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 a few months into the season, 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 this week’s biggest risers and fallers are.
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Fantasy Baseball Risers & Fallers
Fantasy Baseball Risers
Pete Crow-Armstrong (OF – CHC)
Pete Crow-Armstrong gets a lot of heat for his second-half falloff from last year, which has extended into this season, as he’s slashing .258/.341/.443 with 11 home runs and 14 stolen bases in 277 plate appearances.
However, he’s starting to get red-hot at the plate again. In the last 14 days, PCA is slashing .364/.426/.691 with five home runs and two stolen bases in 61 plate appearances. Perhaps he’s made another adjustment to big league pitching.
Carson Benge (OF – NYM)
Carson Benge came into the season with a lot of hype as a touted prospect for an intriguing Mets team. After a slow start, the rookie outfielder is really getting into a nice groove of late.
In the last 14 days, Benge is slashing .333/.396/.667 with four homers and one steal in 53 plate appearances. He’s starting to look like a fixture on your fantasy baseball team.
Ronald Acuna Jr. (OF – ATL)
Ronald Acuna Jr. was one of my favorite targets in fantasy baseball this season, but he got off to an abysmal start and then missed time due to injury.
Well, he’s now starting to look like the Acuna we thought we were getting in drafts. In the last 14 days, he’s slashing .295/.426/.659 with five homers and eight steals in 54 plate appearances.
Fantasy Baseball Fallers
Kyle Tucker (OF – LAD)
Kyle Tucker was the biggest fish in free agency this season, but the Dodgers have landed a dud so far, as he’s slashing .236/.332/.384 with five home runs and four stolen bases in 265 plate appearances.
Things aren’t trending up, either. In the last 14 days, Tucker is slashing .167/.222/.262 with one home run in 45 plate appearances. I still have hope that he’ll turn it around, but it’s starting to be a bit concerning.
Austin Riley (3B – ATL)
Austin Riley was one of my favorite bounce-back targets this year, but he’s been abysmal at the plate so far, slashing .208/.284/.358 with eight home runs and four stolen bases in 268 plate appearances.
Like with Tucker, there hasn’t been light at the end of the tunnel. In the last 14 days, Riley is slashing .132/.244/.237 with zero home runs in 45 plate appearances. The alarm bells are sounding off here.
Manny Machado (3B – SD)
Manny Machado is off to a terrible start this year, slashing .169/.254/.342 with 11 home runs in 257 plate appearances. Now 33 years old, it’s fair to wonder if age is catching up to Machado.
In the last 14 days, he’s slashing .149/.184/.362 with three home runs in 49 plate appearances. As with Riley, it’s time to start worrying about Machado.
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