We still have a lot of baseball left to play, but there are already several teams that have very little or no chance of reaching the postseason. Those teams fade to the background in fans' minds and get little attention on podcasts and other sports media, but that doesn't mean there aren't good fantasy options on those rosters. In this week's points league column, we'll look at some of the best fantasy players on the worst teams in the league.
As a disclaimer, the definition of bad was based strictly on current standings and is not a projection of what will occur the rest of the season, or the level of talent on each roster.
Find out who to target the rest of the way with RotoWire's MLB Rest of Season Projections!
Hitters
Jesus Sanchez 
– 2.6 fantasy points per game, 32% rostered CBS
Sanchez had a delayed start to the season due to a back injury, and his skills have taken both a positive and negative turn since. His ISO and SLG are both at their lowest mark in any meaningful sample of his career. His 10.2 percent barrel rate is below his career norm (11.5 percent), but still significantly higher than the league average (7.1 percent).
The positive is that his plate discipline has greatly improved. Sanchez's O-Swing rate is 28.9 percent, the lowest mark of his career by two percentage points and bettering his career rate by over five percentage points. That's allowed him to rack
We still have a lot of baseball left to play, but there are already several teams that have very little or no chance of reaching the postseason. Those teams fade to the background in fans' minds and get little attention on podcasts and other sports media, but that doesn't mean there aren't good fantasy options on those rosters. In this week's points league column, we'll look at some of the best fantasy players on the worst teams in the league.
As a disclaimer, the definition of bad was based strictly on current standings and is not a projection of what will occur the rest of the season, or the level of talent on each roster.
Find out who to target the rest of the way with RotoWire's MLB Rest of Season Projections!
Hitters
Jesus Sanchez – 2.6 fantasy points per game, 32% rostered CBS
Sanchez had a delayed start to the season due to a back injury, and his skills have taken both a positive and negative turn since. His ISO and SLG are both at their lowest mark in any meaningful sample of his career. His 10.2 percent barrel rate is below his career norm (11.5 percent), but still significantly higher than the league average (7.1 percent).
The positive is that his plate discipline has greatly improved. Sanchez's O-Swing rate is 28.9 percent, the lowest mark of his career by two percentage points and bettering his career rate by over five percentage points. That's allowed him to rack up a 10.4 percent walk rate, while also cutting his strikeout rate to 22.8 percent.
If Sanchez's power picks up, he could be in for a big second half. It also wouldn't be a big surprise to see him get dealt, so his team context could improve.
Otto Lopez – 2.6 fantasy points per game, 21% CBS
Lopez generates most of his value from his defense and speed, neither of which are especially useful in points leagues. While Sanchez is a player who could stick on points league rosters for long stretches, Lopez is more of a streaming option or deeper-league stash in case the hints of improvement he's shown blossom into a breakout. Most notably, his walk rate has risen, primarily because he's gotten passive at the plate. If that's the trend long term, his small gains in power aren't likely to be sustainable and his performance won't be good enough to stay relevant. However, he's performing well right now and is locked into the top four of the Marlins' lineup.
Tyler Freeman 
– 2.4 fantasy points per game, 6% CBS
The Rockies have been a disappointing fantasy team. Fantasy managers are likely aware that Colorado pitchers cannot be trusted, but typically there is some hitting value to pull from the team, particularly during longer homestands. However, their hitters have underperformed this season, and their starting lineup has changed a lot, making projected playing time an additional headache. Freeman has been a beneficiary of the latter volatility. Entering Friday, he had started all but one game in June and has hit .429 with five extra-base hits, four RBI, six runs scored and two stolen bases in that span. Four of those games have also come on the road. This could just be a hot spell, but Freeman is a worthy stream and could offer multi-position eligibility at outfield and both middle infield positions, depending on your league settings.
Jordan Beck – 2.6 fantasy points per game, 45% CBS
Beck has had a couple of multi-homer games and stretches of significant pop this season that have propped up his points per game average. He's settled into the leadoff role consistently and has legitimate power, which is made clear by his .204 ISO and 13.3 percent barrel rate. Using Beck could come down to simply checking the Rockies' upcoming schedule. He has a .356 wOBA at home, but that drops to a .326 mark on the road.
Mike Tauchman 
– 3.5 fantasy points per game, 8% CBS
Miguel Vargas has been the poster boy for this article concept most of the season, but he's now 62 percent rostered. There are still other White Sox hitters that remain more freely available, with Tauchman being the best option. The beginning of his season was marred by a hamstring injury, but since he's come off the injured list, he's hit in the top two in Chicago's lineup and has led off in his last eight starts.
Unlike some of the other players we've mentioned so far, Tauchman's skillset is a pretty natural fit for points leagues. He has regularly hit toward the top of the order and boasts a 13.2 percent career walk rate. Tauchman is way overperforming in power production so far in 2025, so don't take the 3.5 fantasy points per game at face value, but he should carry value as long as his playing time remains consistent.
Chase Meidroth – 2.4 fantasy points per game, 37% CBS
Meidroth has also hit in the top two of the White Sox order consistently, and has hit second of late. His profile is pretty straightforward and has translated as expected from the minors. Meidroth generates a ton of contact (12.8 K%) and gets on base at a high clip (.374 OBP), but he offers very little power. There's not much upside, but Meidroth is a plug-and-play option for those dealing with injuries or playing in deeper leagues.
Visit RotoWire's MLB Daily Lineups page to find out where each and every hitter slots in!
Pitchers
Bryce Elder 
– 11.7 fantasy points per start, 39% CBS
The right-hander has bounced in and out of Atlanta's rotation for much of the season, but the untimely injury to AJ Smith-Shawver (elbow) has solidified Elder's status for the time being. We know his story well at this point in his career. He's not a big strikeout pitcher, but he keeps the ball on the ground and avoids walks. Things haven't gone well for Atlanta overall this season, but they do rank third in Outs Above Average as a team on defense, which should benefit Elder. He's a streaming option in good matchups.
Bailey Falter 
– 12.4 fantasy points per game per start, 30% CBS
To keep things simple, Falter can't keep his recent performances up. He has allowed one or fewer earned runs in six of his last eight starts and two or fewer in seven of those eight. Falter has a minuscule 15.4 percent strikeout rate and is surviving on a .237 BABIP. For now, he's a fine streaming option, but don't count on him for the long term.
Andrew Heaney – 11.4 fantasy points per start, 38% CBS
It's worth breaking down Heaney's numbers into smaller samples, because he's had both strong and weak stretches. He started the season very well in April, maintaining a 2.50 ERA and 15.8 K-BB%. Heaney then fell off in May (-1.7 K-BB%, 1.46 HR/9) and has had mixed results in June. Inconsistency has unfortunately been the defining feature of Heaney's career, but his ability to generate strikeouts makes him more intriguing than Falter, and likely Elder, in the long term. A trade to a contender would also boost his upside in wins.
