X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Contact Rate Risers and Fallers - Week 24

Pierre Camus looks at fantasy baseball risers and fallers in the contact rate category for week 24 to determine who may be worth buying or selling for 2017.

Welcome back, RotoBallers! Batting average is just one of many statistics fantasy owners must consider, but contact rate can also be telling of all-around success at the plate. A sudden increase or decrease in contact rate could signal the beginning of an extended hot or cold streak, leading to important waiver wire choices or start/sit decisions for fantasy baseball managers.

Each week we will look at a few players who are rising and falling in terms of contact and compare their previous week's contact rate with their season-long performance.

Here are some of the top contact rate risers and fallers for Week 24 of the fantasy baseball season.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Contact Rate Risers

Michael Taylor (OF, WAS) 85% contact rate last seven days (+16%)

Maybe Taylor is proving that he isn't just a toolsy player, but he actually can hit for average as well. His contact rate on the season actually isn't higher than his career mark, but a .358 BABIP has helped him maintain a .274 average. Look further and his high strikeout rate (30.2%) also isn't much better than his usual numbers. It seems that he's simply having some good fortune in September, but is bound to regress. He's still worth using in mixed leagues for his power/speed numbers.

Matt Olson (1B, OAK) 83% contact rate last seven days (+12%)

Olson is crushing the ball at a high rate, thanks to an astronomical 37.8% HR/FB. As a rookie, it's tough to project exactly where his true talents lie in the Major Leagues, but it's probably safe to say he won't keep this pace up throughout next season. In terms of average, his career high is .282, which came in Rookie ball. That said, his .267 BABIP will probably stay about the same while some of those fly balls may translate into outs. Olson is a promising power prospect, but count on a batting average around .250 rather than the .300s he's putting up over the past month.

Christian Yelich (OF, MIA) 91% contact rate last seven days (+11%)

While the season stats don't look bad overall, it's been a slight letdown for those who thought Yelich would take the next step toward All-Star status in 2017. Instead, he's looking like just the third of the trio, as he's been overshadowed by teammates Giancarlo Stanton and Marcell Ozuna, both of whom have had tremendous seasons. Yelich's trying to pick up the pace in September, with 15 hits in 40 at-bats (.375). He's batting .313 in the second half and has already matched his first half home run total with eight, so it appears he's made enough adjustments to put that sweet swing to its potential.

Jose Ramirez (2B, CLE) 95% contact rate last seven days (+8%)

He's pretty good. Let's just leave it at that. Actually, we should talk about the fact that he's only batting .154 in the past week despite leading his team offensively through a historic 20-game win streak. He did go 2-for-4 on Tuesday night, raising his season average to .309. Yeah, I think he'll be OK to keep in your lineup.

 

Contact Rate Fallers

Yasmani Grandal (C, LAD52% contact rate last seven days (-22%)

You can't blame Grandal for the Dodgers' sudden fall from grace, but he certainly isn't helping any. The backstop is still hitting for power, but has struggled to reach base throughout the second half with a .213 average and only six doubles. His 7.8% walk rate is nearly half as much as last year and is by far a career low. Much like the rest of his team, there is no way to justifiably explain the sudden drop-off, but it doesn't seem as if it will suddenly reverse course again in the next two weeks.

C.J. Cron (1B, LAA) 54% contact rate last seven days (-21%)

The roller coaster ride that is C.J. Cron's fantasy value has just gone over the peak and guess where it's headed? When he's on his game, nobody drives in runs in bunches like Cron (seriously). He's now gone five straight games without an RBI and has struck out in eight of his last 18 plate appearances. If you were along for the ride, it's time to jump ship. How's that for a mixed metaphor?

Carlos Gomez (OF, TEX) 61% contact rate last seven days (-10%)

Gomez is taking a much more aggressive approach lately, missing the ball at a higher rate but also creating more opportunities. While his strikeouts have increased in September, he's hitting .321 for the month with six extra-base hits in eight games. If you own Gomez, you'll always live with a high K rate and middling average, but he's showing that he's got some juice left in that bat.

Logan Morrison (1B, TB) 71% contact rate last seven days (-4%)

Two things you need to know here. First, LoMo hasn't registered a single base knock in a week's time and is striking out nearly half the time. Second, he isn't an everyday player any more. The team brought in Lucas Duda to share time and is trying to see if it can Morrison intact for an entire season. Morrison might wind up as a 40-HR hitter this season, but one who has very limited value down the stretch.

 

More Risers and Fallers




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Adley Rutschman

Scratched on Tuesday With Abdominal Discomfort
CBJ

Brendan Smith Joins Blue Jackets on Tryout Deal
STL

Milan Lucic Joins Blues for Tryout
DET

Red Wings Pick Up Travis Hamonic
Austin Riley

Doesn't Appear Ready to Return Any Time Soon
Aaron Judge

Unikely to Throw Normally Again This Year
Jalen McMillan

Could be Out Through Week 9 Bye
Indiana Pacers

Pacers Coach Rick Carlisle Agrees to a Multiyear Contract Extension on Tuesday
Washington Wizards

John Wall Retires After 11 NBA Seasons
Daniel Jones

Named as Colts Starting Quarterback
Jalen McMillan

Will Not Be Ready for Season Opener
Collin Sexton

Hornets Have High Hopes for Collin Sexton
Rui Hachimura

Likely to Start Season Without Contract Extension
Jaime Jaquez Jr.

Hopes to Bounce Back in 2025-26
Stephen Curry

Ready to Go for New Season
Orlando Magic

Lester Quinones Agrees to Deal With Magic
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Cleared to Play on Tuesday Night
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Pulled With Hamstring Tightness
MLB

Game 2 of Brewers-Cubs on Monday Postponed
Bryce Miller

to be Activated on Tuesday
Kyle Tucker

to Get Multiple Days Off
Shane Bieber

to Make Season Debut on Friday
Joe Mixon

Could Start Season on NFI List
Zack Wheeler

has Surgery to Remove Blood Clot
De'Von Achane

Unlikely to Practice This Week
Justin Jefferson

Returning to Practice
Chris Godwin

Bucs Chris Godwin Likely to Start Season on PUP List
Joe Flacco

Browns Name Joe Flacco as Their Week 1 Starter
Jalen McDaniels

Inks Deal With New Orleans
N'Faly Dante

Signs Deal With Hawks
Matthew Stafford

Practicing on Monday
Dru Smith

Agrees to Deal With Heat
Austin Dillon

Scores an Upset Victory at Richmond
William Byron

Clinches the Regular Season Championship Title at Richmond
Denny Hamlin

Pit-Road Struggles Impede Denny Hamlin's Chances of a Top Finish at Richmond
Joey Logano

Earns A Fourth-Place Finish at Richmond
Kyle Larson

Rallies to A Top-10 Finish at Richmond
Malik Nabers

Dealing With Back Injury
Khamzat Chimaev

Is The New UFC Middleweight Champion
Dricus Du Plessis

Gets Dominated At UFC 319
Aaron Pico

Suffers Knockout Loss In His UFC Debut
Lerone Murphy

Scores Stunning First-Round Knockout
Leodalis De Vries

Earns Promotion to Double-A
Nathaniel Lowe

Finalizing Deal with Boston
Geoff Neal

Suffers First-Round Knockout Loss
Ketel Marte

Arizona Could Trade Ketel Marte in the Offseason
Carlos Prates

Gets Back In The Win Column
Michael Page

Dominates At UFC 319
Jared Cannonier

Gets Outclassed
Tim Elliott

Gets Submission Win
Kai Asakura

Still Winless In The UFC
Austin Cindric

has Arguably his Best Run of the Season at Richmond
Ryan Blaney

Contends for First Richmond Win but Comes Up Short
Alex Bowman

Finishes Second but Loses Ground in Playoffs
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Sets Personal Laps-Led Record at Richmond
Chris Buescher

Falls Out of Playoffs After Miserable Richmond Run
Coby White

Bulls Not Interested in Trading Coby White
Dereck Lively II

Expected to be Ready for Camp
Brian Robinson Jr.

Commanders "Shopping" Brian Robinson Jr.
John Metchie III

Texans Trade John Metchie III to Eagles
Victor Scott II

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Trey Hendrickson

Bengals Listening to Trade Offers for Trey Hendrickson
Marcelo Mayer

to Have Season-Ending Wrist Surgery
Samuel Basallo

Called Up From Triple-A Norfolk
J.K. Dobbins

Expected to Win Starting RB Job?
Quentin Johnston

Suffers Concussion in Preseason Loss
Jaxson Dart

Plays Well on Saturday Night
Marcus Semien

Avoids Serious Injury
Kyle Stowers

Heads to Injured List With Left-Side Strain
Zack Wheeler

Placed on Injured List With Blood Clot in Shoulder
Terry McLaurin

Commanders Optimistic Terry McLaurin Deal Can Get Done Soon
De'Von Achane

De’Von Achane Dealing With Lower-Body Injury
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Likely Avoids Serious Injury
Josh Hader

Unlikely to Return During Regular Season
Denny Hamlin

the Heavy Favorite to Win at Richmond
Christopher Bell

Has Been Great at Richmond
Kyle Stowers

Out Saturday With Left-Side Tightness
Tyrese Haliburton

No Longer Using a Scooter, Crutches
Ryan Blaney

Can Ryan Blaney Finally Break Through at Richmond?
Joey Logano

Will Start Last at Richmond After Practice Trouble
Chase Elliott

Lack of Top-Line Speed Hurts his DFS Potential
Kyle Larson

Recent String of Crashes Make Him a Big Risk at Richmond
William Byron

Probably Slightly Too Inconsistent at Richmond to Start for DFS
Ryan Preece

on Pole at Richmond as Playoff Deadline Looms Closer
Brad Keselowski

Probably the Best RFK Racing DFS Option at Richmond
Chase Briscoe

Still Figuring Out Richmond
Chris Buescher

a Solid Choice for DFS Play, but Teammates Look Faster
Jhoan Duran

Feels "100%"
Terry McLaurin

Commanders Activate Terry McLaurin From PUP List
Rashee Rice

NFL Could Reach Settlement Before Hearing
Joe Mixon

Not a Lock to be Ready For Week 1
Haywood Highsmith

Dealt to Brooklyn on Friday
Amir Coffey

Signs One-Year Deal With Bucks
Khamzat Chimaev

A Favorite At UFC 319
Dricus Du Plessis

Set For His Third Title Defense
Aaron Pico

Set For UFC Debut
Lerone Murphy

Looks To Remain Undefeated
Geoff Neal

Looks For His Second Win In A Row
Michael Page

Set For His Second Middleweight Bout
Jared Cannonier

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Kai Asakura

Looks For His First UFC Win
Tim Elliott

Set To Open Up UFC 309 Main Card
CBJ

Mikael Pyyhtia Re-Signs With Blue Jackets for One Year
UTA

Caleb Desnoyers Expected to Miss 12 Weeks After Wrist Procedure
Tyson Foerster

on Track to Be Healthy for Season Opener
NHL

Olivier Rodrigue Signs KHL Deal
NHL

Emil Bemstrom to Join Swiss Team
Payton Pritchard

Reportedly Moving Into Starting Lineup
Kevin Durant

Rockets Not Interested in Keeping Kevin Durant with Max Extension
NBA

Isaiah Mobley Joins Turkish Team
NBA

Cole Swider Links Up with EuroLeague Powerhouse

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP