theScore's Week 5 Fantasy Hitter Power Rankings

Here is the Week 5 edition of theScore's Fantasy Hitter Power Rankings, in which we list the top 40 hitters in fantasy baseball using standard 5x5 scoring (Value Based Ranks provided by FantasyPros; stats through Monday):

1. 2B Jose Altuve, Astros (LW: 1)

Altuve has a stranglehold on top spot after posting the best fantasy line over the last seven days (.417, 10 R, 2 HR, 8 RBIs, 4 SB). He's showing no signs of slowing, and he's on pace to post the first 30-HR/60-SB season ever.

2. 3B Nolan Arenado, Rockies (LW: 2)

Arenado had a quiet week by his standards (.296, 4 R, 1 HR, 4 RBIs), but his previous body of work was strong enough to keep him in the No. 2 spot. The gap between he and Altuve, however, is only growing larger.

3. 2B Robinson Cano, Mariners (LW: 35)

Cano has been the No. 1 fantasy option over the past 15 days, batting .400 over that stretch with 10 runs scored, six homers and 19 RBIs. He's having a career year so far, but owners shouldn't expect this pace to continue.

4. 1B Anthony Rizzo, Cubs (LW: 12)

The batting average had to climb eventually, and sure enough it has; Rizzo batted .417 over the past seven days, adding a pair of homers and eight runs scored. Health willing, he should score and drive in 100 runs with ease.

5. OF Bryce Harper, Nationals (LW: 4)

The walks are here: Harper drew as many free passes (15) as official at-bats over the previous week, and he was limited to a .200 average with one homer and three RBIs. He's still a beast, but that early-season surge is gone.

6. 3B/SS Manny Machado, Orioles (LW: 5)

Machado keeps on raking, and the dual-position eligibility strengthens his stock even more. He's still looking for his first stolen base of the season, but owners probably won't care as long as he's hitting .350.

7. OF Yoenis Cespedes, Mets (LW: 17)

Cespedes is showing last year's second half was no fluke, coming off a seven-day stretch in which he hit .333 with three homers, six RBIs and just two strikeouts. He's on track to finish as a top-5 fantasy outfielder.

8. SS Trevor Story, Rockies (LW: 7)

The strikeouts are a major concern, but there's no denying Story's talent. He went 11-for-30 last week with a homer, seven RBIs and a steal; and yes, he whiffed eight times, but owners will take this Ks with this kind of production.

9. 3B Josh Donaldson, Blue Jays (LW: 3)

Donaldson had seemingly been immune to the Blue Jays' offensive struggles, but they finally caught up with him last week (.167, 5 R, 0 HR, 0 RBIs, 1 SB). He'll bounce back for sure, but this takes the sheen off a blistering start.

10. OF Ryan Braun, Brewers (LW: 10)

Braun holds steady this week after hitting .333 with a pair of home runs over the previous seven days. Owners would undoubtedly like to see him run more, but in all other areas, he's delivering elite fantasy value.

11. 2B/3B Daniel Murphy, Nationals (LW: --)

Murphy's ridiculous 2015 playoff run didn't lead to a major bump in his 2016 ADP; perhaps it should have. He leads the majors in hitting after posting a .448 mark last week, adding nine runs scored, three homers and seven RBIs.

12. OF Dexter Fowler, Cubs (LW: 8)

Fowler continues to tumble down the rankings, coming off a week in which he hit .273 with just three runs scored, two RBIs and a steal. The runs will keep him fantasy relevant, but he's not doing enough in the other categories.

13. OF Starling Marte, Pirates (LW: 9)

This is a tough break for Marte, who slips four spots despite hitting .409 with a pair of steals last week. His power game has stalled, as he has just one home run and three RBIs in the past 15 days. That hurts him in fantasy.

14. DH David Ortiz, Red Sox (LW: 27)

Red Sox fans are already hoping for one more year out of Ortiz - and fantasy owners may be wishing for the same thing soon enough. Ortiz is dangerous as ever, and posted a monster line last week (.333, 4 HR, 10 RBIs).

15. 2B Rougned Odor, Rangers (LW: 31)

Batting leadoff agrees with Odor, who has been a force since taking over for the ineffective Delino DeShields. Odor was a monster last week, batting .371 with eight runs scored, four homers and seven RBIs.

16. 1B/OF Mark Trumbo, Orioles (LW: 14)

That batting average refuses to fall, taking only a minor hit as Trumbo batted .305 last week with three homers and five RBIs. He remains one of the most consistent contributors in fantasy, though BA regression could be swift.

17. 2B Ian Kinsler, Tigers (LW: 16)

Kinsler gets a significant VBR boost thanks to his whopping 27 runs scored, but the batting average has slipped from near-.350 levels earlier this month. He's still a power/speed threat, however, and remains an elite 2B option.

18. 3B Nick Castellanos, Tigers (LW: 28)

No player in baseball hits the ball with less soft contact than Castellanos, whose 7.2-percent rate has played a major role in his absurd .455 BABIP. Neither rate is sustainable, but it doesn't have to be: He's still a stud.

19. SS Aledmys Diaz, Cardinals (LW: 13)

Diaz's batting average is still stratospheric thanks to a 7-for-19 showing last week. Runs aside, the rest of the numbers are lacking; he's also a good bet to lose some playing time, particularly when Jhonny Peralta returns.

20. OF Stephen Piscotty, Cardinals (LW: --)

Piscotty skyrocketed his way onto the list with an impressive seven-day showing (.458, 4 R, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 1 SB). Just as commendable is his improved batting eye, as he has struck out just once in his last five games.

21. OF Mike Trout, Angels (LW: --)

There he is! Trout didn't exactly light the world on fire last week (.316, 1 R, 1 HR, 5 RBIs) but with a .333 average and 15 RBIs over his last 15 days, he's finally showing the promise that made him the consensus No. 1 fantasy pick.

22. 1B Chris Carter, Brewers (LW: 32)

After slipping 10 spots last week, Carter returned to familiar territory after swatting three home runs and scoring six times in the past week. His average continues to tumble, but the power more than makes up for that.

23. OF Mookie Betts, Red Sox (LW: 6)

It was an ugly week for Betts, who careened down the rankings after batting a dismal .179 with four runs scored, one RBI and one steal in 28 at-bats. That said, he has the talent to rebound immediately.

24. SS Xander Bogaerts, Red Sox (LW: 21)

Bogaerts is closing on Betts in the rankings after hitting .345 with four runs scored, a home run, three RBIs and a steal last week. More than any player on this list, he's headed for a season just like the one he had in 2015.

25. 2B/SS Jean Segura, Diamondbacks (LW: 15)

While Segura continues to contribute in two areas - batting average and runs scored - the rest of the counting stat categories have stagnated. But owners can't complain, considering he was either a late pick or a waiver claim.

26. 3B Kris Bryant, Cubs (LW: --)

As nice as it was to see Bryant put together an overall solid week (.333, 5 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI), it was the stolen base that stood out the most. Bryant had 13 a season ago, and owners would love to see a repeat of that in 2016.

27. 2B/OF Ben Zobrist, Cubs (LW: --)

Zobrist owners are probably still in shock after the multi-talented-but-light-hitting veteran boasted a .364 average with four homers, 13 RBIs and seven runs scored last week. He could be in for a career year.

28. OF Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins (LW: 38)

The .238 batting average did him no favors last week, but Stanton moved up the list thanks to a pair of homers, four RBIs and five runs scored. He's doing exactly what fantasy owners should have expected of him.

29. OF Gregory Polanco, Pirates (LW: 23)

Polanco scuffled for the majority of last week, recording just four hits in 23 at-bats. He did have a home run and a steal, however, and he has shown enough proficiency in both categories to remain a top-30 fantasy hitting option.

30. OF Odubel Herrera, Phillies (LW: --)

The few fantasy players yet to believe in Herrera may be converted soon enough. The unheralded Phillies outfielder batted .375 last week to move his average back above .320; he added a home run and a steal, as well.

31. OF Christian Yelich, Marlins (LW: --)

Last week was a great one for Yelich (.308, 7 R, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 1 SB), and it was a long time coming for owners who patiently waited for his breakout. This could kick-start Yelich to a solid fantasy season; he certainly has the skill for it.

32. OF Gerardo Parra, Rockies (LW: 24)

Parra kept himself afloat by hitting .345 with four runs and five RBIs last week, but a big fat zero in the home run and stolen base departments was a letdown. He and his fantasy owners should see better results this week.

33. OF Hunter Pence, Giants (LW: 26)

Pence was just okay last week, batting .304 while scoring twice and driving in three runs. Those who invested a draft pick in him are waiting for a home-run boost, but everything else has been solid so far.

34. SS Eugenio Suarez, Reds (LW: 19)

No player on this list has had a worse May than Suarez, who is batting just .172 with one homer, three RBIs and four runs scored this month. Nine of his 18 RBIs came in his first six games of the season. Sell him if you can.

35. 1B Eric Hosmer, Royals (LW: --)

Hosmer climbs his way onto the list after having a productive seven-day stretch that saw him hit .286 with five runs scored, two homers and seven RBIs. The three steals through 31 games are a nice bonus.

36. SS Carlos Correa, Astros (LW: --)

The trend arrow is once again pointing up for Correa after a miserable three-week stretch. Correa batted .370 with two homers, seven RBIs, six runs and a steal last week; he's as streaky as they come, but he still has elite talent.

37. SS Francisco Lindor, Indians (LW: --)

While he may not hit 20 homers or drive in 100 runs, Lindor is proving to be a valuable major-league and fantasy contributor. He batted .370 with a homer and a steal last week, maintaining elite value at his position.

38. OF Matt Kemp, Padres (LW: 30)

The yo-yo experience of owning Kemp in fantasy took another downward turn last week as the Padres star hit just 5-for-23 with one homer - accounting for his only run - and two RBIs. Despite the slump, he's a sell-high candidate.

39. 1B/OF Wil Myers, Padres (LW: 25)

Myers also had a rough week for San Diego, batting .167 with a homer, two runs scored and three RBIs. Fantasy owners shouldn't be worried, though; if he can stay healthy, Myers will end up being a steal by season's end.

40. 1B Brandon Belt, Giants (LW: --)

Belt snags the last spot in the rankings after going 9-for-23 over the past week. While he added just three runs scored, one homer and two RBIs, his batting average should make him a hot fantasy commodity all season long.