Isiah Kiner-Falefa DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa is expected to be the primary option at the position come Opening Day. Oneil Cruz has been moved to center field, so the position is now Kiner-Falefa's, and the Bucs also have Jared Triolo on hand, who can play there if needed. Kiner-Falefa is probably a better real-life ball player than a fantasy asset, though, carrying a career .262/.313/.351 slash line with no more than eight home runs in any one particular season and stolen base totals dropping from a high of 22 SB in 2022 to 11 in 2024. The 29-year-old is also projected to hit at the bottom of the Pirates' batting order, which doesn't add any appeal, however, there is some intrigue regarding his positional eligibility as the right-handed hitter is eligible on Yahoo at 2B, 3B, and SS.

Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa is absent from the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the Chicago Cubs. This is a rare day off for Kiner-Falefa who has played in every game since he joined the Pirates. The 29-year-old has struggled with a .223/.263/.321 slash line with one home run and seven RBI in 27 games with Pittsburgh. He was tearing the cover off the ball before heading to Pittsburgh, so hopefully a rest day will help him get back on track. In his place, Alika Williams will cover shortstop and bat ninth versus right-hander Jameson Taillon. Fantasy managers should look elsewhere for a streaming option as Williams only has two hits in his last five games.

Toronto Blue Jays infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa (knee) has been traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday. The 29-year-old is enjoying a breakout season at the plate, so this is a nice addition to the Pirates lineup. He's slashing .292/.338/.420 with seven home runs and 33 RBI in 82 games. He figures to find his way into the everyday lineup, but his position could be changing. In exchange for Kiner-Falefa, the Blue Jays will receive outfielder Charles McAdoo. A 22-year-old that is hitting fairly well at the Double-A level this season. It shouldn't be too long before he's making an impact in Toronto. As for Kiner-Falefa he'll be in Pittsburgh through at least 2025 with a $7.5 million salary for this season and 2025.