Fantasy Baseball Lineup Analysis: NL 08/10

National League lineup analysis is back at it again keeping you up to date on the latest news and changes. The five hottest hitters in the NL over the past two weeks have been Kyle Schwarber, Jake McCarthy, Matt Chapman, Jackson Chourio, and Josh Bell. The biggest surprise is probably McCarthy this week. 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 publication. 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

• Austin Hays is dealing with a hamstring injury
  • Hays was removed from the game on Wednesday night and has been out of the lineup since
  • In his place, Johan Rojas has seen his playing time increase and is in line to step back into an everyday role if Hays is forced to miss time
  • Hays is batting .270 with one homer and two steals since being acquired by Philadelphia. He is not worth rostering outside of NL-only leagues
• Brandon Marsh is getting more playing time against lefties
  • After the acquisition of Hays, the assumption was that Marsha and Rojas would wind up in a platoon
  • Marsh however appears to be breaking out of that platoon and getting more lineup time even with a lefty on the mound
  • Marsh is batting fifth in the lineup against righties and eighth against lefties which is a boost for his fantasy value
• Not enough credit is being given to Kyle Schwarber this season
  • Entering the year, Schwarber was viewed as a 40-homer bat who would significantly hurt your team’s batting average
  • In reality, Schwarber has been incredible all year and he is batting over .260 which he has only done once in his career (back in 2021)
  • Schwarber has added another five homers to his total this past week and is batting over .300 with a 20% walk rate in the second half

Miami Marlins

• Nick Fortes is on the IL
  • Fortes landed on the IL with a quad injury although he has not been fantasy-relevant all season
  • With Fortes out, Ali Sanchez has seen his playing time increase batting at the bottom of the lineup
  • Sanchez has yet to hit a home run in his Major League career and is batting under .200 on the season. He is not worth looking at even in deep leagues
• Cristian Pache was added to the roster
  • Pache was traded out of Philly to Baltimore and released soon thereafter
  • Miami picked him up and is giving him a chance to play more regularly batting in the back half of the lineup
  • Pache has consistently struggled throughout his Major League career to perform offensively and is not worth rostering even with regular playing time
• Otto Lopez is batting fifth in the lineup
  • Lopez has continued to serve as the everyday second baseman for Miami and is now batting higher in the lineup
  • The move up in the lineup is a bit puzzling given Lopez’s struggles at the plate
  • Since June 30, Lopez is batting .153 with a 7 wRC+. Credit to Miami for giving him an extended leash, but Lopez is not a Major League starter and is not fantasy-relevant

Atlanta Braves

• Orlando Arcia has moved up in the lineup
  • A mainstay toward the bottom of the order for much of the year, Arcia has been batting fifth recently
  • Arcia has hit four home runs since July 28 and is hitting the ball much harder than he was earlier this season
  • Arcia has never been a power hitter making me skeptical that this success is sustainable. However, a move up to fifth in the lineup behind Olson and Ozuna is great for his counting stats
• Jarred Kelenic has slid back down in the lineup
  • The addition of Jorge Soler removed Kelenic from the leadoff spot, but he has now shifted down to eighth in the lineup
  • Kelenic’s first season in Atlanta has been incredibly inconsistent and he seems destined to platoon the rest of the season
  • Adam Duvall should continue getting at-bats against lefties
• Michael Harris is rehabbing in Triple-A
  • Harris is able to be activated from the 60-Day IL on August 14 which he seems to be tracking to
  • With all of the injuries Atlanta has suffered, Harris figures to return to a prominent spot in the lineup despite his early-season struggles
  • Eddie Rosario was DFA’d earlier this week and Ramon Laureano/Eli White are likely to see their playing time disappear once Harris returns

Washington Nationals

• Travis Blankenhorn is getting regular playing time
  • The team is giving some of their less-known players increased opportunities giving Blankenhorn the edge over Harold Ramirez at DH
  • Blankenhorn has bounced around the Major Leagues since 2020 but has never been able to stick
  • He had 24 home runs in Triple-A prior to his promotion, but poor contact skills are likely to lead to struggles
  • He is batting sixth in the lineup most games but I do not expect him to maintain an everyday role for long
• Luis Garcia is batting third against righties
  • Garcia has been a pleasant surprise this season and is up to 14 homers and 19 steals in just 383 plate appearances. His 600 PA pace is 22 homers and 30 steals
  • On top of that, Garcia is batting .290 which has jumped to .339 in the second half
  • His average launch angle is up significantly since the start of July which should help him tap into more game power and take his fantasy ceiling to the next level
  • This is a very strong keeper/dynasty asset not many people are talking about
  • James Wood has been batting fifth recently with Garcia moving up

New York Mets

• Tyrone Taylor is playing more often
  • The team seems to be moving away from Harrison Bader and giving more playing time to Tyrone Taylor
  • Taylor has been performing well offensively and is now primarily batting ninth in the lineup
  • He has shown flashes of power and speed before at the Major League level and is worth a look in 14+ team leagues if he continues to play every day
• Francisco Alvarez has been losing playing time
  • After receiving regular run for weeks, the Mets have been splitting time at catcher between Alvarez and Luis Torrens lately
  • Since the break, Alvarez is batting just over .200 with only one home run and a wRC+ below 60
  • At just 22, Alvarez’s future is still extremely bright, but he might not be as consistent as fantasy managers hoped for the rest of this season

National League Central

Chicago Cubs

• Isaac Paredes is off to a slow start for the CubsS
  • Since being acquired, Paredes is batting under .200  with just one home run
  • Paredes is heavily reliant on pulled fly balls to find success and Wrigley is a more difficult park for his profile
  • He continues to bat fifth-most games in the Cubs’ lineup
• Dansby Swanson has been hot since the break
  • Swanson has been one of the bigger disappointments for the Cubs this season but has been better of late
  • He is batting over .300 since the break and over .350 since the start of August
  • While the batting average is nice Swanson is still not hitting for much power and his current run of success is fueled by a very high BABIP

St. Louis Cardinals

• Michael Siani was placed on the IL
  • With Siani out, the team recalled Victor Scott II from Triple-A
  • Scott has been playing center field and batting ninth since being recalled. He has tremendous speed but it remains to be seen if he can hit enough to last at the Major League level
  • Tommy Pham has also seen his playing time increase as Scott, Pham, and Lars Nootbaar share two outfield spots between the three of them
• Masyn Winn has three homers since July 30
  • Winn has been a solid asset for the Cardinals and fantasy managers all season but could be starting to break out
  • He has not hit for much power this year but his three recent homers bring his season total to nine. His barrel rate has increased slightly but not much else has changed in Winn’s profile
  • Fantasy managers should expect solid run totals and batting averages but should not expect this power outburst to continue

Milwaukee Brewers

• Garrett Mitchell has been batting third for Milwaukee
  • Mitchell continues to fill in for Christian Yelich and is now batting in a prominent lineup spot
  • On the season, Mitchell has a wRC+ of around 115 with one homer and two stolen bases
  • He has made significant improvements to his strikeout rate this season (still 27%) but is hitting the ball on the ground too often to tap into his power consistently. His two steals are also disappointing considering his 95th-percentile sprint speed
• Jackson Chourio has moved to the top of the lineup
  • His ascent through the Brewers’ lineup has continued as he is now batting second against righties and leadoff against lefties
  • Chourio has continued his incredible run of play since the ASB and is batting just under .400 with three homers and five steals over that time frame
  • Sure, he is bound to come back to earth eventually but he is an elite five-category player. He has hit safely in 12/13 games
• Rhys Hoskins has found his swing again
  • After missing time between May 13 to May 31 with an injury, Hoskins really struggled the rest of the first half
  • He hit under .200 with just five homers across 140 plate appearances
  • Since the break, Hoskins has looked much more like himself batting .293 with five homers across 64 plate appearances
  • He is batting sixth in the lineup most games but could move up if his current hot streak continues. He has hit safely in 12 straight

Cincinnati Reds

• Ty France is playing every day
  • France has been batting seventh most games for the Reds and is playing first base. He moves up in the lineup against a lefty
  • France has two home runs since joining the Reds but is still not hitting for much average
  • With France in the lineup, Spencer Steer has moved to the outfield, and Will Benson is serving in more of a bench role
• Tyler Stephenson has been batting third in the lineup recently
  • Stephenson was locked into the fifth spot in Cincinnati’s lineup for several weeks but has now been moved up once again
  • He has been red hot at the plate batting over .300 with three homers since the start of August
  • Positive regression to Stephenson’s BABIP has been long overdue this season and he should be a reliable catcher option for fantasy managers in leagues with 14+ catchers rostered

Pittsburgh Pirates

• Isiah Kiner-Falefa is back from the IL
  • IKF made his Pirates debut earlier this week and has taken over as the primary second baseman
  • On the season, he is batting .291 with seven homers and four steals. With consistent playing time, he holds value in deep leagues but that is it
  • With IKF entering the lineup, Jared Triolo has moved back into a bench role
• Ke’Bryan Hayes has moved down in the lineup
  • Hayes has been one of the biggest disappointments in fantasy baseball this season and is now shifting further down Pittsburgh’s lineup
  • He has been batting seventh most of this week and is reliant on his strong defensive play to keep him in the lineup
  • Hayes has not hit a home run since June 18 and owns a wRC+ below 50 during that span
  • He should not be rostered in fantasy leagues
• Bryan De La Cruz has struggled since being acquired
  • De La Cruz has yet to go yard for his new team after hitting 18 homers with the Marlins this season
  • Strikeouts continue to be the biggest issue for BDLC who may be pressing trying to impress his new squad
  • Due to his struggles, he has dropped from fourth in the lineup down to sixth recently

National League West

Los Angeles Dodgers

• Miguel Rojas is back from the IL
  • Rojas returned to the Dodgers’ lineup on Wednesday and appears likely to slide in as the everyday shortstop for now
  • With Rojas returning, Nick Ahmed is going to lose the playing time he was receiving
  • Rojas will offer a solid batting average, but it is important to remember his time in the starting lineup is limited to whenever Mookie Betts returns
• Kevin Kiermaier has been playing more often
  • Originally viewed as a depth trade for the Dodgers, Kiermaier has been getting semi-regular playing time in center field against righties
  • Kiermaier has been batting toward the bottom of the lineup and playing over Andy Pages
  • Pages is batting under .200 since the ASB. He has not hit a home run since June 18 and is not worth holding onto in redraft leagues
• Teoscar Hernandez has been batting second in the lineup
  • Hernandez has moved up from fourth to second as the Dodgers have moved their lineup around
  • On the season, Hernandez is up to 25 home runs including four since July 28
  • Will Smith has shifted from second to fourth in the order and has just three hits since July 22
• Reports are Mookie Betts will play right field upon his return to the Dodgers

San Diego Padres

• Manny Machado continues to swing a hot bat
  • Machado has hit five home runs since July 27 bringing his season total up to 18
  • What once looked like the beginning of the end for Machado’s fantasy dominance is quickly turning into another excellent season
  • His wRC+ is up to 116 on the season and is quietly up to six stolen bases as well
• David Peralta has hit two home runs in the past week
  • Peralta has not been great this season for San Diego but has looked better of late
  • He is locked into the strong side of a platoon batting seventh in the lineup
  • Bryce Johnson continues to play on the other side of Peralta’s platoon
• Luis Arraez is losing playing time against lefties
  • One of the most prolific hitters of the past few seasons has not been quite as effective this season
  • His batting average still remains above .300 on the year but is just .269 against lefties
  • He has been out of the lineup against two of the past three left-handed pitchers with Donovan Solano stepping in

Arizona Diamondbacks

• Corbin Carroll has sat against the last two lefties
  • From consensus first-round pick to strong side platoon, this season has not gone as planned for Carroll
  • He is still batting leadoff against righties and is slugging over .500 since the ASB
  • While he is dealing with a low BABIP as of late, this is deserved thanks to an extremely high average launch angle. Carroll is selling out for power and it is impacting his batting average
  • Randal Grichuk is getting more playing time against lefties in Carroll’s place
• Jake McCarthy has overtaken Alek Thomas
  • McCarthy has been drawing the majority of starts in center field over the past week batting fifth or sixth most games
  • McCarthy is quietly in the midst of a very nice bounce-back season for Arizona with a wRC+ of 126
  • He is batting over .350 since the ASB and is hitting the ball harder than ever before. While he is unlikely to hit for much power, he has elite speed that makes him fantasy relevant
  • Thomas is a fine drop
• Gabriel Moreno is on the IL with a groin injury
  • Moreno is going to be sidelined for an extended period of time with this injury opening the door for another player at catcher
  • While Jose Herrera is getting the first chance, the team promoted Adrian Del Castillo from Triple-A who should work his way into the lineup
  • Del Castillo was batting .319 with 24 homers in Triple-A prior to his promotion and could be worth a look in two-catcher formats

San Francisco Giants

• Jerar Encarnacion is getting playing time
  • Encarnacion spent several seasons in the Marlins organization but failed to stick at the Major League level
  • He joined the Giants this year and was batting .351 with 10 home runs in Triple-A prior to his promotion
  • Encarnacion has been batting all over the back half of the lineup serving as the primary DH
  • Despite his excellent Triple-A average, Encarnacion has serious hit tool concerns and despite his big raw power, is not somebody I am targeting
• Casey Schmitt is back and getting more playing time
  • With both Thairo Estrada and Wilmer Flores on the IL, the Giants are spreading playing time in the infield to several young players
  • Brett Wisely and Casey Schmitt have been splitting time at second base with Schmitt having a slight edge over the past week
  • Schmitt has four homers in just 21 games but is not worth picking up at this point
• Mark Canha is platooning with LaMonte Wade Jr
  • Wade Jr continues to get the majority of playing time at first base batting leadoff against righties
  • Canha enters the Giants lineup against lefties and is not worth rostering
  • Wade has solid OBP numbers but does not hold much fantasy value outside of that

Colorado Rockies

• Brendan Rodgers has looked like a different hitter in the second half
  • Rodgers has continued to hit fifth in the Rockies’ lineup and is batting over .300 since the break
  • While his exit velocity has improved, he is still not getting the ball in the air enough to consistently tap into any real game power
  • His second half BABIP is bound to come down which will lead to regression and dissolve his fantasy value
• Elias Diaz has slid down to the bottom of the lineup
  • For the past two weeks, Diaz has been batting eighth as opposed to fourth for the Rockies
  • Quite frankly it still blows my mind that Diaz was not traded at the deadline, but he could see his playing time decrease as the season moves along
  • He is batting just .175 in the second half and is not worth rostering in any fantasy format