X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Fantasy Baseball Assets - May Risers and Fallers

As the second month of the 2018 MLB season finishes, there were some standout performances and some forgettable ones in May.

Since we have crossed the quarter-mark for the season, which players can we target in possible trade talks? Do we buy into recent hot streaks or stay patient to see how things play out in the early Summer months?

Whether our teams are competing for a title or rebuilding, we have to look to roster the players that best fit our plans. Here are some May movers and shakers to consider as trade commodities in your fantasy baseball leagues.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Hot May Performances to Buy

Brandon Belt, San Francisco Giants

Surrounded by J.D. Martinez and Freddie Freeman by WAR in May, Brandon Belt (1B, SF) has hit .327 in May with five HR and 17 RBI. He's shown that his April was no fluke, as he is hitting the ball in the air 47% of the time. His 46% hard-contact rate and 35.0 LD% have boosted his batting average and contributed to seven doubles for the month. In May, Belt led all first basemen with a 9.1 offensive-WAR.

Even though his LD% may dip closer to his 25.0 career-LD% for the rest of the season, his 48% career-FB% and 36% career-Hard% are enough to provide another 14-15 HR. Although his .406 BABIP in May should decline, his .271 career-batting average is high enough to provide above-average BA.

Belt has improved against four-seam fastballs, as his 1.158 OPS vs. four-seamers is up from his .883 career-OPS vs. four-seamers. After posting a .727 OPS vs. cutters in 2017, he has had more success (1.115 OPS) against cutters in 2018. He has handled pitches down and in well, as he has a .533 ISO in that portion of the zone.

If Belt can sustain his increased hard contact, he could hit join the 30-HR club for the first time.

 

Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers

After finishing March and April with a .271, 2 HR, 12 RBI, and 1 SB line, Christian Yelich (OF, MIL) has picked up the pace in May. Yelich's .327, 5 HR, 16 RBI, and 5 SB in May place in seventh amongst all outfielders in offensive WAR.

He has increased his line-drive rate to 25% in 2018, and his hard-contact rate has moved from 35% in 2017 to 43.6% in 2018. Most of his damage comes against right-handers, as he has a .939 OPS vs. RHP. Unlike his years in Miami, he has provided equal offensive production at home and on the road. The outfielder has a .325, 3 HR, 11 RBI, and 3 SB at Miller Park, and a .286, 3 HR, 13 RBI, and 3 SB in away games.

In the nine different areas of the strike zone, Yelich has a .200 ISO or higher in five of them. He handles pitches down and in (.203 ISO) and in and at the belt (.224 ISO) well.


(Courtesy of BrooksBaseball.net)

After successfully stealing 16 of his 18 stolen base attempts in 2017, he has swiped 6 of his 7 stolen base attempts in 2018. With his success rate, he should continue to see enough SB chances to surpass Steamer's projection of eight SB for the rest of the season.

 

Matt Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals

After only hitting two home runs in March and April, Matt Carpenter (3B, STL) hit .293 with 5 HR and 11 RBI. He posted the third-highest offensive WAR in May amongst 3B.

He paired his 52.7 FB% with a 61.2% hard-contact rate. Carpenter has increased his average exit velocity from 92.4 MPH in 2017 to 94.4 MPH in 2018. His .317 ISO in May has come from different parts of the zone. He has performed well against up and in pitches (.500 ISO) and down and in (.400 ISO) pitches in 2018. While pitches low and away have given him trouble, he has a .471 ISO against away pitches at the belt. Moving his walk rate to 10.8% in May still contributed a .376 OBP for the month, which was fifth-best at third base.

Even though he probably won't continue to hit five home runs a month, he has the tools to match and even surpass Steamer's projection of .252, 11 HR, and 37 RBI for the rest of 2018. If one is willing to take on some possible injury risk (shoulder and back), owners may be able to make a move for Carpenter. His positional flexibility can also help a roster.

 

Trevor Bauer, Cleveland Indians

Coming into the season, Trevor Bauer (RHP, CLE) was leaving draft boards between picks 120-150. In May, he has been the sixth-most valuable SP with a 1.3 WAR. The right-hander elevated his K/9 to 11.3, and he lowered his BB/9 to 2.5. He increased his average fastball velocity to 95.2 MPH for the month, and his two-seam fastball is now his least-used pitch.

His curveball (15.3 SwStr%) and cutter (17.7 SwStr%) have backed his bump in strikeouts, as he owns an 8.9 career-K/9. While his 6.3% hr/f should move closer to his 11.5% career-hr/f, his 3.38 SIERA says that it's mostly backed by skills.

In 2018, Bauer's 46.0 GB% has held steady, and his exit velocity allowed on FB/LD is down slightly to 93.4 MPH. If looking to acquire Bauer in a trade, just keep Steamer's 3.77 ERA projection in mind. He should continue to have success, even though he may allow more home runs (as hr/f increases) over the next four months.

 

Ross Stripling, Los Angeles Dodgers

During the month of May, Ross Stripling (RHP, LA) was the fifth-most valuable SP. Although his 88.6 LOB% and 7.3% hr/f will give back some ERA gains, his 2.78 SIERA is worth targeting while Rich Hill is out of the Dodgers rotation. Currently, Stripling has the second-lowest Hard Hit percentage (24.6%) amongst starting pitchers.

Yes, two starts against San Diego has boosted his 10.99 K/9, but he also struck out nine Washington hitters in six innings on May 19. Stripling's curveball (16.9 SwStr%) and change-up (13.2 SwStr%) have supported his strikeouts while also inducing 70.0+ GB% on both pitches. His 55.7 GB% in May contributed to a 1.70 xFIP.

Not only can he strikeout batters, but he continues to lower ratios with his control. In May, he threw balls 31% of the time, and ended the month with 1.2 BB/9. His walk rate was sixth amongst qualified SP. His pitches have missed barrels through six GS, as his 2.0 Brls/PA is the sixth-lowest in MLB.

His IP projection range from Steamer's 61 IP to ZIPS' 66 IP. For those owners that are willing to take a risk that he sees more IP, his skills in May were good enough to put him in the same neighborhood as Max Scherzer and Luis Severino.

 

More MLB Advice and Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Michael Conforto1 hour ago

Homers, Scores Three Runs
Jace Jung2 hours ago

Hits Home Run No. 2 At Triple-A
Jon Singleton2 hours ago

Signs Minor-League Deal With Mets
Niko Goodrum2 hours ago

Signs Minor-League Deal With Mets
Nick Kurtz2 hours ago

Belts Third Home Run In Last Four Games
Shohei Ohtani2 hours ago

Blasts Walk-Off Home Run
Zac Veen2 hours ago

Triples, Collects Four RBI At Triple-A On Wednesday
Zac Gallen2 hours ago

Strikes Out 13
Luke Waddell3 hours ago

Swinging A Hot Bat At Triple-A
Chandler Simpson3 hours ago

With A Two-Run Triple, Stolen Base On Wednesday
Los Angeles Chargers4 hours ago

Chargers Sign Tight End Jordan Petaia
Austin Gomber4 hours ago

Scratched From Rehab Start With Shoulder Inflammation
Zack Wheeler4 hours ago

Records 10 Strikeouts
4 hours ago

Matthew Golden Making Pre-Draft Visit To Steelers
Cincinnati Bengals4 hours ago

Trey Hendrickson Not Looking For Short-Term Deal
Aroldis Chapman5 hours ago

Earns First Save Of The Season
Garrett Crochet5 hours ago

Works Eight Strong Innings
Tutu Atwell5 hours ago

Rams Plan To Give Tutu Atwell A Bigger Role In 2025
Rafael Devers5 hours ago

Finally Delivers At The Plate
Tampa Bay Buccaneers5 hours ago

Bucs Restructure Antoine Winfield's Deal To Free Up Cap Space
Xavier Edwards5 hours ago

Collects Four Hits
Pete Alonso5 hours ago

Comes Up Clutch
Jackson Merrill7 hours ago

Goes Deep After Inking Nine-Year Extension
Jrue Holiday7 hours ago

Won't Play Against Miami
New York Jets7 hours ago

Xavier Newman-Johnson Re-Signs With New York
Luis Castillo7 hours ago

Finally Beats The Tigers On Wednesday
Al Horford7 hours ago

Sidelined Versus Heat
Seiya Suzuki7 hours ago

Carries Cubs Offense With Two Homers, Five RBI
Kristaps Porzingis7 hours ago

Ruled Out On Wednesday
Fred VanVleet7 hours ago

Out Versus Utah
Dennis Santana8 hours ago

Picks Up First Save Of The Year
Dean Wade8 hours ago

Sidelined On Wednesday
Trae Young8 hours ago

Expected To Suit Up On Wednesday
Joel Embiid8 hours ago

Will Undergo Arthroscopic Surgery On His Left Knee
Evgeni Malkin8 hours ago

Joins Penguins For Road Trip
Filip Chytil9 hours ago

Could Miss Rest Of Season
Declan Chisholm9 hours ago

Back In Action Against Rangers
Keaton Wallace9 hours ago

Sidelined Again On Wednesday
Samuel Girard9 hours ago

Exits Avalanche Lineup Wednesday
Joel Kiviranta9 hours ago

Returning Against Blackhawks
Eeli Tolvanen9 hours ago

Misses First Game Of The Season
Jaden Schwartz9 hours ago

Unavailable Against Canucks
11 hours ago

Kyle McCord Rising Up Draft Boards?
11 hours ago

Ashton Jeanty To Raiders Continues To Gain Steam
11 hours ago

Emeka Egbuka To Fall To Round 2?
Los Angeles Rams11 hours ago

Rob Havenstein Expected To Be Ready For Training Camp
Cleveland Browns13 hours ago

Mike Hall Likely To Miss Offseason Program After Having Knee Surgery
New England Patriots13 hours ago

Christian Barmore Expected To Be Ready For Offseason Workouts
13 hours ago

Saints Expected To Visit With Quinn Ewers
Jake Moody13 hours ago

49ers To Bring In Competition For Jake Moody
Pittsburgh Steelers13 hours ago

Steelers In Play To Draft A Running Back
Green Bay Packers15 hours ago

Packers Not Ruling Out Jaire Alexander Returning
Tennessee Titans15 hours ago

No. 1 Overall Pick Might Not Be For Sale
Kenny Pickett15 hours ago

Browns Feel Good About QB Situation, Kenny Pickett
Cleveland Browns16 hours ago

Browns Unlikely To Trade Up To No. 1 Overall For Cam Ward
Cincinnati Bengals16 hours ago

Bengals Still Working On Contract Extension With Trey Hendrickson
Dyami Brown16 hours ago

Jaguars Intrigued By Dyami Brown's Potential
Bennedict Mathurin17 hours ago

Iffy For Wednesday
Myles Turner17 hours ago

May Miss Another Game Wednesday
Al Horford17 hours ago

Considered Doubtful Wednesday
Jrue Holiday17 hours ago

Questionable For Wednesday's Game
Kristaps Porzingis17 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Wednesday
Jaylen Brown18 hours ago

Could Remain On The Shelf Wednesday
Cade Cunningham18 hours ago

Likely Out For Fifth Straight Game
Anthony Davis18 hours ago

Probable Wednesday
Evan Bouchard19 hours ago

Tallies Two Assists In Victory
Jake Guentzel19 hours ago

Tallies Goal, Assist In Victory
Kirill Marchenko19 hours ago

Scores Hat Trick On Tuesday
Tage Thompson20 hours ago

Stays Hot On The Scoresheet
Lane Hutson20 hours ago

Dishes Out Three Helpers In Overtime Victory
Alex Ovechkin20 hours ago

Tallies Two Points In Victory
Cameron Young1 day ago

A Player To Avoid At Valero Texas Open
Kurt Kitayama1 day ago

In Search Of Consistency At Valero Texas Open
Si Woo Kim1 day ago

Looking To Bounce Back At Valero Texas Open
Tom Hoge1 day ago

Looking To Build Off Strong Performance At The PLAYERS Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick1 day ago

Looking For Consistency At Valero Texas Open
Corey Conners1 day ago

Continues Strong Form Ahead Of Valero Texas Open
Patrick Cantlay1 day ago

Eyeing Victory At Valero Texas Open
Gary Woodland1 day ago

Showing Great Form Ahead Of Valero Texas Open
Akshay Bhatia1 day ago

Aiming For Repeat At Valero Texas Open
Alejandro Tosti1 day ago

A Volatile Choice At TPC San Antonio
Guerschon Yabusele1 day ago

Out Against Knicks
Karl-Anthony Towns1 day ago

Sits Out Tuesday's Game
Jevon Carter1 day ago

Ruled Out Tuesday
Dalen Terry1 day ago

Unavailable Against Raptors
Julian Phillips1 day ago

Out On Tuesday
Jimmy Snuggerud1 day ago

Ready For NHL Debut Tuesday
Jacob Trouba1 day ago

Set To Rejoin Ducks Lineup Tuesday
Troy Terry1 day ago

On Track To Play Tuesday
Jonathan Marchessault1 day ago

Remains Out Against Blue Jackets
Alex Laferriere1 day ago

Expected To Return On Tuesday
Luke Schenn1 day ago

A Game-Time Decision Tuesday
Dante Fabbro1 day ago

Returns Against Predators
Olli Määttä2 days ago

Olli Maatta A Game-Time Call On Tuesday
Jordan Spieth2 days ago

Needs To Find Consistency At TPC San Antonio
Jake Knapp2 days ago

Making First Appearance At Valero Texas Open
Michael Kim2 days ago

Looking To Find The Magic Again In San Antonio
Tommy Fleetwood2 days ago

Is Nearly A Must-Play At Valero Texas Open
Tony Finau2 days ago

Hoping For Better Approach Play In San Antonio
Eric Cole2 days ago

Trending In Right Direction Ahead Of Valero
Sam Stevens2 days ago

Enjoys Nice Result In Houston
PGA2 days ago

J.T. Poston Seeks To Contend At Valero Texas Open
Denny McCarthy2 days ago

Keeps Making Cuts But Needs To Make More Putts
Brian Harman2 days ago

Off To A Subpar 2025 So Far
Ryan Preece2 days ago

Has Three Straight Top-10 Finishes For First Time In His Career
NASCAR2 days ago

Bubba Wallace After Third-Place Finish At Martinsville: "What a Great Day"
Todd Gilliland2 days ago

Has Mistake-Free Day At Martinsville, Grabs Another Top-10 Finish
Brandon Moreno2 days ago

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Steve Erceg2 days ago

Losses Third Consecutive Fight
Drew Dober2 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres2 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Harry Hall2 days ago

Bounces Back In Houston Last Week
CJ Vergara2 days ago

Gets Submitted
Édgar Cháirez2 days ago

Edgar Chairez Gets Submission Win At UFC Mexico City
Vince Morales2 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC Mexico City
Raul Rosas Jr.2 days ago

Gets Decision Win At UFC Mexico City
Saimon Oliveira2 days ago

Still Winless In The UFC
David Martinez2 days ago

Wins His UFC Debut
Kevin Borjas2 days ago

Earns His First UFC Win
Ronaldo Rodríguez2 days ago

Ronaldo Rodriguez Suffers His First UFC Loss
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Powers His Way To A Second-Place Finish At Martinsville
Chase Elliott3 days ago

Strong Martinsville Performance Ends With A Top-Five Finish
Kyle Larson3 days ago

Collects A Top-Five Finish At Martinsville
William Byron3 days ago

Places 22nd After Struggles At Martinsville
Joey Logano3 days ago

Claims His First 2025 Top-10 Finish After Up-And-Down Performance
Tyler Reddick3 days ago

Fails To Place In The Top 10 At Martinsville
Denny Hamlin3 days ago

Silences Doubters After Crew-Chief Change
Ty Gibbs3 days ago

Earns Best 2025 Finish At Martinsville Despite Failing Cool Suit
Ross Chastain3 days ago

Has A Great Day At Martinsville
Chase Briscoe3 days ago

Has Solid Run At Martinsville
Erik Jones3 days ago

Disqualified At Martinsville For Weight Violation
Josh Berry4 days ago

Has Top-10 Upside At Martinsville
Joey Logano4 days ago

Don't Overlook Joey Logano This Weekend
Ryan Preece4 days ago

Could Get First Three-Race Top-10 Streak Of His Career
Chase Elliott4 days ago

Looking To Continue Great Runs At Martinsville
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Wins Pole At Martinsville, But Can He Stay Up There?
Ryan Blaney4 days ago

Fast In Practice But Skeptical About Car
Denny Hamlin4 days ago

New Crew Chief Has Terrible Martinsville Record
Steve Erceg6 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Brandon Moreno6 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres6 days ago

Set For Co-Main Event
Drew Dober6 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Mexico City
Joe Pyfer6 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Kelvin Gastelum6 days ago

Set For Middleweight Matchup
Vince Morales6 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Raul Rosas Jr.6 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Saimon Oliveira6 days ago

Looks For His First UFC Win
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
UFL RANKINGS, FANTASY FOOTBALL,

UFL Fantasy Football Rankings for Week 2: QB, RB, WR, TE Rankings and Analysis (2025)

Week 2 of the UFL season is just around the corner. This week will feature one game on Friday, one game on Saturday, and two on Sunday. Birmingham and Michigan will play at 8:00 p.m. EDT on Friday, followed by Memphis-D.C. on Saturday at 8:00 p.m. EDT. Sunday's game pits the 1-0 Renegades against the […]


Calvin Ridley - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL DFS Picks, Draft Sleepers

Dynasty Fantasy Football Rankings: Overvalued, Undervalued Players (2025)

Dynasty fantasy football rankings constantly shift, especially as we inch closer to the new season and fantasy drafts. Dynasty managers know the importance of finding those underrated players who could be steals in drafts or trades. They also know some players are overhyped due to unsustainable trends or past production. I'll break down two overvalued […]


Justin Fields - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Best Fantasy Football Moves During 2025 NFL Free Agency

It has been a wild offseason so far in the NFL. Plenty of players have switched teams in free agency, and some stars were even traded. Deebo Samuel Sr. was dealt to the Washington Commanders, Geno Smith was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders, and DK Metcalf has a new home with the Pittsburgh Steelers. These […]


Tyreek Hill - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Three Aging Fantasy Football Players To Sell In Dynasty Leagues

It's hard to always know when to sell off your aging fantasy football players. Often, it's also difficult to accept that it's better to move on from a player when he's coming off a productive season and still has a lot left in the tank. But I believe it's better to be a year early […]


J.J. McCarthy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Draft Sleepers

Five Fantasy Football Superflex Quarterback Breakouts, Draft Targets (2025)

If you’ve ever played in a Superflex fantasy football league, then you know how important quarterbacks are in this format. The ability to start multiple stud quarterbacks can carry you to a Superflex title. Unfortunately, finding two such players isn’t so easy. All the top signal-callers come off draft boards first, and that makes it […]


Omarion Hampton - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks - NFL Draft

Ideal Landing Spots For The Top 12 Fantasy Football Rookies - 2025 NFL Draft

Then, the NFL Draft continues to inch closer and closer. This is a very interesting class, with a handful of players who could be stars in the NFL and reshape fantasy football leagues going forward. Here are the ideal landing spots for the top 12 fantasy football rookies. These picks exist in conversation with each […]


Jalen Coker - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Eight Best Ball Late Round Value Fantasy Football Players To Target For 2025

Fantasy football is the most popular game in all of sports. It has gone from a paper-and-pen game to a multi-million dollar-a-year one. While redraft leagues are the most popular form of fantasy football, best ball leagues are quickly gaining steam. The best part of best ball leagues is the ability to draft thousands of […]


Abdul Carter - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2025 NFL Draft Rankings: Top 10 Fantasy Football Edge Rusher Prospects

Edge rusher is the most important, most coveted, and most highly-paid position on defense in the NFL. It stands to reason that the most important position in the entire game being quarterback, and by a wide margin, means the most important position on defense are the players that are tasked with disrupting opposing QBs as […]


Brock Purdy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Picks

Brock Purdy Dynasty Fantasy Football Outlook and Trade Value

Despite becoming the all-time leading passer for the Iowa State Cyclones, Brock Purdy wasn't a highly touted prospect due to his perceived lack of athleticism. The 49ers picked him with the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, but Mr. Irrelevant quickly proved everyone wrong. In his first two years, he started in back-to-back NFC […]


Michael Florio's Football Show - Podcast RotoBaller Network

Florio's Football Show: Scouting NFL Draft Prospects!

Michael F Florio goes over some of the top prospects from this years NFL Draft. Florio talks about what he looks for when watching prospect tape and explains what traits translate best to the NFL level. Be sure to also tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (SiriusXM channel 87) on Sundays from 6-7 am. You can […]


Najee Harris - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Dynasty Fantasy Football Buy or Sell: Najee Harris, Rico Dowdle, Jordan Mason

One year ago, we discussed the futures of Josh Jacobs, Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, and Aaron Jones as those free agents found new homes. This year's headliners are Najee Harris, Rico Dowdle, and Jordan Mason. Not quite the same. Still, with every transaction come implications for dynasty fantasy football rosters across the globe. Below, we […]


Romeo Doubs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Early 2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Undervalued NFC Draft Targets

While the 2025 fantasy football redraft season is still several months away, there is no such thing as being too prepared for your fantasy draft. Fantasy football is year-round, even for those who only play in redraft leagues. The landscape of fantasy football will change between today and the start of redraft season, with the […]


Detroit Lions Defense, Aidan Hutchinson - Fantasy Football DST Rankings, Streamers, IDP Sleepers

2025 Fantasy Football IDP Sleepers: Five Draft Targets

It's notably difficult to identify sleepers in fantasy football IDP leagues. The skill of the players in question is very important, but situation also plays a large factor, as does a recent history of injuries. Rather than bucketing them into groups, it's better to analyze each one individually, look at where they are in terms […]