Fantasy Baseball NL Lineup Analysis

The regular season is in full swing. Major League Baseball is back and fantasy baseball managers are already dealing with injuries and surprising playing time situations. Keeping up with all of the latest lineup trends and injuries can be a lot for even the most dedicated fantasy baseball manager. That is why we have this article series here at Fantrax. Throughout the season, I will be providing breakdowns of the latest trends and news from lineups around baseball. Each week will rotate between the National League and the American League. First up, we have the National League. Keep reading to stay up to date on the latest lineup news and notes from all 15 teams.

Please note that this article is finalized the day prior to publication. 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 was battling a back injury but is back in the lineup
  • The Phillies are utilizing a platoon approach when it comes to the leadoff position in the lineup
  • Turner is batting leadoff against lefties, while Kyle Schwarber hits leadoff against righties
  • Regardless, Turner is batting right ahead of Bryce Harper which will be key for his run-scoring stats
• Bryson Stott is not platooning to start the season
  • Stott will still receive the occasional off-day against a lefty, but the Phillies are giving him a chance to play every day
  • He is batting eighth in the lineup
  • Stott showed off increased patience at the plate this spring and that has carried over so far into the regular season. This would boost his value even higher in OBP leagues
• The Phillies are going to get Johan Rojas into the lineup, but not with enough regularity to be impactful for fantasy
  • Similar to Stott, the Phillies are giving Brandon Marsh a chance to play every day even against lefties
  • This keeps Rojas in a fourth-outfielder position, although he will rotate in for both Max Kepler and Marsh against lefties when one needs a day off
  • Kepler has been batting fifth in the Phillies’ lineup most games

Miami Marlins

• Connor Norby is on the IL with an oblique strain
  • Expectations were high for Norby entering 2025, but fantasy managers will have to wait to see him in action
  • Instead, Graham Pauley is getting the majority of starts at third base
  • Pauley is batting toward the bottom of the lineup and is still showing too much swing and miss to be a reliable fantasy asset. He is not worth adding
• Otto Lopez is off to a fast start
  • Lopez is locked in as the Marlins’ every day second baseman. He has been batting in the middle of the Marlins lineup
  • After hitting just six homers in 117 games last season, Lopez is already up to two this year
  • While Lopez has a strong hit tool, fantasy managers should proceed with caution. His average launch angle is below two-degrees which is an issue that has been common throughout his professional career. With no real change to his swing path, there is little reason to believe this power uptick will stick
• Matt Mervis is getting a chance on the strong side of a platoon
  • Mervis has been batting in the middle of Miami’s lineup against righties but has not seemed to piece things together
  • After hitting just .216 in Spring Training, Mervis is batting under .200 in an early-season small sample size
  • He is platooning with Eric Wagamen, but with both players struggling, the team could turn to Deyvison De Los Santos early on this season

Atlanta Braves

• Jurickson Profar was suspended for 80-games
  • Profar was busted for using PEDs and will now be sidelined for half of the season
  • With Ronald Acuna Jr still on the IL, the team appears to be turning to Bryan De La Cruz to take over in right field
  • BDLC has been batting seventh in the lineup but remains without a hit. He is not worth rostering at this point
• Orlando Arcia may be losing his starting job
  • Arcia has been a fine player since joining the Braves, but his offensive production has never been impressive. He posted a 72 wRC+ last season and is off to a slow start this year
  • The Braves have been giving Nick Allen more playing time with Arcia struggling
  • Neither player offers much in terms of fantasy value
• The Braves are looking for a spark and moved Michael Harris II up in the lineup
  • Off to a slow start, the Braves are already shifting their lineup around
  • Against righties, Harris has been batting leadoff with Ozzie Albies moving down to fifth in the lineup
  • Both players, as are most Braves, are off to a slow start but should figure things out as the season moves along

Washington Nationals

• Luis Garcia Jr. is platooning
  • Coming off of a season with 18 homers and 22 steals, many believed the Nationals would give Garcia a chance to play every day
  • Instead, Garcia is sitting against lefties which is capping his fantasy value. He is off to a slow start and continues to hit the ball on the ground too often
  • Amed Rosario has been entering the lineup against lefties
• Keibert Ruiz is off to a fast start
  • After starting the season batting seventh, the Nationals have already moved Ruiz up to third in the lineup
  • Ruiz hit two homers in the opening series against the Phillies and continues to show off incredible contact skills
  • The issue is that Ruiz’s contact skills have never been in doubt. The issue is that he does not hit the ball hard, or get it in the air too often. These still appear to be issues. Proceed with caution with Ruiz
• Dylan Crews is striking out a lot
  • Crews has been hitting eighth in the lineup, which is disappointing enough even before his struggles offensively
  • He remains without a hit and appears to be pressing offensively
  • The Nationals are going to be patient with their top prospect but if he continues to struggle, he could find himself back in Triple-A. Fantasy managers should hold onto Crews but he should not be in lineups currently

New York Mets

• Brett Baty is getting a lot of run at second base
  • Baty had an impressive spring that earned him a Major League roster spot to start the season
  • Unfortunately, Baty’s Major League struggles have continued early in 2025. His starting role is limited to Jeff McNeil being hurt, and he also has to fend off Luisangel Acuna
  • Baty is a fine player to drop in redraft league,s and continued struggles would make him a fine drop in dynasty leagues as well
• Center field is a complete timeshare
  • Jose Siri has a slight edge in playing time,e but Tyrone Taylor is also factoring into the mix
  • Starling Marte has been used exclusively as a DH early on this season, but he could get some reps in the outfield as the season moves along as well
  • For now, none of Siri, Marte, and Taylor are worth rostering in fantasy

National League Central

Chicago Cubs

• Michael Busch is platooning
  • Busch is serving as the team’s primary first baseman but has been out of the lineup against lefties
  • When in the lineup, Busch is batting fourth and is swinging it well early on
  • Unfortunately for fantasy managers, this platoon is likely to continue as the Cubs work to get Justin Turner into the lineup against lefties
• The Seiya Suzuki breakout may be upon us
  • Since coming to the United States in 2022, Suzuki has always felt a little bit disappointing for fantasy managers
  • Well, he is already up to four home runs on the season. If he can stay healthy, he could have a massive season for the Cubs and fantasy managers
  • He has been batting third in the lineup and rotating between DH and right field
• Pete Crow-Armstrong is striking out less early on
  • The stat line does not jump out, but PCA has already stolen two bases and projects to be an elite base stealer this season
  • PCA is making positive strides in his plate discipline and is pulling the ball more than last year. He remains a solid buy option for fantasy managers
  • He is playing center field every day and batting seventh in the lineup most games

St. Louis Cardinals

• Victor Scott II is off to an excellent start
  • Scott was a major disappointment for fantasy managers last season, but is rewarding those who were patient with him
  • Scott already has four stolen bases and is showing off much-improved contact skills compared to last season. He is also hitting the ball in the air more with a high barrel rate, which should lead to improved home run production
  • Scott is currently batting eighth in the lineup but could move up if his success continues. Scott should be rostered in every league
• Masyn Winn is batting at the bottom of the lineup
  • Many thought that Wynn would open the season as the Cardinals’ leadoff hitter. Instead, Lars Nootbaar has been batting at the top of the Cardinals’ lineup
  • Wynn has been batting ninth and is off to an extremely slow start to the season
  • He is hitting the ball hard to start the year, but is fly-ball happy. This could be nice for his home run output, but bad for his overall game. Fantasy baseball managers should not hit the panic button yet, but this is a situation to monitor
• Ivan Herrera is serving as the primary catcher
  • Herrera has been batting fifth or sixth in the lineup but is still sitting on occasion for Pedro Pages. His playing time is not quite every day, but this is certainly a positive sign
  • He should continue to earn more playing time if he keeps up his hot start. He already has three home runs after hitting just five all of last season
  • Herrera seems to be pairing his excellent contact skills with improved power, which could result in elite fantasy numbers from the catcher position

Milwaukee Brewers

• The Brewers are utilizing a platoon at third base
  • With Caleb Durbin being sent to Triple-A, the team is relying on Oliver Dunn and Vinny Cpra
  • Capra is getting a chance against lefties. He has played in the Major League each of the past three seasons but has never found much success
  • Dunn is playing against righties, but is in a similar boat to Capra
  • Neither player offers much in terms of fantasy upside, and the Brewers will likely call up Durbin at some point soon
• Brice Turang is not in a platoon
  • Turang has struggled against lefties each of the past two seasons, but the Brewers continue to keep him in the lineup every day
  • He is batting leadoff against righties and moving down to ninth against lefties
  • Notably, Turang has already sent a new career-high in max EV this season. Any additional power output would significantly increase his fantasy value
• Do not press the panic button with William Contreras or Jackson Chourio
  • Contreras is still walking nearly 20% of the time and has a history of being a streaky hitter
  • Chourio, meanwhile is performing fine, but the strikeout rate is slightly alarming. His style of play is similar in a sense to Julio Rodriguez, where both players have extreme upside but will have issues with strikeouts from time to time

Cincinnati Reds

• Jose Trevino is serving as the primary catcher
  • With Tyler Stephenson on the IL with an oblique injury, Trevino is playing every day
  • He is batting at the bottom of the Reds’ lineup and does not offer much fantasy upside
  • Stephenson remains without a firm timetable for a return
• Spencer Steer is batting seventh in the lineup
  • Steer was one of the Reds’ more productive hitters last season, but has been shifted down in the lineup with the return of other players to the lineup
  • Steer is off to a slow start at the plate, but is not at risk of losing his starting job
  • Regression was likely to happen this season, but Steer should still see his production tick up as the sample size increases
• Gavin Lux is batting cleanup for the Reds
  • Cincinnati’s decision to bat Lux in the middle of the lineup is a bit puzzling, given he has a career-high of 10 home runs
  • Lux is yet to do much offensively this season, but is showing a lot of positive signs under the hood. He is hitting the ball harder, getting it in the air more often, and pulling the ball more. All while continuing to show off excellent plate discipline and contact skills
  • Lux is an intriguing buy-low option and could see positive regression, especially in Great American Ballpark

Pittsburgh Pirates

• Nick Gonzales is on the IL with a fractured ankle
  • Gonzales started the season as the primary second baseman and hit a home run on Opening Day, but an ankle injury will result in him missing significant time
  • In his absence, the team did not recall Nick Yorke, but is giving the second base playing time to Adam Frazier, who is batting leadoff some games and toward the bottom of the lineup in other games
  • Frazier has not been an above-average offensive player since 2021 and is not worth rostering in fantasy
• Endy Rodriguez is splitting time between first base and catcher
  • Rodriguez has been in the lineup for most games so far and is batting seventh in the lineup
  • He should regain catcher eligibility in those leagues he no longer has it, and continue to get semi-regular playing time
  • He is off to a slow start to the season, but is likely still shaking off the rust after playing in just 10 professional games last season
• The Pirates acquired Alexander Canario
  • Canario was a long-time top prospect with the Cubs who never really got significant playing time before landing with the Mets. He had a strong spring but was DFAd by the Mets
  • The Pirates are currently playing Tommy Pham and Jack Suwinski every day with neither one playing particularly well
  • Canario is not worth rostering at this point, but is a player to watch if he starts seeing more consistent playing time

National League West

Los Angeles Dodgers

• Freddie Freeman is on the IL with a sprained ankle
  • Freeman is now 35 years old making injuries more likely. While this does not appear to be super serious, the team is exercising caution and placing Freeman on the IL
  • With Freeman out, Kike Hernandez is likely to see the majority of playing time at first base
  • If this injury turns into something more long-term, the team could call up top prospect Dalton Rushing who has been getting more playing time at first base early on this season
• Tommy Edman’s success has rolled into 2025
  • Edman was excellent down the stretch for the Dodgers last season, but not many were ready to buy into his power outburst
  • Well, Edman has already hit four home runs this year, showing off an increased ability to pull the ball and barrel the ball up
  • The sample size is small, but even if Edman can hit 15-20 home runs this year, he holds significant fantasy value thanks to his speed. Edman has been batting sixth in the lineup in most games
• Michael Conforto is moving up in the lineup with Freeman injured
  • Conforto is still sitting against lefties, but has moved up from seventh to fourth in the lineup recently
  • Nobody should be surprised that Conforto is off to an excellent start with the Dodgers. He is a valuable fantasy asset especially in leagues with daily lineup moves
  • Against lefties, Chris Taylor has been entering the lineup, but recently acquired Esteury Ruiz could factor into the playing time mix moving forward

San Diego Padres

• Catcher is a true timeshare
  • Unfortunately for fantasy managers, neither option in this split is very attractive
  • Elias Diaz has a slight edge in playing time but owns a career 78 wRC+ and is unlikely to become fantasy relevant
  • Martin Maldonado is the other option in this split. Maldonado has not hit above .200 since 2020 and definitely not an option for fantasy managers
  • Both players are batting at the bottom of San Diego’s lineup
• Gavin Sheets and Jason Heyward are both platooning
  • Instead of giving Tiro Ornelas a chance, the Padres are rolling with two left-handed veterans to old down LF and DH
  • Sheets and Heyward are batting seventh and eighth in the lineup, respectively. Sheets is performing much better than Heyward early on this season and has more fantasy upside thanks to his raw power
  • Brandon Lockridge and Yuli Gurriel are the two right-handed bats who are entering the lineup against lefties
• Fernando Tatis Jr is back in the leadoff spot
  • Tatis seems to thrive at the top of the order, requested to be moved up this season, and is off to a fast start at the plate
  • For fantasy managers, Tatis’ five stolen bases already are notable and could be a sign of him running more this season. Tatis is an elite fantasy option
  • With Tatis batting leadoff, Luis Arraez is batting second this season between Tatis and Manny Machado

Arizona Diamondbacks

• Alek Thomas and Jake McCarthy are splitting time in center field
  • With both batters being lefties, this is not your traditional platoon split. Both players are getting into the lineup with regularity but not every day
  • Thomas offers more defensively and is off to a fast start in a small sample offensively. McCarthy has yet to get a hit
  • McCarthy offers more stolen base upside for fantasy managers, but Thomas is the better overall player. Neither player is worth rostering with the current playing time situation
• Pavin Smith is playing on the strong side of a platoon
  • Smith has taken over at DH this season and is batting third in the lineup against righties
  • Smith has never gotten an extended opportunity in the Major Leagues but has flashed significant fantasy upside with hard contact and solid contact numbers. He is worth adding in 14+ team leagues
  • Randal Grichuk has been entering the lineup against lefties
• Eugenio Suarez is off to a fast start to the season
  • Suarez was one of the best hitters in baseball during the second half last season, and that has continued in 2025
  • Suarez has already hit five home runs and continues to keep that strikeout rate at a reasonable level
  • He is batting sixth in the lineup most games and should be locked into fantasy lineups

San Francisco Giants

• Wilmer Flores is playing every day at DH
  • With Jerar Encarnacion starting the season on the IL, Flores is getting regular playing time
  • Flores has been batting seventh in the lineup and is up to four home runs already
  • His career high in home runs is 2,3, but Flores is a player to watch if this power output continues
• Tyler Fitzgerald is batting ninth in the lineup
  • Fitzgerald was a fantasy start for a short period last season and is still getting a chance to play every day this season
  • He is yet to hit a home run and is still struggling with strikeouts early on this season
  • The Giants do not have a lot of other options to replace Fitzgerald with in the lineup, but if his struggles continue, Casey Schmitt could start to see some time at second base

Colorado Rockies

• Mickey Moniak is getting some run in the outfield
  • Moniak was released by the Angels and grabbed by the Rockies just as the season got underway
  • Since joining the Rockies, the former first overall pick has been swinging a hot bat in a small sample
  • Moniak has shown flashes of power and speed before, but his strikeout rate has prevented him from ever sticking in an everyday role
  • With Moniak playing more, Sean Bouchard is seeing significantly less playing time than expected
• Kris Bryant may be running out of leash
  • Bryant has struggled to stay healthy since joining the Rockies and has struggled when in the lineup
  • He started the season at DH playing every day but is already losing playing time
  • Bryant has been on the bench three times in the past week, with Jacob Stallings getting more playing time
• Hunter Goodman is being kept in the lineup every day
  • Part of Bryant shifting to the bench is getting Goodman in at DH more often
  • Goodman has been excellent to start the season with two homers already
  • The issue is that we know Goodman has great power; the issue is his strikeout rate. He is still whiffing over 31% of the time with a chase rate of over 45%. I am not buying this hot start