Wednesday is rankings update day around here, and it's a whole-day process. We're moving dozens of players across eight different positions in both H2H and Roto leagues, so if you're ever looking for the latest from Frank Stampfl, Scott White, and myself, always make sure to check in here around mid-week.
Scott wrote about the biggest risers and fallers in his rankings highlighting Brooks Lee and Jose Miranda, among others. And I've got my updated Trade Values Chart right here for you, covering both H2H points and Roto leagues here. But, before we get to the rest of today's newsletter recapping Wednesday's action, here's a quick list of the biggest movers at each position in my rankings:
- C: Ben Rice, C11⬆️
- 1B: Vladimir Guerrero, 1B4⬆️
- 2B: Xander Bogaerts, 2B12⬆️
- 3B: Mark Vientos, 3B17⬆️
- SS: Anthony Volpe, SS16⬇️
- OF: Jarren Duran, OF10⬆️
- SP: Jared Jones, SP43⬇️
- RP: Craig Kimbrel, RP15 ⬆️
We'll go more in-depth on the biggest rankings risers and fallers in Friday's episode of Fantasy Baseball Today, so make sure you're subscribed here on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. And now, here's what you need to know from Wednesday's action around MLB:
Wednesday's waiver targets
Xander Bogaerts, SS, Padres (80%) – I was surprised to see Bogaerts' roster rate drop as far as it has, though I can't say it's totally surprising – there are an awful lot of players on the IL right now, and hanging on to one who was hitting just .219/.265/.316 before his shoulder injury is tough to justify. But I remain pretty optimistic that he's going to be at least fantasy-relevant when he comes back – he had a .313 xwOBA before the injury, and has been one of the most consistent overperformers of that metric in the league. Bogaerts' dual eligibility at the middle infield positions means you should have a spot in your lineup for him somewhere when he gets back this weekend.
Mark Vientos, 3B, Mets (71%) – What's the hold-up here, everyone? Vientos has been hitting since the day he got recalled in mid-May, and really hasn't let up. He went 2 for 3 with a pair of doubles, a run, and an RBI Wednesday against the Nationals, and is now hitting .293/.346/.551 over 47 games. His underlying numbers don't quite back it up, but they don't paint the picture of a fraud, either – he has a .271 expected average and .514 expected slugging percentage, which would still make for an impact bat. Vientos should be rostered in all formats. I didn't quite move Vientos up into my top 12 in my latest rankings update, but it wouldn't take much to get him up to, say, 14th ahead of Nolan Arenaod. In a shallow league, I might even make that swap right now.
Jeff Hoffman, RP, Phillies (41%) – Hoffman has been the Phillies' best reliever all season, and they're starting to treat him like the closer, as he has recorded four of the team's past five saves, with Jose Alvarado working the eighth in two of them. That does include Wednesday, when Alvarado came in to face the 3-4-5 hitters for the Dodgers, though it's worth noting that he gave up a run on two hits. I don't expect Hoffman to get just all of the saves for the Phillies the rest of the way, but I'd guess it'll be close to 50-50, making Hoffman must-roster in categories leagues, at least.
Lars Nootbaar, OF, Cardinals (38%) – Injuries have been a real problem for Nootbaar, both this season and in seasons past, but I do feel pretty good about having him in my lineup whenever he's healthy. He was excellent in May, hitting .275/.370/.475 in 92 plate appearances, and he hit his first homer in three games since coming off the IL Wednesday while starting both ends of the Cardinals doubleheader. Nootbaar is one of those players who is probably a bit better in a points league thanks to his excellent plate discipline, which is tough because points leagues tend to be a little shallower. But there's still plenty to like about him in any Fantasy format, with 21 homers and 14 steals in 161 games since the start of last season. He just has to stay on the field.
Matt Wallner, OF, Twins (8%) – It's not exactly news that Wallner can hit for power, but it was still good to see him putting it into action over the past couple of days, as he homered in consecutive days Tuesday and Wednesday. Power comes easy for Wallner, but he needs to make consistent contact, and it's way too early to say if he's equipped to do that after his latest cycle through the minors – though, for what it's worth, it's also nice to see just three strikeouts in his first 14 trips to the plate since returning. Anything below a 30% strikeout rate would probably make Wallner Fantasy relevant, so that's a good start.
Tobias Myers, SP, Brewers (61%) – I've been pretty dismissive of Myers, but after another terrific start Wednesday against the Pirates – his second with eight shutout innings since the start of June! – I figure maybe it's time to see if there's something I'm missing here. And, unfortunately, I just don't see very much to get excited about in Myers' profile. He has good control, sitting at a 6.9% walk rate, though that's not so good that he's an outlier – among qualifiers, it's tied for 33rd out of 68. His 21.5% strikeout rate is tied with Mitch Keller for 46th among qualifiers, and his 41.2% flyball rate is the 22nd-highest among qualifiers. Myers isn't limiting homers at an especially good rate, and his quality-of-contact metrics are average or below pretty much everywhere. I want to find some reason to believe in his now-3.13 ERA and 1.13 WHIP, but I just can't find it. Add in Myers' dreadful minor-league track record – 5.67 career ERA in 155.2 innings at Triple-A – and it just feels like he's going to do more harm than good moving forward.