Fantasy Baseball Rest-of-Season Rankings: Scott Pianowski's updated risers and fallers as of August 5

It’s been a blast on the Upgrade/Downgrade beat this year, giving you a weekly window into my fantasy baseball ranking sheet. Use the following profiles and list as you consider start-sit choices, pickup ideas and trade thoughts (the default deadline on Yahoo is Thursday, August 6). Stay consistent with your thoughtful work, Fantasy Baseball tends to reward the managers who stick with it.

>Our baseball conversations can always continue, of course. Catch me on Twitter/X or Bluesky and let’s have a chat.

UpgradeJackson Merrill, OF, Padres: The seasonal line still doesn’t look like much, but remember Merrill was sub-Mendoza in the second week of June. Over his last 49 games, we’ve seen star quality return: .291/.317/.487, with 10 homers and 12 steals (caught just once). Player development isn’t always linear, but Merrill still has an exciting upward trajectory.

>Luke Weaver, RP, Pirates: He’s always had closer stuff, just a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Weaver moved at the deadline, shipping to Pittsburgh and taking those pretty ratios (1/84/0.818) with him. Weaver now takes control of the ninth inning for a contending club, making him one of the biggest fantasy winners from the past week.

>Max Clark, OF, Tigers: Excellent contact and pitch-judgement skills popped in the minors, along with outstanding speed (21-of-23 on steals this year) and occasional pop. Clark might not have the immediate upside of teammate and close friend Kevin McGonigle, but he could do a nifty A.J. Ewing imitation for the rest of the year. Recommended in any mixer.

>Ty France, 1B, Padres: This type of player has always been my jam, the late bloomer and professional hitter, someone who’s commonly overlooked but productive when deployed. France’s expected stats are slightly below his current slash line, but he regularly makes hard contact on the center of the bat. He’s earned the right to bat cleanup for the Padres the rest of the way.

>Noah Cameron, SP, Royals: He’s found a velocity spike of late and he’s also missing more bats, picking up 32 whiffs in his past 34 innings. Turning his fastball into a cutter has made a major difference, and he’s also taken control of his own pitch calling, to obvious success. Cameron was useful for our mixers in the second half last year, and there’s no reason why he can’t pitch to a mid-3s ERA for the balance of the tear.

>Brandyn Garcia, Diamondbacks: The Snakes are still in the playoff hunt and the ninth inning is up for grabs, with Paul Sewald (6.28) losing control of the job. Garcia’s left-handedness doesn’t have to be a hurdle to the closer gig, as the team is likely to focus on his 2.03 ERA and outstanding 5.14 K/BB ratio. And even if the club ultimately decides Garcia is more effective as a rover, that could lead to some wins down the stretch. Bottom line, Garcia will be pitching important (and likely wipeout) innings for a contending club, and those are the relievers we want. Bet on skills first, the roles will work themselves out.

DowngradeEugenio Suárez, 3B, Reds:Gene McCaffrey has long warned us about players who strike out a bunch and hit a bushel of fly balls — their slumps will be legendary. Suárez has declining bat speed at age 34 and a strikeout rate of 36.7% — that makes him cut-worthy in most mixed leagues.

>José Altuve, 2B, Astros: Player development isn’t always linear but player deterioration almost always is. Altuve’s average and OBP have dropped for three straight years, and his slugging is on a similar track. He’s basically done as a base stealer, too (just two bags). I decided to cut Altuve in one competitive 12-team league this week, reminding myself that our game is about the numbers, not the names. For the first full season since turning pro, Altuve, at age 36, is a below-average offensive player.

>Christian Yelich, OF, Brewers: Yelich was injured early in the year and it’s limited him to mostly DH work for the season. His modest slash line is validated by ordinary hard-hit metrics, and his bat speed has predictably declined. The Brewers have bumped Yelich down in the order and no longer view him as a must-start on a daily basis, which means we can cut the cord in 12-team pools.

>Andrew Abbott, SP, Reds: An ordinary 3.86 ERA over 12 starts isn’t a deal breaker, but he’s had trouble working deep in games and that’s held him to one victory over this span. Abbott also has a modest 57 strikeouts against 33 walks over this period, a ratio that isn’t good enough in mixed formats. The Cincinnati park won’t hide many mistakes, either.

Holding SteadyAdley Rutschman, C, Red Sox: The Red Sox have been criticized in some circles for their aggressive deadline deals, but I like the approach. Prospects can often be overrated. The American League is wide-open in 2026. Will we even have a normal season next year? Play for today. Live in the present.

>Rutschman’s career has given me the Matt Wieters vibes for a while, and that’s a bug, not a feature. Rutschman is also dinged up right now. But he’s moving to a better lineup and a better hitter park. Perhaps this is a change of scenery at the right time. I'll keep an open mind.

>Jake McCarthy, OF, Rockies / Mickey Moniak, OF, Rockies: Perhaps Colorado should have tried harder to move these guys, a couple of journeymen outfielders who are slightly over their skis, but fantasy managers have to be thrilled McCarthy and Moniak are still doing the Misty Mountain Hop. Moniak’s splits are more sensitive than McCarthy’s — Moniak’s stats have a jagged drop on the road and against lefties — but so long as you work the schedule, no big deal. McCarthy is going to wind up having the season we wished for Jarren Duran.

Updated rest-of-season top-250 rankings (as of August 5)