As we look at risers and fallers in points leagues, the focus should not just be on how players are performing, but what their role is.
Are your hitters suddenly leading off or batting lower in the order than expected? Have they gotten an off-day, and is it because the manager put them in a platoon? Or did they get subbed out at the end of a game for defensive reasons?
As for pitchers, did they get pulled after just 70-80 pitches, or were they allowed to work deep into the game? And could anyone on the IL or in the minors threaten their rotation spot?
As volume is everything in points leagues, these are the questions you want to answer beyond just whether a player gets hot. So, given their role and their performance, who should you buy in on, and who should you leave alone?
Risers
We’re going to highlight Taylor not just for his recent accomplishments, but for what they might unlock going forward. Since returning from a flexor strain at the end of June, Taylor looks like a different player than the one who hit .146 in May. He’s homered in back-to-back games, has a 1.425 OPS in July, and has six round-trippers in his last 37 at-bats. And his points-league profile is legit, with an 18% K-rate and solid gap power, though he doesn’t walk much.
The problem for us points leaguers is this: Taylor, in his current role with the Mets, is not an everyday player. And while his interim manager, Andy Green, says that Taylor’s recent exploits certainly warrant more playing time, the jury’s still out.
Further complicating matters, Taylor’s value has not been this high in a while, and contending teams are willing to pay a high price for right-handed bats. Taylor’s name will be on the shortlist here, especially given his stats against lefties this season (.314 average, .938 OPS). There are a few possible outcomes to this situation: 1) he gets traded to a great team but is stuck in a short-side platoon, 2) he goes to a decent team and plays every day, 3) he stays put and the Mets trade other pieces, opening up potentially more playing time.
Honestly, the first outcome is the most likely, but Taylor’s worth putting on your own shortlist. Keep an eye on him over the next week and pull the trigger if his situation gets more favorable.
One of the few MLB players to come out of Taiwan, Lee’s April debut made the nightly news at home. Up until last month, he wasn’t doing much worth headlining, though, hitting below .200 with an OPS under .500. But the contact skills that he’s been known for have started coming around, and Lee’s now in his second straight month batting over .300. With a 1.056 OPS since the All-Star Break, Lee’s also getting more playing time. He appears to hit righties and lefties equally well (.274 against one, .276 against the other), so a platoon situation appears unlikely. He also has decent power to the gaps and is getting on base 36% of the time since June 1. And among other improvements, he’s been striking out just above 20% of the time over the last two months.
| Metric | Apr–May (thru 5/31) | Jun 1–Present |
|---|---|---|
| AB | 78 | 104 |
| AVG | .192 | .337 |
| OPS | .527 | .915 |
| HR | 1 | 5 |
| K Rate | 29.3% | 20.7% |
Crews is simply too talented not to be in the Major Leagues. A former Golden Spikes award winner (as the best amateur player in the country), Crews was the second overall pick in 2023’s draft (just behind Paul Skenes). He has obviously had a rougher go of things than his former LSU teammate, but hopefully his most recent stint in AAA was his last, as the tools appear to be coming together.
Since July 18, Crews has raised his season OPS by 82 points and has eight hits in his last six games. His Barrel rate has been over 20% since the All-Star Break, and he’s showing improved patience at the plate with a .388 OBP. Also worth noting: the Nats just traded Curtis Mead (who, unfortunately, broke his hand in his first game with Boston after he was featured last week). Mead’s departure opens up more opportunities for Crews to be a full-on everyday player.
Washington’s offense has been criminally underrated all season behind Abrams and Wood, and Crews might be the third cog in this formidable machine. One of these days, he’s going to be an excellent MLB player. We might be seeing the first signs of that eventual breakout.
Speaking of former top prospects who might be turning a corner, Holliday’s batting .500 over the last week and has made seven straight starts. The former number one draft pick has had a bumpy ride in the Majors, but he’s still just 22 years old. His on-base skills have greatly improved this season with a Walk rate around 15%, and he’s showing solid plate discipline. These kinds of stats are typically leading indicators of good things to come, and are why Holliday’s enjoying the highest OPS of his career.
Like Crews, the talent’s too impressive to ignore, and Holliday will eventually come into his own as a fantasy stud. It took Jordan Walker a few seasons to figure things out, after all. You’ll want to be holding Holliday when his turn comes around.
I might have to keep pumping Henderson until he’s universally rostered. Last night, the 39-percent-owned phenom dominated the Giants by throwing 5.2 innings and giving up zero runs with a 0.71 WHIP and seven K’s.
