Fantasy Baseball Lineup Analysis: AL 08/16

The season is in the home stretch. This is crunch time for fantasy baseball managers to lock in before the playoffs. Whether you are making a playoff push or if you are trying to secure a first-round bye, now is your last chance to change your fate. Lineups around the league are constantly changing, and this article helps to break down all of the relevant information and changes from lineups around the American League.

The five hottest hitters over the past two weeks in the AL have been: Junior Caminero, Julio Rodriguez, Shea Langeliers, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Josh Naylor. The five coldest hitters over the past two weeks have been: Andrew Benintendi, Jackson Holliday, Dylan Carlson, Eugenio Suarez, and Marcus Semien. Keep reading for the latest news and notes from all 15 lineups around the American League.

Fantasy Baseball Lineup Takeaways

Please note that this article was written the day before publication. I will do my best to update the article with any relevant information from the previous night’s games.

AL East

New York Yankees

• Giancarlo Stanton has been playing the outfield consistently
  • With Aaron Judge back in the lineup and limited to DH duties, Stanton has been forced to play the outfield for the first time since 2023
  • To the surprise of many, Stanton is doing it on an everyday basis while continuing to bat fourth in the lineup
  • Stanton’s consistent playing time and offensive success have pushed Jasson Dominguez out of a lineup spot. He is not worth rostering in redraft formats
• Ben Rice is back in the everyday lineup
  • Rice is rotating between first base and catcher while batting fifth in the lineup
  • This has forced Paul Goldschmidt and Austin Wells into a timeshare
  • Both players have been struggling to produce offensively and are fine drop options
• Two platoon bats acquired at the deadline are on the IL
  • First, Austin Slater landed on the IL, allowing Trent Grisham to play more consistently every day
  • Then, Amed Rosario also landed on the IL, which could keep Ryan McMahon in the lineup more against lefties
  • Grisham continues to bat leadoff for the Yankees. He has three home runs in the month of August, with as many walks as strikeouts

Boston Red Sox

• Carlos Narvaez has moved down to ninth in the lineup
  • Narvaez is still receiving the majority of playing time over Connor Wong, but has shifted down in the lineup
  • After a fast start to the season, Narvaez has cooled way off. He is slashing just .137/.170/.314 since the All Star Break
  • Outside of leagues with 20+ catchers rostered, Narvaez is a fine drop option
• Masataka Yoshida is batting fifth
  • Yoshida took some time to settle in, but has been swinging a hot bat since the start of August
  • As a result, Yoshida has moved up to fifth and continues to play everyday against righties
  • The contact skills are undeniable, but his limited power and speed prevent there from being much upside. He could lose playing time if the team decides to promote Kristian Campbell back to the Major Leagues
• Abraham Toro is losing some playing time
  • Toro continues to draw the majority of starts at first base, but has been sitting more frequently as of late
  • Toro is battling with Romy Gonzalez for playing time, with neither player offering much in terms of fantasy upside
  • Toro is batting just .162 since the start of August and owns a 47 wRC+ since the start of July. There is no reason to roster Toro in fantasy

Tampa Bay Rays

• Hunter Feduccia is serving as the primary catcher
  • The Rays are platooning their catchers right now. Feduccia is playing against righties, and Nick Fortes is playing against lefties
  • Feduccia is batting seventh in the lineup after hitting .290 with nine homers in Triple-A with the Dodgers
  • Since being acquired, Feduccia is batting just .143 with a high strikeout rate that continues to be an issue. He is not worth picking up in fantasy leagues
• Tristan Peters has bounced between the Major and Minor Leagues
  • Peters was getting a chance to play center field, but was briefly optioned to Triple-A when Jonny DeLuca returned. With DeLuca back on the IL, Peters is back in the Major Leagues
  • In Triple-A this season, Peters was batting .282 with 11 homers and 11 stolen bases. He is an extreme fly-ball hitter with a patient approach that does offer some sneaky upside for fantasy managers
  • He is yet to collect a hit at the Major League level and could lose some playing time to the recently acquired and promoted Everson Pereira
• Ha-Seong Kim is batting leadoff against lefties
  • Although Kim continues to bat in the lower third of the lineup against righties, he has moved up in the order against lefties
  • Injuries have limited Kim to just 20 games this season, but he has two homers and five stolen bases already
  • Everything in Kim’s profile appears to be in line with what we saw in San Diego. He should see his batting average improve as his BABIP starts to see better luck. He is a decent add in 14+ team leagues

Toronto Blue Jays

• Andres Gimenez is back from the IL
  • Gimenez returned to the Jays’ lineup on Tuesday and has been batting ninth in the lineup against righties
  • The team appears to be content with platooning Gimenez with Davis Schneider, who is batting leadoff against lefties
  • In 64 games this season, Gimenez is batting just .221 with five homers and ten stolen bases. He holds limited fantasy value
• Ty France is serving as the primary DH
  • France is DHing against righties and shifting to first base against lefties
  • He has been batting between fifth and seventh in the lineup. The power is yet to click in Toronto, but he is batting .343 since being acquired
  • France’s aggressive approach limits his power output, but he should see some positive regression to his HR/FB% down the stretch
• Joey Loperfido has lost his everyday role
  • With the Blue Jays getting healthy, Loperfido has seen his playing time decrease
  • Daulton Varsho is playing center field every day, and Nathan Lukes continues to bat leadoff against righties
  • Loperfido continues to work his way into the lineup multiple times in a week and is still batting .296 since the start of August

Baltimore Orioles

• Daniel Johnson was claimed off waivers from San Francisco
  • The Orioles lost both Tyler O’Neill and Colton Cowser to the IL recently, putting a need on acquiring an outfielder
  • Johnson was batting .172 with one home run in 14 games with the Giants this season
  • He is batting in the back half of the lineup but lacks any fantasy appeal. The team should promote Dylan Beavers prior to the end of the season
• Ryan Noda and Greg Allen are splitting time
  • The other outfield spot is being split between Noda and Allen. Jeremiah Jackson is also mixing in at times
  • Noda is getting most of the playing time, but is a career .203 hitter through 665 Major League plate appearances. He is batting .106 this year
  • With three players splitting time, none are worth rostering. This is another spot Dylan Beavers could fill
• Ryan Mountcastle has been playing well
  • Mountcastle missed over two months with an injury but returned to Baltimore’s lineup on August 8
  • He has been batting fifth in the lineup and is hitting .250 with two home runs since returning
  • After the fire sale, Mountcastle is locked into the middle of Baltimore’s lineup. There is power potential here, even if fantasy managers have not seen it in recent seasons

AL West

Houston Astros

• Jacob Melton is back from Triple-A
  • Melton was recalled from Triple-A before Monday’s game and has been in the lineup for both games against righties
  • Melton started one game over Cam Smith and one game over Taylor Trammell
  • Trammell is batting just .167 since the start of August and seems like the most likely candidate to lose playing time with Melton being promoted
• Carlos Correa is batting second in the lineup
  • Correa’s return to Houston could not be going any better
  • In 11 games, Correa is batting .364 with two home runs. While health remains the biggest concern, Correa could be a top-tier fantasy asset for the second half
  • With Correa in the lineup, Ramon Urias has shifted over to second base, with Mauricio Dubon heading back to the bench
• Jesus Sanchez has struggled to turn things on with Houston
  • Sanchez continues to play every day with Houston while batting fourth in the lineup
  • The issue and concern is that Sanchez is batting just .205 with zero home runs since being acquired
  • With Houston’s outfield growing more crowded, Sanchez could be at risk of losing playing time if his struggles continue

Los Angeles Angels

• Christian Moore is not playing every day
  • Moore is once again healthy, but is only playing consistently against lefties while riding the bench against most righties
  • In 27 games with the Major League team, Moore is batting just .192 with three home runs
  • Luis Rengifo has been batting seventh in the lineup and playing over Moore consistently. Rengifo is batting .303 since the start of August
• Bryce Tedosio is playing every day in center field
  • Gustavo Campero went down with an ankle injury, which solidified Tedosio as the team’s starting center fielder
  • In 10 games at the Major League level, Tedosio is batting .357 with three home runs. He was batting .330 in Triple-A prior to his promotion
  • Speed is a definite plus for Tedosio, but he has below-average contact skills, is very aggressive, and does not have much game power. He is not somebody worth adding
• Zach Neto feels like an underrated fantasy asset
  • Neto is obviously a strong fantasy asset, but his value seems to fly under the radar
  • In 102 games this season, Neto has 19 homers with 21 stolen bases. After playing in 155 games last season, his 155-game pace this year would be 29 homers and 32 stolen bases
  • Neto is still only 24 years old and should continue to improve as he gains more experience

Texas Rangers

• Evan Carter is back from the IL
  • Carter was activated off the IL prior to Wednesday’s game and hit fifth in the lineup in his return
  • Injuries have limited Carter to just 58 games played, in which he owns a .244 batting average with four home runs and 13 stolen bases
  • The game power seems unlikely to ever develop into a plus tool, but Carter has good speed, and batting in the middle of the lineup should give him plenty of counting stats
• Rowdy Tellez is eating into Jake Burger’s playing time
  • After failing to stick in Seattle, Tellez has been playing consistently with the Rangers against righties
  • He is batting .268 with two home runs in 17 games since joining the team. He is primarily batting sixth or seventh in the lineup since being acquired
  • Burger returned from the IL recently but has been primarily playing on the short side of a platoon. Despite the lofty expectations entering the season, he is a fine drop
• Marcus Semien is not a player you have to roster
  • Based on name value alone, cutting Semien feels unjustifiable, but he has not been helpful to fantasy teams this season
  • In 121 games, Semien is batting .222 with 13 homers and 11 steals. An 81 wRC+ would be the lowest mark of his since 2013
  • Things have been even worse since the start of August, as Semien is slashing just .146/.189/.188 during that time. He is a fine drop in shallow formats

Athletics

• Colby Thomas is earning more consistent playing time
  • Since being promoted back to the Major Leagues on July 22, Thomas’ playing time has been sparse, but that has started to change over the past week
  • Thomas is playing more frequently and batting in the middle of the lineup
  • Thomas has the power and speed blend that could result in significant fantasy value. Monitoring his strikeout rate with more consistent playing time will be the biggest factor in his ability to stick at the Major League level
• Darell Hernaiz has moved up to sixth in the lineup
  • Hernaiz is getting another chance to earn playing time and has been batting sixth in the lineup
  • The move up in the lineup is nice, but Hernaiz is still not producing. He owns a .217/.321/.391 slash through 56 plate appearances
  • Part of the issue is bad luck, but his batted ball data is underwhelming and makes it difficult to get excited about his high walk rate and low strikeout rate
• Shea Langeliers has moved to second in the lineup
  • Langeliers has spent most of the season batting fourth, but has been batting second and even first in the lineup as of late
  • Langeliers’ season is flying under the radar. He is up to 24 homers while raising his batting average all the way up to .272
  • The batting average increase is a result of a much-improved hit tool and better BABIP luck in Sacramento. This is a breakout worth buying into

Seattle Mariners

• Eugenio Suarez and Seattle just do not mix
  • After being one of the most dominant hitters in baseball, Suarez is once again struggling to produce in Seattle
  • In 13 games since being acquired, he has hit just one home run and is batting .125
  • The biggest issue is that it appears Suarez is pressing to help his new team. He is striking out more. He should be considered a solid, but not elite, fantasy option the rest of the year
• Julio Rodriguez is coming on strong once again
  • 2025 has been another season of Rodriguez, starting extremely slow but turning things on when it matters most for fantasy managers
  • At the end of June, Rodriguez was slashing .258/.316/.406 with 11 homers and 13 stolen bases. Since July 11, he is slashing .305/.359/.686
  • The power has come on strong for Rodriguez, who is now up to 24 homers and 23 stolen bases. He remains an elite fantasy asset with 30/30 potential

AL Central

Detroit Tigers

• Trey Sweeney is back from Triple-A
  • Sweeney was recalled from Triple-A prior to the game on Sunday and has been playing against righties consistently
  • Roster Resource still does not list him as a starter, but he has been primarily batting eighth in the lineup
  • The two players at risk of losing playing time with Sweeney coming back are Wenceel Perez and Zach McKinstry
• Dillon Dingler’s season is flying under the radar
  • Dingler has served as the team’s primary catcher for the majority of the season and is up to 11 homers with a .269 batting average
  • While his overall stats are nothing to write home about, his consistent playing time and average production are useful in two-catcher formats
  • He has been swinging a hot bat since the All-Star Break with three homers and a .284/.351/.463 slash

Kansas City Royals

• Mike Yastrzemski is batting leadoff for the Royals
  • Yaz was acquired from San Francisco at the Trade Deadline and has quickly moved up in the Royals’ lineup
  • He continues to serve on the strong side of a platoon and is batting .188 since being acquired. His high walk rate continues to be the primary source of his value, specific to OBP leagues
  • With Yaz moving up in the lineup, Jonathan India has moved down to seventh in the lineup
• Adam Frazier is locked into an everyday lineup spot
  • Since being acquired by the Royals, the team is committed to keeping Frazier in the lineup on an everyday basis
  • To be fair, he has been producing at a high level through 20 games with his new (old) team. He is batting .323, although much of that has to do with a .351 BABIP as opposed to any change in his profile
  • Frazier has been batting as high as fifth in the past week while rotating between second base, third base, and DH
• Vinnie Pasquantino is red hot
  • The batting average has not been anything special, but Pasquantino is getting it done in the power department with four home runs since August 4
  • This brings his season total up to 22 homer,s with seven of those coming since the ASB
  • Fantasy managers may be disappointed with his recent batting average, but his struggles can be attributed to a .160 BABIP since the ASB. He should see his luck improve down the stretch and continue to be a reliable fantasy asset

Chicago White Sox

• Miguel Vargas is off of the IL
  • Vargas did not miss long with an injury as he was activated prior to Tuesday’s game
  • He has been playing first base and batting sixth in the lineup in both games since returning
  • The overall season slash line for Vargas has been underwhelming at .226/.304/.396, but he has shown flashes of consistency that should provide optimism for his future outlook
• Lenyn Sosa has been batting second in the lineup
  • With Chase Meidroth on the IL, Lenyn Sosa has moved up to second in the lineup
  • In 104 games this season, Sosa has quietly produced at a high level. He has 14 homers and is batting .273
  • Sosa’s success has been more profound since the ASB as he has been slashing .294/.340/.494 over that time. He is worth an add in 12+ team leagues if you need help at second base
• Curtis Mead is playing every day
  • The other part of Meidroth being on the IL is the opening it left at third base
  • With Meidroth out, Mead has taken over and is playing every day batting all over the lineup
  • Mead never really got a consistent chance with the Rays, but should get one with the White Sox. In nine games, he is batting .267 with zero homers. Power development will be key to Mead’s future fantasy value

Minnesota Twins

• Byron Buxton is back from the IL
  • Buxton returned to the Twins’ lineup on Sunday. He has primarily been batting second in the lineup since returning
  • With Buxton back, Carson McCusker was optioned back to Triple-A, and Austin Martin has moved into more of a fourth-outfielder role
  • Even on a depleted Twins’ roster, Buxton remains an excellent fantasy asset while healthy
• Luke Keaschall is batting fourth in the lineup
  • In 16 Major League games, Keaschall has done nothing but hit for the Twins
  • He is batting in the middle of the lineup with a .328 average, two homers, and six stolen bases
  • Keaschall projects as a strong fantasy option at second base for years to come. His plate discipline, contact skills, and speed give an excellent base to build off as the power will hopefully keep developing
• Trevor Larnach has been batting lower in the lineup
  • Larnach has spent the majority of the season batting in the top two spots against righties, but has started to see that change
  • Multiple times this week, Larnach has hit in the back half of the lineup with Austin Martin and Kody Clemens moving up
  • Larnach’s slide down the lineup is likely due to his .218/.333/.400 slash since the All-Star Break

Cleveland Guardians

• CJ Kayfus is striking out a lot
  • Kayfus continues to rotate between first base and right field, but continues to play every day
  • Kayfus has been batting seventh in the lineupin  most games. The results have been better since August 5 with a .269/.345/.462 slash
  • While he does a lot of things well, he is also striking out over 34% of the time since making his debut. Strong BABIPs masked concerning contact rates in the Minor Leagues, which could be an issue at the Major League level
• Daniel Schneeman is playing every day in the outfield
  • Schneeman has been playing center field every day and batting second in the lineup
  • He is getting another chance to prove he belongs in an everyday role and is slashing .286/.359/.429 since the start of August
  • With Schneeman playing every day, Carlos Santana and Angel Martinez have been splitting playing time