Fantasy Baseball Risers and Fallers (Week 21): Marsee Magic

There’s about a quarter of the fantasy baseball season remaining. At this point, you should already know what you need — and don’t need — from players to make gains in the standings. Whether you’re looking for a temporary player to boost a specific category or are contemplating dropping certain players, the Fantasy Baseball Risers and Fallers series is here to help. Each week, we highlight some of the week’s noteworthy player performances, both good and not-so good. The goal is to help you make the best lineup and waiver wire decisions by assessing players’ fantasy values moving forward.

In this week’s edition of Fantasy Baseball Risers and Fallers, we highlight a couple of five-category contributors, in addition to a starting pitcher who shouldn’t be sitting on waiver wires. On the flip side, we look at some bigger-name strugglers who may not warrant roster spots with six weeks remaining. With that, let’s take a look at some Week 21 fantasy baseball risers and fallers.

Fantasy Baseball Risers and Fallers

Week 21 stats from 8/11 – 8/17

Risers

Jakob Marsee (OF — MIA)

We recently highlighted Jakob Marsee, but the prospect warrants continued attention as he’s flashing both speed and power. He went 7-for-22 at the plate last week and cranked three long balls to go with two doubles and a steal. Marsee also walloped the ball. He posted a 15.8% barrel rate and 57.9% hard-hit rate, and moved from the heart of the order to the 2-hole.

Since his call-up, Marsee is showcasing a 1.241 OPS and 236 wRC+ with four home runs and six steals across 62 plate appearances. Additionally, he’s making quality contact and flexing a strong plate approach with a 14.5% walk rate and 17.7% strikeout rate. Marsee is an everyday player who hits near the top of the order and contributes across the board. He’s worth considering in all league sizes, as Marsee could shine in the final stretch of the season.

Miguel Andujar (3B/OF — CIN)

Miguel Andujar has delivered big time since his trade to the Reds. He’s hitting .359/.432/.641 across 44 plate appearances with three home runs and nine RBI in 13 games. It’s a small sample size, but Andujar has flourished with his new team while taking over the cleanup spot from a struggling Austin Hays.

Overall, Andujar has looked sharp in the second half. Coming out of the All-Star break, he’s sporting a 1.060 OPS with six dingers, 16 RBI, and a 190 wRC+ across 82 plate appearances. He’s also sporting some muscle with a hefty .303 ISO in that stretch. Andujar is a better play in 15-team leagues, but he has appeal in shallower formats if you’re chasing home runs. After all, it’s tough to overlook a cleanup hitter who calls the cozy confines of Great American Ball Park home.

Ramon Laureano (OF — SDP)

Ramon Laureano continues to cruise through the 2025 season. He was 9-for-19 last week, including three multi-hit efforts over five starts. He also tacked on two doubles, three dingers and a steal for the week, and barreled the ball at an eye-popping 31.3% clip.

Laureano has been terrific all season, but he’s really turned on the jets since his trade to San Diego. In 15 games with the Padres, Laureano posted a 1.082 OPS with four home runs, 11 runs scored, 12 RBI and a stolen base across 62 plate appearances. He’s also striking out at a sub-20% clip in this stretch — a significant factor in his continued success this season. Laureano is a five-category contributor who’s shown no signs of slowing down this season. He’s an asset in 12+ team leagues moving forward.

Jacob Lopez (SP — ATH)

Jacob Lopez has been unstoppable of late. He racked up four consecutive scoreless starts, while fanning batters at a hefty 31.5% clip. A 100% strand rate in that stretch certainly helped his cause, but fantasy Lopez’s 1.53 FIP is still an elite mark.

Lopez bounced between the minors and majors earlier this season, but has since settled in as a steady rotation arm for the Athletics. Since June 1, Lopez has a shiny 2.09 ERA (3.34 SIERA) and 1.02 WHIP across 12 starts (64.2 IP). Additionally, his 30.8% strikeout rate in this span is fifth-best among pitchers with a minimum of 60 innings pitched. Lopez limits hard contact and brings a ton of fantasy goodness to the table. As such, it’s mind-boggling that he’s available in 30% of Fantrax leagues and 35% of Yahoo leagues. Do something about that.

Fallers

Willy Adames (SS — SFG)

Willy Adames had a brutal week. He logged only two hits across 23 at-bats and struck out at a whopping 40% rate. The down week continues Adames’ August spiral. Over his last 66 plate appearances, he’s slashing .117/.197/.267 with an elevated 34.8% strikeout rate. While a .118 BABIP has contributed to the sub-par month, Adames’ quality of contact metrics have also taken a hit — his 32.4% hard-hit rate and 86.4 mph average exit velocity are both season-low marks.

For fantasy managers in shallow formats, hoping for a turnaround may be futile at this point in the season. While Adames is coming off a strong July (1.096 OPS), that was the only month he didn’t post below league-average marks in OPS and wRC+ all season. Adames has a solid track record, and it’s understandable to hold him if you have the roster space. But if he’s reverted to his pre-July self, know there may be little fantasy juice to squeeze moving forward.

Willi Castro (2B/3B/SS/OF — CHC)

At first, Willi Castro’s move to the Cubs seemed beneficial for his fantasy value. His positional flexibility allowed him to play all over the field, and he started in six of the team’s seven games after being traded. But things have quickly changed. Castro’s playing time has since dried up as he played in only one of the Cubs’ last eight games.

Castro has long been a staple in 15-team lineups, and the disappearance of playing time is a significant blow to his fantasy stock. While it’s possible the playing time could pick up, it seems unlikely, outside of an injury. In deeper formats, it may be worth holding Castro for another week or two to see how the playing time shakes out. But if there’s no change, Castro is an easy drop with little time remaining in the season.

Spencer Strider (SP — ATL)

Spencer Strider looks broken right now. He’s surrendered a combined 13 earned runs in his last two starts, with the long ball in particular being problematic. He’s allowed multiple dingers in three of his last four starts and registered a bloated 8.68 ERA (4.61 SIERA) and 2.09 WHIP in this stretch. Additionally, Strider’s strikeouts have all but disappeared, as he posted an 18.9% strikeout rate and 9.0% swinging-strike rate over those 18.2 innings.

With ballooned ratios and an absence of strikeouts, Strider has become an unreliable arm, even in deeper formats. He should remain on fantasy benches until he can put together a strong start or two — which may not happen at all in the final six weeks.