The stretch run of the fantasy baseball season is upon us.
With the MLB trade deadline now in the rearview, and the cross-league FAB bonanzas run to completion -- or, at least, certain to do so before Monday's action begins -- we enter the mad dash to the finish line. Fantasy's Week 19 brings us a remarkably balanced schedule, with one exception: The Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves are scheduled for a Saturday doubleheader, one of the games making up for the team's April 6 postponement, giving each team a rare eight-game week.
Neither team fancies itself a prime playoff contender, though the Marlins are within seven games of a wild-card spot (entering play on Friday, Aug. 1), but there are plenty of relevant players on either roster set to benefit from the extra game. The Braves especially benefit, as they're a .500 team at Truist Park, compared to 16 games under .500 on the road, and will play all eight of their games at home.
This should be a week of starting pitching debuts for new teams, though post-trade deadline fallout leaves a few teams' pitching assignments in flux. As things stand, it appears likely that we'll see Michael Soroka make his Chicago Cubs debut (probably Monday), JP Sears make his San Diego Padres debut (also probably Monday), Adrian Houser make his Tampa Bay Rays debut (again Monday), Zack Littell make his Cincinnati Reds debut (probably Tuesday) and Bailey Falter make his Kansas City Royals debut (also probably Tuesday). Nestor Cortes could also return from the injured list to debut for the Padres (perhaps Wednesday). Check back throughout the weekend for updates to the rotation assignments.
