8 Fantasy Baseball Risers and Fallers - Otto Lopez, Justin Verlander, Ketel Marte, Aaron Nola, more

September 20, 2025

Connelly's fantasy baseball risers and fallers for Week 25 of 2025. He assesses hitters and pitchers performing well and poorly to determine their future value.

Welcome, everyone, to another edition of RotoBaller’s Fantasy Baseball Risers and Fallers article series for Week 25 of the 2025 season! Today, I'll look at players like Otto Lopez, Justin Verlander, Ketel Marte, and Aaron Nola.

Keeping up with the latest hitter and pitcher trends is a key component for a successful season, and RotoBaller is here to help fantasy managers! Each week, I will select a few players who have performed well recently and a few who have not, and I will analyze their performances to determine how their future outcomes may be affected.

There are only a few weeks left in the fantasy season, so managers may need to make moves they wouldn't normally consider. Every game makes an impact, and there is no time to wait for regression. Let's get into some Fantasy Risers and Fallers who may force tough decisions.

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Fantasy Baseball Hitter Risers

All stats are current as of Sunday morning, September 14, 2025

Otto Lopez, Miami Marlins (2B/SS)

.250/.315/.373 Slash Line, 14 HRs, 73 RBI, 13 SBs

Lopez has been an all-around fantasy contributor this season, and he’s been at it again lately. With a .340/.368/.528 slash line in his last 14 games, could Lopez give fantasy managers a boost for the final few weeks?

Lopez is a deceptive fantasy player in that he doesn’t stand out in any facet but provides a bit of everything. He makes a lot of contact and has above-average speed, which has paid off recently with a .340 batting average and a .357 BABIP. He has also benefited from hitting in the middle of the Marlins' lineup lately.

The Marlins’ offense has been clicking, and they will start the week off in Coors Field, so Lopez should have a chance to be a five-category contributor this upcoming week.

Harrison Bader, Philadelphia Phillies (OF)

.288/.361/.472 Slash Line, 16 HRs, 53 RBI, 10 SBs

Bader has been an impact fantasy player since joining the Phillies at the trade deadline. He has yet to steal a base with his new team, but owns a .352/.410/.544 slash line. Could he be a hot bat for fantasy managers to pick up?

Harrison Bader has been on a HEATER since joining the @Phillies 😤

(MLB x @MattressFirm) pic.twitter.com/WwpZpgkPy0

— MLB (@MLB) September 14, 2025

Bader’s numbers with the Phillies are not sustainable, but that doesn’t mean they can’t continue. He has hit the ball harder since joining his new team, averaging 88.8 MPH off the bat compared to 87.3 MPH for the season. This has led to a power surge as well, with four home runs and 15 total extra-base hits.

Bader may not be the answer for fantasy managers chasing steals in roto leagues, but he could be a useful add almost everywhere else. The Phillies have one of baseball’s strongest lineups, and Bader has been hitting at the top of it recently, putting him in a prime position to contribute.

Fantasy Baseball Pitcher Risers

All stats are current as of Sunday morning, September 14, 2025

Justin Verlander, San Francisco Giants

3-10, 3.94 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 21.1% Strikeout Rate, 134 2/3 IP

Verlander may be towards the end of his career, but the 42-year-old has still put together a serviceable fantasy season. He has been even better lately, allowing just three runs in his last four starts. Could Verlander help the Giants and fantasy managers down the stretch?

Justin Verlander has allowed just 1 ER over 18 innings in his last three starts 👏 pic.twitter.com/ngtcDNftP9

— MLB (@MLB) September 13, 2025

His strikeout game has trailed off over the past several seasons, but he has managed a respectable 25.0% strikeout rate in his last four starts. He has achieved this by decreasing his fastball usage and relying more on his breaking pitches.

He has walked more batters at a 10.0% clip, but he has allowed fewer hits with a .254 BABIP. Verlander has found success throughout his career generating extreme fly-ball contact, and that has been the case all season.

Verlander’s next start will be a tougher one on the road against the Diamondbacks, but I would consider starting him in points leagues. The Giants are fighting for a playoff spot, and I would expect them to lean on their veteran.

Tanner Bibee, Cleveland Guardians

10-11, 4.44 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 20.9% Strikeout Rate, 170 1/3 IP

Bibee has been one of fantasy’s more erratic starters this season, but he has tossed back-to-back quality starts, his last being a complete-game shutout. Should he be trusted for the rest of the season?

COMPLETE GAME SHUTOUT FOR TANNER BIBEE! pic.twitter.com/4A1lwXneuT

— MLB (@MLB) September 13, 2025

His results were good, but some of the issues that have plagued him all season showed up in his last two starts. The main one is a lack of strikeouts. Bibee struck out 10 hitters in his last start but three in the other, resulting in 13 in 15 2/3 innings pitched.

Bibee's 3.73 xERA and 4.19 SIERA are better than his current ERA, but it is difficult to trust that now. He had failed to toss a quality start since the end of July, before his two-start run. Further, his next start will come against a hot Twins lineup. Fantasy managers should be glad for his recent production, but I’m not sure I’d trust him in his next start.

Fantasy Baseball Hitter Fallers

All stats are current as of Sunday morning, September 14, 2025

Ketel Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks (2B)

.280/.379/.507 Slash Line, 25 HRs, 65 RBI, 4 SBs

Marte has had another successful season overall for fantasy managers. However, he has gone ice cold over the last four weeks, slashing just .209/.300/.302. Every game counts at this point in the season; can fantasy managers afford to wait on him?

Marte’s approach at the plate has dipped lately. He has struck out more over his cold stretch at a 21.0% clip. Specifically, he has seen much more swing and miss in his game with a 12.3% swinging-strike rate compared to 9.0% on the season. He hasn't hit the ball quite as hard, but has still managed an 89.1-MPH average exit velocity.

Second base has been a slim fantasy position all season, leaving few options on the waiver wire. If I were writing this a few months ago, I would tell fantasy managers to be patient. At this point, I would prefer to sit Marte if I had the roster options, but I would keep him in my lineup and hope for the best otherwise.

Eugenio Suarez, Seattle Mariners (3B)

.228/.302/.527 Slash Line, 45 HRs, 109 RBI, 4 SBs

Suarez has had a great fantasy season in the power department. However, that power has waned since he was traded to the Mariners, and he is currently on a six-game hitless streak. Does he have anything left in the tank for fantasy managers?

Unfortunately, Suarez has fallen back into old habits since joining the Mariners. He has struggled with strikeouts at times in his career, which have pulled his batting average down. This has been the case lately, as he has posted a bloated 34.8% strikeout rate. He has also lost his power, with an 87.3-MPH average exit velocity compared to 90 MPH on the season.

Suarez hasn't provided much lately from a fantasy perspective. He hasn't gotten any hits, he's been striking out a ton, and his power has vanished. Fantasy managers got more than enough from him earlier in the season, but now appears to be the time to move on.

Fantasy Baseball Pitcher Fallers

All stats are current as of Sunday morning, September 14, 2025

Aaron Nola, Philadelphia Phillies

4-8, 6.24 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 24.1% Strikeout Rate, 75 IP

2025 has been a very disappointing season for Nola, who has put together a poor 6.24 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP in 14 starts and 75 IP. He is currently 85% rostered, but should fantasy managers trust him?

Nola missed a good chunk of the season with an ankle sprain, which may be impacting his game. His velocity is down about one MPH across the board. Nola doesn’t throw that hard to begin with, so his margin for error has been slim.

His batted-ball profile has been in line with his career numbers, but he has allowed more hits with a career-high .337 BABIP. He has gotten some good results, but only 5 of his 14 starts have been quality starts.

Nola has been highly inconsistent this season, with low lows. His next start will be at the Diamondbacks, which isn’t the best matchup. I would hesitate to trust him this late in the fantasy season.

George Kirby, Seattle Mariners

8-7, 4.56 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 23.0% Strikeout Rate, 108 2/3 IP

Kirby has been a high-floor fantasy option throughout his career. That narrative has flipped this season, and he has allowed 10 earned runs in his last two starts. Are fantasy managers better off sitting him next week?

One big difference for Kirby this season has been his walk rate. He has been excellent at avoiding putting runners on for free. His 6.1% walk rate is solid overall, but is almost twice as high as his 3.6% career mark.

He has also allowed harder contact with a career-high 90.5-MPH average exit velocity. This has led to a higher .318 BABIP, which has been compounded by the extra baserunners he has allowed.

At the time this article was published, Kirby would have faced the Angels. Regardless of his performance, his next matchup will be a tough one against the Astros, who are pushing the Mariners for the division title. Fantasy managers may not have a choice, but I would be uneasy relying on Kirby in such a high-stakes matchup.

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