EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsWelcome to another of the busiest weeks of the fantasy baseball season.Week 22, which is also the opening week of the playoffs in ESPN standard head-to-head leagues, has 97 total games scheduled, which if all run to their completion will match Week 17 (July 27-Aug. 2) for the most in 2026 amongst seven-day scoring periods. (The extended Week 1 had 139 games and Week 143.) This week has 14 of the 30 major league teams scheduled to play seven games, with 10 of those hailing from the American League, while the remaining 16 teams are scheduled for six apiece.In ESPN head-to-head leagues, the top four seeds from the regular season have advanced to a four-week playoff tournament, with matchups spanning two weeks apiece. This is the opening week of the semifinals, which extend through Sunday, Sept. 13, and fantasy managers in leagues with weekly lineups will be able to submit changes in advance of Week 23 on Monday, Sept. 7. Winners from these two-week matchups will advance to the championship round, beginning on Monday, Sept. 14.September arrives on Tuesday, the second day of the scoring period, bringing with it the annual MLB roster expansion. MLB teams are afforded 28 players, up from 26, beginning on that date, with a maximum of 14 pitchers (Shohei Ohtani is classified as a two-way player for these purposes and does not count against the Los Angeles Dodgers' pitcher limit). While many teams might use these extra roster slots to summon bench bats, defensive replacements and bullpen arms, we might see a handful of fantasy-relevant prospects get final-month auditions.This list might include the Boston Red Sox's Franklin Arias,Cleveland Guardians' Ralphy Velazquez, Colorado Rockies' Charlie Condon, Dodgers' Josue De Paula and James Tibbs III, Milwaukee Brewers' Coleman Crow, Philadelphia Phillies' Gage Wood, Tampa Bay Rays' Theo Gillen and Washington Nationals' Seaver King.Whether Arias joins the big-league club or not, the Red Sox have reinforcements ready in Roman Anthony and Trevor Story as they continue what's a critical stretch of their schedule. Winners of 41 of their past 55 games to turn a six-game deficit into a 7.5-game lead for an American League wild card spot (entering Friday), the Red Sox face fellow wild card competitors the Seattle Mariners (three home games, Monday-Wednesday) and Baltimore Orioles (four road games, Thursday-Sunday).Similarly, the Arizona Diamondbacks should have one of their key players, Ketel Marte, back in time for the start of a critical Week 22. A game and a half back in the National League wild card race (entering Friday), the Diamondbacks host the Philadelphia Phillies for three games from Monday through Wednesday before hitting the road to play the Houston Astros for three from Friday through Sunday.This one of four weeks all season during which the Colorado Rockies play entirely at Coors Field, along with the since-passed Weeks 14 (June 29-July 5) and 20 (Aug. 17-23) and upcoming Week 24 (Sept. 14-20). Though it's a six-game rather than seven-game week for the Rockies, it's also one of the better ones matchup-wise for their hitters, as they'll play three games apiece against Baltimore Orioles and St. Louis Cardinals pitching staffs that rank in the lower half in team ERA.There are three potentially last-gasp divisional showdowns on the Week 22 schedule: The Milwaukee Brewers, who lead the Chicago Cubs by seven games in the NL Central as play begins Friday, play their rivals for four games at Wrigley Field from Monday through Thursday. The Chicago White Sox, who lead the Minnesota Twins by 6.5 games in the AL Central (note that the Twins are in third place in the division), host the Twins for three games from Friday through Sunday. The Atlanta Braves, who lead the Phillies by five games in the NL East, host the Phillies for three games from Friday through Sunday. The Cubs (+5.5 games on the closest team outside the race) and Phillies (+3.5) also need wins to retain their current wild card status, while the Twins must rally from four games back in the AL wild card race.Projected starting pitchers for the next 10 daysHitter matchup ratings for the next 10 daysLineup lock times Scheduling quirks Starting pitcher ranks Hitter ratings
