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. Let’s look at some of the risers and fallers for Week 21 (8/14-8/20).
Risers
Torkelson’s sophomore season started slowly, but he has turned things around in a big way as the season has gone on. This past week Torkelson hit safely in five of six games for a .333 batting average. He hit four home runs while barreling the ball 33.3% of the time with a 73.3% hard-hit rate.
Torkelson has been showcasing his power most of the season, but the improved batting average was excellent and came with an enhanced plate discipline. This past week, he walked 16% of the time with a 24% strikeout rate. Torkelson may get to 30 home runs this season and is making a case for a Top 100 fantasy asset in 2024.
Walker is having a great 2023 season, which continued this past week as he hit .385 with four home runs. All four home runs came in Coors Field, a plus, but he still produced in his four games in San Diego. On the week, Walker barreled the ball 23.8% of the time with a 42.9% hard-hit rate. Even more impressive than the power was that Walker walked 18.8% of the time with a 15.6% strikeout rate. Walker is now hitting .274 on the season with 28 home runs while striking out 20% of the time.
Nimmo is backing up a great 2022 season, and he had a monster week this past week. Nimmo collected 11 hits while hitting .393 with three home runs. He continued to showcase elite plate discipline while walking 12.5% of the time with a 15.6% strikeout rate. The power was a significant plus, supported by a 13% barrel rate and a 56.5% hard-hit rate. Nimmo has been worth his monster contract and provides great fantasy production for those who took the chance on draft day.
Moore has yet to be the model of consistency this season when it comes to playing time or production. This past week Moore played in six games, starting four, and was quite productive at the plate, hitting .389. Moore tossed in two home runs and a stolen base while striking out 18.2% of the time. Moore is proving once again that he can provide some fantasy goodness when the matchups are right on a given week.
Garrett was once a platoon bat, but with recent production, he has begun playing every day. He hit safely in five of six games this past week for a .391 batting average. Garret had four doubles and two home runs while scoring five runs and driving in seven. He was locked in with a 16.7% barrel rate and 55.6% hard-hit rate. Garrett is finally seeing regular playing time and producing, which has made him fantasy relevant in 12-team and deeper leagues.
Fallers
Story returned earlier than expected from his elbow injury, and the results at the plate suggest he may not be fully healthy. This past week he collected one single over five games for a .050 batting average. Story only walked 4.8% of the time while striking out 33.3%. He is now hitting .205 in his ten games since returning from the IL with four doubles, no home runs, and three stolen bases.
Votto’s roller coaster ride of a season hit another low this past week. Votto collected two singles over five games for a .118 batting average while walking 5.6% of the time with a 33% strikeout rate. Votto did not record a barrel while having a 36.4% hard-hit rate. Votto does have 13 home runs on the season but only has a .201 batting average, so the juice may not be worth the squeeze for fantasy anymore.
When Bader returned from the IL, he swung a hot bat, but that came to a screeching halt. This past week Bader had two singles to go with a .095 batting average. He did not walk once while striking out 28.6% of the time. Bader is now hitting .245 since the All-Star break without a home run and six stolen bases.
Moncada hit .200 last week over five games, but three of his four hits came in Coors, and only one was an extra-base hit. Moncada collected that double in Coors but no home runs with a .100 ISO. He did barrel that ball 16.7% of the time, which is excellent, but the overall production was not great. Moncada also did not walk last week while striking out 40% of the time. Moncada is better left for the waiver wire.
Jordan Westburg (2B,3B,SS, BAL)
Westburg had not lived up to the prospect hype when he was called up, and this last week was no exception. He hit .182 with four hits, including a double, while striking out 25% of the time without a walk. Westburg did barrel the ball 11.1% of the time with a 61.1% hard-hit rate which is solid, but the results aren’t following his quality of contact. Westburg continues to play daily, but his inconsistent production makes him better left on your bench.
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