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          Fantasy baseball Wednesday advice: Start Matthew Boyd

          Matthew Boyd has been rolling and gets a prime matchup Wednesday against the White Sox. AP Photo/Phil Long
          • Mike Sheets
          Sep 11, 2024, 03:30 PM

          Look for our fantasy baseball starting pitcher rankings, hitter upgrades and downgrades daily to help you make smart fantasy baseball lineup decisions and for MLB betting tips. MLB game odds are provided by ESPN BET, and fantasy advice is geared toward ESPN 10-team leagues with standard scoring.

          Note: This file will be updated with any overnight pitching changes or weather-related game postponements, along with the addition of the latest MLB game odds as of the indicated time of publication

          Ride Boyd's hot streak

          Since stepping into the Cleveland Guardians' starting rotation in mid-August, Matthew Boyd has arguably been the team's best pitcher. Many hurlers show some rust following Tommy John surgery, but Boyd has hit the ground running, posting a 2.20 ERA and 0.77 WHIP across his first five starts. He has surrendered only one run in four of those outings, highlighted by a six-inning, one-run effort against the Los Angeles Dodgers his last time out.

          Boyd has never thrown particularly hard, but his average fastball velocity (92 mph) is back where it should be. Perhaps even more importantly, he's generating plenty of swings and misses with his slider and changeup. Over his last two starts, Boyd has racked up 26 whiffs with those two pitches alone.

          After keeping the Dodgers in check in his last start, Boyd should have little trouble with the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday. Not surprisingly, the Pale Hose sport the worst wRC+ in baseball (68) since the All-Star break, and they've also been the worst offense against left-handed pitching (70 wRC+). Available in 18% of ESPN leagues, Boyd should be at the top of your streaming list for this slate.

          What you missed on Tuesday

          • The Atlanta Braves are currently tied for the third Wild Card spot in the National League. Their quest for a playoff berth may have become more difficult last night with SP Reynaldo Lopez only completing one inning before having to leave the game with shoulder tightness. Lopez's velocity was noticeably down in the first inning of last night's road date with the Washington Nationals. After consulting with manager Brian Snitker between innings, RHP Jesse Chavez came out for the second inning. The extent of Lopez's injury is unclear. The Braves were without 2B/OF Whit Merrifield for the fourth straight game but hopes to return on Friday. Merrifield has been diagnosed with a fractured foot.

          • Miami Marlins 2B Connor Norby was scratched from last night's lineup with a sore left foot. The former Baltimore Orioles prospect fouled a ball off his foot on Monday night. Norby is considered day-to-day. Since being promoted in mid-August, Norby is batting an impressive .312/.354/.636.

          • Houston Astros OF Chas McCormick exited last night's game early with a sore wrist, likely incurred after colliding with the outfield wall. McCormick has struggled most of the season but was showing signs of life with a .391//.417/.435 September. McCormick's status is unclear. Last night, he was replaced by OF Jake Meyers, who is the likely replacement if McCormick misses more action.

          • Cleveland Guardians SP Ben Lively was forced to exit last night's outing after being hit in the right thigh by a 96-mph line drive back up the box. The initial diagnosis is merely a bruise, but Lively will be reevaluated prior to making his next start, slated for Monday.

          • Seattle Mariners RHP Luis Castillo was placed on the 15-day IL yesterday with a Grade 2 hamstring strain. He has received a platelet-rich-plasma injection to accelerate healing with the hopes the club is still alive for a wild card berth when Castillo is eligible to return in 15 days.

          • Oakland Athletics OF Lawrence Butler missed last night's contest while nursing a virus. Since July 1, Butler has posted a .326/.364/.679 line, as compared to Aaron Judge's .325/.476/.660 in that span. The club is optimistic that Butler will be back today.

          Everything else you need to know for Wednesday

          • Cody Bradford (29% rostered in ESPN leagues) has quietly been a top-15 starting pitcher in fantasy during the past month. Over his last six starts, he has produced a 2.43 ERA and 0.84 WHIP, registering five straight quality starts. While Wednesday's matchup against the hot-hitting Arizona Diamondbacks may not be ideal, he has pitched well enough to warrant streaming consideration.

          • In terms of matchups, Colin Rea (27% rostered) finds himself in a much more favorable spot on Wednesday, facing the San Francisco Giants on the road. The Giants' offense ranks bottom-five in baseball during the past month with a wRC+ of 83, and their 28.5% strikeout rate during that span is second-worst in MLB. For his part, Rea owns a solid 3.55 ERA and 1.08 WHIP during his last nine games (eight starts), with 53 Ks in 50 2/3 innings. Additionally, he'll benefit from the pitcher-friendly Oracle Park.

          • After recovering from a right knee injury that sidelined him since late July, Lance Lynn (29%) is set to rejoin the St. Louis Cardinals' rotation on Wednesday. He struggled in his lone rehab start, allowing five runs across 3 2/3 innings, though he did manage to get his pitch count up to 80 pitches. Lynn is not a streaming option against the Cincinnati Reds, but those who play in deeper leagues can monitor the big right-hander. Before his injury, Lynn had been pitching relatively well, limiting opponents to two or fewer runs in five of his last six starts (aside from one blowup outing against the Washington Nationals).

          • With Bailey Falter taking the hill for the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday, Miami Marlins batters find themselves in a favorable spot. The left-hander has allowed a .341/.378/.508 slash line to opposing hitters in the second half, making Jake Burger (37%), Connor Norby (22%) and switch-hitter Xavier Edwards (39%) viable streaming options with the platoon advantage.

          • Betting tip of the day: The Atlanta Braves' bats came alive on Tuesday night, putting up 12 runs against the Washington Nationals. There's a good chance we see those bats stay hot today against Jake Irvin. The right-hander owns a 7.17 ERA over his last seven starts, failing to register 18 or more outs in three consecutive outings. Take under 17.5 outs (-125) for Irvin on Wednesday.

          Starting pitcher rankings for Wednesday

          Reliever report

          To get the latest information on each team's bullpen hierarchy, as well as which pitchers might be facing a bit of fatigue and who might be the most likely suspects to vulture a save or pick up a surprise hold in their stead, check out the latest Closer Chart, which will be updated every morning.

          Hitting report

          Plan ahead in fantasy baseball with help from our Forecaster projections. Each day, we will provide an updated preview of the next 10 days for every team, projecting the matchup quality for hitters (overall and by handedness) as well as for base stealers.

          Best sub-50% rostered hitters for Wednesday

          Best and worst hitters from the day are generated by THE BAT X, a projection system created by Derek Carty using advanced methods like those used in MLB front offices, accounting for a variety of factors including player talent, ballparks, bullpens, weather, umpires, defense, catcher pitch-framing, and lots more.

          Worst over-50% rostered hitters for Wednesday

          The BAT X's Stacks for Wednesday