pitching matchups than the Arizona Diamondbacks do this week. They first get four games with the Pirates at home. Nothing scary about those matchups. Then the Diamondbacks head on the road to Coors Field for three games with the Rockies. It seems like a prime week to stream Diamondback hitters.
Team to Fade: Philadelphia Phillies
If you have a tough start/sit question involving a Phillies hitter, it may be a good week to sit them. The Phillies draw matchups with the Marlins and Mets. The Marlins are scheduled to start both Sandy Alcantara and Pablo Lopez. The Mets are lined up to start Max Scherzer, Jacob deGrom, and Chris Bassitt. It does not get much tougher than that.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio
If you want to dive deeper into fantasy baseball, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Baseball Tools as you navigate your season. From our Lineup Assistant - which provides your optimal lineup, based on accurate consensus projections - to our Waiver Wire Assistant - that allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team, and by how much - we've got you covered this fantasy baseball season.
Chris Clegg is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Chris, check out his archive and follow him @RotoClegg.