Each week, we’ll look at a handful of different hitters who fantasy managers should consider picking up in deeper fantasy baseball leagues. Many of these players will have the most value in larger leagues where waiver wire options aren’t as plentiful. Still, they could also occasionally be useful additions in other, more standard-sized leagues, depending on your options at their position.
All roster percentages mentioned in this column are via FantasyPros as of Wednesday afternoon.
Enrique Hernández – 6%
Enrique Hernández is hitting just .169 this season with a .242 on-base percentage, but his power production at the plate gives him intriguing fantasy upside in deeper leagues for managers in leagues with 14 or more teams.
Of course, there’s a bit more to it than that. Hernandez’s versatility certainly doesn’t hurt either. He’s appeared in games at first base, second base and third base this season and saw time at all three positions, plus shortstop and the three outfield spots in 2024.
Still, the power and the counting stat potential that comes with hitting in a deep Los Angeles Dodgers lineup are the significant draws here from a fantasy perspective.
The 33-year-old Hernandez is sporting a 17.1% barrel rate this season, a number that ranks in the 91st percentile league-wide. Of course, a 29.2% strikeout rate probably has something to do with that, in terms of fewer batted ball events.
But, with seven total barrels, the Dodgers veteran has as many as Triston Casas, Julio Rodriguez and Marcell Ozuna as of the start of play on Wednesday. He also has more than Vinnie Pasquantino, Max Muncy, Hunter Goodman, Matt Chapman, Ozzie Albies and Michael Toglia.
The barrels have translated to five home runs so far, with the 33-year-old adding 11 RBI and eight runs scored in 67 plate appearances.
The aforementioned 28.4% strikeout rate (15th percentile league wide), as well as a 31.4% chase rate (27th percentile league wide) and a 31.0% whiff rate (17th percentile league wide) are going to limit Hernandez’ ceiling where batting average and on-base percentage are concerned, but for fantasy managers looking for a boost from a power production standpoint with the lineup depth to sustain a low batting average, Hernandez is very much worth a look.
Luis Urías – 2%
Stepping into a regular role with the Athletics, Luis Urías has done an excellent job from a plate discipline standpoint so far, making plenty of contact for the American League West franchise.
Add a 10.0% barrel rate alongside those metrics, and it’s probably not surprising that the veteran infielder is enjoying a strong start to the 2025 season at the plate.
Urias is batting .261 with a .352 on-base percentage and four home runs in 55 plate appearances to start the 2025 campaign.
And while it remains to be seen if Urias can maintain a minuscule 11.8% strikeout rate for the entirety of the season, the 28-year-old has yet to strike out more than 23% of the time in Major League seasons in which he’s logged 240 or more plate appearances.
Speaking of 240 or more plate appearances, Urias should have no trouble topping that number and then some if he continues to hit like this.
The infielder has split his time between second base and third base, and looks like a decent bet, speculatively speaking, to maintain a regular role even when Zack Gelof returns from the injured list.
Elsewhere, Urias hit just .190 on the road this season, but is very much worth a look as a bit of a platoon option for fantasy managers in deeper leagues, in that he’s someone to consider starting mostly when he’s playing at home. The infielder is batting .320 with three of his four home runs, a 1.099 OPS and a 206 wRC+ in 32 plate appearances at home so far this season.
Jeff McNeil – 4%
Just like with Enrique Hernández in Los Angeles, Jeff McNeil brings plenty of positional versatility and flexibility for fantasy managers while bringing quality counting stat upside in a strong lineup in New York with the Mets.
The National League East club entered play on Friday having been outscored by just seven teams. They also rank in the top 10 in wRC+, ISO, slugging percentage and wOBA.
McNeil didn’t make his 2025 debut until April 25 due to a stint on the injured list, and is hitting .333 with a .308 on-base percentage and a home run in his first 13 plate appearances this season, playing center field, right field and second base.
The 33-year-old doesn’t offer Hernandez’s strong power production, but he should make more than enough contact in a quality Mets lineup to make up for it from a fantasy scoring standpoint.
The infielder and outfielder has yet to strike out more than 15% of the time in a season and has logged an 11.8% strikeout rate in his Major League career (3,172 plate appearances) as of the start of play on Wednesday.
And despite lower barrel rate numbers, McNeil has chipped in with reasonable home run and stolen base production in recent seasons, giving him a fairly stable fantasy floor in deeper leagues.
