Today, Albies has the better matchup with an OPS of .767 against Giolito (6 plate appearances). That's compared to Altuve's OPS of .334 versus Mahle (6 PA). That's a huge difference, definitely start Albies.
Weather impact
Heavy wind (blowing out), hot temps, ballpark elevation, etc can all have a big impact on long fly balls. An extra few feet can be the difference between warning track and a 3-run dinger. In Altuve's game, our HRForce Index at first pitch is n/a [dome (and likely closed)]. Meanwhile, Albies will be playing under an HRForce of 1.5 [50% more HRs expected]. So, long flies will travel a bit further in Albies's game. Weather edge goes to him.
Weekly Roster Lock Leagues
For those of you in leagues that require you to set your lineup before the start of each week, day offs can be a bummer. Everything else being equal, give the edge to players that play at least one more game a week. For the M-F week that includes 5/17/25, Altuve has 7 games scheduled, while Albies has 7. With the same number of games, they roughly carry the same potential value for the week.
