Fantasy Baseball Lineup Analysis: NL 05/17

Looking for the latest news and notes to stay up to date and ahead of other managers in your fantasy baseball league? Well, you came to the right spot. This article will fill you on the latest trends, news, and notes from all 15 National League lineups. If you missed last week’s American League article, you can check that out here. The five hottest hitters in the National League over the past two weeks have been: Shohei Ohtani, Manny Machado, Freddie Freeman, Heliot Ramos, and Ryan McMahon. Keep reading for the latest news and notes from the lineups of all 15 National League teams.

Fantasy Baseball Lineup Takeaways: NL Edition

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.

National League East

Philadelphia Phillies

• Center field is a timeshare
  • The Phillies are rotating Brandon Marsh and Johan Rojas. Rojas is in the lineup against all lefties but is occasionally drawing starts against righties as well
  • Rojas played well while Marsh was on the IL, and it now appears as if the Phillies are looking to keep both of them in the lineup at times
  • Marsh has looked better since returning from the IL (.348/.375/.478), but neither player holds much fantasy value in their current time share
• Kyle Schwarber continues to rake
  • Schwarber’s ability to transform from a power-only hitter to an elite offensive weapon has been fun to watch
  • He is now up to 15 home runs and a .261 average on the season. He is batting .294 with six home runs since the start of May
  • Batting behind Bryce Harper has only increased Schwarber’s fantasy value by increasing his RBI totals. This is an elite four-category fantasy asset, and he even has four stolen bases on the year already
• Bryson Stott is sitting more consistently against left-handed pitchers
  • The Phillies entered the year claiming they would not platoon Stott, but that has not seemed to last very long
  • Stott has been removed from the lineup more consistently as of late against lefties in favor of Edmundo Sosa. The bright side is that Stott almost always finds his way into the game later on, even when he does not start
  • Stott’s speed and on-base ability make him a strong fantasy asset at a weak position, although he is batting just .180 since the start of May

Miami Marlins

• Dane Myers is on the IL with an oblique injury
  • Myers was batting .337 with three homers and seven steals prior to getting injured. He was starting to get some buzz and well-deserved attention in the fantasy community
  • With Myers out of the lineup, Derek Hill is now back from the IL and getting the majority of the starts in center field
  • Hill does not have much, if any, fantasy upside and is unlikely to maintain the starting role. If Myers’ absence is an extended one, the team could promote Jakob Marsee up from Triple-A
• Eric Wagaman is sliding down in the lineup
  • Wagaman got off to a fast start in 2025 but has been batting fifth or sixth more recently as his struggles have continued
  • Since the start of May, Wagaman is batting just .171. He has not hit a home run since April 21
  • Digging in, Wagaman’s struggles are partially due to poor luck. He owns a .226 BABIP during this time, and he still owns an average exit velocity north of 90 mph. He is still getting consistent playing time and is a fine player to hold in 15+ team leagues
• With Wagaman moving down, Connor Norby is moving up
  • Norby has been batting sixth or seventh for most of the year with Miami, but has started to move up in the lineup
  • Norby has been playing better offensively as of late, but fantasy managers should proceed with caution
  • Norby is still striking out 32.2% of the time on the year and 31% of the time since the start of May. His extremely aggressive approach, mixed with poor contact skills, makes it difficult to envision him sustaining this success
• Xavier Edwards was scratched from Friday’s lineup
  • Edwards was scratched with back tightness, and the severity of the injury remains unknown
  • If Edwards is forced to miss extended time, Ronny Simon is most likely to see his playing time increase

Atlanta Braves

• Eddie Rosario has come and gone again
  • Rosario went hitless in three games with the Braves this season before being released
  • He was unable to get consistent playing time with the team, allowing Eli White to continue getting regular run as the everyday right-fielder
  • Ronald Acuna Jr. had his rehab assignment transferred to Triple-A and should rejoin the Braves lineup before the end of May. This would take away White’s playing time
• The Braves are splitting time at catcher
  • This is a true timeshare between Sean Murphy and Drake Baldwin, with them rotating on opposite days
  • Murphy got off to a hot start after returning from the IL, but is batting .227 with zero homers since April 28. Meanwhile, Baldwin’s bat has simply been too good not to get in the lineup. He is now batting .360 on the season
  • Unfortunately, both of their fantasy values are capped by this playing time constraint. It is fair to wonder if the Braves would consider moving Marcell Ozuna back into the outfield on occasion to get both Baldwin and Murphy into the lineup
• Ozzie Albies has slid down in the lineup
  • Albies has been batting seventh in the Braves’ lineup for most of the past week
  • He has gotten off to a slow start offensively and is batting just .217 with five homers and five steals so far this season
  • Albies is batting under .200 since the start of May and has seen his barrel rate plummet this season. A drop-off at age 28 seems strange, but his start to 2025 is incredibly concerning

Washington Nationals

• Luis Garcia Jr missed some time on the paternity list this week
  • Garcia has been out of the lineup since Tuesday, although he is back with the team now
  • Amed Rosario got the chance to play a few more games this week and was batting second in the lineup
  • Garcia’s 2025 season has been largely disappointing for fantasy managers as he is batting just .226 on the year. The six stolen bases are nice, but it is fair to wonder if he could start to see his playing time decrease if his offensive struggles continue. He owns a 45 wRC+ since the start of May
• Jose Tena has been playing well offensively
  • Tena has seen time at both second and third base this week with Garcia out. His starts at second base are notable due to Garcia’s struggles and Washington’s top prospect (Brady House) being a third baseman. There is a possibility that Tena sees more playing time at second base moving forward
  • Tena has also been swinging the bat a bit better over the past week after a rough start to the season
  • He is walking more, striking out less, and hitting the ball harder lately. He is not worth adding, but is somebody to keep occasional tabs on

New York Mets

• Is Brett Baty breaking out?
  • With Jesse Winker on the IL, Mark Vientos is playing more DH, allowing Baty to get into the lineup more often
  • Baty is still sitting against lefties but is batting eighth in the lineup against righties
  • Since being recalled, Baty has already hit four home runs. Baty has a track record of hitting for power in the Minor Leagues, and now he is showing this at the Major League level. This is a breakout fantasy managers should be inclined to buy based on his serious upside and potential
• Jeff McNeil and Tyrone Taylor are splitting time
  • With the Mets wanting to keep both Brett Baty and Luisangel Acuna in the lineup, McNeil has been playing mostly center field as of late
  • Taylor is getting the playing time against lefties, while the two players appear to be splitting time against righties
  • In 16 games this year, McNeil is batting just .24,4 although his 122 wRC+ makes it surprising the team is not finding more ways to keep him in the lineup. Taylor is a weaker offensive player but is much better defensively
• Now may be a good time to sell high on Francisco Alvarez
  • Alvarez has only played in 14 games this season after starting the year on the IL, but he is batting .280 with a 111 wRC+
  • Batting average is not supposed to be Alvarez’s strong suit, but this should not be expected to continue. His BABIP is due for serious regression, and he is still posting poor chase and whiff rates
  • Although not very predictive, his xBA is .201 and his xSLG is .285. This is not a breakout, but a player getting lucky right now

National League Central

Chicago Cubs

• Ian Happ is on the IL with an oblique injury
  • With Happ on the IL, Seiya Suzuki is getting consistent playing time in the outfield. This is good news for his future eligibility as it should ensure he does not become UTIL only in 2026
  • Happ landing on the IL has also pushed Pete Crow-Armstrong up the lineup
  • PCA is now batting leadoff and continues to look like an elite fantasy asset. He is up to 11 homers and 13 steals on the year
• Moises Ballesteros is up from Triple-A
  • The other part of the Happ injury was the team promoting Ballesteros. He is going to serve as the team’s primary DH
  • Ballesteros hit seventh in his Major League debut and profiles to be on the strong side of a platoon with Miguel Amaya
  • He is a bit undersized, but was batting .368 with four homers and three stolen bases in Triple-A. Launching the ball in the air consistently will be key for finding success at the Major League level
  • There remains concern over his long-term playing time outlook when Happ returns. One potential option is Michael Busch shifting to third base and Ballesteros playing first
• Dansby Swanson is on pace for a career season
  • Swanson feels overshadowed in a fun Cubs’ lineup, but he has already hit nine home runs and stolen four bases
  • Since April 29, Swanson is slashing .392/.466/.725. He is on pace for a career-high 29 home runs
  • One additional note is that Swanson appears to be the preferred option as the leadoff hitter against left-handed pitching while Happ is on the IL

St. Louis Cardinals

• Jordan Walker has been on the bench against each of the last two right-handed starters
  • Walker continues to disappoint offensively. The Cardinals have given him an extended leash, but he is slashing .184/.254/.248 on the season. He is batting .080 since the start of May
  • Walker continues to bat eighth in the lineup against leftie,s but is losing time to Nolan Gorman against righties
  • Gorman is not doing much better offensively and owns a 61 wRC+. Neither player is worth rostering in fantasy
• Masyn Winn is hitting for power
  • Winn is viewed as a glove-first shortstop with a solid hit tool, but is getting more interesting from a fantasy perspective
  • He has been batting second in the Cardinals’ lineup since the start of May and is on fire offensively. Since April 30, Winn is slashing .347/.448/.673 with four home runs
  • The home runs are what really stick out. Not only is he barreling the ball up more, but he is also getting more to his pull side, helping his power to play up. This has the look of a legit breakout
• Ivan Herrera’s playing time remains fuzzy
  • Herrera returned from the IL on May 9 and is playing most games, but also not playing against all righties
  • The team clearly likes what Pedro Pages is doing behind the plate and remains dedicated to keeping him in the lineup. Herrera is getting the occasional start against righties at catcher and then DHing against lefties in place of Alec Burleson
  • Herrera continues to perform at an elite level offensively and should be rostered where available. His bat is too good for the Cardinals not to find space in their lineup for him

Milwaukee Brewers

• Brice Turang is moving down in the lineup
  • Turang spent the first month and a half batting toward the top of Milwaukee’s lineup, but he has been batting fifth lately
  • After a fast start, Turang has cooled off considerably. He is slashing .188/.366/.291 since the start of May. He has not hit a home run since April 8. Even more concerning, he has only had one stolen base since April 21
  • With Turang moving down in the lineup, Sal Frelick has taken over leadoff duties
• Joey Ortiz may be starting to lose playing time
  • The Brewers have been patient with Ortiz after a slow start, but he is showing no signs of breaking out of his slump
  • Ortiz is batting just .179 on the season. Even with some positive regression to his BABIP, there is not much to get excited about in his profile
  • Andruw Monasterio has been getting more playing time at shortstop this week and batting eighth in the lineup. He also does not hold much fantasy value
• Rhys Hoskins has continued to look excellent offensively
  • Hoskins has been known for his power throughout his career, but his batting average seems to be catching up. Hoskins is batting .292 on the season
  • While Hoskins is likely to experience some regression to his BABIP (.355 vs. career .274), he should see positive regression to his home run totals. He is barreling the ball up and pulling it at an extremely high rate. Do not be surprised if he starts crushing home runs at a higher rate
  • Hoskins has been batting fifth or sixth in the lineup, but could shift up over Brice Turang if Turang’s struggles continue

Cincinnati Reds

• Matt McLain has moved down in the lineup
  • After batting second in the lineup for most of the season, the Reds made a surprising move shifting McLain to eighth in the lineup
  • McLain is only batting .182 on the season, but he has been great for fantasy managers with six homers and 10 stolen bases in only 36 games
  • McLain is striking out a lot, but the bigger issue is his .231 BABIP, which is leading to this poor average. McLain is not a .300 hitter, but he should see his luck improve and continue to post excellent HR/SB totals for fantasy baseball managers
• Jake Fraley is on the IL
  • Fraley landed on the IL with a calf injury and does not have a firm timetable for a return
  • In his place, Will Benson was recalled from Triple-A and is getting regular playing time
  • Benson is batting at the bottom of the lineup since being recalled. He is swinging a hot bat so far, but the underlying numbers point to continued hit tool risk and a player unlikely to sustain success
• TJ Friedl has been dealing with a wrist injury
  • This injury is not expected to keep Friedl sidelined or result in an IL stint, but is something to monitor
  • If he were forced to miss more time, recently acquired Connor Joe would likely see his playing time increase

Pittsburgh Pirates

• Isiah Kiner-Falefa is back from the IL
  • IKF returned to the Pirates lineup on Monday and has been batting sixth most games since returning
  • With IKF back in the everyday shortstop role, Jared Triolo has stepped back into a super utility role
  • IKF has seven stolen bases on the year but there is little reason to believe his .283 average and .344 BABIP are sustainable
• Enmanuel Valdez is on the 60-day IL with a shoulder injury
  • Valdez was serving as the team’s primary first baseman for the early part of this year but will now miss an extended period of time
  • With Valdez out, Matt Gorski has taken over as the primary first baseman and is batting sixth in the lineup
  • Gorski’s time as the primary first baseman was short-lived as the team will activate Spencer Horwitz off the IL this weekend. Horwitz was a popular breakout candidate heading into the season and could be available on many waiver wires
• Alexander Canario is getting everyday playing time
  • Canario is finally getting a chance and has been playing well as of late. He is slashing .314/.368/.457 since the start of May
  • Under the hood, there is plenty of upside and also plenty of risk. The good is that Canario hits the ball hard. He is running a 20% barrel rate on the year and has the raw power to be a 25 home run bat
  • The bad is Canario’s hit tool. Canario is still striking out a lot and running a contact rate of just 67.5%. He is likely to be a streaky player but is worth an add in deeper leagues where you need outfield help

National League West

Los Angeles Dodgers

• Dalton Rushing has been promoted from Triple-A
  • In a bit of a surprising move, the team decided to DFA Austin Barnes and promote top prospect Dalton Rushing
  • Rushing was simply giving the team no choice as he was batting .308 with five homers in Triple-A
  • Rushing is a top-tier dynasty prospect, but his ability to get into the Dodgers’ lineup consistently remains unclear. He will likely take a couple of starts away from Will Smith each week, but would need to play in the outfield to generate any fantasy relevance in 2025
• Teoscar Hernandez is on the IL
  • Speaking of playing in the outfield, Hernandez landed on the IL with an adductor injury and is expected to miss two to three weeks
  • With Hernandez out of the lineup, James Outman has been filling in but is batting just .143 through 24 plate appearances
  • The team could get Rushing into the lineup in favor of Outman a couple of times per week, add in the couple of starts at catcher, and Rushing could get playing time 4-5 games per week
• Andy Pages has moved up in the lineup
  • The other part of the Hernandez injury is Pages moving up in the lineup
  • Pages has been batting fifth or sixth this week and has continued to cement himself as a core piece of the Dodgers’ lineup
  • Pages is now batting .291 on the season with eight homers and five steals. He is batting .340 since May 4

San Diego Padres

• Jake Cronenworth is back from the IL
  • Cronenworth returned to the Padres’ lineup last week and has been batting seventh in the lineup
  • He is batting over .300 since his return to the team and owns a 169 wRC+ on the season. He continues to feel like an underrated fantasy asset
  • With Cronenworth back, Jose Iglesias has moved back into a bench role
• Gavin Sheets is no longer platooning
  • Sheets’ offensive success has earned him more playing time, even against lefties
  • Sheets is batting sixth in most games and is not even sliding down in the lineup against lefties
  • He is slashing .350/.366/.575 since the start of May. His BABIP continues to point to regression, as does his strikeout-to-walk ratio. There is upside here, but fantasy managers should proceed with caution
• Manny Machado is showing no signs of aging
  • Machado may turn 33 in July, but you would not be able to tell based on his performance
  • He continues to be one of the premier third basemen in baseball. He is batting .340 with three homers on the season so far. He has a 15-game hit streak currently, during which he is batting .480
  • The three home runs may seem a bit disappointing, but all of Machado’s batted ball data looks excellent. He should see his home run totals start to increase, and he is even on pace for a career-high in stolen bases. He is an elite fantasy asset for this season

Arizona Diamondbacks

• Jordan Lawlar has been promoted from Triple-A
  • The Diamondbacks promoted Lawlar prior to their game on Monday. He was on the bench for two of the first three games but reports but hit eighth against a lefty
  • Lawlar really gave the Diamondbacks no choice but to promote him despite their lineup being full. Reports are that they plan to get Lawlar into the lineup about four times a week in a super-utility role
  • His fantasy value is capped despite elite upside, barring an injury to one of Arizona’s regulars
• Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is heating up offensively
  • After batting seventh in the lineup for most of the year, Gurriel is moving up in the lineup with this hot stretch
  • Gurriel is slashing .327/.364/.615 since the start of May, including three home runs. Gurriel was getting unlucky early in the year and is getting lucky recently. His true talent level is likely somewhere in between
  • With Gurriel moving up in the lineup, Pavin Smith has been sliding down. After a hot start, Smith is batting just .229 since the start of May and has not hit a home run since April 22

San Francisco Giants

• Tyler Fitzgerald is nearing a return to the lineup
  • The Giants have not cited an estimated return date for Fitzgerald, but he is rehabbing with Triple-A and appears healthy
  • Prior to getting injured, Fitzgerald was batting .284 with two homers and five steals. His strikeout rate was down significantly this season, but the underlying plate discipline numbers remain concerning
  • With Fitzgerald nearing a return, Christian Koss will likely lose his playing time
• Matt Chapman is moving up in the lineup
  • After batting fourth for most of the season, Matt Chapman has been batting second against righties this week
  • After a slow start, Chapman has looked much more comfortable at the plate in the month of May. He should be a reliable option at third base for fantasy managers the rest of the way
  • With Chapman moving up, Willy Adames is moving down. He has been batting sixth despite starting to heat up at the plate
• Luis Matos might be getting more playing time
  • Despite being viewed as a top prospect, Matos has struggled to cement himself with regular playing time at the Major League level
  • In the past week, the team has sat LaMonte Wade Jr two of three games from Monday to Wednesday, with Matos filling in
  • Wade is batting just .147 on the season and could continue to lose playing time as the season moves along

Colorado Rockies

• Hunter Goodman is red hot offensively
  • Goodman continues to play in the Rockies’ lineup every da,y batting fourth and rotating between catcher and DH
  • He is batting .296 on the season and is up to six home runs. He is batting .344 since April 29
  • The home runs and power are expected,d but this level of batting average is surprising given Goodman’s profile. His .352 BABIP is likely to come down, and his 12th percentile chase rate and 9th percentile whiff rate make it likely his strikeout rate spikes in the coming weeks. This is a player to sell high on in fantasy
• Is it time to panic on Brenton Doyle?
  • Doyle was so good in 2024 that living up to the expectations in 2025 always seemed unlikely
  • He continues to bat at the top of Colorado’s lineup but is hitting just .216 with four homers and four steals
  • Despite the slow start, Doyle looks more like a buy-low than panic player. He is still barreling the ball up 14% of the time, he has elite sprint speed, and is making noticeably more contact this season while also chasing less. The only downside this season has been a .260 BABIP, which should see some positive regression
  • Notably, Doyle hit fifth in the lineup in Friday night’s game, with Jordan Beck taking over the leadoff spot
• Ezequiel Tovar is back from the IL
  • Tovar has been out for a while but returned to the Rockies’ lineup on Friday and hit second
  • With Tovar back, Alan Trejo was designated for assignment
  • Tovar was struggling prior to his injury, and some regression from his strong 2024 season should be expected