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Fantasy Baseball Risers & Fallers: Week 7 (2023)

Fantasy Baseball Risers & Fallers: Week 7 (2023)

We have made it through another week of the MLB season, and there were some awe-inspiring performances. But, as usual, there were also some rough performances to dig into. This weekly column will help highlight some hot and cold players, and risers and fallers for fantasy purposes.

Some players are already rostered in many places, so trades may be in order. Other players may be widely available, making a potential waiver wire claim in the cards. So this week, I will highlight some known and lesser-known players. Let’s see some of the risers and fallers for fantasy baseball Week 7 (5/8-5/14).

Fantasy Baseball Risers & Fallers: Week 7 (2023)

Risers

Jake Fraley (OF – CIN)

After a slow start to the season, Fraley turned up the offense this week. Heading into Sunday, Fraley was hitting .438 on the week with three home runs and a stolen base. In addition, he was barreling the ball 36.4% of the time with a 54.5% hard-hit rate.

The production was great and much-needed for fantasy managers, but there are still some concerns as Fraley struck out nearly 30% of the time. He still has a significant hole in his swing that needs to get fixed, but this past week was a step in the right direction. Hopefully, this streak continues as he gets three games in Coors Field and then three in Great American Small Park.

Casey Schmitt (3B – SF)

Schmitt joined the Giants this week and came out with guns blazing at the plate. He hit safely in his first five games, collecting 11 hits for a .550 batting average. Schmitt had three doubles and two home runs while only striking out 5% of the time. He should continue playing daily with David Villar heading to Triple-A, so hopefully Schmitt’s bat can stay hot.

Nolan Arenado (3B – STL)

Arenado’s start to the season left fantasy managers very concerned about the veteran’s future value. This past week should ease those concerns, as he hit safely in all five games with three home runs. He struck out around 10% of the time with a barrel rate over 20% and a hard-hit rate near 50%. Breathe a sigh of relief as Arenado seems fine and should be in for another strong fantasy season.

Juan Soto (OF – SD)

Similar to Arenado, Soto had a rough start to his season. However, that quickly changed as Soto had hit safely in all five games heading into Sunday. He hit .556 with seven extra-base hits and two stolen bases. His plate discipline was elite again, with an 18.2% walk rate and a 4.5% strikeout rate. Soto will be just fine and appears ready for a big 2023 season.

Nathan Eovaldi (SP – TEX)

Eovaldi’s solid 2023 season took another step in the right direction with a great start in Oakland. He threw 8.2 innings while allowing no runs and striking out 12. Eovaldi now has a 2.70 ERA with a 2.95 xFIP and 23.3% K-BB. He is healthy for now, meaning continued success could be in order for the Rangers’ ace. Yes, he’s no Jacob deGrom; he’s Eovaldi.

Fantasy Baseball Lineup Assistant

Fallers

Jorge Mateo (SS – BAL)

Mateo had a fantastic start to the season. He was a top-5 fantasy player for the first few weeks. But that has quickly changed, and this past week was a low point. Heading into Sunday, Mateo had one single with no runs, an RBI, and no steals. He struck out 16.7% of the time without a walk or a barrel. Mateo’s speed is a significant boon for fantasy, but he needs to start getting on base again to regain that fantasy relevance.

Mitch Haniger (OF – SF)

It has been rough for Haniger since coming off the IL on April 24. This past week was particularly bad, as Haniger collected two hits for a .100 batting average. He had zero walks with a 35% strikeout rate. He did have a 69.2% hard-hit rate which is great, but the overall performance left a lot to be desired.

C.J. Cron (1B – COL)

Cron is having a bad season with the Rockies, and it hit a major low this past week as he hit .200 with a .133 ISO and no home runs. Cron is now hitting .231 on the season with six home runs, which is not cutting it for a power bat that plays half of his games in Coors Field. Oh, and it got worse as Cron went to the IL on Sunday.

Brandon Lowe (2B – TB)

Brandon Lowe is doing Brandon Lowe things, as he had a decent hot streak earlier in the season but is now ice-cold at the plate once again. He had one hit on the week as he entered Sunday while striking out 20% of the time. Lowe is hitting .185 on the season with seven home runs and a strikeout rate near 30%. He’s faced health issues throughout his career and is a potential platoon in the future if the struggles continue.

Hayden Wesneski (SP – CHC)

There were high expectations for Wesneski as he left spring training, but he has not lived up to them. This past week, he allowed seven runs over five innings against the Twins. He allowed four home runs while striking out five. He has a 5.03 ERA and 4.48 xFIP on the season, with an 11.3% K-BB. So move on from Wesneski if you were still holding out hope.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Assistant


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