Fantasy Baseball Lineup Analysis: NL 06/28

National League lineup analysis returns to Fantrax. The five hottest hitters in the NL over the past two weeks have been Bryce Harper, Shohei Ohtani, CJ Abrams, Bryan Reynolds, and Freddie Freeman. Safe to say the big-time players have been making big-time plays. Keep reading for news and notes on all 15 lineups across the National League.

Please note that this article is finalized the day prior to publish. I will do my best to update the information as it comes in later that night.

Fantasy Baseball Lineup Takeaways: NL Edition

National League East

Philadelphia Phillies

• Trea Turner is back from the IL
  • Turner returned to the lineup on May 17 foregoing a rehab assignment
  • There have not been any signs of rust for Turner who has hit safely in all but one game for the Phillies since returning
  • He is clearly still taking things easy on his hamstring though as he does not have a stolen base attempt since returning. These attempts should return for the second half
  • With Turner returning to the lineup, Edmundo Sosa has moved into more of a bench role although he continues to play against most lefties
• Brandon Marsh is also back from the IL
  • Marsh returned to the lineup a bit before Turner and the team decided to keep David Dahl over Johan Rojas
  • Rojas was demoted to Triple-A likely due to the fact he has options remaining
  • Marsh and Dahl have both been playing on the strong side of a platoon
  • Marsh’s lineup spot is much more secure than Dahl’s. Dahl has a 40 wRC+ since June 11 and is a DFA candidate when Kody Clemens returns
•  Bryce Harper left Thursday’s game with a hamstring injury
  • Harper has been playing at an MVP level as of late with seven home runs since the start of June
  • This injury is likely to make him miss at least a couple of games while the team mulls placing him on the IL
  • If he is forced to miss time, Alec Bohm could shift to first base and Edmundo Sosa could regain regular playing time at third base
• Kyle Schwarber also left the game Thursday with a groin injury
  • It remains to be seen if this injury is serious or how long the groin issue will sideline Schwarber who is primarily just the DH
  • If forced to miss extended time, Kody Clemens could rejoin the team as a DH
  • The team could also DH Nick Castellanos and recall Johan Rojas from Triple-A

Miami Marlins

• Jake Burger’s numbers continue to get worse
  • Burger has moved down to fifth in the lineup and could continue to slide if his struggles continue
  • Since June 9, he is striking out nearly 30% of the time with an average below .200
  • Considering how poor Miami’s lineup is, his roster spot is likely safe. However, he is not relevant for fantasy managers
• Jesus Sanchez hit fourth against a lefty earlier this week
  • Sanchez has primarily been platooning this year but could be getting extended opportunities now
  • His recent offensive performances have been rough batting just .208 since the start of June
  • His power however has been ticking up with three home runs since June 18
  • Sanchez is crushing the ball this season and has been making notable improvements to his launch angle. He is an intriguing buy-low option although he comes with plenty of variance risk

Atlanta Braves

• Jarred Kelenic is now batting leadoff for Atlanta
  • Kelenic is the player to benefit the most from injuries to Acuna and Michael Harris and should get much better counting stat opportunities from the leadoff spot
  • Since moving up to the leadoff spot, Kelenic has hit three home runs and has seen his barrel rate skyrocket
  • In fact, since May 7, Kelenic’s barrel rate is up over 12%. The strikeouts are not going anywhere but his power seems legit and he is worth buying back into for 12+ team leagues
• Forrest Wall has been playing on the strong side of a platoon
  • While the Braves are likely to make a trade for a left-handed outfielder at the deadline, Wall is drawing the majority of starts batting eighth in the lineup
  • Wall has shown flashes of elite stolen base upside in the Minor Leagues but does not hold much fantasy value outside of that
  • Adam Duvall continues to split playing time with Wall primarily playing against left-handers
  • Neither player is worth rostering
• Ramon Laureano is an everyday player
  • Laureano is batting seventh in the lineup most games and playing regularly with the current injuries
  • In 11 games with Atlanta, Laureano has looked slightly better than he did with Cleveland earlier this year but is far from a reliable fantasy asset
  • He is not worth picking up outside of AL-only leagues

Washington Nationals

• Harold Ramirez has joined the team after being DFA’d by Tampa Bay
  • Ramirez was originally sent to Triple-A before joining the roster on Monday
  • His arrival does not appear to be taking playing time away from any of the Nationals’ regular starters and he is not relevant for fantasy purposes
  • Trey Lipscomb was sent back to Triple-A in a corresponding move
• CJ Abrams is hot again
  • Abrams’ season has been broken into three segments. A great start, a slow middle, and now he is heating back up again
  • Eight caught steals in 21 attempts is a bit concerning, but overall Abrams’ profile looks excellent
  • At just 23 years old, Abrams has the looks of a future star and is a player worth paying up for in dynasty leagues

New York Mets

• Francisco Alvarez is moving up in the lineup
  • Since returning from the IL, Alvarez has primarily been batting seventh in the lineup but has moved up to fifth recently
  • Alvarez has looked much more like the hitter we all expected since returning to the lineup
  • In his last 30 plate appearances, Alvarez has three home runs and is batting over .400
  • He should be 100% rostered in all formats
• Starling Marte was placed on the IL with a bone bruise
  • With Marte out of the lineup, Tyrone Taylor seems to be the most likely to step into additional playing time
  • DJ Stewart is likely to factor into the playing time as well
  • Neither player is worth rostering in fantasy
• Mark Vientos continues to hit home runs
  • The whiff rate remains a large concern over the sustainability of his numbers, but it is tough to argue with his current production
  • Vientos is up to nine homers on the year including four since June 18
  • He should be rostered in 100% of leagues and be a reliable source of power moving forward especially if he continues to improve his average launch angle

National League Central

Chicago Cubs

• Michael Busch is batting higher in the lineup
  • Busch has moved up to second against right-handed pitchers and even stayed in the lineup against a lefty earlier this week
  • Busch has been swinging a hot bat lately batting well over .300 since June 11
  • Part of his recent success has been a lower strikeout rate which is being fueled by a decreased chase rate. If he can maintain these improvements, he could turn into a reliable fantasy asset
  • Christopher Morel has slid down in the lineup with these recent moves
• Nico Hoerner is batting leadoff
  • Another lineup change is Hoerner moving up in the order with Mike Tauchman moving to the bench
  • Hoerner’s 2024 season has been a major disappointment outside of the stolen base category as he has failed to hit for much average this year
  • He should see some positive regression to his BABIP and the move up in the lineup will lead to more run-scoring opportunities
• Pete Crow-Armstrong is playing every day
  • Mike Tauchman landed on the IL with a groin injury opening up regular playing time for PCA
  • PCA is batting eighth in the lineup most days
  • He has 13 stolen bases in just 47 games. The issue continues to be terrible plate discipline and contact metrics that are leading to a low batting average
  • Until he fixes those issues, PCA should not be relied on for more than stolen bases

St. Louis Cardinals

• Willson Contreras is back from the IL
  • Contreras returned to the lineup on Monday and has been batting third in his return
  • Prior to his injury, Contreras was off to a strong start to the year and should be a reliable option for fantasy managers
  • Ivan Herrera was recently placed on the IL leaving Pedro Pages as the primary backup
• Matt Carpenter has retaken the DH at-bats
  • The Cardinals are looking for answers from the DH slot and have settled on Carpenter to handle the majority of those duties
  • Carpenter has been swinging the bat a bit better lately although his quality of contact metrics are still struggling
  • He is not worth picking up at this point
• Nolan Arenado was dealing with a forearm injury
  • The forearm injury forced Arenado to miss two games earlier this week but returned to play both ends of the doubleheader on Wednesday
  • Prior to the injury, Arenado was seeing his batting average tick up a bit but is still not hitting for much power
  • He does not have a home run since June 5 and has moved down to sixth in the lineup

Milwaukee Brewers

• Tyler Black is back from Triple-A
  • Black is up from the Minor Leagues but is not playing consistently
  • He is rotating in with Jake Bauers at first base and has three hits since returning to Milwaukee
  • Black has plus speed which makes him an intriguing fantasy option but he should not be rostered if he is not going to play consistently
• Christian Yelich has just one home run since May 29
  • Yelich got off to a fantastic start, but the power has slowed down a bit
  • The issue continues to be a very low launch angle which is all correlated to his back issues
  • Yelich is an excellent source of OBP, average, RBIs, runs, and even stolen bases. Fantasy managers should not expect a ton of home runs despite his huge ceiling
• Joey Ortiz is dealing with a neck injury
  • Ortiz left the game on Thursday after running into the tarp, but the injury has supposedly been bothering since before that
  • The team does not seem ready to place Ortiz on the IL just yet
  • If he is forced to miss extended time, Andruw Monesterio is most likely to see his playing time increase. Tyler Black has Minor League experience at third base but it is doubtful the Brewers will feel comfortable playing him there regularly

Cincinnati Reds

• TJ Friedl is back on the IL
  • Friedl’s return to the lineup was brief as he is now out with a hamstring injury
  • With Friedl out, Stuart Fairchild appears most likely to see his playing time increase
  • Fairchild has been batting all over the back half of the lineup recently and has plus speed. Fantasy managers should not expect too much production outside of the stolen base category
• Noelvie Marte has been reinstated from his suspension
  • Santiago Espinal was serving as the team’s regular third baseman batting seventh in the lineup while they waited for Marte to return
  • Marte struggled in 12 games at Triple-A with his timing and plate discipline clearly being rusty
  • Despite this, the team figures to give him an extended leash as the primary third baseman moving forward. He hit .316 with three home runs in his Major League debut last season and should be rostered in all 12+ team leagues
• Jake Fraley is dealing with a leg contusion
  • Fraley fouled a ball off of his leg earlier in the week and was scratched from the lineup on Wednesday as the knee continues to bother him
  • It remains unclear if Fraley is expected to miss extended time although injuries have been a consistent theme for Fraley who has never played in more than 111 games in a season
  • If Fraley misses extended time, Levi Jordan seems most likely to benefit in terms of playing time

Pittsburgh Pirates

• Rowdy Tellez is batting fourth in the lineup
  • Tellez had been batting seventh most games for Pittsburgh but is moving up in the lineup and playing consistently
  • His numbers have looked a bit better recently but he only has two home runs total on the season
  • His barrel rate is up slightly since the start of June, but not enough to make Tellez fantasy-relevant
• Something has to be wrong with Ke’Bryan Hayes
  • Hayes has been off all season and has continued to struggle since returning from the IL
  • After making strides in recent years, Hayes’ launch angle is back down as is his pull rate
  • Both of those were keys to Hayes unlocking the next level. For now, he is not worth rostering outside of NL-only leagues

National League West

Los Angeles Dodgers

• Mookie Betts is on the IL with a fractured hand
  • This is a crushing blow to the Dodgers and fantasy managers who were relying on Betts for elite production
  • With Betts out of the lineup, Miguel Rojas has taken over as the primary shortstop playing against both lefties and righties
  • Rojas is batting between fifth and seventh in the lineup. He can produce a solid batting average but not much else for fantasy managers
• Teoscar Hernandez was dealing with a personal issue this week
  • Hernandez went to the Dominican Republic to deal with a personal matter but has since rejoined the team
  • While Hernandez was away, Miguel Vargas saw additional playing time in his place
  • Vargas has looked excellent in his small sample size this season but continues to get inconsistent playing time
  • His strong performance could put additional pressure on the Dodgers to get him into the lineup in place of Gavin Lux or Cavan Biggio both of whom are struggling
• Will Smith is batting second in the lineup with Betts out
  • Smith has continued to be a reliable offensive force from the catcher position this season
  • After dipping last year, his barrel rate has bounced back this season
  • He has been struggling at the plate batting under .100 since June 12. His launch angle over that period is way up (fly ball rate above 60%) which is leading to a low BABIP
  • Smith should snap out of this funk soon, but this is something to keep an eye on

San Diego Padres

• Luis Campusano is on the IL
  • Campusano is dealing with a thumb injury but is not expected to be out long
  • With Campusano absent from the lineup, Kyle Higashioka has taken over as the primary catcher
  • Higashioka has six home runs in 31 games but is running too high of a strikeout rate to be a reliable fantasy asset
• Fernando Tatis Jr is also on the IL
  • Tatis is dealing with a stress fracture and does not have a clear timetable to return
  • David Peralta and Bryce Johnson are platooning in Tatis’ place
  • Neither one is worth adding in fantasy
• Jackson Merrill has fully broken out
  • Hopefully, you read this column two weeks ago when I mentioned acquiring Merrill before he got red hot. Well, not it is too late
  • Merrill is now up to 10 home runs on the season as he continues to hit the ball hard
  • He is doing everything you want out of a rookie and should be a valuable asset for years to come

Arizona Diamondbacks

• Gabriel Moreno is on the IL
  • Moreno is dealing with a sprained thumb
  • Tucker Barnhart has taken Moreno’s spot in the lineup batting eighth and splitting time at catcher with Jose Herrera
  • The two are likely to split playing time and neither is worth rostering
• Eugenio Suarez continues to struggle
  • Suarez’s first season in Arizona has not gone how he nor the team had hoped
  • He is batting under .200 on the season and just .134 since the start of June
  • Currently, Suarez is still playing everyday and batting seventh although the team could look to get Blaze Alexander more at-bats if his struggles continue
  • The saving grace for Suarez is likely another injury to Jordan Lawlar which has taken some of the pressure off

San Francisco Giants

• Mike Yastrzemski is on the IL
  • Yaz landed on the IL with an oblique injury which is never a good sign for hitters
  • With Yaz out of the lineup, the team recalled Luis Matos from Triple-A
  • Matos has been batting toward the bottom of the lineup since returning and is not somebody I am picking up at this point
• Michael Conforto has slid down to seventh in the lineup
  • Conforto has not been the same since returning from the IL and is moving back in the lineup and losing playing time against lefties
  • Since returning on June 3, Conforto is slashing just .125/.186/.250 making it fair to wonder if his health is still an issue
  • He did hit his first home run since June 7 on Thursday which is hopefully a sign of things to come
  • Patrick Bailey has moved up to fourth in the lineup with Conforto sliding back
• Jorge Soler has been barreling more balls up lately
  • Soler’s season has been disappointing but there are some signs he could be ready to break out
  • The slugger’s biggest issue this season has been a decreased barrel rate leading to this power outage
  • Since June 16, Soler has four barrels and two home runs which is a great sign for fantasy managers

Colorado Rockies

• Brendan Rodgers is back and Adael Amador is on the IL
  • Amador was recalled when Rodgers got hurt and now Rodgers is back to replace Amador
  • Rodgers has rejoined the lineup and is batting fourth again
  • Rodgers lacks much of any fantasy upside and is not worth rostering at this point
• Charlie Blackmon is dealing with a hamstring injury
  • With Blackmon on the IL, Hunter Goodman has been getting time at both catcher and DH playing regularly
  • Goodman has been batting eighth in the lineup and has big-time power but lacks the hit tool to get to it consistently
  • He has five home runs since June 15 but is not a player I am buying