Every week during fantasy baseball season, we'll be doing a stock report on players who are rising or falling in value, so feel free to tag any players you'd like us to take a closer look at. Twitter.
Let’s dive right in and take a look at some fantasy baseball players who are on the rise and some who are on the decline.
Fantasy Baseball Stock Report (Week 21)
Stockpiling
James Wood (OF – WAS)
The Nationals, 18 games out of first place in the National League East, plan to spend the remainder of this season developing young players for the future, and one of those who showed promise late in the year is 21-year-old James Wood.
At 6'7″, he is one of the best power hitters in the league. When he makes good contact, his home run video almost always goes viral. Since August 1, Wood is 11th in xFIP (191) and 11th in wOBA (.444). I would consider saving Woods for the future alongside CJ Abrams for the Nationals.
Brandon Fudd (SP – ARI)
Brandon Fatt has always been a reliable pitcher despite being in his early years, but he showed some improvement in the second half of this season, and Fatt was a key part of the Diamondbacks' overall strong team since the All-Star break.
In August, Fath has posted a 9.13 K/9 and a 3.24 xFIP. His xFIP is the 15th best in MLB this month. He has shown an uptick in his strikeout rate against favorable opponents, notably striking out 8 against Oakland and 11 against Colorado. He has done a great job of limiting home runs, allowing just 5 in his last 9 games. He is also only 25 years old and should be a playoff favorite based on how Arizona is playing right now.
Joc Pederson (Outfielder, DH – ARI)
Speaking of Arizona, Joc Pederson has been one of the best hitters in August. The veteran is second in wRC+ (235), ninth in ISO (.356) and second in wOBA (.512) this month. Pederson's walk rate in August is also impressive at 21.7%, putting him on par with Aaron Judge.
He's doing it all as a part-timer for the Diamondbacks, the perfect veteran for a team with the best young players in baseball. At 32 years old, he already has two World Series rings and is looking for a third with the reigning National League champions.
Stock prices fall
Lane Thomas (OF – CLE)
Lane Thomas was a hot topic early in the season for his base-stealing ability, but he hasn't performed as well as the Guardians expected when they acquired him at the deadline. Thomas is just 2-for-26 with 14 strikeouts over his last 10 games.
His strikeout rate of 40.3% is the best in baseball for the month of August. He also had just one stolen base this month. The 28-year-old ranks eighth in the MLB with 29 stolen bases, but he won't have a chance to maintain that streak if he doesn't get on base. As the saying goes, you can't steal a runner.
Jose Quintana (SP – NYM)
August was a tough month for Jose Quintana. The veteran left-hander posted his best xFIP (6.21) of the month, but his K/9 was low (6.97) and BB/9 was high (5.23). He gave up a combined 11 runs to the Orioles and Athletics in his final two starts, and finished below zero in the fantasy points department.
He's struggling to stay in games long due to his walk rate, and I would steer clear of the 35-year-old for the remainder of this season and probably beyond.
Isaac Paredes (1B, 2B, 3B, DH – CHC)
Along with Thomas, Isaac Paredes was another trade deadline acquisition that didn't have much to show for himself. Paredes was named to the American League All-Star team this year but has struggled since being traded to the Cubs.
His wRC+ (38) and wOBA (.218) in August were the 14th-lowest in the league, and his performance through 10 games couldn't be more bleak, with just two extra-base hits. Paredes is just 25 and has proven he can be an All-Star with the Rays, but I'd stick with him until he gets acclimated to his new team.
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