The final week of August is here, and we are heading into the last full month of the regular season of MLB. Many are fading out and getting into fantasy football focus. If you are still here reading this article, you are likely still in contention in your leagues. Even if you are not, you can make up ground due to many checking out at this point of the season. Quick Grades are here to help you out for the stretch run.

Each week I rank the top 100 hitters without bias using various 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 20 covers games for the week of Monday, August 29, through Sunday, September 4.

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 be graded from 10 to 25, placing us at that total score. Here is what goes into it:

• Games Played – Let’s start simple. The more games played weekly, the more stats a player can accumulate. Maximizing plate appearances for fantasy baseball is huge. It is a no-brainer if the player you roster has seven games versus a different player having five games. 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 weekly, 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 at a specific park 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 projections with the other factors can help project how a player might perform.

Week 20 Hitter Grades (8/29-9/4)

Team to Stream: St. Louis Cardinals

This week is a match made in heaven for Cardinal hitters. They draw six games with three-game series against the Reds and the Cubs. They head on the road to Cincinnati first, which is an incredible hitter's park and will feature great pitching matchups. The Cubs have one of the worst rotations in baseball, and the Cardinals get them at home. Put all Cardinals' hitters in your lineups this week.

Team to Fade: San Diego Padres

On the flip side of the Cardinals, the Padres couldn't ask for more challenging matchups. They get six games on the road, with three games in San Francisco first. They line up to face Carlos Rodon, Logan Webb, and Alex Wood. Then, the Padres head north to Los Angeles for a three-game set with the Dodgers. The pitching matchups get even harder as they are scheduled to face Dustin May, Julio Urias, and Tony Gonsolin. If you have questions about a Padres hitter this week, lean toward sitting them.

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Chris Clegg is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Chris, check out his archive and follow him @RotoClegg.