There is always a lot that goes into setting your lineup on a weekly basis and this week is no different with August upon us. The MLB Trade Deadline has reshuffled some things across the league and we can evaluate the updated landscape. Each week there are matchups and situations to exploit from the hitting perspective, so with that being said, let us take a look at 5 hitters to stream for the current week of fantasy baseball.
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Five Hitters to Stream This Week
Eddie Rosario, OF Atlanta Braves
Thanks to a double-header, the Braves have eight games this week and that is something to target. When digging into hitters to stream this week, Rosario jumps out for that reason. The fact that he is facing the Pirates and Mets, four games against each, makes things even better.
Over the last 14 days, Rosario is hitting just .188 with one home run and four RBI which makes him available to stream. At the same time though, it won’t take much for the outfielder to heat up in a strong Atlanta lineup. In 96 games (348 plate appearances) Rosario has 16 home runs and 48 RBI, so there is power and run production to work with here.
Luis Urias, 2B/3B/SS, Boston Red Sox
For starters, if you did not realize Urias was even a member of the Red Sox you are forgiven. After dealing with injuries and ineffectiveness all season, a change of scenery was needed for the infielder as he played himself out of a role with Milwaukee. Urias is now back, as of Friday, in the big leagues after Boston promoted him after acquiring him on Tuesday.
Not only does Boston play seven games this week, but in facing Kansas City and Detroit, we have two favorable matchups. When you factor that in with the fact that Urias is eligible at three positions also aids in setting a roster.
Batting average has never been Urias’ strong suit (.249 and .239 in 2022 and 2021) but he has been a solid bat producing home runs and RBI. Additionally, thanks to a double-digit walk rate, Urias has put up on-base percentages of .345 and .335 over the last two seasons which also put him in position to be a solid runs scored contributor.
Let us ignore what has transpired to this point and instead focus on Urias’ health and a change of scenery.
Chris Taylor, 2B/3B/SS/OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
Let us take Urias’ versatility and raise it one more level with Taylor. When looking for hitters to stream this week, having someone like Taylor who can be plugged in anywhere is quite useful. Playing 12 games in the last 14 days, that has also helped the reliable veteran find his way into the lineup.
That should continue this week with the Dodgers playing each day. While their four games against Colorado come in Los Angeles, there is still an advantage to be had against the Rockies weak pitching. This comes after one game against the Padres and two against Arizona in what is a favorable week for the Dodgers.
With a .216 batting average, Taylor is not providing help in that department, but a 9.6% walk rate will push the OBP to .297 which at least makes things look a little better. Taylor should get credit though for being part of a strong lineup that should score plenty of runs this week. Taylor has 12 home runs and nine stolen bases this season, and while we will not see anything crazy, he can produce in both categories.
Willi Castro 3B/OF, Minnesota Twins
The Twins have seven games this week, but what is interesting, is that they will be facing five left-handed starters. That means the right-handed hitting Castro should be a little busier than usual for Minnesota.
Over the last 14 days, Castro is hitting .265 with five home runs and five RBI, but that might be burying the lead. When targeting hitters to stream, specific stat categories are often targeted, and this situation is no different. In that stretch, Castro has stolen six bases, and that production can truly make a difference for your team.
When hitting with the platoon advantage this season, Castro is hitting .253 (.242 against southpaws), and the playing time should be there.
Liover Peguero, SS, Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates promoted Peguero for him to play, and I would expect that to continue to be the case. Pittsburgh has seven games this week, so at-bats should not be difficult to come by. Ultimately, when looking for hitters to stream, that is the first step.
In 26 at-bats over the last 14 days, admittedly a small sample size, Peguero is hitting .308. With three home runs, eight RBI, and eight stolen bases, he has shown some solid production across the board. Peguero only has one stolen base to this point, but he is a proven base stealer at the minor league level. With his defense helping to get him into the lineup, we should not have to worry about playing time this week as the bat has been solid.