Brandon Nimmo (NYM): 4-6, 2B, 2 HR, 4 R, 9 RBI.

The Secret of Nimmo

Alright, obviously we need to talk about Brandon Nimmo after his monstrous performance on an inconspicuous Monday afternoon: 4-6, 2B, 2 HR, 4 R, 9 RBI. The nine RBI is tied with Carlos Delgado for the most in a game in Mets history, and it is easily the most RBI in a game by any player this season.

So, what does this game tell us about what to do with Nimmo on our fantasy teams? Well, even after Monday night, Nimmo is still slashing a paltry .218/.261/.418 on the season, so things haven’t exactly been sunshine and roses for the Mets outfielder. However, Nimmo currently has a career-best 56.5% hard-hit rate, and his expected stats suggest he’s been a little unlucky thus far in 2025. If you benched Nimmo last night, you likely missed his best game of the season, but things should still be much better moving forward.

The biggest change for Nimmo this season is his spot in the lineup–after hitting in the top third for most of 2024, he’s split time between the fourth and sixth spots in the order after the addition of Juan Soto. This means fewer plate appearances and fewer runs scored, but hitting behind Lindor, Soto, and Alonso should be a boon for Nimmo’s RBI total. He’s currently on pace for 117 RBI, and while I’ll be shocked if he reaches that total, a 20-homer, 100-RBI season is definitely in the cards. In leagues with three OF spots, I’m not rushing to add Nimmo if he’s been dropped (he’s still rostered in 75% of Yahoo! leagues), but he should be rostered in NL-only or 4+ OF formats. Nimmo is the kind of player who will give you headaches throughout the season, but he should still return solid value in the summer months with the improved Mets lineup.

 

Let’s see how the other hitters did Monday:

 

Mark Vientos (NYM): 2-4, HR, 4 R, 3 RBI, 2 BB.

There are plenty of other Mets we could highlight from last night, but I want to give some additional props to Mark Vientos, who, much like Nimmo, has been cold to start 2025. After a slow start to the season, Vientos boasts a .905 OPS over the last two weeks, perhaps signaling that he’s turning a corner. Vientos hit 27 long balls in just 111 games last season, so there’s still a very real chance for the third baseman to put together a stupendous slugging streak.

 

Ryan Jeffers (MIN): 2-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB.

Minnesota has recently committed to giving Ryan Jeffers more consistent playing time over Christian Vázquez, and the results so far have been solid, with Jeffers hitting his first home run of the season on Monday night. Yes, it was off a position player, but the home run still counts the same in the box score! Catcher is a notoriously difficult position to navigate in fantasy, but if you’re needing to shake up your lineup, Jeffers is as good an option as any to sit behind the plate for your team. He’s rostered in only 16% of Yahoo! leagues currently and has 20+ homer upside. The 16.5% K rate and 10.6% walk rate don’t hurt, either.

 

Riley Greene (DET): 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI.

You might notice a common theme for many of the players I’m covering tonight–for those guys that you took early(ish) in your drafts, there’s no reason to give up on them just a month into the season! Another example is Riley Greene, who turned in a multi-homer performance on Monday to bring his season total to six. Greene was enduring an extensive cold streak at the plate, and I saw many owners wondering if he was worth dropping for some of the hot commodities on the wire. Baseball is a long season, and cream tends to rise to the top–don’t give up on your proven assets too soon.

 

Alex Verdugo (ATL): 2-4, R, RBI, BB.

Alex Verdugo’s beard is back, and apparently, so is his fantasy viability. I only partially kid, as Verdugo is serving as the leadoff man for Atlanta against RHP, and Colorado is sending out two more righties in the rest of the series in Coors. If you’re in a daily league, I’d suggest adding for the next two days if you can. It’s a small sample size, but the early numbers for Verdugo look pretty promising, and if he maintains a leadoff role for a good lineup, there’s plenty of long-term fantasy appeal here–at least until Ronald Acuña Jr. returns.

 

Dane Myers (MIA): 2-2, HR, R, 4 RBI.

For many of you, the most significant contribution Dane Myers made for your fantasy teams last night was ruining a perfectly fine Dustin May start by launching a grand slam off reliever Anthony Banda to cost May the win and add a few earned runs to his line. Myers isn’t an everyday player and isn’t worth rostering in anything outside of deep NL-only formats.

 

Gavin Lux (CIN): 3-4, 2 2B, R, RBI.

It’s been great seeing the mini career resurgence in Cincinnati for Gavin Lux, who never got a full chance to shine during his time with the Dodgers. Now a key fixture in the heart of the order for the Reds, Lux is making the most of his opportunity with a .911 OPS through 27 games. Lux won’t impress in the power or speed department, but he provides solid R and RBI numbers with great ratios thanks to his elite eye for the zone (99th percentile chase rate). Lux’s eligibility at 2B and OF should help you fill a spot in your lineup, especially in daily leagues on short days. He’s as solid a short-term add as any and is still available in 66% of Yahoo! leagues.

 

Christian Walker (HOU): 1-4, HR, R, 2 RBI.

Christian Walker got the Astros on the board with a titanic blast off of Jack Flaherty. Walker is another player who was off to a terrible start in 2025, but–say it with me–he’s turning a corner. Since taking a day off last week Monday, Walker is slashing .318/.348/.682 with two homers and four RBI. The buy-low window for Walker likely isn’t fully closed, so it’s worth sending a trade offer for the veteran if the owner in your league still isn’t convinced. Proven power hitters like Walker rarely stay cold for too long.

 

Matt McLain (CIN): 1-4, SB.

Matt McLain has been among the more frustrating players to own over the past week, as he squandered a series in Coors by going 0-for-9 with four strikeouts before sitting for the third game in that series. Monday’s single broke an 0-for-21 streak, and he then promptly stole his fourth base of the season. I get the frustrations with McLain, but he’s still hitting the ball hard and has a respectable xWOBA of .358. Better days are surely ahead for McLain, but I’d understand if you want to bench him for now, especially in points leagues that penalize strikeouts.

 

Teoscar Hernández (LAD): 1-5, HR, R, 2 RBI.

We’re finishing this column with a moment to appreciate Teoscar Hernández, who went yard for the third straight game on Monday. Hernández understandably gets overlooked in a lineup that contains Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman, but he’s arguably been the Dodgers’ best offensive player in 2025. He’s been a steal at ADP this season and is tied for third in the MLB with nine home runs. Teo can be a hot-and-cold player, so it might be worth floating some offers out there to see just how high you can sell him if he’s on your roster.