Fantasy Baseball Weekend Preview: Matchups to take advantage of and ones to avoid

The starting pitcher streamers are a shallow group this weekend, but there are still a few excellent options for fantasy baseball managers who win the race to the waiver wire. On the hitting side, Gavin Sheets, Agustín Ramírez, Ryan O’Hearn and Max Kepler are the top options.

Matchups to Target

Padres @ Rockies: As usual, a series in Colorado has been a recipe for offensive success this year. And that trend will continue this weekend, when the Padres and Rockies hook up for a Coors Field series that includes five subpar starting pitchers. With all three Colorado starters throwing from the right side, lefty slugger Gavin Sheets (6%) is an easy player to add. Elías Díaz (1%) is an option in two-catcher leagues. The Padres will also use a trio of righties, which makes Ryan McMahon (24%) an option, despite his poor start to the season. Switch-hitter Michael Toglia (32%) and lefty Mickey Moniak (1%) also deserve a long look.

Marlins @ White Sox: Miami’s offense has fared better than expected this year (16th in runs scored), and the Marlins should keep things rolling when they face a White Sox pitching staff that lacks elite arms. Aside from Xavier Edwards, nearly every Marlins hitter is sitting on the majority of waiver wires. Among that large group, Agustín Ramírez (38%) and Kyle Stowers (58%) are the best options. In deeper formats, Connor Norby (12%) and Eric Wagaman (5%) can be considered as well.

Orioles @ Angels: Baltimore’s offense can turn around a disappointing start to the season when the Orioles face two unimpressive righties and a southpaw (Tyler Anderson) who has been outperforming his expected stats. Ryan O’Hearn (26%) is an easy player to add, as is Jackson Holliday (56%), who has been added in many leagues recently. Heston Kjerstad (5%) and Ryan Mountcastle (34%) are also options. The Angels could have similar success against an Orioles pitching staff that ranks 29th in ERA, which means that Jorge Soler (37%) and Nolan Schanuel (7%) can be added for the weekend.

Phillies @ Guardians: Cleveland will roll out three starters this weekend with an ERA of 4.25 or higher, which gives the Phillies hitters plenty of potential. All three hurlers are right-handed, making lefty slugger Max Kepler (7%) an excellent option. In deep leagues, Brandon Marsh (3%) could have his slow start overlooked for a few days.

Nationals vs. Cardinals: St. Louis will deploy three right-handed starters with an ERA of 4.75 or higher, which gives the Nats plenty of offensive potential. Keibert Ruiz (44%) is an excellent catching streamer, while Jose Tena (0%) is a lefty hitter who has been starting regularly at the hot corner.

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Matchups to Avoid

Red Sox @ Royals: The Red Sox may not be silenced, but they are unlikely to enjoy a stellar weekend when they head to Kansas City to face a solid trio of starters. There are a few Boston hitters, such as Alex Bregman and Jarren Duran, who will stay in every lineup. But players such as Wilyer Abreu and Trevor Story will need a second look before being started in 12-team leagues.

Rangers @ Tigers: Texas is off to a brutal offensive start, and things could get worse when the team faces an imposing trio of Tarik Skubal, Reese Olson and Jack Flaherty. Rangers not named Wyatt Langford belong on the bench for the next three days.

Seeking Saves

Porter Hodge, Chicago Cubs, 15%: Wise managers will add Hodge now, as he may be valuable this weekend and for the remainder of the season. Cubs closer Ryan Pressly has been ineffective all season (5:8 K:BB ratio), and his struggles were on full display when he allowed eight earned runs (nine total) without recording a single out on Tuesday. Hodge is the obvious ninth-inning replacement, as he has allowed a total of two earned runs if we omit one bad outing on April 18. The 24-year-old has the swing-and-miss skills that Pressly lacks.

Seeking Steals

Brooks Baldwin, Chicago White Sox, 2%: Baldwin is not an elite base stealer, but he is a scrappy runner who can swipe a bag when the situation presents itself. Such is the case this weekend, when the White Sox take on a Marlins team that has had incredible struggles against would-be base stealers. Miami has allowed 63 swipes, which is 19 more than any other team. The White Sox will undoubtedly test their luck once they reach first base, and Baldwin (eligible at 2B/SS/OF) is a good candidate to lead the way.

Streaming starters

In order, here are the best streamers for the weekend, with their start date and Yahoo roster rate in parenthesis.

• AJ Smith-Shawver @PIT (Saturday, 22%)

• Matthew Boyd @NYM (Sunday, 42%)

• Landen Roupp @MIN (Sunday, 14%)

• Tyler Anderson vs. BAL (Sunday, 29%)

• Tomoyuki Sugano @LAA (Friday, 21%)

• Lucas Giolito @KC (Sunday, 20%)

• Erick Fedde @WSH (Friday, 15%)

• Jordan Hicks @MIN (Friday, 12%)