Welcome to our weekly fantasy baseball risers and fallers column. In this article, I’ll provide three risers and three fallers based on what has transpired in the previous week.
Given that we’re past opening week, there are more options to choose from. We now know how managers are deploying their players, with some surprisingly receiving less playing time than initially expected. We also have a few young hitters who are making their presence felt immediately.
Without further ado, let’s find out who are this week’s biggest risers and fallers.
Fantasy Baseball Risers & Fallers
Fantasy Baseball Risers
Jordan Walker (OF – STL)
Jordan Walker came into the big leagues as a hyped prospect. After a couple of disappointing seasons, Walker went to Driveline Baseball this offseason. He’s always made hard contact with elite bat speed, but just hasn’t been able to generate enough power and keep his strikeout rate in check. It appears the trip has made a positive impact so far.
Walker is slashing .300/.382/.567 with two home runs and one stolen base in 34 plate appearances. He’s bumped his walk rate from 7.3% to 11.8%, while trimming his strikeout rate from 31.8% to 26.5%. We’re also seeing elite batted ball metrics, as highlighted by a 19% barrel rate. Make sure Walker is not sitting around on your waiver wire because he has the potential to break out.
Cam Smith (OF – HOU)
Cam Smith is another post-hype sleeper who is off to a nice start. Last season, Smith had a ton of hype as the main piece of the Kyle Tucker trade. After a disappointing year, he’s rolling right now, slashing .273/.400/.485 with two home runs and three stolen bases. You have to love the plate discipline, including a 15% walk rate.
The barrel rate also looks great at 13%, which is a significant increase from last year’s 6.9%. Smith has 20/20 upside, playing in a much-improved Astros lineup firing on all cylinders right now. Like Walker, Smith is a must-add because he has staying power as a breakout candidate.
Max Muncy (2B, 3B – ATH)
Max Muncy (the younger one; not on the Dodgers) is red-hot to start the season, slashing .314/.333/.571 with two homers and one steal in 36 plate appearances. He’s absolutely crushing the ball right now, including a 17.4% barrel rate.
The one concern I have is his plate discipline. Muncy currently has a 2.8% walk rate and a 33.3% strikeout rate. There’s a good chance he’s going to hurt your batting average or on-base percentage (OBP) at some point. For now, just ride the wave while he’s hot, but there’s a lot less staying power here.
Fantasy Baseball Fallers
Addison Barger (3B, OF – TOR)
Addison Barger is dealing with an ankle issue. While John Schneider says that it isn’t serious, it’s just another negative to go along with sporadic playing time. So far this season, Barger has played in only five games. The Blue Jays are sitting him versus lefties more than initially expected.
The results haven’t been good when Barger’s been on the field, either. He’s slashing .053/.174/.105 with zero home runs in 23 plate appearances. He’s also yet to barrel a baseball. I do think Barger will get on track, but I wouldn’t hesitate to flip him for Jordan Walker or Cam Smith, who each have more upside.
Spencer Torkelson (1B – DET)
Spencer Torkelson is currently slashing .172/.294/.241 with zero home runs in 34 plate appearances. The strikeout rate has been abysmal (32.4%), while there’s been a lack of hard contact (13.5% barrel rate).
I’d hold Torkelson because he’s a streaky hitter, but it makes sense to bench him while he’s in this slump. You don’t want to take the damage that he can bring to your batting average.
Trevor Story (SS – BOS)
Trevor Story had an awesome resurgence for the Red Sox last year, but this season has been rough so far — a .119/.119/.214 slash line with a 40.5% strikeout rate. The veteran shortstop has been bumped from No. 2 to No. 5 in the Red Sox lineup.
Like Spencer Torkelson, Story is an extremely streaky hitter, so I wouldn’t make any rash decisions just yet. But if you have a middle infielder that you can bench him for (like the aforementioned Max Muncy), it would make sense right now.
Subscribe: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeart | Castbox | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict | SoundCloud | TuneIn