Fantasy Baseball Lineup Analysis: NL 08/02

National League lineup analysis is back for the first time since the trade deadline. Plenty of news to catch up on. The five hottest hitters in the NL over the past two weeks have been Gavin Lux, Tyler Fitzgerald, Josh Bell, Ketel Marte, and Xander Bogaerts. A couple of surprising names landed inside of the top five! Keep reading for news and notes on all 15 lineups across the National League.

Please note that this article is finalized the day prior to publish. I will do my best to update the information as it comes in later that night.

Fantasy Baseball Lineup Takeaways: NL Edition

National League East

Philadelphia Phillies

• The Phillies acquired Austin Hays from the Orioles
  • At a deadline where it seemed the Phillies could go all in, they opted to just solidify the team they already had and add Hays to the mix
  • Hays had been pushed out of everyday playing time in Baltimore but should get more at-bats in Philly. He profiles to play against all lefties and most righties batting toward the bottom of the lineup
  • Johan Rojas has lost his playing time and is not worth rostering even with his elite speed
• Bryson Stott has moved down in the lineup
  • Stott has been batting eighth most games and has been sitting more frequently against left-handed pitchers
  • He has been swinging the bat better as of late with a .379 average since July 22
  • Stott’s profile still looks strong as he profiles to hit for a solid average and provide good stolen base numbers for the rest of the season

Miami Marlins

• Bryan De La Cruz was traded to the Pirates
  • De La Cruz was serving as the team’s everyday outfielder opening up a spot for a new young player
  • The team acquired Kyle Stowers in the Trevor Rogers trade who will now get a chance to play everyday for a new organization
  • Stowers has hit for significant power in the Orioles’ Minor League system but has never had much success at the Major League level
  • He hit third in the Marlins lineup in his debut and is worth taking a flier on if you have an open roster spot
• Josh Bell was released/traded
  • Despite playing well offensively as of late, the Marlins were unable to find significant value for Bell who is no longer with the team
  • With Bell gone, the team has been giving Jonah Bride more lineup time at first base. David Hensley also figures to mix into the playing time situation
  • The real name to watch is Deyvison De Los Santos who was acquired for AJ Puk. DDLS has 40+ homer potential and should find himself in Miami before the end of the season
• Jazz Chisholm Jr. was traded to New York
  • Perhaps the biggest bat to move at the deadline, Chisholm’s departure opens up playing time in center field
  • With Chisholm gone, Nick Gordon has been getting more playing time in center
  • While Gordon is not worth picking up, fantasy managers should expect to see Victor Mesa Jr. in the Major Leagues at some point soon
• Xavier Edwards has been batting leadoff
  • Edwards has been on fire since being promoted from Triple-A and now gets to move up in the lineup
  • A former top prospect in Tampa’s system, Edwards combines elite speed with a plus hit-tool to provide offensive value
  • He currently has a BABIP over .400 with poor quality of contact metrics. He is a nice sell-high option in deep leagues

Atlanta Braves

• The Braves acquired Jorge Soler from the Giants
  • When the Braves lost Ronald Acuna Jr a couple of seasons ago they acquired Soler and Eddie Rosario. They are following the same script this season
  • Soler was red hot with the Giants prior to being acquired and now gets more favorable hitting conditions. He looks likely to bat leadoff for Atlanta and should be rostered in 100% of leagues
  • With Soler in town, Adam Duvall has lost his lineup spot and is now platooning with Eddie Rosario. Jarred Kelenic has slid down in the lineup
• Whit Merrifield is getting starting time
  • Merrifield was picked up after being released from the Phillies and seems likely to get the majority of starts at second base with Ozzie Albies sidelined
  • Merrifield was not producing much offensively for Philadelphia and is not somebody worth adding at this point
  • Nacho Alvarez was optioned back to Triple-A with Merrifield joining the squad
• Sean Murphy and Travis d’Arnaud are splitting playing time
  • Neither catcher is running away with the starting job and both continue to rotate in and out of the lineup
  • Murphy is the player with fantasy interest but with inconsistent playing time and lackluster results, he is not a must-roster player
  • Fantasy managers should expect Murphy to get about 60% of the playing time moving forward but should not rely on him without a change in playing time

Washington Nationals

• Lane Thomas was traded to Cleveland
  • Thomas was one of Washington’s best offensive players as they now will look further toward the future
  • Alex Call appears to be first in line to take over Thomas’ spot on the team and has been batting sixth or seventh in the lineup since his promotion
  • This is not Call’s first stint in the Major Leagues and he was batting just .222 in Triple-A
  • Call is not worth adding and it is likely the team will promote Dylan Crews at some point before the end of the season
• Jesse Winker was traded to the Mets
  • Winker was primarily serving as the DH which now falls to Harold Ramirez
  • Ramirez has been batting fourth in Washington’s lineup most games
  • Ramirez is batting right around .300 since being acquired by Washington and appears locked into an everyday role

New York Mets

• Jesse Winker was acquired from the Nationals
  • Since being acquired, Winker has been playing right field while batting fifth in the lineup
  • Interestingly, he has only been in the lineup for two of four games against righties with Tyrone Taylor drawing an occasional start
  • Winker profiles to play on the strong side of a platoon batting right behind JD Martinez and Pete Alonso
• Jeff McNeil has remembered how to hit
  • McNeil struggled for most of the first half but has started to turn things on at the plate
  • He is up to nine home runs on the season including four since the All Star Break
  • McNeil’s barrel rate is up noticeably helping to fuel this power surge. Even if the power does not stick, he should hit for a much better average during the second half

National League Central

Chicago Cubs

• Cody Bellinger is back from the IL
  • Bellinger returned to the Cubs’ lineup on Tuesday and was not traded at the deadline like many thought was possible
  • Bellinger has been batting fourth since returning and should be a solid fantasy asset moving forward
  • Despite maintaining a strong sprint speed, Bellinger has surprisingly only stolen five bases this season. That may no longer be a category fantasy managers can count on
• The Cubs swapped Christopher Morel for Isaac Paredes
  • One of the more interesting trades of the deadline was this one where the Cubs sent away a struggling Morel for Paredes
  • Paredes has 16 home runs on the year and figures to serve as the team’s everyday third baseman batting in the middle of the lineup
  • One notable issue with this trade for Paredes managers is that in Tampa, his xHR was 20. At Wrigley Field, Paredes’ xHR is just 11. Just something to keep in your mind as a fantasy manager
• Pete Crow-Armstrong has been a little bit better recently
  • After starting the second half 0/21, PCA has collected multiple hits in two starts this past week helping to provide some hope for fantasy managers
  • He is also up to 20 stolen bases in just 71 games which helps provide stable fantasy value even if he is struggling elsewhere
  • The Cubs continue to give PCA everyday playing time even with Mike Tauchman back batting him toward the bottom of the lineup

St. Louis Cardinals

• The team acquired Tommy Pham from the White Sox
  • The Cardinals did not make a ton of moves at the deadline but they did grab Pham and traded away Dylan Carlson
  • Pham rejoins the Cardinals for a second stint and figures to play mostly on the short side of a platoon rotating in for one of the Cardinals’ left-handed bats
  • Pham loses fantasy value with this trade but could work his way into the starting lineup with strong offensive performances
• Nolan Gorman is barely hanging onto a starting job
  • Gorman has been struggling at the dish since the All-Star Break and is now even sitting against some righties
  • Since the break, he is batting under .150 with a strikeout rate above 45%
  • For as good as the power is, the Cardinals could be growing impatient with his inability to make consistent contact
  • This is one potential path for Pham to gain more at-bats
• Paul Goldschmidt is sliding down in the lineup
  • We are so used to seeing Goldschmidt bat in the top half of the lineup, but he has been batting fifth or seventh a lot in the past week
  • Although he is moving down in the order, Goldy is swinging it well recently. He has three home runs since July 21 and is batting over .300 during that span
  • Goldschmidt may never return to fantasy stardom, but he is still a reliable fantasy asset and should move back up in the lineup

Milwaukee Brewers

• Jackson Chourio is batting all over the top half of the lineup
  • After some early struggles, Chourio is reminding everybody why he was one of the top prospects in baseball
  • He is batting leadoff against lefties and fifth most nights against righties
  • Since the All-Star Break, Chourio is striking out less than 10% of the time with three homers and a batting average of just under .400
  • Chourio is a star and should be treated as such in fantasy
• Christian Yelich is dealing with a significant back injury
  • Yelich has been on the IL since July 23 and there were even rumors he might have to undergo season-ending surgery
  • Reports are Yelich is opting for rest, but he could miss an extended period of time
  • With Yelich out, Garrett Mitchell has stepped into the lineup batting in the back half
  • Mitchell has lowered his strikeout rate this season but is still hitting far too many ground balls to be a reliable fantasy asset. The upside is there but he has yet to put it all together

Cincinnati Reds

• The team picked up Ty France from Seattle
  • France was DFA’d by the Mariners but will look for a second chance in Cincinnati
  • Although he has yet to appear in a game, he could factor into the playing time mix in place of Noelvi Marte who continues to struggle
  • Marte is batting just .182 on the year and .177 since the All-Star Break. He remains a hold in dynasty leagues but is a fine player to drop in redraft leagues
• TJ Friedl is back from the IL
  • Friedl missed over a month before returning to the lineup on July 26
  • Since returning, Friedl has been serving as the team’s cleanup batter which is a bit surprising
  • Despite only having 132 plate appearances, Friedl does have five homers and six steals on the year on pace for 23 homers and 27 steals over 600 PA
  • He is a solid target in OBP leagues
• Jonathan India has cooled off
  • India was red hot prior to the break but is batting just .154 since
  • He has not hit a home run since July 12 but is still posting excellent walk rates
  • India’s hot stretch was never sustainable but this slump comes with a BABIP below .200. His true talent level lies somewhere in the middle moving forward

Pittsburgh Pirates

• The Pirates made an addition at the trade deadline
  • For an organization that has struggled so much recently, they went out and acquired Bryan De La Cruz from Miami
  • The team had recently sent Jack Suwinski back to Triple-A opening up the everyday right field job which will be filled by De La Cruz
  • De La Cruz is not going to provide many steals or much batting average but he does have 18 homers on the year and should continue to be a reliable source of power moving forward
• Nick Gonzales is on the IL
  • Gonzales is expected to miss extended time with a groin injury opening the door for James Triolo to get more reps at second base
  • Triolo has been batting eighth in the lineup but could lose his job soon
  • The Pirates also acquired Isiah Kiner-Falefa from Toronto who should return from the IL soon and take away some playing time from Triolo
• Joey Bart is playing every day
  • Bart has been batting fifth in Pittsburgh’s lineup over the past week and playing well
  • He is batting over .300 since the ASB with an average exit velocity of 95 mph
  • Bart has serious power (and should see more home runs) but is not likely to continue hitting for much average
  • He is a fine add in leagues with two catchers

National League West

Los Angeles Dodgers

• Gavin Lux is batting in the middle of the lineup
  • Could this finally be the breakout we have all been waiting for?
  • Lux has looked like a completely different hitter at the plate recently batting over .400 with four home runs since July 11
  • While this level of success is unsustainable, Lux is a former top prospect who finally looks confident and is a must-add in all leagues
• The team added Tommy Edman and Kevin Kiermaier at the trade deadline
  • Edman remains on the IL with a wrist injury and has yet to play the field on a rehab start. When he returns, he could be used in a super-utility role or serve as the shortstop until Mookie Betts is healthy
  • Kiemaier is likely to be used as a defensive replacement and get a few at-bats a week against tough righties
  • His spot on the roster likely comes in place of James Outman who has seen his fantasy value tank further
• Mookie Betts is a couple of weeks away
  • Betts’ return to the Dodgers’ lineup is on the horizon as he continues to work his way back
  • In addition, Max Muncy has cleared an important hurdle in his rehab process and should be back early in September
  • Betts will replace Nick Ahmed in the lineup with Muncy replacing Kike Hernandez once he returns

San Diego Padres

• Jurickson Profar continues to hit
  • Profar’s career-resurrecting season has continued during the second half
  • He has crushed another four home runs since the ASB bringing his season total to 18
  • He is providing elite four-category production from the second spot in San Diego’s lineup and fantasy managers have no reason not to trust that this production will continue throughout the year
• Xander Bogaerts has a 10-game hit streak
  • Bogaerts has been another great player for the second half of this season so far batting well over .400 since the break
  • Health is an important factor here for Bogaerts who missed much of the first half due to injury
  • Bogaerts is still not barreling the ball up often but he is hitting it harder. His BABIP during the second half is .475 which is due for some serious regression

Arizona Diamondbacks

• Christian Walker landed on the IL
  • A tough blow for one of the better offensive first basemen this year who will miss time with a strained oblique
  • To fill the gap in their lineup, Arizona picked up Josh Bell from Miami who is likely to serve as the primary first baseman
  • Bell has six home runs since July 13 and is more than capable of producing solid fantasy numbers if given consistent playing itme
• Eugenio Suarez is moving up in the lineup
  • With Walker hurt and Suarez swinging the bat well, he is being rewarded with time in the cleanup spot
  • The season started slow, but Suarez is slashing .321/.388/.679 since June 25
  • He is quietly up to 15 home runs and should be rostered if you need a boost at CI or third base
• Corbin Carroll might be back
  • Since July 13, Carroll has hit five home runs and his mediocre batting average comes with a .200 BABIP
  • Everything looks amazing for Carroll who has seen his barrel rate come back up, his launch angle increase, and his exit velocity improve
  • There is a real possibility Carroll was not healthy early on this season and now that he is, he should put up big numbers in the second half
  • He continues to move down in the lineup against lefties but that could change if this hot streak continues

San Francisco Giants

• Marco Luciano is back with the big league squad
  • Luciano has had a couple of stints in the Major Leagues so far but is hoping for more success this time around
  • He was putting up mediocre numbers in Triple-A prior to his promotion with a high strikeout rate being the biggest issue
  • Luciano appears to be the primary beneficiary of the Jorge Soler trade and has been batting eighth in the lineup
• Tyler Fitzgerald anybody?
  • Fitzgerald has been out of this world since being promoted from Triple-A
  • In just 47 games, Fitzgerald has already hit nine home runs and is up to seven stolen bases on the year
  • Although the numbers have been excellent, Fitzgerald is an easy sell high. He is striking out over 30% of the time and is carrying a BABIP over .380
  • He is playing shortstop for San Francisco batting fifth or sixth in the lineup most games
• The Giants acquired Mark Canha from the Tigers
  • Canha has yet to appear in a game for San Francisco but figures to play on the short side of a platoon with LaMonte Wade Jr.
  • Wade Jr continues to sit against lefties while batting leadoff against righties most games
  • Since July 10, Wade Jr has a wRC+ less than 75 and could start losing more at-bats to Canha as the season moves along

Colorado Rockies

• Kris Bryant has continued to struggle
  • Bryant returned to the lineup on July 23 and has still been unable to put much of anything together offensively
  • In 127 plate appearances this season, Bryant owns a wRC+ below 60 and is not worth rostering in any fantasy leagues
  • His lineup spot is likely safe due to the lack of talent around him, but he holds little fantasy value
• The Rockies did not trade anybody
  • While it is pretty on-brand, the lack of trades creates a tougher path to playing time for some of their young players
  • Elias Diaz is still on the roster as the primary catcher blocking Drew Romo
  • Jake Cave remains on the roster as an everyday outfielder blocking any of Colorado’s outfield prospects