theScore's Week 7 Fantasy Hitter Power Rankings

Here is the Week 6 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 remains our leader, but the gap has shrunk significantly after the diminutive superstar settled for a .250 average with zero homers or steals over the previous seven days. Consider the slump an outlier.

2. OF Mookie Betts, Red Sox (LW: 5)

Betts is thiiiiiis close to becoming the top option in fantasy after going .400 with seven runs scored, three homers and six RBIs over the past week. The steals and BA aren't Altuve-like yet, but he's competitive everywhere else.

3. OF Mike Trout, Angels (LW: 19)

That was quick. Trout continues his surge up the rankings after batting .370 last week with nine runs scored, two homers and a pair of steals. He has scored 16 runs in the last 15 days despite the Angels' putrid lineup.

4. OF Yoenis Cespedes, Mets (LW: 9)

Cespedes remains a top-10 fantasy player after going deep three times last week; his .391/.481/.826 slash line didn't hurt, either. Now at 15 home runs for the season, he's a legitimate threat to get to 35+ for the season.

5. 2B Ian Kinsler, Tigers (LW: 17)

Kinsler had a so-so week by his lofty standards (.280, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 1 SB) and still scored six runs, giving him an MLB-best total through May 23. As long as he keeps reaching base, he should blow past the 100 mark by late August.

6. SS Xander Bogaerts, Red Sox (LW: 6)

Bogaerts keeps on raking, batting .400 last week to move his average close to the .350 mark as the calendar nears June. He has proven to be a solid source of steals, and those runs scored only bolster his value further.

7. 3B Nolan Arenado, Rockies (LW: 2)

You can officially call it a slump. Arenado has crashed to earth over the past two weeks, batting just .239 with a pair of homers and five RBIs. An early-season hit barrage keeps him in the top 10, but he'll need to wake up. Soon.

8. 3B Todd Frazier, White Sox (LW: 22)

Frazier offered fantasy owners a little bit of everything over the past week, batting .333 with six runs scored, two homers and a pair of stolen bases. The batting average could use a boost, but he has otherwise been as advertised.

9. 2B Robinson Cano, Mariners (LW: 8)

Cano saw his sizzling May pace slow down last week, as he batted just .269 with five runs scored and five RBIs but zero home runs. He's a streaky power source, so owners should be patient; another spree is surely coming.

10. OF Bryce Harper, Nationals (LW: 3)

How bad has it been for Harper? After socking nine homers in April, he has just 12 hits so far in May. The 31 walks have been a factor, but so, too, has a .245 BABIP that has become a major issue now that he isn't hitting homers.

11. DH David Ortiz, Red Sox (LW: 11)

It was a strange week for Ortiz, who hit an impressive 9-for-24 but didn't do much else (1 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI). He remains as dangerous as ever in what should be his final major-league season.

12. 3B/SS Manny Machado, Orioles (LW: 7)

As great as it is that Machado now qualifies at SS, it doesn't matter where fantasy players use him if he puts up many more weeks like the one he just had (.136, 3 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI). And he still has zero steals.

13. SS Trevor Story, Rockies (LW: 10)

Story took a minor hit after batting .269 with just one home run last week. The strikeouts remain a concern - he leads the NL with 62 whiffs - and while he's batting .298 in May, he has gone deep just twice in the month.

14. SS/OF Ian Desmond, Rangers (LW: 20)

Desmond's May resurgence continues, as the infielder-turned-outfielder posted a .346 average over the previous seven days with four runs scored, a homer, three RBIs and a steal. He's streaky, but remains elite.

15. 2B/3B Daniel Murphy, Nationals (LW: 16)

With so few players batting .300 these days, it's like found money for fantasy owners to snag a player like Murphy. He's not really flirting with .400 anymore, but he's well on his way to posting the top BA in the National League.

16. OF Jackie Bradley Jr., Red Sox (LW: 23)

Anyone not convinced prior to last week that Bradley is a star in the making should be converted by now; a .438/.640/.875 slash line is fantasy gold - and the two home runs were a nice bonus, too.

17. 2B/OF Ben Zobrist, Cubs (LW: 24)

Zobrist continues to hit at career-best levels, racking up 12 hits over 28 at-bats last season. He had just one RBI, but that came on a solo homer - and he added his second steal of the season.

18. 1B Miguel Cabrera, Tigers (LW: --)

Fantasy owners waiting for that one big Cabrera weeks have been handsomely rewarded. The perennial first-round pick batted .619 over the previous seven days, leading all hitters with five homers over that stretch.

19. 1B/OF Mark Trumbo, Orioles (LW: 14)

Trumbo's batting average may have fallen below .300 for good, but he's still putting up significant value relative to his ADP. Two more home runs last week keep him among the league leaders.

20. 3B Josh Donaldson, Blue Jays (LW: 15)

While it remains a dreadful May for the defending American League MVP, Donaldson did slug a pair of homers last week. That .167/.211/.556 slash line stands out, but Donaldson is a much better hitter than this.

21. 3B Nick Castellanos, Tigers (LW: 27)

Castellanos is proving to be the real deal, ranked fifth in the majors in lowest soft-contact rate (9.8 percent) and 10th in BABIP (.395). While he likely won't sustain either for the rest of the season, he's already in career-year territory.

22. 2B/SS Jean Segura, Diamondbacks (LW: 30)

Detractors will point to weeks like this (.227, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 1 SB when making the point that Segura has been all smoke-and-mirrors so far. But while he may not be a top-20 fantasy player, he gets enough PAs to return big value.

23. OF Dexter Fowler, Cubs (LW: 21)

Fowler is no longer the major-league WAR champion, and a .241 average last week is cause for concern. But he belted a pair of home runs to help salvage some value, and is proving to be a solid HR-SB source.

24. OF Gregory Polanco, Pirates (LW: --)

Polanco and Fowler are essentially the same player through 40-something games; owners of both players should be thrilled, though Fowler (ADP: 189) is returning significantly greater draft value than Polanco (ADP: 102).

25. 1B Anthony Rizzo, Cubs (LW: 4)

Owning Rizzo hasn't been much fun this season. After putting together an incredible stretch that turned him into a top-5 fantasy option, the Cubs' 1B went an abysmal 2-for-27 with one RBI over the previous seven days.

26. OF Ryan Braun, Brewers (LW: 12)

A back injury has limited Braun over the last week-plus, but he returned to the lineup Sunday after missing six of the previous seven games. Fantasy owners will need to monitor his status carefully as he continues his recovery.

27. OF Stephen Piscotty, Cardinals (LW: 31)

Piscotty moves four spots up the rankings thanks to a sensational week that saw him hit .417 with five runs scored. Combined with last year's solid debut, Piscotty has emerged as a fantasy BA stud.

28. 3B Kris Bryant, Cubs (LW: 36)

Bryant was a strong presence in lineups last week, going deep three times while adding six RBIs and four runs scored. Despite heavy competition, he's in the conversation as a top-five fantasy third baseman.

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

VBR loves Marte, but his actual fantasy contributions have been waning. He batted .294 with a steal last week, yet added just two runs scored and two RBIs while failing to go deep. He'll need to do more.

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

It was another banner week for Lindor, who provided value everywhere (.314, 4 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 SB). He won't dominate any one category, but he's proving to be a valuable multi-category contributor.

31. 1B/3B Travis Shaw, Red Sox (LW: 29)

Shaw took a minor step backward last week, hitting a modest .240 with one home run, three RBIs and four runs scored. Regression was inevitable, but he has still been one of the top late-round/waiver pickups of the season.

32. SS Aledmys Diaz, Cardinals (LW: 25)

If he isn't hitting, he doesn't have much fantasy value - and Diaz owners found that out last week, as he batted just .214 with zero homers or steals. The four runs and four RBIs were nice, but his grasp on a top-40 spot is tenuous.

33. OF Marcell Ozuna, Marlins (LW: --)

Ozuna began the season ice-cold, but has come to life of late; he batted .409 with a pair of homers over the past seven days and is now boasting a .415/.435/.744 slash line with six home runs so far in May.

34. 1B/OF Hanley Ramirez, Red Sox (LW: 28)

The entire Red Sox offense came back to earth last week, and Ramirez was one of the players who crashed the hardest (.286,1 R, 0 HR, 3 RBI). The run and RBI totals are solid, but he's not the HR-SB source he used to be.

35. 1B Chris Carter, Brewers (LW: 34)

It was a typical Chris Carter week for the Brewers first baseman, who batted .200 with two home runs, five RBIs and 12 strikeouts. His current stat line is what fantasy owners should expect moving forward.

36. 2B Rougned Odor, Rangers (LW: 18)

Perhaps his looming eight-game suspension has had an impact on Odor, who posted a truly horrendous stat line last week (.190, 1 R, 0 HR, 1 RBI). Factor in his inevitable lengthy absence, and owners can't be happy.

37. OF Jose Bautista, Blue Jays (LW: --)

Bautista re-emerged as a mixed-league, non-OBP threat last week, hitting .273 with four home runs, eight RBIs and five runs scored. That batting average is a major anchor, but at least the power is back.

38. 2B/3B Matt Carpenter, Cardinals (LW: 39)

The six RBIs Carpenter put up last week were the only saving grace in what was an otherwise unimpressive stretch. His BABIP is still nearly 50 points lower than his previous two seasons; there's room for growth there.

39. OF Rajai Davis, Indians (LW: --)

The top fantasy hitter over the previous seven days? This guy. Yes, this guy. Davis surged into the top 40 - at least for one week - thanks to a stretch that saw him hit .346 with 11 runs, three homers, 10 RBIs and three steals.

40. OF Odubel Herrera, Phillies (LW: 33)

He's still piling up the walks - making him an unlikely OBP MVP - but Herrera has also maintained a high average. It took a dip thanks to last week's .278 showing, but he remains a terrific source of BA and runs scored.