theScore's Week 8 Fantasy Hitter Power Rankings

Here is the Week 8 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 is still the king of the rankings castle, but his grip is suddenly tenuous. He batted .292 last week but had just two RBIs and zero runs, homers or steals. Another week like that, and he could find himself No. 2 - or worse.

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

Bogaerts' case for first-half fantasy MVP is getting stronger by the week. He batted a sizzling .385 with nine runs scored, two homers and a steal last week, and the gap between he and Altuve has never been smaller.

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

Trout continues to put up Trout-like numbers - even delivering a slight rebound on steals, as he promised in the preseason. Even more impressive is that he's doing it despite having one of the worst supporting casts in all of baseball.

4. OF Mookie Betts, Red Sox (LW: 4)

Betts was supplanted by Bogaerts as the top Boston fantasy option after batting a paltry .217 last week with zero homers, two RBIs and no steals. Still, he should be a top-5 fantasy option overall if he keeps up this pace.

5. 2B Robinson Cano, Mariners (LW: 9)

Cano's hot May continues, as the star second baseman batted .360 with three homers, five RBIs and five runs scored last week. It's more clear than ever that he was significantly affected by last year's double hernia.

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

Ortiz had just 16 at-bast last week, but boy, did he make them count - batting .438 with two homers, nine RBIs and four runs scored. He may be tempted to put off his retirement tour for one more year if he keeps hitting like this.

7. 2B Ian Kinsler, Tigers (LW: 5)

It was a quiet week for the Tigers' leadoff hitter, who batted .333 but scored just twice and didn't drive in a run. A pair of stolen bases limited the damage, and the way Kinsler is hitting, those runs scored will pick up again soon.

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

Polanco was the fourth-best hitter in terms of fantasy production last week, posting a .385 average with a pair of homers, eight RBIs, six runs scored and two steals. He has become a legitimate five-category fantasy stud.

9. 3B/SS Manny Machado, Orioles (LW: 12)

Machado finally stopped the bleeding, batting .409 last week to gain some of the BA losses he suffered earlier in the month. He homered just once, but did score five times; and yes, he's still looking for his first steal of the season.

10. 2B/OF Ben Zobrist, Cubs (LW: 17)

This just isn't fair to the rest of the NL Central. A Cubs roster already stacked with hitting talent is getting a career year from the 35-year-old Zobrist, who hit a red-hot 12-for-24 with a homer, six RBIs and six runs scored last week.

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

It hardly seems possible that Desmond was once hitting 1-for-80 (or something close to that), as a .444 mark last week has lifted his season BA near .300. He added a pair of steals, solidifying his place as a fantasy star.

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

The power outage is over - kind of - as Harper went deep twice last week, adding four RBIs and four runs scored. The bad news: he batted just .167 and didn't draw a single walk. He's chasing bad pitches, and is paying for it.

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

Not a great week for the enigmatic Cespedes, who had just four hits - including a solo homer - in 22 at-bats. He also struck out eight times. You're not panicking if you own him, but he needs to be better than this.

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

Trumbo had what can only be described as a vintage Trumbo week - he batted .296 with two homers, six RBIs and four runs scored. You'll gladly take the strikeouts (10 in 27 at-bats) if he keeps hitting like this.

15. 3B Nolan Arenado, Rockies (LW: 7)

A .260/.330/.450 slash line with four homers and 17 RBIs in 26 games isn't terrible by any measure - but for Arenado owners, his May stat line leaves plenty to be desired. He's also 0-for-3 in steal attempts for the month.

16. 3B/OF Kris Bryant, Cubs (LW: 28)

Bryant remains in the conversation for best fantasy third baseman with a terrific week in which he batted .348 with two homers, six RBIs and eight runs scored. The only strike against him? That one lonely stolen base.

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

As a counterpoint to the earlier Trumbo note, Story's strikeouts are having a negative impact on his value. He whiffed 14 times in 25 at-bats last week, leaving him with an underwhelming line (.160, 2 R, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 0 SB).

18. 3B Josh Donaldson, Blue Jays (LW: 20)

As nice as it was to see Donaldson break out with a multi-homer game last week, that was basically all he did; he went just 3-for-18 in the other five games, with zeroes across the four fantasy counting categories.

19. 2B/3B Daniel Murphy, Nationals (LW: 15)

Murphy just keeps hitting; he rapped out nine hits in 23 at-bats last week to keep his quest for a .400 average alive. The counting stats weren't really there (2 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 0 SB), but mixed leaguers still have to be pleased.

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

The hitting streak may be over, but Bradley's reign as a fantasy-relevant outfielder is just getting started. His line from last week isn't exactly star-like (.273, 4 R, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 1 SB), but he should bounce back nicely.

21. 3B Todd Frazier, White Sox (LW: 8)

The 5-for-26 showing was hard to swallow, but Frazier was still a solid fantasy contributor last week. He hit a pair of solo home runs, scored five times and swiped a pair of bases; the BA is a killer, but everything else is great.

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

A May BABIP close to .500 will be impossible to sustain moving forward, but Ozuna owners don't care. They got a ridiculous 15-for-28 showing last week, with Ozuna adding two homers, five RBIs and eight runs scored.

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

Deuces were wild for Braun owners last week, as the Brewers star outfielder hit a pair of solo home runs, scored twice and stole two bases. He batted just .267, but only struck out twice and should have better BABIP luck this week.

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

Piscotty moves up the list despite posting a pedestrian .227 batting average last week. He had a homer and a steal while adding five RBIs and three runs scored; owners will take it, knowing the BA should rebound moving forward.

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

Marte still carries plenty of value as far as VBR is concerned, no doubt fueled by last week's five stolen bases. He added a homer, three RBIs and four runs scored, but remains a 2 1/2-category star with questions everywhere else.

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

Lindor will challenge for a few batting titles in his career, but fantasy owners may be even happier with his speed. He stole a pair of bases last week, leaving him just two shy of last year's tally in 200 fewer at-bats.

27. SS Jonathan Villar, Brewers (LW: --)

Villar was the top fantasy hitter last week, boasting a .455 average with a home run, six RBIs, eight runs and four stolen bases. He's a void in HR and RBI, but contributes enough in the other three categories to provide value.

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

It appears the time to sell high on Fowler has come and gone. He batted .320 last week, but the counting stats (4 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 0 SB) don't exactly scream top-30 fantasy option. He's still a BA and R contributor moving forward.

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

VBR dings Bautista for his BA, but he has been a terrific contributor otherwise. Last week's line was modest (.318, 4 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 0 SB), but there's still plenty of power in that bat - and the walks are great in OBP formats.

30. 1B Eric Hosmer, Royals (LW: --)

Hosmer was a key contributor in the Royals' three come-from-behind wins over the weekend, and he batted .370 for the week with a homer, nine RBIs, five runs scored and a steal. He's as dependable as they come at first base.

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

It was another quietly productive week from Shaw, who batted .261 with a homer, six RBIs and three runs scored. He should continue to provide great value in all formats as part of Boston's formidable lineup.

32. 3B Nick Castellanos, Tigers (LW: 21)

The BABIP gods are evening things out in Castellanos' world. He batted just .227 last week, with a pair of solo homers and three runs scored. The power remains, but there's still plenty of room for that BA to tumble.

33. OF George Springer, Astros (LW: --)

Springer boosted his only deficient fantasy category last week, batting a robust .370; he added two homers, three RBIs and three runs scored. Fantasy owners probably want a few more steals, but that's a minor quibble.

34. 1B Miguel Cabrera, Tigers (LW: 18)

There's certainly nothing wrong with Cabrera's season line, but any hope of him returning first-round value this season is fading. That said, few batters can get as hot as he does, and a nice stretch could get him back on track.

35. 1B Paul Goldschmidt, Diamondbacks (LW: --)

Goldschmidt owners were finally rewarded for their patience last week, as the towering first baseman batted .350 with a homer, six RBIs and a steal. He's still nowhere near justifying his top-3 price tag, but this is progress.

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

BABIP fortune might no longer be in Diaz's favor, as April's flavor of the month batted just .160 with a homer and two RBIs last week. The five runs scored were a nice plus, but with Jhonny Peralta due back soon, it's time to sell.

37. 2B Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox (LW: --)

Pedroia surges back into the rankings after putting together a sensational week, batting .417 with four RBIs and five runs scored. He'll run hot and cold, but given where he was drafted, owners have to be pleased.

38. OF Lorenzo Cain, Royals (LW: --)

Cain's sizzling seven-day stretch (.385, 4 R, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 1 SB) has him exactly where his owners hoped he'd eventually be: in the top 40 and trending upward. It appears he has mostly regained his form of last season.

39. 2B/SS Jean Segura, Diamondbacks (LW: 22)

Segura, one of the most polarizing leadoff hitters in fantasy, gave his critics plenty of ammunition last week, going 4-for-20 with two runs scored and an RBI. He'll have weeks like this, but is still a solid mid-tier infielder.

40. 2B/3B/SS Eduardo Nunez, Twins (LW: --)

A .414 average last week helped Nunez snag the final spot on the list. He added two homers, three RBIs, five runs scored and a steal, making him one of the only fantasy-relevant players on the Twins' roster.