Welcome to another edition of Fantasy Baseball Risers and Fallers. This series highlights some of the week’s risers and fallers from a fantasy perspective. The goal is to help with lineup and waiver wire decisions by taking a deeper look at recent player performances. With that in mind, let’s look at some Week 6 fantasy baseball risers and fallers.
Fantasy Baseball Risers and Fallers
Week 6 stats from 4/28-5/4
Risers
Kyle Stowers (OF — MIA)
Kyle Stowers brought the power last week, swatting four home runs with 10 RBI and a .684 ISO. While he didn’t register a walk, he only struck out at a 15.8% clip across 19 plate appearances. Much of Stowers’ damage for the week came mainly from two games, but he’s been crushing the ball this season. He has an impressive 19.5% barrel and 50.6% hard-hit rate across 31 games with six home runs, two steals and a .401 xwOBA.
An improved plate approach is partly fueling Stowers’ strong season. He’s upped his walk rate to 9.7% from 6.2% in 2024, and his 27.4% strikeout rate is an eight-point drop from last year. Stowers primarily hits between 2nd and 5th in the order and is an across-the-board contributor. His 74.4% zone-contact rate leaves something to be desired, but you should ride the hot streak in 12+ team leagues.
Maikel Garcia (2B/3B — KCR)
Maikel Garcia piled up the hits last week with four multi-hit efforts in six games, including two doubles and two home runs. He also swiped four bags and finished the week with a 1.372 OPS.
Garcia is elevating the ball more this year. The result is a 39.4% ground ball rate — a 10-point drop from last season. He’s also barreling the ball a little more (5.9% from 3.7%), and his 52.5% hard-hit rate ranks in the 90th percentile. While the bulk of Garcia’s fantasy value stems from his legs, his improved contact quality could unlock double-digit home run power (think 10-13 HRs). Not too shabby when you combine that with 30-35 steals and a ~.260 batting average. Garcia is a solid addition to 12+ teamers.
Jackson Holliday (2B — BAL)
Jackson Holliday is starting to heat up. He hit safely in all five games last week, going 7-for-15 with two dingers and a minuscule 6.7% strikeout rate. Holliday also moved from the bottom third of the order to batting sixth in his last three games.
For the season, Holliday has a .273/.340/.443 slash line with four dingers, two steals, and a 128 wRC+ across 97 plate appearances. The big takeaway is that Holliday’s 22.7% strikeout rate is just over a 10-point drop from last season. Additionally, he’s improved his plate discipline metrics to near-elite levels with a 90.6% zone-contact rate and 20.7% chase rate. Holliday is a top prospect who struggled in the big leagues following his call-up last year (.565 OPS across 60 games). If his plate gains stick, Holliday has the pedigree to make some noise from here on out. He’s worth grabbing in all league sizes.
Javier Baez (3B/SS/OF — DET)
It feels strange to write about Javier Baez as a riser, but his recent play deserves our attention in deeper leagues. Baez has hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games with a 1.040 OPS. He went 16-for-45 in that span, including four doubles, three home runs, 11 runs scored, and 10 RBI. Baez also chipped in a stolen base for good measure.
Overall, Baez is off to a surprising season. He’s hitting .309/.350/.479 with three home runs, one steal and a 139 wRC+ across 100 plate appearances. Sure, a .382 BABIP is helping the cause. But Baez is also flashing improved plate discipline metrics, including an 86% zone-contact rate and 37.1% chase rate — both career-best marks. Regression will come for Baez. But in the meantime, Baez has triple eligibility and is headed to Coors Field this week. Enjoy the ride while it lasts.
Fallers
Jake Burger (1B/3B — TEX)
In a somewhat surprising move, the Rangers sent Jake Burger to Triple-A last week. Burger had struggled to start the season with a .561 OPS and 56 wRC+ across 30 games. While his underlying metrics were mainly consistent with his career marks, Burger scuffled at the plate with a 2.8% walk rate and 29.6% strikeout rate. Additionally, his power had yet to appear with a .140 ISO (career .226). Burger’s stint in the minors will hopefully be a short one. While you can move on from him in 12-team leagues, Burger is still a hold in 15-teamers as he combined for 63 home runs and a .250 batting average in his last two seasons.
Christian Yelich (OF — MIL)
Christian Yelich had a brutal week, recording only one hit in 20 at-bats and striking out at an elevated 45.5% clip. The poor week continues Yelich’s slow start to the season. He’s hitting .207/.312/.355 with an 88 wRC+ across 141 plate appearances. Additionally, he’s striking out at a career-worst 26.1% rate and hasn’t been able to elevate the ball this year with a 62.4% ground ball rate.
There’s been some unluckiness to Yelich’s season, as his .247 BABIP is 100 points lower than his career mark. Plus, Yelich’s underlying metrics are mostly consistent with his normal rates. Positive regression should be headed Yelich’s way, so hang tight with him in 12+ team leagues.
Michael Conforto (OF — LAD)
It might be time to cut ties with Michael Conforto in 15-teamers. While Conforto got off to a strong start, he’s since hit a wall. Conforto is hitless in his last three series (0-for-28) with a 43.8% strikeout rate and a -52 wRC+ in that stretch. He also dropped from the middle of the lineup to the bottom third in his last 10 games.
Conforto has a .528 OPS across 123 plate appearances on the year, with two home runs and a steal. He’s still showcasing an elite 15.1% walk rate, but that also comes with a career-worst 31.9% strikeout rate. Additionally, Conforto’s quality contact metrics are down, and his power has all but disappeared (.101 ISO). Conforto is droppable, depending on the outfield options available on the wire.
Bowden Francis (SP — TOR)
Bowden Francis is coming off an ugly two-start week where he coughed up five home runs against the Red Sox. He didn’t look good in either start as he combined for 11 earned runs on 14 hits with a 3:1 K:BB across 7.1 innings. The short outings are starting to add up for Francis, as he’s failed to reach the fifth inning in three consecutive starts.
Francis’ solid 2024 hasn’t carried over to 2025. While he’s been great at limiting free passes this season (2.57 BB/9), that’s about it. Francis has an underwhelming 5.66 ERA (4.55 SIERA) and 1.37 WHIP across 35 frames this year. He’s also given up a ton of hard contact with a 12.5% barrel rate and 49.1% hard-hit rate. Decent starting pitching is tough to come by on the wire, so it makes sense to hold Francis in 15-team leagues if there aren’t better options. But in 12-teamers, Francis is a drop.
