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. 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 22 (8/19-8/25).
- 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 22
Fantasy Baseball Risers
Many thought Connor Norby should have been playing with the Marlins when he was traded from the Orioles. He started at AAA and was finally promoted this past Monday. Norby quickly made many know of his skills by hitting safely in all six games for a .375 batting average. Norby had four doubles, two home runs, seven runs scored and a stolen base. He moved to the leadoff spot over the weekend once Xavier Edwards was injured, which should just aid Norby’s fantasy upside. Norby could be in line for a big finish to the season.
Pete Crow-Armstrong (OF – CHC)
It has been a disappointing season for Pete Crow-Armstrong this year, but he’s showing signs of figuring things out at the big-league level. He hit safely in four out of six games this past week for a .300 batting average. He showcased some power, hitting two home runs with an impressive 20% barrel rate and 66.7% hard-hit rate. Crow-Armstrong has become the everyday CF for the Cubs, and the fantasy production is beginning to come to life.
Joey Loperfido never found his offensive footing with the Astros, but a change of scenery in Toronto may be what he needed. This past week, he hit safely in four out of six games, with multiple hits in all four games for a .400 batting average. Loperfido hit three doubles, two triples and a home run for six of his eight hits. He had an impressive 1.355 OPS and 270 wRC+. Loperfido may still have some ups and downs, but this past week was a nice showcase of what Loperfido is capable of at the plate.
Jhonkensy Noel has been a power bat with many holes in his swing since he was recalled. That has slowly changed. Noel had a monster offensive week this past week. Noel hit safely in four of his five games for a .400 batting average. He had two doubles and three home runs, with eight runs scored and six RBI. Noel did this while striking out 22.7% of the time with a 33.3% barrel rate. Noel may be streaky throughout his career, but the power is undeniable, proving dominating weeks like this are in the cards for Noel.
Geraldo Perdomo (2B, SS – ARI)
Geraldo Perdomo returned from the injured list (IL) a few weeks ago and has been hitting ever since. This past week, he hit safely in five out of six games with a .375 batting average. He hit two home runs while stealing two bases and scoring five runs. The plate discipline was fully displayed as Perdomo walked 11.1% of the time and struck out 14.8% of the time. Perdomo has been taking full advantage of hitting in the best offense in baseball. He should be rostered in all formats.
Fantasy Baseball Fallers
Josh Jung has returned from the IL for a few weeks now. The production has yet to arrive for the power-hitting third baseman, though. This past week, Jung collected four hits for a .182 batting average. He did collect a double, but recorded zero home runs and zero walks while striking out 22.7% of the time. Jung did barrel the ball 11.8% with a 52.9% hard-hit rate, which is a positive, but the production did not follow. Jung is hitting .216 since returning on July 30 with two home runs and three RBI. Jung is a drop in most formats as the production is not there for fantasy.
Jackson Holliday was once one of the hottest hitters in baseball, but that has disappeared of late. This past week, he had one single over seven games for a .050 batting average. He did not barrel a ball to go with a 27.3% hard-hit rate. It got worse for Holliday as he also struck out 40.9% of the time with a 14.1% SwStr%. Holliday is young and slumps will happen, but right now, he is not the auto-start he once was a few weeks ago.
Sean Murphy’s disappointing season continued last week when he collected three singles over five games for a .158 batting average. Murphy did not collect a barrel with an 18.2% hard-hit rate. He struck out 42.1% of the time and continues to split time with Travis d’Arnaud, making Murphy an easy drop in all formats.
Ceddanne Rafaela (SS, OF – BOS)
Ceddane Rafaela has had quite the up-and-down season for the Red Sox. He’s currently in an offensive funk. This past week, Rafaela hit safely in three out of six games for a .182 batting average. He did collect three doubles but did not score a run or steal a base. Rafaela struck out 31.8% of the time without a walk, showcasing rough plate discipline. Rafaela’s great defense keeps him in the lineup, but he should not be started in most fantasy lineups.
Brandon Lowe was on fire at the plate, hitting home runs all over the place. This past week that came to a halt. He hit safely in three games, the final three games of the seven-game week. Lowe hit .138 without a home run or an RBI. He struck out 40% of the time with zero barrels. Lowe can be streaky, but this past week was really bad, making Lowe a bench for now.
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