Fantasy baseball managers will have to be on their toes over the next seven days. This week will be quite a busy one for the majority of National League teams. Nine different NL clubs will play seven games, barring any postponements. There is also one team at the other end of the spectrum with five games scheduled. Trade winds continue to swirl as we approach next week’s MLB trade deadline. And of course there is the usual litany of injuries, roster moves, and lineup changes for us to keep in mind when setting our lineups. I will summarize it for all 15 Senior Circuit squads below. Here is my lineup analysis for the National League for Week 19.
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NL Fantasy Baseball Lineup Analysis for Week 19
Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona has moved Ketel Marte down to the cleanup spot in consecutive games. In both instances, Corbin Carroll led off and was followed by Geraldo Perdomo and Gabriel Moreno. This move may not affect overall values for the hitters involved all that much. But it could alter categorical impact. For example, Marte would most likely see a bump in RBI, but his runs scored may dip. The unlikely first base platoon of Tyler Locklear and Ildemaro Vargas had quite the week. Locklear is the safer bet for production in Week 19 based on Arizona’s upcoming schedule. The Diamondbacks will face five right-handed starting pitchers in their six total games, with an off day on Friday. Just don’t go crazy overpaying for Locklear until he proves he has overcome his strikeout issues.
Atlanta Braves
The everyday hitters on the Atlanta Braves are in for a big week at the plate. Atlanta will play seven games, and most of them will be against subpar pitching. The Braves ride their core hitters like few other teams in the league. None of their primary six hitters has missed a start since Drake Baldwin’s day off on June 24. However, their most prominent platoon bats are likely to lack volume. The Braves will face four left-handed starting pitchers this week. Dominic Smith has only started one of Atlanta’s last nine games when facing a left-handed starter. Mike Yastrzemski has started one of six and was injured for three others. It is hard to imagine either player starting more than four games this week. With so many teams playing seven games, starting either player becomes a “quality versus quantity” quandary for many fantasy managers.
Chicago Cubs
The changes instituted by Chicago coming out of the All-Star break regarding the top half of their batting order stuck throughout the past week. I would expect that to continue considering the Cubs scored six or more runs in four of six games. Chicago gets seven games in Week 19, with five coming against right-handed starting pitchers. Last week I speculated that Pedro Ramirez could get a playing time bump, and indeed he did. Ramirez started four games to Michael Conforto’s two. I would expect a similar split this week, though I don’t know if it’s enough to trust Ramirez as a starter in weekly leagues. Chicago’s DH spot feels like it has been as unpredictable as the Wrigley winds. Ramirez did not start a game from June 26 through July 17 before starting six of the last eight.
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds will play seven games at home this week. Six of those games will come against right-handed starters. The biggest concern is that Cincinnati’s roster does not include many left-handed hitters who can take advantage of such a schedule. Switch hitter Elly De La Cruz and left-handed outfielder JJ Bleday are the only lefties assured of regular at-bats. Nathaniel Lowe is a bit of a wildcard in that regard. He had started just one of seven games before starting five of the last seven. It feels like Lowe’s recent bump in playing time is more of a showcase for other teams than anything. Sal Stewart, Eugenio Suarez, and Edwin Arroyo are the only Reds besides De La Cruz and Bleday who started at least five games over the past week.
Colorado Rockies
Colorado is the only team in the Major Leagues with just five games scheduled for Week 19. Three of them are at home, but starting Rockie hitters in weekly leagues is a tough sell. That said, if you play in a league with Friday changes, you are in better luck. I would advise benching all Rockies to start the week in those formats and then starting most of them over the weekend. Colorado’s three-game home series takes place over the weekend against a very questionable Kansas City pitching staff. All three are against right-handed starters, so Mickey Moniak should start those three games and hit second. Conversely, Ezequiel Tovar has not started any of Colorado’s last three games against right-handed starting pitchers. Fantasy managers should keep him on the bench.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are home for six games this week. While the team is loaded with star power, they are not immune to a few platoon situations. I mention this because Los Angeles will face three righties to start the week, and three lefties to finish it. This could matter to fantasy managers with players like Max Muncy. Muncy has started four of nine games over the past 30 days in which the Dodgers faced a left-handed starting pitcher. Tommy Edman has been Muncy’s primary replacement at third base, while Miguel Rojas plays second base. Edman is the safest bet among the three to get the most playing time, as he usually starts at second base when a right-hander is on the mound. The Dodgers will be activating Kike Hernandez from the Injured List on Tuesday.
Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins have scored just 30 runs during their 12-game losing streak and have been held to three runs or fewer in 10 of those games. Of the nine Miami hitters with at least 20 plate appearances over the past two weeks, only Griffin Conine, Joe Mack, and Heriberto Hernandez have a wRC+ higher than 67. When it comes to starting your Marlins hitters in Week 19, it feels like the reverse of the “quality versus quantity” issue I mentioned with some of Atlanta’s hitters. Miami plays seven games, so their regular hitters will get plenty of plate appearances. I think you still have to start guys like Otto Lopez, Xavier Edwards, and Kyle Stowers and hope they turn it around.
Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee activated speedster David Hamilton from the Injured List this week. He will most likely platoon with Joey Ortiz at third base, with Cooper Pratt starting at shortstop. Both Hamilton and Ortiz can also play shortstop, creating a quasi-three-man rotation for two starting spots. The Brewers will face all right-handed starters in their six games this week. I would expect Pratt to start five times, Hamilton four or five, and Ortiz two or three. Milwaukee’s schedule means Christian Yelich and Jake Bauers are safe to start in weekly leagues. The same cannot be said for Andrew Vaughn. Vaughn only homered twice in four starts this week, so back to the bench he goes. Not that I’m bitter or anything.
New York Mets
The New York Mets have placed slugger Juan Soto on the IL with a calf strain. Soto has already missed time this season due to the calf, and New York has little to play for at this point in the season. I’m not saying you need to drop Soto, but it’s not the craziest idea if you need a live body to get you through the next month or so. The Mets activated outfielder Luis Robert Jr., but it remains to be seen if he can be healthy and productive for an extended period. With Soto out, Francisco Lindor has been hitting second in front of Bo Bichette and Carson Benge. Robert has hit anywhere from fifth to seventh since his return. New York plays seven home games in Week 19. The final five of them will come against right-handed starting pitchers.
Philadelphia Phillies
Just when it looked like Brandon Marsh was safe to start regardless of who opposed the Philadelphia Phillies on the mound, the team called up Bryan De La Cruz from the Minors and gave him two starts in the outfield against left-handed starting pitchers. BDLC responded in kind by going 3-for-5 with a home run and a walk. The good news for Marsh is that the Phillies will only face right-handed starters this week. They play six games this week, but I would still start Marsh in all leagues. Just keep the potential for him losing at-bats in mind for future weeks. Justin Crawford and Gabriel Rincones Jr. should also start mostly every day this week, though I wouldn’t be surprised if De La Cruz gets one or two starts in place of either player.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh just finished a stretch where they faced six left-handed starting pitchers in seven games. Because of that, their recent lineups may be a bit skewed. Brandon Lowe has only started three of the last seven games in the two-hole for the Pirates. However, I think he resumes that position for the bulk of the upcoming week. Pittsburgh will face five right-handed starters in their seven games this week. On the flip side, Nick Gonzales will go back to hitting sixth most of the time. That would not shy me away from starting Pittsburgh’s primary third baseman. Gonzales has better numbers versus righties than lefties this year. Jacob Gonzalez has started four straight games at shortstop against right-handed starters. He should cross the 10 games played threshold at shortstop during Week 19.
San Diego Padres
Many of the prominent Padres bats have been on a heater since the All-Star break. Six different San Diego hitters with a minimum of 30 plate appearances have a wRC+ of at least 140. The highest mark in that group belongs to Luis Rengifo, who did not make his first start as a Padre until July 19. Rengifo will not keep up last week’s pace, of course. But I would take a flier on him where he is available. He averaged double digits in home runs and steals from 2022 through 2025, to go along with a decent batting average. Miguel Andujar is out of the picture with a fractured wrist, and Rengifo could very well become a regular in San Diego’s lineup. The Padres are home for six games this week. Four of them will come against right-handed pitchers.
San Francisco Giants
Heliot Ramos has been getting most of the work hitting directly behind leadoff hitter Luis Arraez. The ascension of Ramos back towards the top of the lineup has caused Casey Schmitt to hit lower in San Francisco’s lineup. After exclusively hitting second or third dating back to June 21, Schmitt has hit fifth in four consecutive games. That is by no means a death knell to Schmitt’s breakout fantasy campaign. Just consider it when weighing your categorical needs. Jung Hoo Lee was hit by a pitch on Saturday and missed Sunday’s contest as a result. This does not sound like a serious issue, but it would be nice to see his name in Monday’s lineup card before committing to starting him in weekly fantasy baseball leagues. The Giants have a full slate of games this week and will face five right-handers.
St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis plays seven games this week. Three of those games will be against left-handed starters. This is another situation where fantasy managers in leagues with Friday lineup changes will be most impacted. All three of the games in which the Cardinals face a lefty will come in the scoring period from Monday through Thursday. Neither Lars Nootbaar nor Nathan Church started either of the team’s two games this past week when facing a lefty hurler. I would expect Nootbaar to start two or three of the four games in the early scoring period, with Church starting one or two. Jordan Walker and Ivan Herrera have switched primary lineup positions over the past week. Walker is now hitting second while Herrera bats in the cleanup spot. Alec Burleson will drop behind both hitters when St. Louis faces a left-handed starter.
Washington Nationals
CJ Abrams is arguably the hottest hitter in the league as his monster season continues. His recent stretch is even more impressive considering Washington has faced only two right-handed starters in their last seven games. That will flip in Week 19, with five of Washington’s games coming against righties. Luis Garcia Jr. should resume his spot behind leadoff hitter James Wood for most of the week. Jose Tena has been the team’s designated hitter and has batted third in three straight games. He could be worth streaming in deeper leagues. The Nationals recalled Brady House following their trade of Curtis Mead to Boston. House should be the team’s primary third baseman going forward and will most likely hit anywhere between fifth and seventh.
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