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 18 (7/22-7/28).
- 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 18
Fantasy Baseball Risers
Tyler Fitzgerald (SS, OF – SF)
Tyler Fitzgerald has been on fire since the All-Star break. He hit safely in all eight games for the Giants this past week. Fitzgerald hit .375 with seven extra-base hits — five were home runs. The ball must have looked like a beach ball to Fitzgerald, who barreled the ball 21.7% of the time with a 47.8% hard-hit rate. Fitzgerald did not steal a base, which is surprising with all his speed; those will come. He will not hit for this crazy average all year, but Fitzgerald has plus power and plus speed. If he can keep the strikeouts under control he can be a fantasy stud for the final two months of the season.
Josh Bell has had quite the week by being DFA’d and then traded to the Diamondbacks. It was pretty crazy, considering the production from Bell this past week. Bell hit safely in all seven games for a .429 batting average while hitting home runs in five out of seven games. Bell was barreling the ball 17.4% of the time with a 65.2% hard-hit rate, which is outstanding, especially with Bell’s great plate discipline. He walked 15.2% of the time while striking out 15.2%. Bell is now in Arizona and will play regularly while Christian Walker is on the injured list (IL), making Bell a nice streaming option for now.
I’ve been promoting Austin Wells since he became the primary catcher for the Yankees once Jose Trevino hit the IL. Wells has backed up my hype and he was a man on a mission last week. Wells hit safely in his five starts for a .476 batting average. Wells hit two home runs while driving in five runs, but more impressive than the offensive production was the plate discipline Wells showcased. Last week, Wells walked 14.3% of the time while striking out 3.6%. Wells has been legit since getting his shot while hitting cleanup for the Yankees. He should be rostered in all formats.
Matt Chapman has been a streaky hitter this season. He was on quite the streak this past week. Chapman hit safely in five out of eight games for a .357 batting average with two home runs. He scored six runs while driving in five and, more impressively, stole two bases. Chapman now has a career-high 12 stolen bases on the season. Besides hitting .357, Chapman also walked 22.2% of the time with a 16.7% barrel rate and 66.7% hard-hit rate. Chapman is locked in again, so ride the hot streak.
Gavin Lux has been on fire since the All-Star break. He hit safely in five out of seven games this past week. Lux hit .421 with a home run and five RBI. Weirdly enough, Lux did not barrel the ball and had a 30% hard-hit rate, which does not bode well for continued success. The contact quality was not great, but the plate discipline was solid, with a 16.7% walk rate. There have always been high hopes for Lux. Maybe this is the start of Lux finding his groove in the bigs.
Fantasy Baseball Fallers
Part of the Angels’ lineup has been swinging some hot bats of late, but Brandon Drury has not been one of them since returning from the IL. This past week, Drury hit safely in one of six games with two singles. He struck out 20% of the time without a barrel and has a 33.3% hard-hit rate. Since he returned from the IL a month ago, he has hit .141 with 10 hits, all singles. The days of Drury being a nice power source appear to be gone.
Jarred Kelenic was one of the hottest hitters in the game for a month or so. He was hitting so well he moved to the leadoff spot for the Braves. That has changed as he’s been slumping lately. This past week he hit .048 with one single over five games. It’s hard to hit well when striking out 43.5% of the time, which Kelenic did this past week. As his production continues to fall, Kelenic will also fall in the batting order and should start falling off fantasy rosters.
Andy Pages was one of the big FAAB pickups early in the season. He rewarded those who added him. That has changed as his bat has gone ice cold, including a .091 batting average last week. Pages had two singles with three runs scored and a 25% strikeout rate. Pages is hitting .210 in July without a home run or a stolen base. He can be dropped in most formats.
Nico Hoerner is having a down season. This past week was no different. Hoerner hit safely in three out of six games for a .148 batting average with one stolen base. He didn’t barrel the ball with a 20% hard-hit rate and 40.7% O-Swing. Hoerner has been below average this season and can be dropped in 12-team and shallower leagues.
Ben Rice was among the more popular pickups a few weeks ago, but his offensive production has hit a wall. This past week he had two hits, both doubles, for a .118 batting average. He struck out 28.6% of the time with a 38.5% hard-hit rate. If you trusted Rice a few weeks ago, I would move on from him.
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