We have made it through another week of the MLB season, and there were some awe-inspiring performances. But, as usual, there were some great and rough performances to dig into. This weekly column will help highlight some hot and cold players, 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 some known and lesser-known players. Let’s see some of the risers and fallers for fantasy baseball Week 8 (5/15-5/21).

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Risers

Christopher Morel (2B, 3B, SS, OF – CHC)

Morel was destroying Triple-A pitching and finally got the call to the Cubs last week. He has not slowed down a bit. Heading into Sunday, Morel hit safely in all five games during the week. He had a .381 batting average with six extra-base hits, including four home runs. Morel even stuffed the ROTO categories with nine runs and seven RBI. If a pitcher missed his spot, Morel paid them an 18.2% barrel rate and 72.7% hard-hit rate.

It was a monster week for Morel. An unsustainable week but a monster week nonetheless. The quality of contact metrics is tough to sustain, as well as his .571 BABIP. In addition, he struck out 43.5% of the time, which will also not help. Expect the power to be great, and he should throw in some steals, but the average will fall back to earth. Nevertheless, Morel still makes for an excellent fantasy player going forward.

Seiya Suzuki (OF – CHI)

Suzuki got off to an extremely slow start to the season, but this past week he showcased some of the skills that fantasy managers were targeting in draft season. Suzuki had three multi-hit games this past week, suitable for a .389 batting average. He hit three home runs while stealing a base and walking 14.1% of the time. He was locked in with a 27.3% barrel rate and 90.9% hard-hit rate.

We all know Suzuki can hit, for average, with some power and strong OBP skills. He still struck out 33.3% of the time, which will hamper production occasionally, but the overall production should be great. Suzuki looks healthy and could be in for the rest of the season.

Owen Miller (1B, 2B, 3B, OF – MIL)

Miller has gone from an occasional utility player to a full-time Brewer player. He has started five games this Sunday, collecting hits in all five games. Miller hit .444 with three extra-base hits and a stolen base. He even led off in four games which is a fantasy boost. Miller has never been a full-time player but has shown spurts of performance like this, so ride it while you can on your fantasy teams.

Lane Thomas (OF – WAS)

Thomas has been enjoying a solid May; this past week was significant. Entering Sunday, Thomas had hit safely in all six games with three doubles, two home runs, and a .417 batting average. Thomas had a 66.7% hard-hit rate which is extraordinary for him, but he also struck out 34.6% of the time. Thomas will continue leading off for the Nats and provide excellent outfield value for your fantasy teams.

Michael Kopech (SP – CWS)

Kopech has been slowly improving in recent starts and had an impressive start this past week. Kopech threw eight shutout innings versus the Royals, allowing one hit, no walks, and striking out ten. Kopech now has a 2.55 ERA, 5.19 xFIP, and 24.7% K-BB. Kopech’s ERA indicators are still not great, and he walked 12.4% of batters he faced in May, so more improvements need to be made. Nevertheless, Kopech may be making positive gains on the mound, giving him positive fantasy possibilities.

Fallers

Taylor Ward (OF – LAA)

A rough season for Ward got worse this past week as he collected three singles for a .136 batting average. Ward didn’t collect a walk while striking out over 30% of the time. Ward is now hitting .227 with four home runs and a steal, which is not close to what fantasy managers expected when drafting Ward. As Mickey Moniak continues to produce, Ward’s playing time may become a problem.

Brandon Marsh (OF – PHI)

Marsh started the season on fire, moving to fifth in the Phillies lineup. Unfortunately, that production has quickly diminished, with this past week being no exception. Marsh entered Sunday with one single on the week for a .063 batting average. He did walk 15% of the time and collected a steal, but that was it for fantasy production. Marsh hit .140 in May with a 28.6% strikeout rate and .023 ISO.

Ramon Laureano (OF – OAK)

It has been a dismal season for Laureano, and this past week was no help. Laureano had two hits on the week; at least they were two home runs, but he also struck out 40.9% of the time. He is now hitting .211 on the season with five home runs and three steals with a 29.2% strikeout rate. Laureano needs to turn it around quickly, or he will be unrosterable in most leagues.

Jorge Mateo (SS – BAL)

Mateo was one of the top fantasy players to start the season, but that has disappeared recently. This past week, Mateo had two singles as he entered Sunday for a .118 batting average while striking out 31.6% of the time. He still drove in two runs, scored two, and stole two bases, reminding fantasy managers of his value. However, it is hard to reach that value if you aren’t getting on base enough. Mateo needs to increase the batting average, or the overall production will continue to struggle.

Alek Manoah (SP – TOR)

The struggles continued this past week for Manoah as he made two starts but only threw 9.2 innings. Manoah allowed seven runs with three home runs while walking eight and striking out eight. He had a 6.52 ERA and 6.42 xFIP, and an abysmal 0.0% K-BB. Manoah continues to struggle and is now a bench option in most formats, not a must-start.

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