We’ve officially reached the last week of the season, Razzballers! And with that in mind, I’ve trimmed up the article this week because we’re playing for just one week and need to key in on certain matchups over skills. It’s the week when even the most lowly owned players can be considered in shallower leagues to capture what value remains. Lots of maneuvers have been made across leagues out there in preparation for this final week, and it’s no coincidence you have been seeing some strange pickups lately.
For matchups to focus on outside of the below FAAB candidates, here are the teams that have the best schedules for bats:
- Colorado Rockies – Six home games at Coors Field, three against STL and three against LAD. They are well represented below.
- Los Angeles Dodgers – Just read the above… three games to end the season in Coors against one of the worst modern pitching staffs. Can Ohtani have a four homer, three steal, 11 RBI game? I’m almost counting on it after that performance in Miami. The Dodgers’ other three games come against the Padres at home.
- Los Angeles Angels – This is purely because of the three-game set the Halos have against the White Sox, who do have the worst modern pitching staff, in Chicago. It’s going to be a chaotic series filled with paper-bagged fans galore. They end the season with three games in Anaheim against Texas.
- Arizona Diamondbacks – Six games at home against SFG and SDP. Tougher pitching matchups, but the Giants might get weird to audition players for 2025, and Chase Field is hitter friendly.
For matchups to focus on for pitchers, here are the best schedules:
- Detroit Tigers – Six home games at Comerica, a notorious pitcher’s park, against the lowly Rays and then historically awful White Sox. All Tigers starters can be considered for streaming along with key bullpen arms.
- Oakland Athletics – They have three final home games at The Coliseum against Texas before a three-game road trip to Seattle to wrap 2024. Both are great pitcher’s parks.
Certainly avoid picking up Reds and Guardians this weekend as both teams only have five games next week. The lineups have also been chaotic enough between Cleveland mixing-and-matching for wins and Cincy auditioning for the 2025 playing time, that it’s a gamble to add any of those players. And if you are waffling on choices for the final week, certainly check out the Hittertron and Streamonator tools for some projections-based dollars and cents assistance.
Thanks again to all the readers for a great 2024! Big ups to Grey, Rudy, Truss, and everyone else here in the Razzball community as it’s been another blast of a summer. Continue to catch me on my pod, Cards & Categories throughout the winter, and I’ll be back in March 2025!
The stats and ownership percentages below are updated as of noon central time on 9/20.
As always, if you want advice on specific roster decisions you might have, feel free to leave a comment. You can also find me on twitter (X) (@mcouill7) and bluesky (@mcouill7.bsky.social).
CATCHERS
Hunter Goodman (C/OF, COL, 12% CBS Ownership) – Since being recalled Sept. 1, Goodman has assumed the primary catching duties (not very well… he’s 12th worst in Defensive Runs for catchers this season, minimum 50 innings) and started absolutely mashing. He’s slashing .256/.293/.667 (146 wRC+) with five taters this month. With the Rockies having six home games this upcoming week, you can’t do any better than trying to ride his hot bat in the thin Colorado air. And extra note for keeper/dynasty leagues, Goodman will pick up his 20th game played at catcher soon and be eligible there next season. Given the dearth of backstop options in the Rockies system (Drew Romo seems like an afterthought), it looks like Goodman is going to be a bad man at catching but get plenty of run in 2025. (5% FAAB)
INFIELDERS
10/12 Team Adds
Nolan Schanuel (1B, LAA, 41% CBS Ownership) – It took five months, but Schanuel finally caught the stolen-base bug Ron Washington infected the Angels with this season, pilfering five bags in September. I’m not going to count on more steals, but certainly it opens the pathway to more value for the 22-year-old, who is already worth $1.7 on the season per our Player Rater. Outside of the Rockies and Dodgers, the Angels have one of the softer schedules next week on the road against the White Sox before finishing at home versus the Rangers. Although Schanuel could see deGrom and Scherzer in that final series, both might not make long outings and Angel Stadium, which boasts a 117 park factor for left-handed homers over the last three years, can be a salve. (1-3% FAAB)
Brendan Rodgers (2B, COL, 36% CBS Ownership) – Not much has changed since Rodgers was the suggestion here last week. He’s playing every day for the Rox, who have a six-game homestand to wrap 2024. He’s a solid volume-based play in Coors Field. (3% FAAB)
15 Team Adds
Otto Lopez (2B/3B/SS, MIA, 15% CBS Ownership) – *tears up* It’s great to see our favorites all grown up. After entering this piece as an NL-Only suggestion early in the year, Lopez has been in the mix of the Quick Hits over the months and really found footing in Miami since the trade deadline. Since Aug. 1, he’s been a dependable fantasy contributor, hitting .308 with three homers, 11 steals, 22 runs scored, and 18 RBI over 44 games. That’s roughly a 10 homer/38 steal pace over a full year. He sports a slick glove that will keep the 25-year-old in the lineup. If hunting for a handful of steals over the final week, Lopez has to be a main target. I love him as a late MI pick in 12-teamers next season. (3% FAAB)
Pavin Smith (1B/OF, ARI, 8% CBS Ownership) – Smith continues to get plenty of run in the middle-of-the-order as Arizona rides his hot bat down the stretch. In September, the 28-year-old is slashing .375/.480/.875 with five homers (three not off Justin Verlander) 16 RBI, and 11 runs scored over 15 games. The D-backs draw six games in Chase Field next week, which is playing hitter friendly once again. (3% FAAB)
Only Team Adds
Chris Taylor (2B/3B/SS/OF, LAD, 3% CBS Ownership) – This admittedly a bit of a wild shot since Taylor doesn’t have a designated starting spot with the Dodgers currently. However, with Miguel Rojas nursing a left leg injury and Taylor’s versatility to sub for any starter over the next week, those last three Dodgers games in Coors looks like a decent chance to juice two or three starts out of the LA utility man. (1-3% FAAB)
Yuli Gurriel (1B, KCR, 0% CBS Ownership) – If looking for a volume play in an AL-Only league, Gurriel has to be the best choice available given that he’s starting every day in Kansas City, cycling between first and DH. His current .385 batting average (10-for-26) is held afloat by a .455 BABIP, but hey, how many regulars are hanging out on that AL-Only waiver wire of yours? (3-5% FAAB)
OUTFIELDERS
10/12 Team Adds
Michael Toglia (1B/OF, COL, 49% CBS Ownership) – It’s hard to tell whether this is a blip or not, but since the All-Star break, Toglia has improved his plate discipline, sporting a 14.5% walk rate compared to 7.3% for his career previous to that. It’s a little odd because the rest of his metrics (O-Swing %, Swing %, and Zone %) have held relatively the same, but it indicates that in three-ball counts, perhaps Toglia is finally learning the zone a bit. If that is the case, he can morph from truly one of the worst hitters in the league to a much more useful Joey Gallo-type. However, even though I’ve gotten that granular on his profile, the analysis to pick up Toglia boils down to “Rockies six games at home.” (3-5% FAAB)
15 Team Adds
Andrew Benintendi (CHW, 15% CBS Ownership) – Despite the White Sox struggles, Benintendi has been one of the hottest hitters in the league over the second half, slashing .261/.333/.511 (137 wRC+) with 12 homers, 34 RBI, and 26 runs scored. The three home games against the dregs of the Angels pitching staff next week give him a great chance to capitalize on rounding out his second straight sub-zero WAR season on the Southside. (1% FAAB)
Ramon Laureano (ATL, 7% CBS Ownership) – I’ve been keeping a close eye on Laureano because back in Week 23, an intrepid reader asked whether to add Ramon or Brandon Marsh with a final FAAB run. I got bold and picked Laureano. Since the beginning of September, Laureano has hit .317 (13-for-41) with a homer, a steal, eight RBI, and four runs scored. Marsh has hit .308 (16-for-52) with two homers, a steal, six RBI, and eight runs scored. So sorry, commenter, I lead you slightly astray, but this is a great week for Laureano to finish the season strong, as he’s regularly in the heart of the Atlanta order and draws six home games to hopefully bury Marsh. (1-3% FAAB)
Only Team Adds
Mike Siani (STL, 2% CBS Ownership) – Three games in Colorado for the everyday St. Louis centerfielder, Siani, to find some Rocky Mountain magic? Sure. (1-3% FAAB)
Kyle Isbel (KCR, 2% CBS Ownership) – Isbel was the suggestion here last week as he’s been warming up in September to the tune of a .360 average (9-for-25) with a homer and two steals over his last 10 games. With KC visiting two pretty nice road hitter’s parks (Washington & Atlanta), Isbel should continue drawing regular playing time as the Royals offense could put together a decent week in pursuit of their first playoff berth since 2015. (3% FAAB)
STARTING PITCHERS
10/12 Team Adds
Reese Olson (DET, 49% CBS Ownership) – Olson certainly looked out of sorts in his return Monday in which he was shellacked by the Royals for four runs over 2.1 frames. However, next week, the 25-year-old doesn’t face the Royals, he draws the White Sox in Detroit for his final start. Opportunities for wins and Ks don’t come much better than that. (3-5% FAAB)
15 Team Adds
Mitch Spence (OAK, 13% CBS Ownership) – It’s a crucial week to tune in for the Two Start Cookie Shop tomorrow, as two-start weeks can make or break those roto standings. For the 10/12-teamers, certainly feel free to dip into the pool of lower-end options like this one. My favorite widely available two-start guy for this week is Spence, who has been solid with a 3.66 ERA, 1.41 WHIP (maybe his worst aspect, driven by playing in front of a rough Oakland defense), 53.5% groundball rate, and 47:19 K:BB over 59 innings. His two starts come against a pair of weakened division rivals, Texas at home and Seattle on the road. (3-5% FAAB)
Only Team Adds
Mason Black (SFG, 2% CBS Ownership) – The NL pitcher pool has been totally gutted at this point. Hell, Adam Oller of the Miami Marlins with his 5.40 ERA and 1.42 is at an 8% roster rate, meaning some in 15-teamers have started adding him. Black, even with his 7.07 ERA and 5.99 FIP over 28 innings so far, looks like the best available option thanks to his start in San Francisco against St. Louis. (3-5% FAAB)
Brady Basso (OAK, 3% CBS Ownership) – Basso, who has been lowkey brilliant over 19.1 innings with a 2.33 ERA and 2.81 FIP, gets the last Athletics start while they are housed in Oakland on the road against the Mariners next weekend. (3-5% FAAB)
RELIEVERS
10/12 Team Adds
Lucas Erceg (KCR, 40% CBS Ownership) – Streaming for one week’s worth of saves is no easy task, pretty much akin to playing blackjack. Sure, there’s some skill involved, but pure luck is the overriding factor. With the Royals really pushing for playoff positioning, Erceg is the best available option to be in competitive games without worrying about others overtaking him for the save chances. Over his last six appearances, the 29-year-old has collected three saves and nine Ks with a 1.17 ERA over 7.2 innings. (5% FAAB)
15 Team Adds
Tyler Holton (DET, 22% CBS Ownership) – Holton is a little bit clear of what I consider for 15-team suggestion (20% threshold, typically), but he still is probably hanging on some wires in deeper leagues. We discussed on Cards & Categories this week, but the Detroit southpaw has been a monster since the All-Star break, firing a 0.47 ERA, 0.63 WHIP and 31:4 K:BB over 38 innings while collecting three wins, six saves, and six holds. He’s clearly become A.J. Hinch’s security blanket. With the Tigers homing in on a Wild Card spot, Holton is due to work plenty of high-leverage innings next week, which can yield wins, holds, and/or saves. (3-5% FAAB)
