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 19 (7/29-8/4).
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- Fantasy Baseball Start/Sit Lineup Advice
- MLB Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
Fantasy Baseball Risers & Fallers: Week 19
Fantasy Baseball Risers
Colton Cowser has been a man on a mission since the All-Star break. He has hit safely in all 17 games for a .391 batting average. This past week, Cowser hit .419 over eight games with two home runs and nine runs scored. The contact quality has been excellent, with a 12.5% barrel rate and a 50% hard-hit rate this past week. Cowser is leading off most games and has been a fantasy beast after some mid-season struggles.
Wilyer Abreu has had some serious left-handed pitching (LHP)/right-handed pitching (RHP) splits this season, which have reverted to Abreu usually sitting versus LHP. This past week, the Red Sox faced five RHP, and Abreu took full advantage. Abreu hit .381 with three home runs while driving in nine. When I say he hits RHP well, he does, and he showcased it last week with a 21.4% barrel rate and 57.1% hard-hit rate. Abreu did strike out nearly 32% of the time, which won’t age well, but Abreu proved once again that a healthy Abreu versus RHP is a thing of fantasy beauty.
Geraldo Perdomo recently returned from the injured list (IL) and appears to be getting comfortable at the plate. He hit safely in all six games last week for a .524 batting average. He had four doubles, six runs scored, six RBI and two stolen bases. What may be more impressive than the unsustainable batting average was the fact Perdomo barreled the ball 17.8% of the time with a 58.8% hard-hit rate. Perdomo makes for a fine MI option going forward.
Luis Garcia has been having a good season, but he took it to a whole new level this past week. Garcia hit safely in all five games for the Nationals with a .526 batting average. He added two home runs and two stolen bases. Garcia barreled the ball 20% of the time with a 60% hard-hit rate. He is now hitting .290 on the season with 13 home runs and 17 stolen bases, proving to be a great late-round pick this season.
Orlando Arcia had been slumping recently but broke out quickly by hitting safely in five out of seven games. He hit .318 with three home runs, a 15% barrel rate and a 48% hard-hit rate. He also showcased great plate discipline by walking 18.5% of the time while striking out 7.4%. Arcia hits at the bottom of the Braves order, which has not been great this season, but the team appears to be waking up at the plate, meaning Arcia could help with runs scored as well.
Fantasy Baseball Fallers
Jeremy Pena has been serviceable this season but not great by any means. This past week was a significant step back for Pena. He hit safely in one of six games for a .091 batting average. He did not barrel a ball last week while striking out 34.8% of the time. Pena is still hitting .271 on the season with nine home runs and 12 steals. Hopefully, this past week was just a blip on the radar.
Spencer Steer’s production has been down in recent weeks. With a week of games in Great American Ball Park this past week, Steer’s output was still lacking. He collected three hits over six games for a .130 batting average. He did collect two doubles with a stolen base, but other than that, Steer fell flat. He’s still playing daily for the Reds, but his struggles are worth monitoring as Steer is not an auto-start anymore.
The Padres’ offense has been one of the top offenses all year, but Ha-Seong Kim has been missing in their success lately. This past week, Kim went hitless over five games while striking out 21.1% of the time. Kim’s struggles go farther back. Since July 1, Kim has hit .202 without a home run. Kim’s positional flexibility makes him a strong fantasy asset, but his recent production makes him a tough start.
Michael Toglia has been one of the hotter hitters of late, but this past week reminded so many that Toglia has a lot of swing and miss in his game which can crush a fantasy week. This past week, Toglia collected two hits; one was a home run, while he hit .095. The swing and miss was a significant problem as Toglia struck out 41.7% of the time with a 19.4% SwStr and 60% contact rate. The Rockies are in Coors this week, so hopefully, better days are ahead; just know this is what you signed up for when rostering Toglia.
Davis Schneider (2B, OF – TOR)
The shine that surrounded Davis Schneider earlier in the year has worn off. This past week, Schneider hit safely in three out of six games, collecting three hits while hitting .136. He did not barrel a ball to go with a 26% hard-hit rate. Even worse was Schneider’s 44% strikeout rate, which included a 13% SwStr and 68% contact rate. It’s time to let Schneider go and head back to the waiver wire.
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