Don't be surprised if Jordan Walker finishes atop the ESPN Player Rater. The Cardinals outfielder ranks fifth entering the second half, leads MLB in RBI, and is on pace for 38 home runs and 126 RBI. His elite exit velocity and improved consistency make him a legitimate threat to overtake James Wood, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Yordan Alvarez in roto formats.

Don't be surprised if a pair of New York Yankees — Cody Bellinger and Ben Rice — finish as top-20 fantasy hitters. Rice has 29 home runs, trailing only Alvarez, Wood, and Junior Caminero in fantasy points. Bellinger, despite a .254 average, outscores stars like Kyle Schwarber and Pete Alonso thanks to elite durability (94 of 96 games) and a 12.7% walk rate. His historical August surge (51 career HRs) looms large.

Don't be surprised if Foster Griffin leads all rookies in fantasy points. The 30-year-old Nationals lefty, resurrected after a stint in Japan, owns a 10-2 record, 2.77 ERA, and 1.02 WHIP. He ranks sixth among all pitchers in fantasy points, ahead of All-Stars Chase Burns, Max Meyer, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, with one run or fewer allowed in seven straight starts.