Fantasy Baseball Lineup Analysis: NL Final Ride

We have finally reached the end of the 2024 season. With September wrapping up, this will be the final edition of the NL Lineup Analysis articles for 2024. To help fantasy managers achieve their goals, this article dives into the latest changes from National League lineups that fantasy managers need to know. The five hottest hitters in the NL over the past two weeks have been Pavin Smith, Manny Machado, Jorge Soler, Shohei Ohtani, and Otto Lopez. 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

• Alec Bohm is back from the IL
  • Bohm’s stay on the IL was a short one as he returned to the Phillies’ lineup last Sunday
  • Since returning, Bohm has been batting fifth with Nick Castellanos continuing to bat cleanup. He hit his first home run since returning on Wednesday and should reach 100 RBIs for the first time in his career
  • With Bohm returning to the lineup, Kody Clemens is seeing the biggest drop in playing time and is now also battling with Edmundo Sosa for the primary backup infield role
• Cal Stevenson has taken over in center field
  • Stevenson is playing on the strong side of a platoon batting ninth in the lineup
  • He has yet to hit a home run or steal a base since being called up from Triple-A but is posting solid OBP numbers and strong defense in center field.
  • With Stevenson in center field against righties, Johan Rojas has lost playing time. Neither player is worth rostering in fantasy

Miami Marlins

• Otto Lopez is making a case for 2025
  • Lopez has been red hot as of late batting over .400 since September 6 with three home runs and two stolen bases
  • He continues to play second base every day for Miami and is batting sixth or seventh in the lineup
  • On the season, Lopez is up to six home runs with 18 stolen bases. If he can figure out how to tap into his power more consistently, he could be a sneaky fantasy asset for managers in 2025
• Xavier Edwards is up to 30 stolen bases
  • While 30 stolen bases in the back half of September is far more common now, Edwards’ speed has been special
  • He has only played in 62 games and is already up to 30 steals. His 600 PA pace is 69 stolen bases which would be a huge asset for fantasy managers
  • He is likely to be the favorite to hit leadoff for Miami in 2025. Fantasy baseball managers should expect Edwards to continue posting strong OBP numbers next season even if his BABIP and batting average are due for some regression

Atlanta Braves

• Orlando Arcia is sliding down a bit in the lineup
  • Arcia has already been batting in the back half of the lineup all season but is now hitting eighth or ninth most nights
  • He is up to 16 home runs on the season despite a wRC+ below 75
  • Arcia is batting just .155 since the start of September and is not a reliable fantasy asset unless you just need consistent at-bats
• Ramon Laureano is batting fifth and playing every day
  • Laureano had been splitting time with Jarred Kelenic in the outfield but is now playing left field every day and batting in a favorable spot in the lineup
  • Since the start of September, Laureano is batting over .300 and continues to be a pleasant surprise for the Braves
  • For fantasy managers, Laureano is not going to produce elite stats, but batting right behind Marcell Ozuna and Matt Olson should provide plenty of RBI opportunities

Washington Nationals

• Dylan Crews is batting toward the top of the lineup
  • Crews initially moved up in the lineup with CJ Abrams banged up, but has stayed in the two spot over the past few games
  • In 22 games since being promoted, Crews is batting under .240 but has three homers and nine stolen bases. His batted ball data looks solid and he should start seeing some improvements to his BABIP
  • With Crews moving up in the lineup, Jose Tena has been moving down to fifth most games
• Juan Yepez is playing every day
  • Yepez has taken over as the primary first baseman for Washington and has been batting in the back half of the lineup
  • Despite inconsistent playing time, Yepez has posted solid numbers for Washington this season. Since the start of September, Yepez has a 134 wRC+
  • With Yepez getting more playing time, Joey Gallo is riding the bench more often and is unlikely to receive another starting opportunity in the league next season

New York Mets

• Francisco Lindor is dealing with a back injury
  • Lindor injured his back in a game last Friday and has been out of the lineup for almost every game since
  • The team has not indicated that they expect him to land on the IL, but he remains without a clear timetable for a return
  • With Lindor out of the lineup, Luisangel Acuna is up and has been playing every day
• Jeff McNeil is on the IL
  • McNeil is on the IL with a fractured wrist opening up playing time at second base
  • Currently, Jose Iglesias is playing everyday batting leadoff with Lindor out. Iglesias is batting .329 on the season although his .371 BABIP is due for regression
  • There is a chance that once Lindor returns, Iglesias and Acuna will wind up splitting time at second base down the stretch

National League Central

Chicago Cubs

• Dansby Swanson is up to second in the lineup
  • Swanson’s offensive struggles have resulted in him batting toward the bottom of Chicago’s lineup for much of the year
  • After his slow start, Swanson has turned things on at the plate and is now up to 15 homers and 17 stolen bases on the year. Since the start of September, Swanson is slashing .294/.351/.471 and is once again a reliable fantasy asset for managers
  • With Swanson moving up in the lineup, Michael Busch has slid down sixth in the order
• Nico Hoerner has come alive at the plate
  • Hoerner is another player who was disappointing for fantasy managers much of this season but is having an excellent month of September
  • Since September 1, Hoerner is slashing .373/.393/.441 with a strikeout rate under seven percent
  • Hoerner’s counting stats are not great for fantasy managers but he is going to provide solid stolen base numbers and great batting average from the seventh spot in Chicago’s lineup

St. Louis Cardinals

• Thomas Saggese is up from Triple-A
  • Saggese was acquired from the Rangers at least year’s deadline and ranks as one of the Cardinals’ top-hitting prospects
  • Despite being promoted, Saggese is not playing every day and is seeing most of his playing time against lefties
  • Saggese saw his batted ball data jump in the second half down in Triple-A but is not worth rostering without consistent playing time
• Brendan Donovan is up to a career-high in home runs
  • Donovan continues to bat fifth in the Cardinals’ lineup rotating between left field and second base
  • He has hit safely in all but two games since the start of September batting .353 during that time
  • Donovan is unlikely to ever become an elite fantasy asset but is a player with several positions of eligibility that fantasy managers can expect to get regular playing time next season

Milwaukee Brewers

• Garrett Mitchell is batting cleanup
  • Mitchell has been given a few chances with Milwaukee this season and the team continues to let him bat in the middle of the lineup
  • In 60 games this season, Mitchell is batting .254 with six homers and eight stolen bases. The power/speed combination is always obvious in his profile but the issue for him is limiting his strikeouts and elevating the ball consistently
  • Since the start of September, Mitchell is striking out less than 25% of the time potentially signaling development in his profile
• Jake Bauers is playing every day
  • Bauers has rotated in and out of the lineup throughout the season and is back in an everyday role recently
  • He has been batting sixth in Milwaukee’s lineup recently and playing over Gary Sanchez
  • Bauers is batting under .200 on the season with 11 home runs and surprisingly 12 stolen bases. His low batting average and inconsistent power prevent him from being fantasy-relevant

Cincinnati Reds

• Noelvi Marte is back in an everyday role
  • Marte has struggled to find his groove since being reinstated following his suspension but is getting another chance to start
  • Over the past week, Marte has looked much more comfortable at the plate although his strikeout rate is still a glaring red flag. He is unlikely to be a reliable fantasy asset this season but could be a nice buy-low in dynasty
  • Marte has regained his lineup spot with Dominic Smith being DFA’d and released
• Jake Fraley has slid down to eighth in the lineup
  • Fraley has been swinging a hot bat at the plate but continues to move further down in the order sliding from seventh to eighth
  • Since the start of September, Fraley is batting over .300 with two homers and four stolen bases
  • He still rides the bench against lefties but is a reliable source of speed for fantasy managers when in the lineup

Pittsburgh Pirates

• Nick Yorke is up from Triple-A
  • Yorke has had a massive breakout season first with Boston and now in the Pirates’ Minor League system
  • He was dominating in Triple-A since being acquired at the trade deadline and is now getting his first chance in the Major Leagues
  • Since being promoted, he has been splitting time between second base, third base, and left field and is batting seventh in the lineup. He should continue getting regular playing time and is worth adding in 12+ team leagues
• Joey Bart is back from the IL
  • Bart returned to the Pirates’ lineup on September 7 and has been batting third or fifth most games since returning
  • The offensive numbers for Bart have been down as he tries to shake off the rust. He is batting just .171 but still has a strong hold on the primary catcher role for Pittsburgh
  • His 13 home runs in just 257 plate appearances have been a pleasant surprise for fantasy managers. That 600 PA pace is 30 homers which nobody expected Bart to do this season. He has clearly usurped Henry Davis as Pittsburgh’s catcher of the future

National League West

Los Angeles Dodgers

• Tommy Edman is moving up in the lineup
  • After missing the first several months of the season, and then being traded to the Dodgers, Edman is finding his groove offensively
  • He started out toward the bottom of the Dodgers’ lineup but has moved up to fifth in recent games
  • In just 28 games with the Dodgers, Edman has six homers, five steals and is hitting .284. That is a 31 homer pace for a guy with a career high of 13 home runs
  • Edman is hitting more fly balls but is not hitting the ball with any more velocity. Fantasy managers should not expect this power outburst to continue
• Will Smith is moving down in the lineup
  • 2024 has surprisingly been a struggle for Smith who is now moving down in the lineup and losing some playing time
  • He has been on the bench twice in the past week with Hunter Feduccia stepping in
  • Smith is not at risk to lose his starting spot although he may not be considered an elite catching option after this year for fantasy managers
• Shohei Ohtani is so so so good
  • Ohtani became the first player ever to go 50/50 and then proceeded to quickly hit his 51st home run
  • Fantasy managers have enjoyed elite production all year and we can expect Ohtani to get back to pitching starting in 2025
  • He is the best player in baseball right now and it is not particularly close

San Diego Padres

• Xander Bogaerts is playing shortstop
  • The Padres originally tried to survive Ha-Seong Kim’s injury by keeping Bogaerts at second base, but that is no longer the case
  • In the thick of a touch playoff hunt, Bogaerts has slid back to his natural position with Jake Cronenworth taking over at second, and Donovan Solano getting into the lineup at first base
  • Solano has been playing almost everyday batting eighth in the lineup
• Luis Campusano was optioned to Triple-A
  • What started out as a promising season quickly became a lost one for Campusano
  • For the Padres, what was a three-way timeshare at catcher has been consolidated down to two players in Kyle Higashioka and Elias Diaz
  • Higashioka has the edge in playing time currently, but neither player is a reliable fantasy option

Arizona Diamondbacks

• Lourdes Gurriel Jr is back from the IL
  • Gurriel returned to Arizona on Friday and will reclaim the starting left fielder job
  • With Gurriel returning to the lineup, Pavin Smith is the most likely to see his playing time decrease
  • Smith has been excellent for Arizona in limited opportunities this season and the team could look to continue getting him at-bats over somebody like Joc Pederson as they fight to make the playoffs
• Gabriel Moreno is also back from the IL
  • Moreno returned to the lineup last Monday and has retaken the primary catcher role
  • Moreno has been batting seventh or eighth in the lineup since returning while Jose Herrera is still drawing an occasional start
  • After a big 2023 playoff run, Moreno has failed to live up to expectations for fantasy managers this season and may always be a better real life player than fantasy option
• Corbin Carroll has 21 homers and 29 stolen bases
  • Well would you look at that… Carroll is still providing elite fantasy value this season
  • The first half was disastrous, but Carroll has salvaged 2024 by putting up elite numbers in the second half
  • His second half slash is .264/.354/.602 with 16 homers and 11 stolen bases. Carroll has reclaimed elite fantasy status

San Francisco Giants

• Casey Schmitt is back from Triple-A
  • Schmitt is back again with the team with Matt Chapman on the Paternity List
  • While Chapman is out, Schmitt is handling the majority of third base duties although fantasy managers should not expect his everyday playing time to last
  • Schmitt has five homers in 33 games but a very low BABIP is suppressing his batting average
•  Donovan Walton is playing second base everyday
  • Walton has spent the entire season at Triple-A where he hit seven homers with a .306 average and is now getting a chance at the Major League level
  • He originally broke into the Majors back in 2019 with Seattle and there is little reason to believe he is going to become a reliable fantasy asset
  • He is batting at the bottom of the Giants’ lineup and is batting just .118 through his first six games
• Tyler Fitzgerald has shaken off his back injury
  • A back injury kept Fitzgerald out of the lineup for a few games late last week but he has since returned to his everyday role
  • After his incredible start, Fitzgerald’s numbers have slowed way down. He is batting just .247 with zero homers and three stolen bases since August 20
  • He continues to bat fifth and play everyday for the Giants despite this slump

Colorado Rockies

• Hunter Goodman is getting everyday playing time
  • Goodman is serving as the primary catcher for Colorado and is batting seventh in the lineup
  • Goodman has been inconsistent all season but has been red hot lately with five homers since September 8
  • With Goodman seeing additional playing time, Drew Romo has taken a bench role despite his strong defensive pedigree
• The Rockies have plenty of lineup spots up for grabs in 2025
  • The young players on this roster are countless and only two have solidified their spots for next season. Ezequiel Tovar and Brenton Doyle are key pieces for next season while Michael Toglia, Drew Romo, Jordan Beck, Nolan Jones, and Hunter Goodman will have to prove they are worthy of a starting role next season