Fantasy Baseball Risers and Fallers (Week 18): White-Hot Harris

There’s a lot to keep track of during the fantasy baseball season, and that’s especially true with the trade deadline looming. But don’t sweat it. The Fantasy Baseball Risers and Fallers series is here to help by identifying some of the week’s noteworthy player performances, both good and bad. The aim is to assist with lineup and waiver wire decisions by assessing players’ fantasy values moving forward. With less than 10 weeks remaining on the fantasy baseball calendar, it’s even more crucial to identify which players can help our fantasy squads and which are dead weight.

In this week’s edition of Fantasy Baseball Risers and Fallers, we look at some players who can boost our power and speed categories. On the flip side, we assess whether we should be concerned about a pair of slumping outfielders. With that, let’s take a look at some Week 18 fantasy baseball risers and fallers.

Fantasy Baseball Risers and Fallers

Week 18 stats from 7/21 – 7/27

Risers

Michael Harris II (OF — ATL)

It’s taken more than half of the season, but Michael Harris looks like he’s finally rounding into form. After managing only 13 hits in all of June, Harris racked up 11 last week, including two doubles, two triples, and two dingers. He also struck out at a minuscule 8.3% rate and posted a 1.500 OPS across 24 plate appearances.

Harris struggled mightily this season and was a fringe player in both 12- and 15-team leagues. But he’s recently caught fire, slashing .400/.426/.778 with a 232 wRC+ across his last 12 games (48 PA). Additionally, Harris is elevating the ball more and flexing an 18.4% barrel and 55.3% hard-hit rate in this span. A .441 BABIP is certainly helping the cause. But the healthy quality of contact is noteworthy, considering Harris was posting career-worst rates before his hot streak. Fantasy managers should pick up Harris in all leagues where he was dropped, just to see what fantasy goodness can be had while he’s raking.

Giancarlo Stanton (UT — NYY)

If you had any doubt, Giancarlo Stanton is still a masher. He smacked three homers in five games last week, while sporting a .429 ISO and .905 OPS across 21 plate appearances.

Overall, Stanton has looked sharp since he debuted in mid-June, posting an .875 OPS and 143 wRC+ across 110 plate appearances. But he’s really turned on the burners since the start of July, especially on the power front. Stanton crushed seven long balls across 18 games this month (68 PA) with 13 runs scored and 17 RBI. He’s also smoking the ball with a 94.5 mph average exit velocity to go with a 20% barrel and 55% hard-hit rate. With Aaron Judge on the shelf, Stanton could be in line for more playing time in the interim. As long as he can stay on the field, Stanton should be a productive asset moving forward.

Chandler Simpson (OF — TBR)

If you have the need for speed, Chandler Simpson is your man. He swiped five bags in as many games last week while slashing .300/.391/.350 and walking at a 13% clip. Simpson also squeezed in extra at-bats as the Rays’ new leadoff hitter.

It’s no secret that Simpson is fast. He stole a whopping 104 bases across Double- and Triple-A in 2024, and his 32 steals across 236 plate appearances this season are the third-most in baseball. However, unlike other rabbits in the league, Simpson maintains an elite .307 batting average on the year and now brings more oomph in runs scored while leading off. If you’re lacking in the steals column, Simpson is one of the best speed streamers on the wire. Just make sure your team can withstand the zero in power.

Trevor Rogers (SP — BAL)

Trevor Rogers had himself a nice week, tossing seven shutout frames with five punchouts. Sure, it was against the lowly Rockies, but the strong performance continues a sneaky-good run by Rogers of late.

In his four July starts, Rogers is showcasing a 1.03 ERA and 0.72 WHIP across 26.1 innings. He also generated ground balls at a near 51% clip and snagged four quality starts and three wins in that stretch. While a .167 BABIP and 91% strand rate worked in Rogers’ favor, a 2.71 FIP and 3.81 SIERA still plays in deeper formats. Rogers’ 22% strikeout rate is average. But he doesn’t walk many hitters either, and beggars can’t be choosers when decent pitching options are slim. Rogers is a solid arm if you need an injury replacement or if you’re looking for depth down the stretch.

Fallers

Ian Happ (OF — CHC)

Ian Happ managed only three hits across 18 at-bats last week. On the bright side, one of those hits went yard. Happ also swiped a base and still managed to walk more than he struck out. But the lack of hits continued a slow month at the plate for Happ. Since July 1, he’s logged only 11 hits across 69 at-bats while posting a .577 OPS. Happ also recently lost the leadoff role, batting between fifth and seventh over the past 11 games.

There aren’t any red flags in Happ’s underlying metrics. He’s still showcasing strong plate skills while making quality contact that aligns with his career marks. There also aren’t any significant changes in Happ’s batted ball profile. As such, it’s probably best to stick with Happ in 12+ teamers. He brings a solid blend of pop and speed to the fantasy table while offering plus counting stats as part of a potent Cubs lineup. Hang tight with Happ.

Jo Adell (OF — LAA)

Jo Adell had an ugly week, going 3-for-26 at the plate and striking out at a 39.3% clip. Elevated strikeouts have been an issue for Adell in July, with his 29.9% rate for the month being his worst mark of the season. The high Ks have also likely contributed to a down month overall, as Adell has a .637 OPS with only three home runs across 97 plate appearances.

However, don’t give up on Adell during his slump. Not only is he still tearing the cover off the ball this month, but his 21.7% barrel and 53.3% hard-hit rate during this stretch are season-best rates. Additionally, Adell is making more contact this year and has improved his quality of contact metrics across the board. He already has a career-best 21 dingers across 100 games and is a safe bet to hit the 30-mark by season’s end. Tack on a handful of steals, and Adell could be a sneaky game-changer for the back half of the season. Add Adell where available.

Kodai Senga (SP — NYM)

Kodai Senga had a week to forget. Across two starts, he allowed a combined seven earned runs and three long balls across eight frames. He also finished the week with a 20% strikeout rate and 20% walk rate. Yuck.

Senga hasn’t looked sharp since his recent return from the IL. Most notably, he’s continued to struggle with control, issuing 10 walks over his last three appearances (12 IP). Overall, free passes have plagued Senga all year, with his 4.31 BB/9 across 16 starts being a career-worst mark. On the plus side, Senga has done a solid job of limiting hits, so he hasn’t been a WHIP killer in the process. But even so, the lack of control is concerning and worth monitoring. It isn’t a bad idea to sit Senga in shallow formats right now until he can string together a couple of strong starts. Stay tuned.