2023 Fantasy Baseball Week 13 Start/Sit: Taijuan Walker, Corbin Burnes, More!
Welcome to the Week 13 Start/Sit article! I hope you had a restful weekend and are ready to coast into the Fourth of July!
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 Droppables (Tuesday), Trade Values (Wednesday) and to dive into the Closer Report (Friday), but for today, we’re going to take a look at who we should start and sit this week.
And with that, let’s identify the right (or wrong) players we should have in our fantasy baseball lineups for the week of June 26.
Top Fantasy Baseball Starts
Jake Fraley, OF, Cincinnati Reds
Fraley is one of the hottest hitters in the league right now and is coming off a week during which he hit .300 with five runs, three home runs, six RBI, and a steal. His season-long numbers are nice too at .270 with 29 runs, 11 home runs, 47 RBI, and 12 steals, but it’s been a season of streaks so it’s important to jump on while he’s on a heater. And that time is now, my friends. There’s a very good chance Fraley ends up in the Droppables article next week, but for now, he’s a must-start for this week as he rides a five-game hitting streak (including four home runs in his last seven games).
Taijuan Walker, P, Philadelphia Phillies
Walker’s season-long numbers (8-3, 4.10 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 71 strikeouts, 83.1 innings) aren’t anything to write home about, but he’s been on a tear over the last month-plus. The 30-year-old is finally looking like the pitcher everyone hoped he would be when he first debuted and has a June record of 4-1 with a 1.50 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 30.0 innings. He’s also held opposing batters to a .154 average during June. Will he keep this up? I don’t know! But it’s worth rolling him out there this week against the lowly Cubs and seeing if he can continue his four-game win streak during which he’s allowed two total runs while striking out at eight batters in two of those four games.
Ha-Seong Kim, 2B/SS/3B, San Diego Padres
Kim has had a respectable season during which he’s hit .255 with 35 runs, eight home runs, 27 RBI, and 13 steals. And he’s had an even better past week during which he’s hit .333 with six runs, three home runs, seven RBI, and two steals. He enters the week riding a six-game hitting streak (with hits in nine of his last 10 games), and also provides that always-valuable multi-position eligibility we yearn for. While he might be more of a short-term pickup, Kim is a great plug-and-play start this week.
As always, check out the fantasy assistant for personalized waiver wire recommendations and team analysis. Make moves based on projections, strengths and weaknesses, waiver alerts, and lots more.
Top Fantasy Baseball Sits
Corbin Burnes, P, Milwaukee Brewers
Burnes has been a disappointment this season, and things unfortunately got worse this past week. The 28-year-old currently owns a 4.10 ERA and 1.19 WHIP after a week during which he pitched 10.2 innings and allowed 11 runs (yikes). Burnes has allowed a home run in four of his last five starts, and has allowed three or more runs in all four of those starts. While there is an eight-inning shutout in that five-game mix, Burnes has been off lately and is worth sitting against the Pirates this week – just to make sure he gets himself right.
Adley Rutschman, C, Baltimore Orioles
Rutschman is one of the Orioles’ best young players, but he’s not helping any fantasy teams right now. His season-long numbers are fine (.265, 36 runs, 10 home runs, 32 RBI), but his June numbers are not. Over the last three-plus weeks, the 25-year-old is hitting .204 with two home runs and a horrendous .272 On-Base Percentage. He’s also hitless in his last 14 at-bats. While Rutschman will likely turn things around soon (he’s too good not to), he doesn’t need to be in your starting fantasy lineup right now.
Gleybar Torres, 2B, New York Yankees
Torres is having a solid season with a .246 average, 42 runs, 12 home runs, 30 RBI, and six steals. However, he’s been pretty awful lately and deserves a seat on your fantasy bench while he gets back on track. While he’s hit three home runs in June, the 26-year-old is only hitting .183 this month and was 3-for-22 last week. Torres is a really good player and shouldn’t be dropped or anything like that, but he’s hurting his fantasy teams more than he’s helping them right now. This week is a great time to slot in another player while Torres gets his groove back.
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