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 20 (8/5-8/11).
- 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 20
Fantasy Baseball Risers
Jackson Merrill is having a fantastic rookie season. If it weren’t for Paul Skenes he would be the favorite for Rookie of the Year. This past week, Merrill had another monster week. He hit safely in five out of six games for a .417 batting average. Merrill had four home runs and two stolen bases while walking and striking out 10.7% of the time. Merrill is now hitting .286 on the season with 17 home runs and 13 stolen bases as he is locked into all fantasy lineups.
Jake Burger has been mashing lately. This past week, he hit safely in six out of seven games with four multi-hit games for a .379 batting average. He hit five home runs with a 25% barrel rate and a 70% hard-hit rate. Since July 1, Burger has been hitting .311 with 16 home runs, 26 runs scored and 27 RBI. Burger was horrible at the start of the season, but he has erupted lately and is on track for another great fantasy season.
Zach Neto is having a breakout season. This past week, he had a huge week, hitting safely in four out of six games. He hit .370 with three home runs, 10 RBI and a stolen base. Neto barreled the ball 18.2% of the time with a 63.6% hard-hit rate. Neto is now hitting .266 on the season with 17 home runs and 22 stolen bases. The run production should increase as he’s now hitting second for the Angels.
Jake McCarthy is back and healthy, and his production has dramatically improved. This past week, he hit safely in five out of seven games for a .417 batting average. He didn’t steal a base, which is surprising, but he did hit three home runs and drove in 11. McCarthy is hitting .460 over his last 17 games with three home runs, 19 RBI and four stolen bases. McCarthy is not platooning anymore and usually hits second in the order as he’s becoming a fantasy machine.
Tyler Fitzgerald (SS, OF – SF)
Tyler Fitzgerald has been on a mission since he was recalled a few weeks ago. This past week, he continued to rake, hitting safely in six out of seven games for a .345 batting average. He has been showcasing much more power recently and continued with one home run.
The difference this past week with Fitzgerald was the speed arrived. I’ve been preaching he has better speed than power, but he has not been running. This past week, Fitzgerald changed that, stealing five bases. Fitzgerald continues to showcase tons of power, an excellent batting average and speed. He’s been a great MI asset this late in the season.
Fantasy Baseball Fallers
Anthony Volpe has been struggling for most of the season, which has taken him out of the top of the batting order and moved down to the bottom. This past week, Volpe had one double for a .042 batting average. It gets even worse, though; Volpe struck out 41.7% of the time without a barrel and a 28.6% hard-hit rate. Volpe should not be rostered in most formats, as he’s adding nothing to your fantasy teams.
Many were excited when Kyle Stowers was traded to the Marlins. They thought it would lead to consistent playing time with production to follow. The playing time is there, but the production is not. This past week, he hit .095 with two singles in seven games while striking out 37.5% of the time. Stowers is now hitting .100 since joining the Marlins on July 7 while striking out 43.2% of the time.
Lane Thomas was a big trade piece for the Guardians but he has not produced since joining the team. He’s even losing playing time. This past week, Thomas played in seven games, starting five, and hit .091 with two singles. Thomas struck out 39.1% of the time and continues to struggle tremendously versus righties. Thomas was a drop for me in 12-team leagues this past week, and he should be dropped in most formats going forward.
Justyn-Henry Malloy (3B – DET)
It appears Justyn-Henry Malloy was starting to figure things out at the plate, but that has come to a screeching halt this past week. He hit .111 over five games last week with a double and a run scored. The batting average was terrible, and a 55% strikeout rate aided it. Malloy had a 33% O-Swing, 62.8% contact rate and 17.2% SwStr. Malloy appears to need more seasoning at the minors, and he may get that soon when Riley Greene returns.
Josh Jung returned from the injured list (IL). This past week he was knocking off the rust. He did collect six hits for a .231 batting average. Jung did not barrel the ball and had a 20% hard-hit rate, which is less than ideal for a power hitter like Jung. He also struck out 40.7% of the time with a 29.8% O-Swing, 62% contact rate and 19.2% SwStr. Hopefully, things turn around, but for now, Jung is not an auto-start like he used to be before his injury.
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