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          Fantasy baseball pitcher advice: Picks, streamers for the final Sunday slate

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          Stat Stories: Friday's standout MLB fantasy performances (1:16)

          Check out some of the top performers in fantasy MLB from Sunday, including Max Fried and Shohei Ohtani. (1:16)

          • Todd Zola, FantasySep 28, 2024, 05:00 PM ET
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            • Writing on fantasy baseball game theory and player analysis since 1997
            • Winner of the 2013 Fantasy Sports Writer's Association Best Baseball Article
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          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.

          Prepare for championship Sunday

          It's unfortunate, but the most important slate for fantasy team managers is the least important for many major league managers. Last-minute lineup changes wreak havoc on our hitting and pitching decisions, and those we get right are often removed from the game early.

          There are a few games with a lot on the line as the final two spots in the National League remain unsettled and might not be decided on Sunday. If that's the case, the Atlanta Braves will host the New York Mets on Monday. If one or both is played, they will count in standard ESPN leagues.

          Sunday's pertinent games are the Arizona Diamondbacks entertaining the San Diego Padres, the Mets visiting the Milwaukee Brewers and the Braves hosting the Kansas City Royals. Coincidentally, each team vying for a playoff berth is playing a club already securing a postseason invite. The Padres, Brewers and Royals are all slated to open their respective wild-card series on Tuesday, so if they play their regulars, it probably won't be for the full nine innings. Currently, Royals LHP Cole Ragans is listed as Sunday's starter, but that will no doubt be changed with Ragans being saved for the wild-card-round opener.

          Another example of a pitcher likely to be scratched, or have his outing cut short, is Philadelphia Phillies RHP Aaron Nola. The Phillies open the National League Division Series next Saturday, with Nola likely handling Game 2 on Oct. 6. As such, he might log a few innings to stay sharp, but that might keep him out of the fantasy mix.

          Everything else you need to know for Sunday

          As has been the recent tradition, all 15 games start between 3:05 p.m. ET and 3:20 p.m. ET. Be sure to check out this space on Sunday morning. All the changes announced on Saturday will be captured in the pitching grid and reviewed in the notes.

          • Two pitchers who won't likely be scratched are Mets LHP David Peterson (23.9% rostered in ESPN leagues) and Diamondbacks RHP Brandon Pfaadt (24.6% rostered) as both are pitching for their teams' postseason futures. As suggested, they'll each probably face a depleted lineup with the Brewers and Padres more concerned about opening the playoffs on Tuesday. Give Peterson the edge over Pfaadt since the Brewers are struggling facing lefties even at full strength. That said, Pfaadt is also in play since he'll face a Padres lineup with a few veterans who could use a break before Tuesday.

          • New York Yankees RHP Clarke Schmidt (35.1%) is the top ranked streamer on the ledger. The Yankees have clinched a first round bye, so some of the regulars may only garner a couple of plate appearances, but Schmidt should pitch with no restrictions. He lines up as the club's fourth starter, so he won't pitch again for over a week. Schmidt will face the Pittsburgh Pirates whose offense has averaged the third fewest runs per game in September, fueled by a high strikeout rate.

          • Listed a couple of spots after Schmidt is Tampa Bay Rays RHP Ryan Pepiot (45.6% rostered) for his home start against the Boston Red Sox. Both clubs are playing out the string with the Red Sox likely sending RHP Quinn Priester to the hill as the club has shut down both RHP Brayan Bello and RHP Tanner Houck. Pepiot's appeal is greatest for fantasy managers needing strikeouts. Pepiot has 137 punchouts in 126 frames while the Red Sox have been among the league leaders in strikeouts all season.

          • Next up are a pair of rookies squaring off in Oracle Park with San Francisco Giants RHP Hayden Birdsong (6.0% rostered) facing St. Louis Cardinals RHP Michael McGreevy. Birdsong has the edge since he has more major league experience and is at home, though McGreevy draws a lineup with a higher strikeout rate, so deciding between the two is a matter of needs. Birdsong is safer in terms of ratios while McGreevy sporting a higher strikeout upside.

          Starting pitcher rankings for Sunday

          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 Sunday

          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 Sunday