NFL is back, and many are on to fantasy football. This means it is prime time for you to move in your league standings for fantasy baseball. If you are here, I assume you are still focused on your baseball leagues, which is awesome. Quick Grades are here to help you find the best hitter next week!
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 22 covers games for the week of Monday, September 12, through Sunday, September 18.
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 22 Hitter Grades (9/12-9/18)
Team to Stream: Cincinnati Reds
While the Reds have not been a team that have been attractive from a fantasy standpoint, next week could be a chance to get Reds' hitters in your lineup. They are scheduled to play nine games. Four games against Pittsburgh and five against the Cardinals. Hitters like Jake Fraley, Jonathan India, Spencer Steer, and others should be in your lineups.
Team to Fade: Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers draw just five games next week. They first get the Cardinals for two before getting the Yankees at home over the weekend. Five games already set Brewers hitters at a deficit for weekly leagues, but they face Jordan Montgomery and Adam Wainwright in the first two games. They will miss Gerrit Cole, but still lineup to face Nestor Cortes, Frankie Montas, and Jameson Taillon. If you have questionable Brewers hitters for next week, sit 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.