Welcome to another edition of Fantasy Baseball Risers and Fallers. This series aims to assist fantasy baseball managers with lineup and waiver wire decisions by examining recent player performances from a fantasy perspective, both good and bad.
In this week’s edition of Fantasy Baseball Risers and Fallers, we look at a couple of outfielders who could be helpful to our fantasy squads, as well as a player who looks like Boston’s answer at first base. On the flip side, we examine four players drafted in the top 100 who are struggling — and what to do about it. With that, let’s go ahead and take a look at some Week 11 fantasy baseball risers and fallers.
Fantasy Baseball Risers and Fallers
Week 11 stats from 6/2-6/8
Risers
Jo Adell (OF — LAA)
Jo Adell was on a tear last week. He went 6-for-19 at the plate and contributed across the board, swatting four home runs, stealing a base and collecting five RBI, and six runs. He also smoked the ball to the tune of a 25% barrel rate and 56.3% hard-hit rate.
Adell has been a productive bat since the calendar flipped to May, especially on the power front. He’s flexing a .337 ISO across his last 102 plate appearances with nine home runs and a .927 OPS. Adell also hit the ball with authority in this stretch (14.9% barrel and 50.7% hard-hit rate) while maintaining a strikeout rate below 22%. Adell’s playing time this season has been a little spotty. But he started in 17 of his last 20 games and should continue getting regular at-bats while swinging a hot stick. Adell is a streaky hitter, so you want to catch him while he’s running hot. He’s a nice power source worth grabbing in shallow formats right now.
Marcus Semien (2B — TEX)
Don’t look now, but Marcus Semien is starting to turn things around. He went 8-for-21 last week with two doubles and two home runs. He also batted in six runs and scored four. Semien’s two dingers already match his May home run total, and his recent hot play has moved Semien from the basement of the batting order up to the cleanup spot in his last three games.
Semien struggled mightily to start the season but has started to pick things up over his last 10 games. In that stretch, Semien is slashing .517/.588/.931 with a 324 wRC+. He’s also showcasing elite plate skills with a 14.7% walk rate and 17.6% strikeout rate. The strikeout rate is particularly encouraging, as Semien carried a bloated 23.6% K-rate in May (career 18.6%), which contributed to a batting average below the Mendoza line. A .600 BABIP is fueling much of Semien’s recent success. But if his plate gains stick, Semien should be on track to right his 2025 ship. It’s worth checking if Semien was dropped in shallow leagues to see if his poor play is behind him.
Jesus Sanchez (OF — MIA)
Jesus Sanchez went 8-for-21 last week with three doubles and one home run. He also logged three multi-hit efforts across five starts and added nine RBI, four runs scored, and one steal to his weekly stat line.
Sanchez has looked good since the beginning of May, showcasing his pop and speed. He has a .300/.371/.464 slash line across his last 124 plate appearances with four homers and five steals to go with 20 RBI, 16 runs scored, and a 133 wRC+. Sanchez makes quality contact, contributes across the board, and bats out of the top two spots of the order. While he often sits against lefties, Sanchez is still a productive fantasy asset who shouldn’t be sitting on the waiver wire in 12+ team leagues.
Abraham Toro (1B/3B — BOS)
Abraham Toro was a hitting machine last week. He piled up 10 hits across 24 at-bats, including three doubles and four multi-hit efforts. Toro finished the week with one home run, five RBI, and four runs scored. He also walked and struck out at a 7.4% clip.
Toro was called up in early May but started seeing regular playing time on May 24. In that 15-game span, Toro has a .396/.411/.660 slash line with three home runs, nine RBI, and eight runs scored with a 195 wRC+. He also moved from the bottom third of the order to hitting fifth or sixth in his last nine games. A .353 BABIP is helping Toro’s cause. But he’s a contact hitter who brings 10-13 home run power, a sprinkling of steals, and a plus batting average (.311 xBA) to the fantasy table. That plays in deeper formats.
Fallers
Teoscar Hernandez (OF — LAD)
Teoscar Hernandez managed only two hits across 24 at-bats last week and continues to struggle since coming off the IL with an adductor strain. Hernandez returned to action on May 19 and has scuffled to the tune of a .174/.230/.290 slash line with one homer and one steal across 74 plate appearances. Hernandez’s power has cratered in this stretch, with a .116 ISO being a far cry from his career .226 mark.
However, fantasy managers shouldn’t fret. Hernandez’s .250 BABIP (career .330) means some positive regression is due. Additionally, Hernandez is still making quality contact. His 13.3% barrel and 42.2% hard-hit rates are mostly consistent with his career rates — and an improvement from the rates he held before landing on the IL. Hang tight with Hernandez in all league sizes. He primarily bats cleanup in a potent Dodgers offense, and the fantasy goodness should start rolling in.
Brenton Doyle (OF — COL)
Brenton Doyle is in the middle of an ugly 1-for-27 slump over his last seven games with an elevated 32.1% strikeout rate. The lack of production is a continuation of a cold spell that has persisted since the beginning of May. Across his last 33 games, Doyle posted a .459 OPS with one home run, eight RBI, eight runs scored and four steals. On the plus side, Doyle is still making quality contact consistent with his career marks. And a .216 BABIP (career .295) says brighter days should be ahead.
In 15-teamers, Doyle is a hold — his power/speed combo should still be good for a 20/20 season despite the sluggish start. However, he’s a tougher hold in shallow formats. Doyle dropped from batting leadoff to batting fifth in the past couple of weeks, reducing his number of at-bats. Additionally, the Rockies’ run production opportunities are abysmal, as they are dead last in runs scored this season. Try to hold where possible, but there could be better options available in shallow leagues.
Willy Adames (SS — SFG)
Willy Adames had a brutal week as he failed to register a hit and struck out at a 34.8% clip. While he walked at a 17.4% rate, that doesn’t move the needle for fantasy managers. Adames is coming off a career year where he popped 32 homers and stole 21 bases with a .251 batting average. Unfortunately, that hasn’t carried over to 2025. Adames has a .193/.281/.303 slash line with five home runs and three steals across 279 plate appearances this year. Oof.
Overall, Adames isn’t hitting the ball well. His 9.8% barrel rate is his worst mark since 2019, and his 88.0 mph average exit velocity is a career low. Some unluckiness is at play, but a .202 xBA and .290 xwOBA don’t bring much confidence. Adames has already dropped from the two-spot to the six-hole, and it’s possible he loses playing time temporarily, as the Giants are in a tight divisional race. We shouldn’t write Adames off completely, but he’s tough to roster in shallow leagues if his bat doesn’t thaw out soon.
Spencer Strider (SP — ATL)
Spencer Strider’s struggles continued last week. He combined for eight earned runs in his two starts with a 9:5 K:BB across 11 frames. Strider also posted a lowly 8.5% K-BB%. Strider hasn’t looked Strider-esque in any of his four starts since coming off the IL. He holds a bloated 5.85 ERA (4.50 SIERA) and 1.30 WHIP across 20 innings with a 10.5% K-BB%.
Overall, Strider’s velocity is down, and he’s giving up a ton of hard contact. His 92.1 mph average exit velocity is in the bottom 4% of the league, which doesn’t pair well with his 50% fly ball rate. Fantasy managers shouldn’t think about dropping Strider in any format. However, he’s a risky start until he can string together a couple of good outings. It’s also possible that if Strider can’t regain his form, we need to adjust our expectations moving forward. A matchup against the toothless Rockies is next for Strider. If he doesn’t perform well against them, we need to officially raise the red flag. Stay tuned.
