We have made it through another week of the MLB season, and there were some awe-inspiring performances. As usual, there were some great showings and some rough ones to dig into. This weekly fantasy baseball column will help highlight some hot and cold players, risers, and fallers. Some players are already rostered in many places, so that trades may be in order. Other players may be widely available in fantasy baseball leagues, making a potential waiver wire claim in the cards.
This week I will highlight some known and lesser-known players. So let’s see some of the risers and fallers for fantasy baseball Week 16 (7/1-7/7).
- Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Advice
- Fantasy Baseball Trade Advice
- Fantasy Baseball Start/Sit Lineup Advice
- MLB Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
Fantasy Baseball Risers & Fallers: Week 16
Fantasy Baseball Risers
Jose Miranda had a week for the ages as he hit safely in all six games for a .700 batting average. He had four doubles and a home run while striking out a measly 4.5% of the time. Miranda made a lot of contact last week, making it count with a 10.5% barrel rate and 52.6% hard-hit rate. Miranda is having a breakout season for the Twins; this week was just another great week to his great fantasy season.
Brenton Doyle took full advantage of a week in Coors by hitting safely in five out of six games for a .524 batting average. Doyle hit four home runs with four doubles and nine RBI while tossing in a stolen base. His plate discipline was excellent, with a 16% walk rate and a 12% strikeout rate, as well as an outstanding 33.3% barrel rate and 55.6% hard-hit rate. Doyle is now hitting .272 on the season with 11 home runs and 20 stolen bases. Doyle may be on the way to a 20/30 season, which will be tremendous for those who took the chance on him late in drafts.
Luis Garcia finished the week in a big way with hits in four straight games and a .500 batting average. Garcia hit three home runs with eight RBI and a stolen base while striking out just 9.1% of the time. He barreled the ball 16.7% of the time with a 61.1% hard-hit rate. Garcia is now hitting .277 with 10 home runs and 12 stolen bases. He’s on his way to another solid fantasy season.
It took some time for Colt Keith to get going at the major league level, but it’s safe to say he’s getting comfortable at the plate. He finished the past week with a five-game hitting streak. Keith hit .375 with three home runs and a stolen base. The power was supported by a 23.5% barrel rate, a .458 ISO and 246 wRC+. If Keith continues his newfound success in the second half of the season we could see the return so many thought we’d see during draft season.
Brent Rooker has been a streaky hitter this season. This past week was one of his big weeks. Rooker hit safely in five out of six games for a .500 batting average with three home runs and two stolen bases. Rooker walked 12% of the time while striking out 12% of the time. He had an impressive 1.510 OPS and 308 wRC+. Rooker looks to end the first half on a high note.
Fantasy Baseball Fallers
Josh Bell’s struggles this season continued in a big way this past week. He collected one hit — a double — over five games while striking out 25% of the time. Bell did barrel the ball 12.5% of the time, but a 37.5% hard-hit rate will not cut it from Bell with a 43.8% ground ball rate. Bell is hitting .229 on the season with eight home runs and an 83 wRC+. Bell should only be rostered in deep formats.
Noelvi Marte debuted last week and collected three hits, including a home run while hitting .130. Marte barreled the ball 7.7% of the time with a 30.8% hard-hit rate and a horrible 61.5% ground ball rate. Worse than the ground ball rate was that Marte struck out 41.7% of the time. Marte is basically in spring training mode, so it may take some time to get going, but this past week and his time at AAA have not been good.
Dansby Swanson is having a horrible season with the Cubs. This past week may have been a new low. Swanson collected one single for a .048 batting average while striking out 39.1% of the time. Swanson is hitting .204 on the season with eight home runs and five stolen bases. I dropped Swanson in all of my 12-team leagues. He’s also close to dropping in 15-team leagues.
Christopher Morel (3B, OF – CHC)
Christopher Morel collected hits in four of his five games last week, but three were singles to go with a double while hitting .211. Morel is rostered to hit home runs and drive in runs, something he has been doing inconsistently lately. This past week, Morel also struck out 50% of the time, which will ruin chances of hitting home runs. Morel is streaky and his batting average will be a problem, so we should monitor his playing time, which could dip with his lack of production. If it dips, rostering Morel could become tricky.
Tommy Pham did collect hits in five of his six games for a .292 batting average, but it was an empty stat line. Pham scored two runs without driving in a run to go with one stolen base. Pham did not collect a barrel to go with a horrible 41.7% strikeout rate. Pham has been putting up empty statlines too often, making it hard to roster him in 12-team and shallower leagues.
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