Justin Mason | Mon, Aug 19th 2024, 9:33am EDT

20 Things to Watch: Max Muncy, Jake McCarthy, Bowden Francis (Fantasy Baseball)

It is important to look at some important storylines and aspects this week to be ahead of the curve and gain an edge on your league mates.

Fantasy Baseball 20 Things to Watch: Week 22

Fantasy Baseball Week 22 Schedule Notes

No teams have just five games this week.
The following teams have seven games this week:
- Tampa Bay at OAK, at LAD
- Toronto Blue Jays vs. CIN, vs. LAA
- Houston Astros vs. BOS, at BAL
- Los Angeles Angels at KC, at TOR
- Oakland A’s vs. TB, vs. MIL
- New York Mets vs. BAL, at SD
- Cincinnati Reds at TOR, at PIT
- Pittsburgh Pirates at TEX, vs. CIN
- San Diego Padres vs. MIN, vs. NYM

Max Muncy (3B – LAD)

Muncy has missed a lot of time with a recurring oblique issue, but he is expected to be activated at the beginning of the week. There is a lot of power in his bat and when he does return, he will be in a prime spot in a loaded Dodgers lineup.

The Dodgers’ Rotation

With Muncy back in the fold, the Dodgers’ offense is back to full strength, but the rotation is another question. Since returning, Walker Buehler and Bobby Miller have both struggled and now Tyler Glasnow is on the IL,. Yoshinobu Yamamoto is working his way back, but we need to see if Miller and Buehler can be impact pieces in this rotation moving forward or if they will lose their spots once Yamamoto returns.

The Dodgers’ Bullpen

The Dodgers bullpen has been very fluid in the second half, but Michael Kopech seems to be putting himself into the closer conversation. Since arriving in LA, Kopech has thrown 9.1 scoreless innings and he registered his first save as a Dodger this week. If he takes over the job from Daniel Hudson, Kopech could be a massive fantasy winner.

Jake McCarthy (CF, LF, RF – AZ)

McCarthy has been on fire since the All-Star Break, hitting .388/.429/.612 with three home runs and five stolen bases. He has moved up in the lineup to the 2-hole and is playing everyday. We have seen McCarthy have massive hot stretches, so this is something to watch and ride for the time being.

Bowden Francis (RP, SP – TOR)

Francis has been fantastic since returning from the minors, throwing 23 innings and allowing just six earned runs with 20 strikeouts. Francis was a trendy sleeper that struggled in his first go-round in the Majors, but he looks to have improved his command, which caused many of his issues, he now looks like the guy many thought he could be.

Spencer Torkelson (1B – DET)

Torkelson struggled mightily at the beginning of the season and was sent down to the minors as a result. However, he has returned to the big leagues after hitting 11 home runs in 275 plate appearances in AAA, even though he struck out at a 31% clip and only hit .239. We need to see if the former top prospect can recover some of his old hype and get full-time playing opportunities in Detroit.

Triston Casas (1B – BOS)

Casas has missed a huge chunk of the season with injury, but he has returned from the IL. Casas has a ton of power and should go back into the middle of a pretty good lineup in Boston. If he can get hot, there is a lot of upside in his bat.

White Sox Closer Chaos

The White Sox don’t win a lot of games, which means they get even fewer saves, but the closer job in Chicago seems up for grabs. There is a committee going between Chad Kuhl, John Brebbia, and Justin Anderson, but if one can emerge, there is value in deeper formats.

Rays Closer Chaos

Pete Fairbanks left his appearance on Sunday with a lateral strain and he is expected to go on the IL. With Fairbanks out for at least a while, the Rays have a number of options in the ninth inning. Edwin Uceta had pitched the eighth on Sunday and Manuel Rodriguez came on to replace Fairbanks. Garrett Cleavinger has also closed games before. We need to watch and see how this one plays itself out.

Streaming Options

Ryan Pepiot (SP, RP – TB) at OAK

Pepiot is off the IL and is facing one of the worst teams in baseball.

Cody Bradford (SP, RP – TEX) vs. PIT

Bradford has pitched very well recently and gets a Pittsburgh offense that has struggled.

Valente Bellozo (RP, SP – MIA) vs. CHC

Bellozo has been good since his call up and he is facing a bad Cubs offense at home.

Mitchell Parker (SP – WAS) vs. COL

I know Parker is coming off his worst start of the season, but the Rockies are terrible at the beginning of road trips.

Two-Start Options

DJ Herz (SP – WAS) vs. COL, at ATL

Hertz has not been elite recently, but he has been pretty good and there is a lot of upside. He’ll first face a Rockies offense that is starting a road trip, which is when their offense tends to struggle the most. Atlanta’s offense has also been mediocre since losing both Ronald Acuna Jr. and Ozzie Albies, so I would roll with Herz in most formats.

Zebby Matthews (SP, SP – MIN) at SD, vs. STL

Matthews looked great in his debut and has been successful at most of his stops through the minor league. He does struggle with command at times and that could make him a more inconsistent option. These are two tougher matchups, so there is some risk here.

Jonathan Cannon (SP – CWS) at SF, vs. DET

Cannon has been up and down recently, but these are two fantastic matchups versus offenses that are truly anemic.

Matthew Boyd (SP – CLE) at NYY, vs. TEX

Yes, these are matchups that can be very scary, but Texas has struggled offensively as of late and Boyd has been fantastic since joining the Cleveland rotation.

David Peterson (SP, RP – NYM) vs. BAL, at SD

Peterson has been very good lately, but some of that has been good luck and bad competition. He is facing a tough Orioles squad, but then a Padres offense that has been terrible against lefties, so there is some risk/reward here.

Yusei Kikuchi (SP – HOU) vs. BOS, at BAL

Kikuchi has been fantastic after a pitch mix change. However, these are two top-five offenses since the All-Star Break and he has a history of hot stretches that end poorly. I would probably roll with him in most formats, but there is risk.

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