MLB

The Smash and Grab: 4 Teams With Elite Hitting Opportunities in Week 13

The Braves have been cookin' at the plate, and Ronald Acuna and crew have an incredible slate of matchups. Which other hitters should we think about?

One thing I have learned in my journey in fantasy baseball is that volume is key -- especially in hitting.

In standard rotisserie leagues, only one category is ratio based (batting average), which allows us to maximize at-bats and plate appearances to rack up those counting statistics in runs, home runs, runs batted in, and stolen bases. And as simplistic as the approach seems, the best fantasy players find ways to garner as many shots as possible -- via volume.

Each week, this report will analyze the matchups for the upcoming week to see if any teams in particular stand out from a volume perspective as we gear up for those Free Agent Budget (FAB) bids.

The seven-game teams? Those are obvious. But what about the other matchups? Let's dig in and find out.

Seven-Game Teams (7)

There is a lot of high-powered volume this week. In fact, it may be simpler to say who isn't playing seven games, but here we are. The following teams play (at least) seven games:

Atlanta Braves (8), Baltimore Orioles, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, Oakland Athletics, Texas Rangers

With so much volume, who sticks out? In alphabetical order:

Atlanta Braves: This is a pretty easy one. They are the only team with eight games on the week, and they get four in Cincinnati to close the set. Check out Abraham Almonte if you are desperate for some outfield help.

Houston Astros: Already leading the league in team wOBA and wRC+, the Astros get the luxury of a gorgeous schedule we can take advantage of. They start the week in friendly Camden Yards, and they finish with a four-game series against the Tigers. This is a major buying opportunity, even for the fringy bats.

Six-Game Teams (18)

The majority of remaining teams hit the field for six games. Of these squads, here are some interesting notes:

Cincinnati Reds: Things kick off in Minnesota, and they will face the struggling arm of J.A. Happ, and Bailey Ober has been okay as a young hurler. Then, things really get spicy with a four-game set in Atlanta, where no one has been overly spectacular this season, and the park has played very friendly to hitters.

Kansas City Royals: This offense has quietly been pretty interesting, and this week could get even better for them. They get started on Tuesday with three games in Yankee Stadium, followed up with three games against the Texas Rangers. They will contend with the brilliance of Kyle Gibson, but the rest should be pretty navigable.

Five-Game Teams (5)

Colorado Rockies, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners, San Francisco Giants

Coors Field

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