Yankees, Athletics Receive Boost From Week 4 Schedule

There is a total of 10 teams scheduled to play all seven days next week. When crafting your fantasy baseball lineups, it’s important to know the intricacies of the schedule. Let’s break down which teams and players benefit from their scheduled opponents, as well as discuss those who receive a downgrade based on their matchups.

Teams That Play The Most Games in Week 4

The following teams will all play seven games each during the week, giving an advantage in fantasy baseball to the hitters on those rosters.

• Athletics: 4 games vs. TEX, 3 games vs. CHW
• Baltimore Orioles: 3 games vs. ARI, 4 games at CLE
• Cleveland Guardians: 3 games at STL, 4 games vs. BAL
• Houston Astros: 1 game at SEA, 3 games vs. COL, 3 games vs. STL
• Los Angeles Angels: 4 games at NYY, 3 games vs. SD
• New York Yankees: 4 games vs. LAA, 3 games vs. KC
• Pittsburgh Pirates: 4 games vs. WAS, 3 games vs. TB
• Seattle Mariners: 1 game vs. HOU, 3 games at SD, 3 games vs. TEX
• Texas Rangers: 4 games at ATH, 3 games at SEA
• Washington Nationals: 4 games at PIT, 3 games vs. SF

Teams That Play The Fewest Games in Week 4

While there are often weeks in which teams will play just five games, that is not the case for Week 4. Outside of the 10 teams listed above, every other team is scheduled to play six games each.

3 Fantasy Baseball Winners For Week 4

Nick Kurtz, Athletics

After recording a .329 ISO and a .419 wOBA last season, Kurtz is off to a slow start this year with a .054 ISO and a .295 wOBA. His walk rate is great at 19.6%, but his strikeout rate of 39.1% has dragged him down. He could get back on track in Week 4 with seven home games upcoming. In his hitter-friendly home park, he had a .431 wOBA and a .367 ISO last year.

Jose Altuve, Houston Astros

Altuve has moved back to second base on a full-time basis for the Astros. He certainly seems comfortable to begin the season, especially at the plate. Through 13 games, he is batting .333 with a .474 OBP. Playing one game in Seattle to begin Week 4 isn’t ideal, but then six games against the Rockies and Cardinals put Altuve in a great position to remain productive. The Cardinals’ pitching staff has been especially bad, posting a 1.52 WHIP. All six of those games will also be at home, where Altuve has a career .361 wOBA.

Amed Rosario, New York Yankees

Rosario hasn’t played much this season. He is expected to platoon at third base with Ryan McMahon, with McMahon facing right-handed pitchers. However, McMahon is once again struggling at the plate, which might mean more at bats for Rosario against righties, too. He launched two home runs off righties on Tuesday, which certainly helped his cause. Also working in his favor for Week 4 is that the Yankees are scheduled to face four left-handed starters.

3 Fantasy Baseball Losers For Week 4

Bo Bichette, New York Mets

After batting .311 for the Blue Jays last season, Bichette is only hitting .222 through 12 games with the Mets. His strikeout rate is 24.6%, which is 10 percentage points higher than last season. For his career, he only has a 19.5% strikeout rate. While he’ll likely turn things around eventually, Week 4 might not be the beginning of his improved production. The Mets begin with a three-game series against the Dodgers in which Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani are scheduled to start. They will then take on the Cubs, who will start Edward Cabrera in the first game.

George Springer, Toronto Blue Jays

Bichette’s former teammate Springer is also struggling, posting a .293 wOBA across 12 games. He is also having contact issues, producing a 25.5% strikeout rate. For his career, his strikeout rate is only 20.7%. The Blue Jays begin Week 4 with three games against the Brewers in which Jacob Misiorowski and Brandon Woodruff will start. They will conclude with three games against the Diamondbacks, who are lined up to start Zac Gallen in one game, and potentially Merrill Kelly in another. None of these are ideal matchups for Springer to end his slump.

Hunter Goodman, Colorado Rockies

Goodman was likely one of the first catchers selected in many fantasy leagues. Across 144 games last year, he had a .243 ISO and a .359 wOBA. However, his strikeout rate has ballooned to 34.7% this year, leaving him with a .159 ISO and a .329 wOBA. What’s concerning about his Week 4 matchups is that his first three games will be played against the Astros in Houston. His wOBA was 39 points higher at Coors Field than on the road last year. He will conclude the week with three games at Coors Field, but it’s not an ideal series against the Dodgers. In one of the games, Los Angeles is expected to start Tyler Glasnow.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com