As usual, I'm going to recommend 10 hitters to stream for the upcoming scoring period, but you should know that the trade deadline is happening this week, with the final alarm set for Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET. It shouldn't affect hitters as much as pitchers (unless one of the selected sleepers is himself on the move), but it is reason to think twice about turning to a sleeper if you have perfectly fine choices on your roster already.
- Week 19: Sleeper pitchers | Two-start pitchers
Only players rostered in less than 80 percent of CBS Sports leagues were considered. All information is up to date as of Sunday evening.
Sleeper hitters for Week 19 (July 31-Aug.6)
Nootbaar has had a big month of July so far, batting over .300 with his usual high OBP and six home runs. Having just one lefty on the schedule should help him continue to perform his best, and he closes out the week with three games against the Rockies staff.
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Friedl is enduring one of his coldest stretches of the season but seems like a solid bet to bounce back with the second-best hitter matchups this week. He doesn't start against every lefty, but there's a good chance the Reds stick with him against ones like Drew Smyly and Patrick Corbin.
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Benson has been so productive for the Reds since arriving for good in late May, reaching base at close to a .420 clip while delivering decent power and speed numbers, that he's begun to pick up starts against lefties as well as righties. It's good timing with a week of favorable matchups that include Drew Smyly, Jameson Taillon, Patrick Corbin, Trevor Williams and Jake Irvin.
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The recent call-up has been a hit machine since joining the big club a week ago, and while they've mostly been of the single-base variety, it's only a matter of time before Frelick begins to flash his wheels as well. He's a good bet to compile numbers with seven games against the Nationals and Pirates pitching staffs this week.
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McCormick has been one of the hottest hitters in all of baseball since the middle of June, batting .333 (34 for 102) with seven homers and seven steals in 30 games. It's hard to believe he has real staying power, but the Astros' seven-game slate against pitchers like Noah Syndergaard, Clarke Schmidt, Luis Severino and Domingo German shouldn't scare you away.
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The power has begun to show up for Suwinski again with five homers and an OPS over .900 this month, and when he gets rolling, he can do serious damage. It helps that the Pirates have only one lefty on the schedule this week.
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Votto has gone ice cold after his initial power surge, but the Reds keep running him out there even amid their logjam on the infield. It seems wrong not to recommend him in a week when they have the second-best hitter matchups.
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Pederson isn't an everyday player for the Giants (who is?), but he is in the lineup with a fair amount of predictability when they're facing a right-handed pitcher, as is true for five of their six games this week. Those righties include mashables like Ryne Nelson, Brandon Pfaadt, Paul Blackburn and Luis Medina.
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Flores has been one of the hottest hitters in July, batting .395 (30 for 76) with five homers and a 1.124 OPS. He's obviously not that good, but it's reasonable to think he can continue to fake it with the Giants having the fifth-best hitter matchups this week.
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Santana is joining the Brewers at the right time. They're the team with the best hitter matchups for Week 19, going against the bottom-feeder Nationals and Pirates pitching staffs for seven games. He's obviously not the hitter he once was, but he is having his best season in four years.
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Best hitter matchups for Week 19
1. Brewers @WAS3, PIT4
2. Reds @CHC4, WAS3
3. Phillies @MIA4, KC3
4. Padres @COL3, LAD3
5. Giants ARI4, @OAK2
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Worst hitter matchups for Week 19
1. Athletics @LAD3, SF2
2. Tigers @PIT2, TB3
3. Red Sox @SEA3, TOR3
4. Angels @ATL3, SEA4
5. Rangers CHW3, MIA3