Outlook Austin Riley
Austin Riley looks to break out of a prolonged power outage during a six-game road trip.
The first-place Braves lead the NL East at 48-28, but everyday third baseman Austin Riley has struggled for power. Over his last 30 days, Riley has hit just .182 with zero home runs, though a .313 average over the last seven days shows signs of life. With Ronald Acuña Jr. sidelined, Atlanta needs their star corner infielder to step up.
Riley’s disappointing .210 average and eight home runs through 76 games contrast sharply with his career pedigree, which includes three consecutive seasons of 35-plus homers from 2021-2023. Our models project him to rebound toward 22 home runs and a .260 average by season's end. This slump is a fluke; do not sell low on his elite talent.
This week, the Braves play six road games, starting with three against San Diego before heading to San Francisco. Riley draws several highly exploitable matchups, including Griffin Canning (6.64 ERA) and Trevor McDonald (4.93 ERA), which should help jumpstart his power. Despite the recent slump, keep him active as a weekly Start.
Updated 12 hrs ago
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Outlook Braden Montgomery
Braden Montgomery Cools Off After Historic Debut But Retains Clear Path to Playing Time
Since his historic walk-off home run on debut, the rookie has cooled off, batting just .200 with a .238 on-base percentage over his last six games for the second-place White Sox. Despite the slump, injuries to outfielders Austin Hays and Everson Pereira have cemented Montgomery as a regular in the right field rotation.
Through his first 11 big-league games, he carries a .231 average, but our season models project him to settle in around a .265 average with 20 home runs and 10 stolen bases. The power-speed upside is very real, meaning fantasy managers should treat this quiet stretch as a typical adjustment period rather than a fluke.
Chicago's six-game home slate starts with a tough three-game series against the division-leading Guardians, where he will face tough arms like Parker Messick (2.77 ERA). Though the week ends with a more favorable matchup against Luinder Avila (5.50 ERA) of the Royals, his recent struggles make him a risky option. Verdict: Sit.
Updated 12 hrs ago
