Opening Day is in the books, folks. That means it’s time for the first edition of Fantasy Baseball Risers and Fallers! For the next 27 glorious weeks of fantasy baseball, this series will help you with lineup and waiver wire decisions by highlighting some of the week’s risers and fallers from a fantasy perspective.
With these early write-ups, it’s important to remember that we’re dealing with small sample sizes and are still in information-gather mode. While staying informed of player performances is essential early on, it’s also important to trust your draft process and not overreact to a week’s worth of stats, good or bad. So, with that in mind, let’s look at some Week 1 Risers and Fallers for fantasy baseball!
Fantasy Baseball Risers and Fallers
Stats from 3/17 – 3/30
Risers
Victor Scott II (OF — STL)
Victor Scott was one of the top speedsters of the week, stealing three bags in as many games. He also popped a home run, continuing his surprising power streak this spring. While much of Scott’s fantasy value stems from his legs, his struggles to get on base last season (.219 OBP in 155 PA) kept him in the minors for most of the year. However, a new plate approach has seemingly turned around Scott’s game. He tallied four home runs and five steals this spring with a 1.172 OPS. Scott has an everyday role and could be a massive source of steals in 2025 if his plate gains stick (94 SBs in 2023).
Wilyer Abreu (OF — BOS)
Wilyer Abreu put on a hitting clinic in Week 1, racking up seven hits across 15 plate appearances, including two doubles, two home runs, and six RBI. He also showcased some crazy-good plate skills by walking at a 33.3% clip and not recording a strikeout.
Abreu brings pop and speed to the fantasy table. He registered a 49.8% hard-hit rate last season to go with 15 home runs and eight steals across 132 games. While Abreu sits against lefties, he should still put up nice counting stats, hitting in the middle of a potent Boston lineup. Abreu has been scooped up in most leagues but can be found on the waiver wire in 35% of Yahoo leagues. Go get him!
Spencer Torkelson (1B — DET)
Spencer Torkelson was an on-base machine last week, sporting a .643 OBP and a 35.7% walk rate. He also added one home run and a steal to his weekly totals. The former top prospect had a hot spring and muscled his way onto the Opening Day roster, swatting five long balls to go with a 1.069 OPS. Torkelson has a power pedigree and is only two years removed from a 31-home run season. Plus, he’s hitting in the heart of the Tigers’ order. It’s worth grabbing Tork shares in most formats to see where this goes.
Tyler Soderstrom (1B — ATH)
Tyler Soderstrom brought the lumber to start the 2025 season, popping three home runs and posting a 1.633 OPS in his first 15 at-bats. The slugger also logged three multi-hit games and made a ton of quality contact, registering a 30% barrel rate and 70% hard-hit rate in the opening series.
Soderstrom is no stranger to making loud contact. Despite missing a couple of months with a wrist injury last season, Soderstrom still finished the year with a 14.6% barrel rate and 48.9% hard-hit rate across 213 plate appearances. While you need to keep an eye on his strikeouts (career 27.8% K%), Soderstrom makes a nice power play early on, especially playing half of his games in a minor league park.
Fallers
Rafael Devers (3B — BOS)
The start of the baseball season was not kind to Rafael Devers. Boston’s newest designated hitter went 0-for-16 with 12 strikeouts, making Devers the first MLB player to strike out 12 times in the season’s first four games. Oof. However, fantasy managers shouldn’t hit the panic button just yet. Devers is an elite hitter with a long track record. Additionally, he spent most of the offseason rehabbing his shoulders, and his shortened spring training (15 PA) likely affected Devers’ regular build-up and timing. While we shouldn’t ignore Devers’ brutal start, we also shouldn’t overreact to a four-game sample.
Dylan Crews ( OF — WAS)
Dylan Crews’ start to the season didn’t go as planned. He failed to log a hit across 12 plate appearances and struck out at a 66.7% clip. Aside from the strikeout issues, the rookie batted eighth in two of the Nationals’ three opening games — both against opposing righties. The move is surprising, given that Crews primarily hit leadoff or out of the two-hole last season, swiping 12 bags in that 31-game span. It’s worth monitoring where he hits in the next few weeks. If Crews remains buried in the order for most at-bats, his production opportunities and fantasy value will take a hit. Stay tuned.
Masyn Winn (SS — STL)
Masyn Winn had a brutal opening series, going 0-for-9 with five strikeouts. We’re dealing with small sample sizes here, but it’s worth noting that Winn’s cold start follows a rough spring where he posted a .225 OPS with a 29.1% strikeout rate across 55 plate appearances. Additionally, Winn is struggling with fastballs to start the season (41.7% whiff rate), which is generally a troubling sign for hitters. Winn is a better bench play right now until he can get things going at the plate.
Jurickson Profar (OF — ATL)
Jurickson Profar was an easy add to the Fallers list this week after getting hit with an 80-game suspension for violating the league’s PED policy. It’s a blow for fantasy managers who chased Profar’s breakout 2024 season. In addition to the 80-game suspension, Profar will not be eligible for the postseason, making him a drop in nearly all fantasy formats.
