With nine teams scheduled for five games and only three scheduled for seven, volume figures to be an issue in Week 11 (June 7-13). Players scheduled for more games have a much greater margin for error, which is of particular note for two designated hitters.
If you were hoping to get Shohei Ohtani back for a full week of at-bats after the Angels' trip to San Francisco last week, bad news: They're visiting Arizona for three games this week. He may be in line to pitch in one of those games, which would get his bat in the lineup, but for the second straight week, he's looking less than must-start in shallower leagues.
Week 11: Sleeper pitchers | Two-start pitchers
The Yankees, meanwhile, are visiting Philadelphia for two of their five games. Giancarlo Stanton is perhaps more likely than Ohtani to make a start in the outfield, but every appearance for him so far this year has come at DH. He's slumping pretty badly now anyway, so as with Ohtani, it may be best to steer clear in shallower leagues.
Here are the top hitter recommendations among those rostered in less than 80 percent in CBS Sports leagues.
- We talk Ryan Yarbrough, MLB cracking down on pitchers and Week 11 sleepers on the Fantasy Baseball Today in 5 podcast. You can follow us to get the latest episodes on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
He's coming off a big month of May and yet has underperformed his expected stats (as formulated by Statcast) so far. The Brewers have the third-best hitter matchups this week.
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The Royals have the fifth-best hitter matchups, being one of just three teams in line for seven games, and Andrew Benintendi is suddenly flirting with a .300 batting average, having stolen plenty of bags along the way.
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The Angels have the second-best matchups this week, with Merrill Kelly being arguably the toughest pitcher on the schedule. Justin Upton has been shaky overall this year, but he has caught fire of late.
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His all-or-nothing approach makes him pretty useless most of the time, but when he heats up, his power output can be significant. He's riding a hit streak now and has the benefit of a seven-game week.
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He's one of the hottest hitters in baseball right now, having enjoyed a recent power surge. The matchups are nothing special, but at least he's scheduled for six games rather than five.
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The Diamondbacks are one of nine teams scheduled for only five games this week, which is the only reason Pavin Smith doesn't rank higher after the week he just had. His bat-to-ball skills are quickly making him a mixed-league asset.
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He's back from an IL stint for a hamstring injury and is badly needed in left field. It's good timing with the Dodgers boasting this week's most favorable schedule for hitters.
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His career numbers away from Tropicana Field are actually quite strong, and he's off to a good start with his new team -- which, as I've mentioned, has the third-best hitter matchups this week.
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The batting average is abysmal, but he's looked better since returning from a concussion about a week ago and plays for one of the three teams that's scheduled for seven games.
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Only five games, but if there was ever a week when it didn't matter so much, it's this one. He's off to a scoring start in June.
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Best hitter matchups for Week 11
1. Dodgers @PIT3, TEX3
2. Angels KC3, @ARI3
3. Brewers @CIN3, PIT3
4. Marlins COL3, ATL3
5. Royals @LAA3, @OAK4
Worst hitter matchups for Week 11
1. Rangers SF2, @LAD3
2. Pirates LAD3, @MIL3
3. Braves @PHI3, @MIA3
4. Twins NYY3, HOU3
5. Orioles NYM2, @TB3
