Hunter Langille | Thu, Jun 27th 2024, 11:27am EDT

6 Fantasy Baseball Players Trending Up & Down (Week 14)

Every week during the fantasy baseball season, we do a stock report looking at players whose value is rising or declining. If there are specific players you want me to dive into, feel free to tag me on Twitter.

Without any further ado, let’s get to it. Here are a few fantasy baseball players trending up and others on the way down.

Fantasy Baseball Stock Report (Week 14)

Stock Up

Bryce Harper (OF – PHI)

Aaron Judge is seemingly always the hottest player in baseball, but Harper is giving him a run for his money in June. In this month alone, Harper is 2nd in wOBA (.511), 6th in ISO (.366), and 2nd in wRC+ (236).

He’s been an RBI machine for the Phillies, which are back on top with the best record in baseball. Over his last six games, Harper has recorded 11 RBIs, which is tied with Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani for the most in MLB. Harper also has the 20th-highest BB% and just a 16% K-rate, making him one of the best all-around fantasy assets in the game.

With a series versus the hapless Marlins on tap, I’d expect Harper and the Phillies to keep it rolling on offense.

Hunter Brown (SP – HOU)

Over his last four starts, Brown has pitched 25 innings, struck out 29, and allowed just one run. I should note that these were matchups against the Angels, Tigers, White Sox, and Rockies, so this streak should be taken with a grain of salt. Either way, Brown has come a long way since his third start of the year against Kansas City, where he gave up 9 runs on eleven hits without conquering the first inning.

In June, Brown ranks 12th in K/9 (10.45), and 10th in xFIP (3.00). He’s been averaging 96.4 mph on his fastball while mixing in a cutter, slider, curveball, and splitter. I don’t expect him to keep playing at the same level we’ve seen over the last few starts, but his next start against Toronto could also be a beatable one.

CJ Abrams (SS – WAS)

Abrams’s fantasy game log over the last five games looks incredible, and he only has one homer over that span. That goes to show how well-rounded he is at the plate. Over that span, he has gone 12 for 22 (.545), and he’s piled up four RBIs, eight runs, and three stolen bags.

In June he is ranked 5th in wRC+ (210) and 4th in wOBA (.473). He is leading Washington in just about every offensive category this season, including homers (12), runs (48), doubles (19), and triples (5). The 23-year-old is doing what we would expect for someone who was a staple in the Juan Soto trade of 2022.

Stock Down

Maikel Garcia (3B, SS – KC)

I was high on Garcia at the beginning of the season, but he’s been largely a disappointment over the last month. In June, he had just 12 hits, with just two of those being extra-base hits. His ISO is the fifth-worst among qualified pitchers (.024), and his wRC+ is just a measly 2.

He hit for a .272 average over 123 games last season, so I think there is still upside for the 24-year-old. However, if he continues to play like this, he may find himself in Triple-A Omaha. The Royals have an upcoming series against Colorado in early July. That usually cures a cold streak.

Austin Gomber (SP – COL)

Rockies pitchers are always good bets for a “Stock Down” label, but Gomber’s stock has been notably down in June. This month, he is 0-3 with just a 5.87 K/9, a 1.96 HR/9, and a 5.14 xFIP. All marks that rank 11th or worse amongst qualified pitchers.

Gomber is a fly-ball pitcher who doesn’t strike out any batters and gives up the third-most hard contact in the league (41.9%). He has had some tough starts over his last three against the Astros, Dodgers, and Twins, but it’s still a winning strategy to bet against a pitcher who makes half their starts at Coors Field.

Ke’Bryan Hayes (3B – PIT)

Hayes has never been a super exciting play for fantasy baseball, but his cold month of June makes him even less exciting. The Pirates were able to get to the Reds a bit recently, but before that, they were ice cold.

In June, they have the fifth-highest strikeout rate as a team and have the fifth-worst wRC+ (87). Ke’Bryan himself has the 15th-worst wOBA (.234) and 15th-worst wRC+ (47). The 27-year-old recorded a career-high .324 wOBA last season so I do think there is room for improvement here, I just wouldn’t touch him in fantasy at the moment.

NFL

MLB

NBA

NHL