2023 Fantasy Baseball Week 7 Start/Sit: Anthony Volpe, Jose Abreu, More (5/15/23)
Welcome to Week 7! I hope you all had a great Mother’s Day and got your moms/wives/sisters/grandmothers something nice. Or if you’re a mom, yourself, I hope you got some nice gifts – and relaxation!
Now, however, it’s time to face the typical Monday decisions we need to make as we set our rosters. Which pitchers have a two-start week? Which ones have juicy matchups? Which hitters are on a hot streak? Which ones are having trouble buying a hit? Think of this like a fantasy football streamers article.
I’ll be back later in the week to look at Trade Values (Wednesday) and dive into the Closer Report (Friday), but for today, we’ll take a look at who we should start and sit this week.
And with that, let’s go position-by-position and identify the right (or wrong) players we should have in our fantasy baseball lineups for the week of May 15.
Catcher
Start
Adley Rutschman, Baltimore Orioles
Rutschman had been scuffling (1-for-17 two weeks ago), but he’s finally starting to turn things around. He’s now had a hit in four of his last five games and hit two home runs last week. He also sat Sunday, so you shouldn’t have to worry about him not catching to start the week.
Sit
Alejandro Kirk, Toronto Blue Jays
Kirk is now down to .225 with just two home runs on the season after going 0-for-11 last week. Strangely, he’s still on a lot of fantasy rosters. I’m not telling you to drop him (though I would), but he at least belongs on your bench for now.
First Base
Start
Josh Naylor, Cleveland Guardians
Naylor has not had the season he wanted, but he’s finally starting to turn things around. While still hitting just .214 on the year, Naylor has homered in three straight games and absolutely has to be in your lineups until he cools off.
Sit
Jose Abreu, Houston Astros
Abreu might be cooked. He is hitting just .214 on the year and has yet to hit his first home run in 2023. Last week’s 3-for-20 effort didn’t help matters, and there’s really no reason for Abreu to be in your lineup (on your roster?) until he proves otherwise.
Second Base
Start
Christopher Morel, Chicago Cubs
Morel was called up last week and has done nothing but hit. He’s had a hit in all five games he’s played and cranked out three home runs and a steal in those games. Will he keep up that pace? More than likely not. But he’s worth leaving in your lineup to see if he can!
Sit
Jeff McNeil, New York Mets
McNeil is a useful utility player, but he’s only hitting .264 with two home runs and two steals on the season. While those aren’t horrible numbers, they’re not “must-start” numbers either – especially considering hit 4-for-27 week last week combined with the fact that he hasn’t hit a home run or stolen a base in two weeks.
Shortstop
Start
Anthony Volpe, New York Yankees
I’m still not sure he’s fully ready for the Majors, but Volpe is finally starting to play himself out of an early-season/early-career slump. While he’s still hitting just .218 on the season, Volpe hit three home runs to go with two steals last week and now has 13 steals on the season. Get/keep Volpe in your lineups while he’s hot.
Sit
Tommy Edman, St. Louis Cardinals
Edman has been a fantasy asset this season, but he’s fallen on hard times lately. Despite having five home runs and three steals (that’s good!), he’s hitting just .238 on the year and is coming off a 3-for-17 week. He hasn’t done a whole lot in the month of May (.167 with one home run) and belongs on your bench for now.
Third Base
Start
Nolan Arenado, St. Louis Cardinals
I know it seems weird to have a player like Arenado even need to be talked about here, but he was (rightfully) a player to sit two weeks ago. He’s finally come around and has homered in three consecutive games while hitting .409 last week. I think it’s safe to say his early-season slump is over.
Sit
Matt Chapman, Toronto Blue Jays
For as hot as Chapman started the season, he’s been equally as cold as of late. He’s still hitting .317 on the year, but he’s down to .174 during the month of May and hasn’t hit a home run in almost a month (April 18 was his last). Keep him on your bench until he turns things around.
Outfield
Start
Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers
Yelich hasn’t had an amazing start to the season, but he’s absolutely en fuego right now. Last week, he hit .400 with five runs, three home runs, nine RBI, and three steals and has now raised his season totals to .262, 32 runs, seven home runs, 23 RBI, and nine steals. Moreover, he’s had at least two hits in three straight games and has a hit in seven of his last eight. Make sure he’s in your lineup.
Sit
Cody Bellinger, Chicago Cubs
Bellinger has helped one of my teams SO much to start the season, but I think I’m going to bench him this week. He hasn’t homered since April and is coming off a week during which he hit .095. While I hope he turns things around, I’m happy to let him do that on my bench this week.
Pitcher
Start
Chris Bassitt, Toronto Blue Jays
While I don’t love the matchups (Yankees and Rays) that Bassitt has on his schedule this week, I do love the way he’s been pitching lately. Coming into a two-start week, Bassitt hasn’t allowed an earned run in either of his last two starts and it coming off a complete-game masterpiece against a very good Braves team his last time out. Tough matchups aside, get him in there this week!
Sit
Raisel Iglesias, Atlanta Braves
This will have to be a to-be-continued discussion for the Closer Tracker later this week, but Iglesias might be in danger of losing his job. He’s allowed two earned runs in each of his last two outings and now has a 10.80 ERA on the season. After his blown save against the Blue Jays on Sunday, we may see A.J. Minter get a save chance (or two) this week so I think it’s worth benching Iglesias until he gets back on track.
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