Setting your lineup is never an easy endeavor, but things are a little different heading into the upcoming weekend. Thanks to the All-Star break, there was a void in the baseball schedule and what follows is likely a three-game lineup period for your league. While you will get another crack at setting your lineup in short order there are still situations to exploit from the hitting perspective. With that being said, let us take a look at 5 hitters to stream for the current week of fantasy baseball.
More great fantasy baseball advice and analysis: Waiver Wire & FAAB Recommendations | Daily MLB Injury Report | MLB DFS Picks | Line-up Analysis | Dynasty Rankings and Strategy | MLB Bullpen Updates | MLB Player Props | Prospect Rankings & Analysis | Fantasy Baseball Risers and Fallers
Five Hitters to Stream This Week
Randal Grichuk, OF, Colorado Rockies
With the Rockies being home for the weekend, it goes without saying that they will show up as hitters to stream. Facing Carlos Rodon and Gerrit Cole from the New York Yankees might not look the best on paper, but Grichuk has the platoon advantage against the former and the latter has issues with the long ball.
Over the last 14 days, Grichuk has played in nine games hitting .290 with two home runs, five RBI, and five runs scored. In 102 at-bats at Coors Field this season, the outfielder is hitting .324 and that success is what we are looking to target here. While the home runs are down for Grichuk overall, he does have 16.6-degree average launch angle along with a 44.5% hard-hit rate.
Josh Donaldson, 3B, New York Yankees
Yes, I know, I have watched baseball this season and it is clear how bad Donaldson has been, but his track record does dictate otherwise. Despite the struggles, the one constant for the third baseman has been the longball, and he has four in his last seven games. Donaldson is hitting just .200 in that stretch, but you can ignore those home runs at your own peril and the fact that he will be playing in Coors Field this weekend puts him on my list of hitters to stream.
To give Donaldson’s struggles some context, he is hitting .152 on the season, but when compared to his .083 BABIP, that is actually inflated. Power has not been an issue for Donaldson given his .313 ISO, 21.4% barrel rate, and 50% hard-hit rate. The third baseman is making quality contact. Between the All-Star Break and playing in Coors Field, perhaps this is the weekend in which Donaldson turns things around.
The addition of Sean Casey as the Yankees’ new hitting coach could also have an impact across the entire offense as well.
Owen Miller, 1B/2B/3B, Milwaukee Brewers
Pick your spot with Miller this weekend as his versatility is certainly a plus and playing his games in Cincinnati also helps. Miller continues to receive regular playing time with Milwaukee and with a .285 batting in 74 games this season, he has been a solid contributor earning regular at-bats at the top of and in the middle of the Brewers’ order.
From a statistical standpoint, Miller does better batting first or second (.400 and .300) than fourth or fifth (.170 and .235), but at this point, the Brewers’ lineup has become so thin that the utility infielder is someone they have been increasingly relying on. Based on his spot in the batting order, Miller should be in the middle of anything Milwaukee does this week, and the park factor will come into play here.
Luke Raley, OF, Tampa Bay Rays
Raley has emerged as a strong contributor for the Rays this season, and that should not be surprising to anyone based on their track record. We know that platoons are very much in play here and that is a large piece of what has benefited Raley this season and made him a valuable option, both in Tampa Bay and also from a fantasy perspective.
The left-handed hitting Raley is an ideal hitter to stream this weekend as he faces three right-handed pitchers from the Kansas City Royals, and all three (Alex Marsh, Jordan Lyles, and Brady Singer) are quite hittable and should generate optimism. In 191 at-bats against right-handed pitching this season, Raley is hitting .277 with 13 home runs, 34 RBI, and 42 runs scored and it does not take a crazy leap to translate that into a full year’s worth of production. While, I am not saying that Raley is a 35-home-run hitter, that is the pace he is projecting with the platoon advantage, so why not take advantage of it?
Joey Votto, 1B, Cincinnati Reds
The fact that Votto missed the beginning of the season and has just 17 games under his belt to this point helps to keep him under the radar. Additionally, the fact that he got off to a slow start with a .167 batting average in his first nine games did not help his cause.
Once the calendar turned to July though, Votto has shaken off the rust and he is hitting .290. What puts him on our radar though as a hitter to stream is the fact that he is spending his weekend in favorable confines of Great American Ballpark at home. More importantly though, is the explosion of power we have seen from Votto with seven home runs and he has also been a run producer with 18 RBI in an improving Cincinnati lineup.
Granted the sample size is small, but Votto has a .404 ISO and a career-high 22.4% barrel rate. Votto also has a strong hard-hit rate at 51.4%, but he has been selling out for power as of late and seeing him being a viable fantasy producer should not come as a surprise.