Jeff McNeil DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil (oblique) suffered a low-grade oblique strain and will not participate in baseball activities for the next 7-to-10 days. In addition, manager Carlos Mendoza noted that McNeil could be sidelined for 3-to-4 weeks. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status but given this report, he will likely miss the start of the season. He may also be placed on the injured list if he were to miss several weeks of action. Last season, McNeil held a .238/.308/.384 line across 129 games. He tallied 26 doubles and swiped five bags. The 32-year-old won the NL batting title in 2022 with a .326 AVG. As a result, fantasy managers should expect Luisangel Acuna to likely operate as the team's starting second baseman at the start of the regular season. Donovan Wilson and Brett Baty could also be in the mix for opportunities.

New York Mets infielder Jeff McNeil will draw into the starting lineup for the first time this postseason in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series on Friday at Citi Field against the Los Angeles Dodgers and right-hander Jack Flaherty. McNeil will start at second base and bat eighth. The 32-year-old former batting champion fractured his right wrist in early September and didn't rejoin the team until the start of the NLCS. He saw three pinch-hitting appearances in the first four games of the series but was unable to record a hit. With McNeil jumping into the starting lineup, Jose Iglesias will retreat to the bench for a must-win game for New York. McNeil has only faced Flaherty three times in his career and has a single and a strikeout. He'll be a low-upside DFS play on Friday's slate.

New York Mets infielder/outfielder Jeff McNeil is not in the team's starting lineup for Game 3 of the National League Championship Series on Wednesday at Citi Field against the Los Angeles Dodgers. McNeil fractured his right wrist in early September and wasn't on the team's roster for the Wild-Card Series or the NL Division Series, but he rejoined the roster for the NLCS against the Dodgers. In the first two games of the series in LA, the 32-year-old former batting champion only saw one pinch-hitting appearance and lined out. He'll start on the bench with the team facing right-hander Walker Buehler, who McNeil has gone 1-for-9 against in his career with a walk and two strikeouts. McNeil didn't look anything like a former batting champion at the plate in 2024 and might just serve as a bench bat for the Mets for the remainder of the postseason.