Alright, you made it. You survived the first nine weeks of the fantasy baseball season and have made it to the double digits. I’m proud of you. If you’re still invested enough into your fantasy baseball experience at this point that you’re here reading this right now, then you’re my kind of people. The kind of people who eat, sleep, and breathe fantasy baseball. The best kind of people.
While it is still not quite the halfway mark of the season, how good your fantasy baseball team is or is not should be starting to shake itself out. Whether you’re leading the pack or bringing up the rear, this weekly planner is here to help you get a jump on having a successful week 10.
- Weekly Trade Advice
- Weekly Waiver Wire Advice
- Weekly Fantasy Baseball Content
- MLB Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
Weekly Planner for June 5 – June 12
Favorable Matchups
Milwaukee Brewers: @ CIN (1), vs BAL (3), vs OAK (3)
We love a team playing seven games in a week around these parts. Especially a team that starts out the week with one game at Great American Ballpark, one of the two most hitter-friendly parks in baseball. After that, they head home for a three-game series against an Orioles team that is not great on the road. Their pitching gave up 131 runs in May, the 11th most in baseball. They have a very middle-of-the-road strikeout rate at 22.4%, and their Pitching+ number being at 100 proves their starters are just average at best.
And then there’s Oakland. I’m pretty sure there isn’t much that needs to be said at this point when it comes to Oakland and how beneficial of a matchup they always are. They’re a historically bad team with a historically bad run differential, and their pitching staff is comprised of guys below the major league level.
Hitters To Target:
Owen Miller (1B, 2B, 3B, OF, DH – MIL)
Miller has quickly become one of the hottest hitters in baseball. He’s still available in more than 50% of leagues on all formats as well. Over the last two weeks, he’s hitting .306 with two doubles, two home runs, and two stolen bases. Striking out just 12.5% of the time with a .375 OBP helps him immensely in points leagues as well. He faces plenty of righties this week, which have been the victim of every home run he’s hit this season. Look for him to be a solid power/speed combo in week 10.
Owen Miller is on fire.#ThisIsMyCrew pic.twitter.com/oNsoABHDke
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) May 22, 2023
William Contreras (C, DH – MIL)
One of my favorite catcher options coming into this season, Contreras has had quite the start to 2023. In March/April, he hit for average, but his power numbers weren’t there. Now in May, the average dipped, but the power came back. The version of him we got the last two weeks, though, is the one I expect to see moving forward.
Hitting .250 with a .982 OPS in his last seven games, thanks to three home runs and a walk rate north of 14%. His career high .353 xwOBA points to continued success and big numbers to come for Contreras.
Cincinnati Reds: vs MIL (1), vs LAD (3), @ STL (3)
Another team starting seven games next week, and to be completely honest…the Reds may be on this list every week they play at home for the majority of it. Great American Ballpark is a hitter’s paradise, and the Reds offense is rolling right now. We already covered the Brewers/Reds matchup in that one Monday game. Milwaukee is rolling Julio Teheran out there, and let’s be honest, he’s not scaring anyone.
Next up, they play the Dodgers, who’ve been good this season, but it’s at home, and the Dodgers’ first two starters are Gonsolin and Syndergaard, who are hittable. Gonsolin may have an ERA below two, but his 5.20 xFIP shows it has been quite a bit of luck. Syndergaard has just been flat-out not good this season. Then it’s off to St Louis to face yet another unexciting core of pitchers whose 4.49 xFIP as a team was the ninth worst in baseball for the month of May.
Hitters To Target:
Steer has been the waiver wire darling for the month of May. Since May 15th, Steer is hitting .391 with five doubles, one triple, three home runs, 13 RBI, and 13 runs scored. He’s contributing in every category outside of steals and has a stellar 14.5% strikeout rate to match. With Elly De La Cruz looming in the shadows, we have yet to see what Steer’s role will be moving forward, but for now, take advantage of the red-hot corner infielder.
Since McLain has been called up to the big club, all he’s done is rake. Admittedly I was a bit skeptical about just how good he could be at the major league level, but he’s put all that skepticism to rest. He’s been a good source of XBH (7) in his 15 games while hitting equally as good off righties as he has lefties. What’s even more impressive is as good as he’s been at GABP (.296, three doubles, two HR), he’s been arguably better on the road, hitting a crazy .412. Look for McLain to stuff the stat sheet this week.
Matchups To Avoid
Seattle Mariners: @ SDP (2), @ LAA (3)
This marks twice now that I’ve put my beloved Mariners on the matchups to avoid list. It’s for good reason, though. First of all, they only play five games this upcoming week. A major disadvantage when it comes to utilizing that lineup for fantasy baseball purposes. Secondly, they match up against a pair of pretty solid rotations. Facing Musgrove and Wacha, who’ve been heating up as of late, and then following it up with Detmers and Ohtani over the weekend is a tall task.
Hitters To Avoid:
June is usually when Teoscar starts to really kick his production up a notch, but with the way he’s struggled lately, I don’t see how he can be trusted this week. Over his last 11 games, he’s hitting .178 with two doubles and a home run. He’s striking out 32% of the time and has an OBP of just .213 in that timeframe. I cannot in good conscience recommend starting a player who plays just five games and can’t hit his way out of a paper bag at the moment.
If you know one thing about me, it’s that I have been riding shotgun on the Kelenic hype train forever now. Don’t let this make you think I’ve hopped off, I’m just acknowledging the fact that since his big game against Oakland on the 22nd, he’s struggled. In his last eight games, he’s hitting just .167 with a 45.5% strikeout rate and no home runs. Kelenic has a tendency to be a very hot and cold hitter. A five-game week in the middle of a cold streak isn’t the ideal time to trust him in your lineup.
This is a filthy pitch from Clay Holmes to strike out Jarred Kelenic looking. pic.twitter.com/2scddAwRWt
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) June 1, 2023
Minnesota Twins: @ TB (3), @ TOR (3)
First of all, the Twins play all their games on the road this week. Not only are all six games against opponents with great starting rotations, but the Twins also have the second-lowest team batting average on the road in baseball. Hitting a combined .221 with a league-worst 295 strikeouts. Now they face Tampa Bay and Toronto squads who’ve been rolling. Their 3.69 and 3.95 home ERA are good for seventh and ninth-best in baseball this season.
I don’t think you need me to tell you this right now, but the only good thing about Correa in Minnesota this season is his mustache. Offensively he’s been so underwhelming you could honestly call him bad right now. Especially on the road. Away from Minnesota, he’s hitting just .194 with a .653 OPS and 83 wRC+. His 30.7% hard contact rate is the second lowest of his career. There just isn’t anything enticing about Correa at this point. Especially not in week 10.
Kepler is the epitome of a guy you always really want to be good. You see his flashes of amazing power, and then…you realize he’s never going to be that person consistently. He damn sure isn’t going to be that person on the road. His four home runs he’s hit on the road this season are cool, but his .157 batting average and .601 OPS are painfully bad. As someone who has only really found success against righties, it’s pretty discouraging to see him starting the week against left-hander Shane McClanahan. There’s not a lot to like here, don’t let yourself get talked into thinking there is.
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