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 Waiver Wire Advice
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- Fantasy Baseball Start/Sit Lineup Advice
- MLB Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
Fantasy Baseball Stock Report (Week 17)
Stock Up
Lawrence Butler has been one of the most impressive hitters over the past couple of weeks. Since July 10, he leads the league in wRC+ (353), wOBA (.669) and ISO (.615). His walk rate and strikeout rate have also been impressive over that time. He has a 13.3% mark in each category.
His batted ball numbers pop off the page as well. Since July 10, his 54.5% hard contact percentage ranks eighth. His soft contact mark is at just 6.1%. When he connects with the ball, it tends to go a long way. Per Statcast, he’s hit the 22nd-longest home run this season at 457 feet.
He also just turned 24 and looks like an excellent stash in fantasy baseball.
I have said for several years now Logan Gilbert is the most underrated pitcher in baseball. He’s been incredible this season and he barely made the All-Star team.
He has recorded at least six strikeouts in seven of his last eight games and has allowed two or fewer runs in six of his previous 10. In July, his xFIP sits at 2.96, which ranks 13th in the league. His K/9 is at a 19th-best 10.13 mark.
He often gets overlooked in a Seattle rotation that features other big-name pitchers like Luis Castillo and George Kirby, but Gilbert is someone who has shown a high floor/ceiling combo in fantasy this year.
Any thoughts about the Home Run Derby affecting Bobby Witt’s swing have been disproven. Since the All-Star break, he’s been the hottest hitter in the game. The 24-year-old has gone 13-for-19 with two homers, three doubles and a triple since his return from Arlington. He was a single shy of the cycle just a few days back.
In July, he is leading the league in wOBA (.589), he is second in wRC+ (289) and fifth in ISO (.388). There is nobody else I’d rather have at shortstop this year than Witt Jr.
Stock Down
Matt Olson, along with the rest of the Braves offense, has been a major disappointment this year. Following up a season where he led the National League with 54 homers, it’s unusual to see the 30-year-old with just 13 so far this year.
He has just two hits over his last 38 plate appearances dating back to before the All-Star break. In July, he is ranked dead-last in wRC+ (21) and wOBA (.197). His .075 ISO also ranks 20th-worst in baseball.
Injuries to Michael Harris, Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuna Jr. have derailed a lot of the momentum Atlanta had coming into this season.
Roddery Munoz is never someone any fantasy player has on their radar, but his struggles on the mound this season are particularly alarming.
In July, his K/9 sits at just 5.17, the ninth-worst mark in the league. Impressively he matched his BB% to his K% with a 5.17 mark. Unfortunately, if your ninth-worst walk-rate matches your strikeout-rate it doesn’t make you the best fantasy pitcher.
His 6.48 xFIP also ranks third-worst in July. He is someone you’d want to target hitters against in fantasy.
In this month alone, Alex Verdugo has the fifth-worst wRC+ (33) and the fourth-worst wOBA (.209). He’s recorded just four hits over his last 10 games, with just one of those hits being an extra-base hit.
Verdugo and the Yankees are coming off a tough stretch of matchups against Baltimore and Tampa Bay pitching, however, so this cold streak for the 28-year-old could turn around with a more favorable matchup. Either way, I’d prefer to target the center and right side of New York’s outfield any day of the week.
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