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Kind of a weird breakdown this week, with only one team, the Padres, playing just five games -- and all at home. Of course, their matchups are actually pretty favorable, so you shouldn't be looking to bench Matt Kemp or anything.
And you may not want to bench Robbie Grossman either despite his recent slide. The Twins are one of three teams facing four left-handed pitchers this week, and he's known for being a reverse-platoon guy, batting .381 against lefties this year. Other hitters who should benefit from a lefty-heavy schedule this week include Ryan Raburn of the Rockies, Victor Martinez of the Tigers and ... well, most of the Twins, really, but especially Brian Dozier and Eduardo Nunez.
Speaking of the Twins, their big bopper, Miguel Sano, was set to begin a rehab assignment Friday and should be available for most of Fantasy Week 13 (June 27-July 3). He was just beginning to heat up before the injury, too, but you might want to give him a week to shake off the rust in 12-team leagues and shallower. Same goes for Josh Reddick, who began a rehab assignment Monday.
And with that, on to the matchups ...
Best hitter matchups for Week 13
1. Dodgers @PIT1, @MIL3, COL3
2. Cardinals @KC2, KC2, MIL3
3. Rays BOS3, DET4
4. White Sox MIN3, @HOU3
5. Yankees TEX4, @SD3
Justin Turner has been a revelation in June and doesn't figure to slow down against pitchers like Francisco Liriano, Chase Anderson, Jorge De La Rosa and Chad Bettis, so even in a utility spot, he's worth using this week. Joc Pederson has been just as productive lately, batting .324 with five homers in his last 11 games. Of course, he tends to sit against left-handed pitchers, but the Dodgers have only one of those on tap this week. Losing faith in Trayce Thompson? Well, these matchups are reason enough to hold out one more week.
That Brandon Moss power binge earlier this month was fun while it lasted, but you can't really trust in a part-timer like him, right? Actually, the Cardinals have taken to playing him more regularly, and the six righties on tap figure to help with that. Of course, it may come at the expense of Matt Adams or Matt Holliday, but then again, these matchups are good enough to make all three at least usable in Fantasy. You might want to leave the latter two for leagues that use a standard Rotisserie lineup, though, with five outfielders and a third corner infielder.
Adam Eaton has been over-started for much of this year, but he's the hot hand heading into a week against pitchers like Kyle Gibson, Ricky Nolasco, Tommy Milone and Mike Fiers, making him almost impossible to sit for now. The real find here, though, is Melky Cabrera, who's only 67 percent owned despite being a top 40 outfielder so far. And he's so steady apart from matchups that you might just stick with him even beyond this week. One White Sox hitter who I'd probably avoid despite the favorable matchups is Tim Anderson, who has yet to draw a walk and is striking out every third at-bat.
The Athletics, Mariners and Giants didn't quite make the cut, but their matchups are about on the same level as the five teams that did. This just happens to be one of those weeks where five seems like an arbitrary cutoff. I'll stay the course with Danny Valencia and Khris Davis after recommending them last week as well. Their best weeks tend to be big weeks because of their power potential. Leonys Martin is a good bet to get rolling with five hittable righties on tap, and Joe Panik should continue to swing a hot bat against some of the worst the Giants and Pirates have to offer.
Worst hitter matchups for Week 13
1. Mets @WAS3, CHC4
2. Reds CHC3, @WAS4
3. Braves CLE3, MIA4
4. Brewers LAD3, @STL3
5. Royals STL2, @STL2, @PHI3
So Tanner Roark, Joe Ross, Max Scherzer, John Lackey, Jason Hammel, Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester is what the Mets are looking at this week. Yeah, it'll be a rough one. The only surefire starter for me is Yoenis Cespedes, and even he might give some of his owners pause because of that red cross next to his name (and if he sits all weekend because of the sprained wrist, I'll be right there with them). As for the others, Curtis Granderson is too off-and-on. Ditto for Neil Walker. And Michael Conforto has nearly slumped his way out of the starting lineup.
Kind of amusing how the Reds have almost the exact same matchups as the Mets. They get Gio Gonzalez in that fourth game against the Nationals, which is why they play second fiddle, but it's fair to say their hitters probably won't notice the difference. Jay Bruce has achieved must-start status by this point, and you wouldn't want to shy away from Joey Votto with the kind of June he's having. But Adam Duvall seems like a risk, particularly in three-outfielder leagues, and if I could upgrade from Eugenio Suarez or Zack Cozart at shortstop, I would.
The "worst matchups" label gets kind of dicey beginning with the Brewers, whose worst matchups are against pitchers like Kenta Maeda and Adam Wainwright. Not true aces, in other words, so you don't need to be quite as fearful of them. Certainly, Ryan Braun and Jonathan Lucroy are must-starts, and even though he has slowed down, I'd be reluctant to sit Jonathan Villar as well. Even benching Chris Carter is a risk, at least in Rotisserie leagues, since his home runs tend to come in bunches and without advance notice.
Like the Brewers, the Royals are looking at a week full of second-tier pitchers, with Carlos Martinez and the slumping Aaron Nola the best on the slate, so you're not going to try anything cute with Lorenzo Cain. You shouldn't feel obligated to sit hot-hand plays Kendrys Morales and Whit Merrifield either, though I won't be touting them as sleepers this week. Also, keep a close eye on Alex Gordon in his return from the DL this weekend. If he gets off to a hot start, these matchups aren't prohibitive for him.
