Every week during the fantasy baseball season we do a stock report looking at players whose value is rising or declining. If there are specific players you want me to dive into, feel free to tag me on Twitter.
Without any further ado, let’s get to it. Here are a few fantasy baseball players trending up and others on the way down.
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6 Fantasy Baseball Players Trending Up & Down (Week 23)
Stock Up
It’s hard to go wrong with any rookie named Jackson this season, but Jackson Chourio has been the one standing out lately. At just 20 years old, he has put up a .343 wOBA, .191 ISO and 120 wRC+ this season.
He’s also been one of the hottest hitters at the dish lately. His .355 ISO since August 15 ranks fifth in all of baseball. He has recorded 13 hits over his last 10 games, including four homers and five doubles. He also has an impressive K% of just 17.4% and a BB% of 9.3%.
With the Brewers in first place in the National League Central, Chourio should carry value into the playoffs, but either way, he’s someone I want to be all over for the future.
Framber Valdez is one of the best pitchers in fantasy baseball. His consistency is always incredible and he has always maintained a high floor throughout his career.
The high floor comes from an elite ground ball rate. Valdez leads the league this year with 59.5% ground balls. His career average is 62.4%. Since the midpoint in August, he is first in xFIP (2.13) and 12th in K/9 (10.98). The Astros have a real chance at making a deep playoff run, and Valdez is the guy they will need to lead this team to a championship.
This isn’t my first time covering Mr. Butler in this section. Unlike Chourio, he won’t make it to the playoffs this season, but I’d be taking a hard look at the 24-year-old for the rest of this year and beyond.
Lawrence Butler hit seven homers and five doubles over his last 10 games, and he’s been one of the hottest hitters since August 15. During that span, he has led MLB in ISO (.443), wOBA (.480) and wRC+ (223). The balls he hits are some of the hardest in the league. He is 14th in hard-hit percentage since mid-August (46.2%). He has just a 3.1% soft contact percentage, the second-lowest mark among qualified hitters. Give me Butler for 2025 and beyond.
Stock Down
For a guy known for his high batting average, it is alarming seeing Steven Kwan with the worst wOBA (.189) over the last few weeks. He is still striking out and walking at 11.5% a piece, but he just hasn’t been putting the ball in play.
That being said, his .343 wOBA on the year is the highest mark of his three-year career, and his .134 ISO is significantly higher. His season overall has been quite beneficial for Cleveland, but his cold streak down the stretch is worth noting. I’d stay away until he gets back on track.
The first-place Guardians are going to need him to produce down the stretch, with the Twins and Royals both 4.5 games behind them.
Pitching for Colorado has to be the worst job in professional baseball. Some guys have found the secrets to pitching at high altitude, but most join the long list of people to get shelled repeatedly. German Marquez sticks out as someone who found the Coors Field cheat code not long ago.
Anyway, rookie Bradley Blalock has only made six starts this year but has allowed at least three runs in half of them. He’s struggled to keep the ball in the yard, having allowed a homer in each of his last three starts. His 6.52 xFIP ranks second-worst since August 15, and his K/9 is just a measly 5.40 over that span. Perhaps there is something in the tank for next season, but I’d target hitters against him as the season winds down.
Logan O’Hoppe homered against the Dodgers on Tuesday, but that’s about all the 24-year-old has done over the past few weeks. He has gone 3-for-34 over his last 10 games and has the third-worst wRC+ (25) and fifth-worst wOBA (.204) since August 15.
In his third year in the Majors, O’Hoppe has collected an impressive 18 homers. Last season he totaled 14 homers for the Halos in just 51 games. The Angels are going nowhere in the postseason, so O’Hoppe is someone I’d avoid this year, but would maybe reconsider in 2025.
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