Fantasy Baseball Week 18 Preview: Top 10 sleeper hitters highlight Ivan Herrera, Noelvi Marte
Best matchups include the Cardinals, Rockies and Mariners
By
Scott White
•
1 min read
We're already talking about setting lineups again? But didn't they just lock Friday?
Well, yes, but if your league opted to treat the first weekend after the All-Star break as its own scoring period, then another lineup lock is coming up Monday. And you'd best be prepared for it.
But there was another option. Your league instead may have combined the first weekend after the All-Star break with the first full week for a massive 10-day scoring period. If that's the case, then these sleepers don't apply to you -- like, at all. Your lineup will remain locked for the period of time in question.
So ... know your league's schedule and act accordingly.
As always, the only hitters considered for these sleeper picks were those rostered in less than 80 percent of CBS Sports leagues. All information is up to date as of Sunday afternoon.
Sleeper hitters for Week 18 (July 21-27)
Now that he's a full-time DH, Ivan Herrera's bat can fully shine. If you weren't already convinced by his .315 batting average and .898 OPS, you'll get a fine demonstration of how special that bat can be with the Cardinals boasting the most favorable hitter matchups this week, including three games at Coors Field.
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Joshua Lowe has yet to get rolling, but his career-best strikeout and pull-air rates portend big things for a player who was more or less a Fantasy stud just two years ago. Those big things may begin this week, which opens with a series against the White Sox pitching staff and features five right-handers in six games.
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Fantasy Baseballers have been sleeping on Austin Hays all season, though in fairness, three separate IL stints would be enough to take the wind out of anybody's sails. Getting him out of Baltimore has made him a reliable enough slugger to start even with the middling matchups that the Reds have in Week 18.
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Noelvi Marte is once again living up to his top prospect pedigree, having homered three times while striking out just eight times in 40 plate appearances since returning from an oblique injury. Seeing as he also has a penchant for stealing bases, it may not be long before we think of him as a must-start player.
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You won't see the Diamondbacks listed among the teams with the best hitter matchups this week, but they're facing their share of bottom-feeders, including Colton Gordon, Brandon Walter, Michael Burrows and Andrew Heaney. Lourdes Gurriel, who has actually been a top-40 outfielder in Head-to-Head points leagues this season, stands to benefit from the three left-handers especially, seeing as he's batting about 50 points higher against lefties.
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The Rockies may not have a full week of home games, but their three games on the road are against a bad Orioles pitching staff. Jordan Beck's power/speed combo makes him one of the most likely to benefit.
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Another possible beneficiary of the Rockies' second-ranked hitter matchups is their leadoff man, Tyler Freeman, who has emerged as a plus contributor in both batting average and stolen bases, sort of like Xavier Edwards did at this time a year ago. He missed Sunday's game with an illness, but that doesn't sound like the sort of issue that should linger.
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Though Jorge Polanco isn't playing quite every day, he's back to playing most of the time against both righties and lefties after an oblique injury prevented him from hitting from the right side earlier this season. He's been on a heater, batting .333 (12 for 36) with four homers in his past 10 games, and has the benefit of the fourth-best hitter matchups in Week 18.
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Ha-seong Kim is impacting the ball like he always has after a lengthy return from shoulder surgery, which would suggest there are no lingering effects. He's already had to contend with some bumps and bruises in his short time back but gets to start fresh in the second half and is likely to perform at a 15-homer, 30-steal pace the rest of the way.
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Masyn Winn has begun the second half hot during an otherwise quiet July, and the Cardinals' matchups are too good for me not to offer up a second name. His defense keeps him in the lineup every day, and he even bats second most of the time, which should put him at the center of things if the Cardinals have one of those classic Coors Field bonanza series.
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Best hitter matchups for Week 18
1. Cardinals @COL3, SD4
2. Rockies STL3, @BAL3
3. Astros @ARI3, ATH4
4. Mariners MIL3, @LAA4
5. Rangers ATH3, ATL3
Worst hitter matchups for Week 18
1. Red Sox @PHI3, LAD3
2. Brewers @SEA3, MIA3
3. Angels @NYM3, SEA4
4. Blue Jays NYY3, @DET4
5. Yankees @TOR3, PHI3
