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, both good and bad.
About two months of the baseball season are in the books. With every at-bat and inning pitched, we’re getting a greater sense of who players are, performance-wise. In general, we still want to stick with the core players we drafted, but we also want to churn and burn the bottom of our rosters to take advantage of hot starts. With that in mind, let’s look at some Week 8 fantasy baseball risers and fallers.
Fantasy Baseball Risers and Fallers
Week 8 stats from 5/12-5/18
Risers
Will Benson (OF — CIN)
Will Benson has been white-hot. He swatted five home runs in his last four games and is riding a six-game hitting streak. Since his call-up on May 9, Benson is sporting a .423/.483/1.077 slash line with six runs scored, 11 RBI, and a stolen base. He also flashed strong plate skills with a 10.3% walk rate and 17.2% strikeout rate across those 29 plate appearances.
Benson offers a nice blend of pop and speed. He registered 14 homers and 16 steals across 388 plate appearances in 2024. However, that also came with an ugly 39.7% strikeout rate and a batting average below the Mendoza Line. Benson’s torrid pace this season won’t continue, but he’s started in eight-of-10 games and should have a long leash while he hits. If Benson can limit the Ks, he plays in a homer-friendly stadium for a team that likes to run. Benson is worth grabbing in 15-team leagues while swinging a hot stick.
Taylor Ward (OF — LAA)
Taylor Ward was among the week’s leaders in home runs. He popped four dingers and went 7-for-25 with five runs scored, eight RBI, and a 1.157 OPS.
Ward hit a career-best 25 home runs last season and is well on his way to surpass that in 2025. He has 12 homers across 187 plate appearances this year and is flexing a career-high .249 ISO. Additionally, he’s increased his contact rates and is sporting a career-best 14.4% barrel rate. Despite the gains in his underlying metrics, Ward’s sub-.200 batting average stands out, likely due to a shift from line drives to fly balls. And while a .230 xBA isn’t great, when it’s paired with 30-33 home runs and a handful of steals, that plays in shallow leagues.
Kody Clemens (1B/2B — MIN)
The Twins have been on fire, and so has Kody Clemens. He went 8-for-20 last week, including three multi-hit efforts and a couple of home runs. He also walked at a 13% clip and smoked the ball with a 28.6% barrel and 85.7% hard-hit rate.
Minnesota acquired Clemens from the Phillies at the end of April, and the move has paid off. In that 15-game span, Clemens is slashing .297/.381/.622 with three home runs, eight RBI, and a 184 wRC+. The sample size is small, but Clemens has played in six of the last seven games and should benefit from the team’s injuries that are piling up. He could sit against lefties, but Clemens is a decent power source who provides cheap exposure to a Twins offense that is hot right now. Take advantage in deeper leagues.
Miguel Vargas (3B/OF — CWS)
Miguel Vargas racked up 10 hits across 24 at-bats last week, including a couple of doubles and four home runs. He also had four multi-hit performances across the six-game span with a 1.423 OPS.
Following a cold start to the season, Vargas has been on a heater in May. He has a 1.019 OPS and 183 wRC+ for the month, with five homers and 12 RBI across 62 plate appearances. He also demonstrated a strong plate approach by walking and striking out at a 9.1% rate. Vargas isn’t flashy. But he’s a contact player with an everyday role who bats in the top third of the order. Add in multi-positional eligibility, and you’re looking at a nice asset in deeper formats.
Fallers
Brenton Doyle (OF — COL)
Brenton Doyle had a rough week, logging only two hits across 21 at-bats. He also dropped from the leadoff spot to the middle of the order in his last three games. The poor week continues an underwhelming year for Doyle, who hasn’t been able to replicate his breakout 2024 season (23/30/.260 in 603 PA).
Across 154 plate appearances this year, Doyle has a .203/.253/.315 slash line with four home runs and four steals to go with a 45 wRC+. His May has been especially brutal, with a .353 OPS across 64 plate appearances. However, positive regression should be headed Doyle’s way. His quality contact metrics are career-best marks across the board, including a 13.6% barrel and 42.7% hard-hit rate. Additionally, he’s been unlucky in the dinger department, with only four long balls on 15 barrels. 20/30 players don’t grow on trees, and Doyle was one of only 10 players to achieve that mark last season. He shouldn’t be dropped in any league size.
Christian Yelich (OF — MIL)
Christian Yelich’s ugly 2025 continued last week. He was 3-for-22 at the plate, 0-for-1 on the basepaths, and struck out at a 32% clip. While it’s been an especially rough May for Yelich (.462 OPS in 65 PA), not much has gone right for him this season. His strikeouts are up (28.7% K%), and he’s not elevating the ball (61.5% ground ball percentage). Also, Yelich’s plate discipline metrics are down across the board, and his first pitch strike percentage has jumped to 69.1% (career 56.3%).
Yelich has been unlucky this year, but a .310 xwOBA doesn’t give us the warm and fuzzies. Plus, given this is his age-33 season and he has a history of back problems, this may be the start of a skills decline. Yelich’s track record is long, and there’s still time to get things going at the plate. But his performance is worth keeping an eye on over the next few weeks. In the meantime, Yelich is a hold in all league sizes.
Ben Rice (1B — NYY)
Ben Rice is losing playing time, starting in only three of the Yankees’ six games last week. It’s an unfortunate turn of events for Rice, who had a strong start to the season. Through April, he posted a .958 OPS with eight home runs and two steals across 110 plate appearances.
However, Rice has stumbled in May with a .707 OPS, one home run, and no steals across 51 plate appearances. Additionally, his walks have plummeted from 11.8% to 3.9% for the month. Rice’s reduced role — and production — is concerning. If he can’t turn things around at the plate, his playing time squeeze will likely continue in a crowded Yankees lineup. Stay tuned.
Kristian Campbell (2B/SS/OF — BOS)
After a scorching start to the season, Campbell has gone ice-cold in May. He’s managed only four hits across 48 plate appearances while posting a .253 OPS and -45 wRC+ for the month. Yikes. Campbell also has an uncharacteristic 2.1% walk rate during that stretch and a 31.3% strikeout rate.
Growing pains and adjustments are part of the rookie experience. Outside of giving Campbell a couple of days off to clear his head, the Red Sox haven’t limited his playing time. They’ve also kept Campbell in the heart of the batting order. Fantasy managers should also remain patient. Campbell is a 15/15 player who brings a .250+ batting average and solid run production to the fantasy table. He’s a hold in 15-teamers and dynasty/keeper leagues.
