We have made it through the first week of the MLB season, and there were some awe-inspiring performances. As usual, there were both some great and some rough performances to dig into. This weekly column will help highlight some hot and cold players, and risers and fallers for fantasy purposes. Some players are already rostered in many places, so trades may be in order. Other players may be widely available, making a potential waiver wire claim in the cards. So this week, I will highlight both well-known and lesser-known players.
- Weekly Waiver Wire Advice
- Weekly Fantasy Baseball Content
- Dynasty Fantasy Baseball Trade Value Chart
- MLB Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
Fantasy Baseball Risers & Fallers: Week 2
Let’s see some of the risers and fallers for fantasy baseball in Week 2 (4/3-4/9).
Risers
Reynolds had one heck of a week, as his red-hot start to the season continued. Reynolds hit safely in all six games; he had 12 hits, and two were doubles, one a triple, and four were home runs. In addition, Reynolds scored nine runs while driving in 12 and even stole two bases. His 41.7% barrel rate and 62.5% hard-hit rate were out of this world.
Reynolds has been on the trade block for what feels like forever, and performances like this just raise the asking price. We knew Reynolds could hit for average with some pop, but this past week was next level. A big year could be ahead for the 28-year-old, so take advantage of it if you can.
Playing time was a concern with Outman as the season began, as most thought he would platoon with Trayce Thompson and others. However, the platoon disappeared this past week, as Outman started six games for the Dodgers including a start versus an LHP.
Outman took full advantage of the opportunity, with hits in four games, including two triples and two home runs. He barreled the ball nearly 17% of the time, but he also struck out over 33%. Outman’s hit tool is outstanding, but the plate discipline must improve to become a regular offensive force. So enjoy the hot start, but beware of a potential slump in the future.
Fantasy managers everywhere are asking, “Where was this Straw last year?” Unfortunately, Straw let so many down last year that he became an end-game draft pick in 2023. However, he is quickly making us forget about last season, and those that took the chance on him in drafts are reaping the rewards.
This past week, Straw hit safely in all six games. He did not hit a home run; he is not built for that. But Straw did do what he did best, scoring five runs and stealing four bases. Straw still struck out nearly 27% of the time, but more impressive was a nearly 20% walk rate. All we want is for Straw to get on base, so walking once in every five plate appearances while hitting around .300 will bring stolen bases in bunches. It may be a year late, but we could get that major stolen-base season from Myles Straw.
Torres has had an outstanding start to the season; this past week was no exception. He hit safely in five of six games, with a home run and three stolen bases. Unfortunately, Torres was caught stealing twice, so the Yankees let him run wild. He was leading off to start the season, but is now hitting 5th or 6th, which could bring even more run production.
The most impressive part of last week was that Torres walked 28% of the time while only striking out 8%. The plate discipline is outstanding for Torres right now. I was all in on draft day, and so far it’s going well for those who joined me on Torres.
Anderson looked to be a utility bat for the Brewers when the season began, but an injury to Tyrone Taylor opened the door for some regular outfield playing time. His big opportunity came when Luis Urias suffered a significant injury, moving Anderson to the everyday third base job for the Brewers and he ran with it.
This past week, Anderson hit .368 with four extra-base hits, including three home runs. He had nine RBI with a 17.4% walk rate, 36.4% barrel rate, and 45.5% hard-hit rate. All of these stats are outstanding. They are not sustainable, but a productive season could be in play. He did strike out 34.8% of the time, so Anderson will need to improve on the swing and miss if he wants to continue to have a big season.
Fallers
It was quite a rough week for Santander, as he collected two hits over six games, good for a .095 batting average. Both hits were doubles, which is nice, but the overall production struggled. He struck out 36% of the time with a .154 BABIP. The 7.7% barrel rate was down slightly, but he had a 53.8% hard-hit rate. Santander will have weeks like this, but we need to see a quick bounce back or some panic will start setting in for fantasy managers.
Bell managed two singles over five games this past week, good for a .087 batting average. However, Bell’s power was non-existent, and the lack of OBP skills needs to be improved. Bell walks often, but this past week he only managed a 7.7% walk rate with a 34.6% strikeout rate. He was even moved down to 6th in the batting order, while Josh Naylor moved up. Hopefully Bell can bounce back quickly.
It has been a rough start for Casas, and if he did not have a big Sunday, this past week would have been even worse. He hit .190 this past week, but did manage two doubles and two home runs. The production was inconsistent, but it was great when he did produce. Casas did not walk at all, had a 0% barrel rate, and only a 31.3% hard-hit rate. Hopefully Sunday is a sign of things to come for Casas; otherwise, a trip to Triple-A may be coming sooner than later.
There was some optimism surrounding Turnbull in spring training, but after his first two starts, I think it’s safe to reign in that optimism. This past week, Turnbull allowed five runs in 5.2 innings pitched with only one strikeout. He has allowed 12 runs over eight innings, with five walks and four strikeouts. It does take time for pitchers to regain command and production after Tommy John surgery, but this seems like a significant step back for Turnbull.
Kelly was an innings-eating machine last year, throwing over 200 innings. That is unlikely to happen this year if his current production continues. This past week, Kelly allowed four runs over 5.2 innings, while walking four and striking out four. He has now thrown 9.1 innings over two starts and walked eight in that time. The walks obviously kill Kelly’s bottom line and his innings-eating ability.
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