Every Monday, I do a deep audit with my top-250 players moving forward, and we write up some of the biggest movers and shakers. Let’s unpack some of the market movement as we get ready for another week of fantasy baseball.
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Miguel Vargas, 1B/3B, White Sox: You have to look past the .230 average and see the consistent value Vargas is providing. He gets on base (.366 OBP), he hits with power (.475 slugging) and he provides category juice (nine homers, and a perfect 6-for-6 on steals). Vargas controls his at-bats regularly, with strong walk and strikeout rates and an elite chase rate. This is a breakthrough player in his age-26 season.
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Otto Lopez, 2B/SS, Marlins: No one expects him to keep that pretty .344 average, especially with a low walk rate and an aggressive chase rate. But even with his free-swinging ways, Lopez only strikes out 17.8% of the time — some batters are able to get away with this type of aggressiveness. The Marlins now view Lopez as their offensive centerpiece (he’s the No. 3 hitter), and he’s going to post another 15-15 season.
Mickey Moniak, OF, Rockies: It’s easy to nitpick players for what they can’t do, but sometimes you have to focus on what they can do. Moniak isn’t going to hit lefties and the road part of the schedule will never be fun, but he’s rocking a .337/.390/.716 slash against righties and he’s posted a .358/.389/.866 slash at home. Moniak is a fun post-hype sleeper case, given that he was the No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft. Colorado starts this week on the road, but they open a six-game homestead on Thursday.
Peter Lambert, SP, Astros: His first run in the majors didn’t work out, but it’s almost impossible for any pitcher to survive in Colorado. Lambert then went to Japan for a year, and he’s looked better since returning stateside, off to a 2.42 ERA and 1.16 WHIP for Houston through four turns. Obviously, he’s not going to keep the homer rate at zero all season, but Lambert’s bumped his strikeout rate and his Statcast data suggests a playable 3.32 xERA. I’m interested.
Seranthony Domínguez, RP, White Sox: Don’t thumb your nose up at the White Sox this year, as they’re just two games under .500 and competing in a watered-down AL Central (just one game behind Cleveland. Domínguez has an elevated walk rate, but he’s also striking out 11.5 batters per nine and getting the automated ninth-inning chances whenever Chicago holds a lead. Possession of the gig is nine-tenths of the save equation, and roto managers have bought in, pushing Dominguez to 56% rostered.
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Zack Gelof, UT, Athletics: Injuries and one bad month (.174/.230/.272) ruined his 2025 story, but Gelof is back in the plans, hitting for a plus average and adding some category juice (three homers, two steals). We like investing in anyone tied to the Sutter Health Park experience, and it’s possible Gelof could still have a job when everyone heals on this roster. Gelof was a fantasy smash in 2023 and at least useful despite a low average a year later — I’ve been considering him for some of my deeper leagues.
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Juan Soto, OF, Mets: Keep your feet on the ground, he’s still a top 20 player on anyone’s board — you have to give superstars more leash. And Soto was hurt for much of April, so he’s still getting his timing back. But it’s possible last year’s 38 steals are a mirage that won’t return — he’s only attempted two swipes this year. And the rest of the New York lineup looks like a problem for Soto, too — there’s no buoyancy here.
Noah Cameron, SP, Royals: We had fun with his surprise breakthrough last year, but the margins are always thin with pitchers who throw in the low 90s. Cameron’s walk rate has risen this year and while he’s been a little unlucky with sequencing (catch that 65.4% strand rate, an outlier), he’s still pitching to a true ERA in the mid-4s, which isn’t good enough for mixed-league consideration.
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Shane Baz, SP, Orioles: He was a highly-touted arm early in his career, but he hasn’t been fun the last couple of years, with a 5.00 ERA and 1.38 WHIP over his last 39 starts. Walks are up this year, strikeouts are down and Baz is only getting swinging strikes 9.1% of the time. Life was easier with the Tampa organization, in a pitcher park and tied to a strong defense. The Orioles present bigger challenges.
Updated rest-of-season top-250 rankings (as of May 11)
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