Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Wed 5/31/17 8:00 AM

Taylor went 2-for-4 with a walk, two runs scored and two RBI in Tuesday's 6-3 win over the Giants.
EDGE Analysis
The 26-year-old has stepped up since Adam Eaton (knee) was lost for the season, and Taylor now has a .298/.336/.500 slash line with four homers, three steals, 14 RBI and 15 runs in 27 games since taking over as the Nats' starting center fielder, His batting average is likely due for some regression given his 6:38 BB:K in 104 at-bats over that stretch, but his power and speed should allow him to maintain some fantasy value regardless.

Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Sun 5/28/17 12:01 PM

Taylor went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Saturday's 3-0 win over the Padres.
EDGE Analysis
He's now homered in back-to-back games, giving Taylor four long balls on the year, and the 26-year-old is now slashing .296/.337/.543 in May. His 34.2 percent strikeout rate makes it unlikely he'll be able to keep hitting for a high batting average, but he should be able to supply solid power and speed numbers as the Nats' starting center fielder.

Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Fri 5/26/17 9:41 PM

Taylor went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer Friday against the Padres.
EDGE Analysis
Taylor blasted his third bomb of the campaign to break a 1-1 tie that the Nationals would never relinquish. He's been a disappointing fantasy option this year, as evidenced by his .266/.302/.431 slash line.

Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Wed 5/17/17 4:28 PM

Taylor is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Pirates, Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post reports.
EDGE Analysis
Taylor has thrived in his newfound full-time role in center field, as he's batted .328 with eight extra-base hits in 15 games since claiming the spot. However, he'll get the night off despite his strong showing, with Brian Goodwin moving into the lineup to fill in for him.

Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Mon 5/15/17 9:16 AM

Taylor went 1-for-4 with a two-run, game-winning home run in the second game of Sunday's doubleheader against the Phillies.
EDGE Analysis
After going 2-for-4 with a run scored in the first game of Sunday's twin bill, Taylor crushed the first pitch he saw from Pat Neshak in the eighth inning of the nightcap to give the Nats a split. The homer was Taylor's second of the season and second in four games, as the 26-year-old looks to firm up his hold on the starting center field spot.

Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Sun 5/14/17 10:45 AM

Taylor went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored in Saturday's win over the Phillies.
EDGE Analysis
He's still striking out too much (37.5 percent) to expect much improvement in his .254/.292/.388 slash line, but Taylor will remain the Nats' starting center fielder unless his production completely craters, giving him some fantasy value simply by virtue of being a regular part of one of the most dangerous offenses in baseball.

Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Thu 5/11/17 1:42 AM

Taylor went 2-for-4 with his first homer of the year and two strikeouts in Wednesday's win over Baltimore.
EDGE Analysis
That's Taylor in a nutshell: intriguing power, good speed, and tons of strikeouts. He hit eighth in this game after going 2-for-19 with 10 strikeouts over the past five, and it'll probably take more than one nice game for Taylor to hit his way out of that lineup slot.

Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Wed 5/10/17 3:36 PM

Updating a previous report, Taylor will bat eighth in the order rather than second.
EDGE Analysis
Jayson Werth was initially scheduled to receive the day off, but manager Dusty Baker made the veteran outfielder a late addition to the lineup, resulting in Taylor moving back to his normal spot in the bottom third of the order. The low placement in the lineup hasn't hindered Taylor's productivity of late, with the 26-year-old slashing .289/.341/.421 in his 10 games since replacing the injured Adam Eaton (knee) in center field.

Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Wed 5/10/17 3:23 PM

Taylor is starting in center field and will bat second in the order Wednesday against the Orioles, Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post reports.
EDGE Analysis
Taylor will draw his 11th start in a row and figures to serve as the Nationals' everyday center fielder until further notice with Adam Eaton (knee) likely out of the season, but the move to the two hole Wednesday is presumably just a one-time arrangement with Jayson Werth getting the day off for rest. That said, even if Taylor returns to a spot in the bottom third of the lineup before long, he's still worth keeping an eye on in deeper leagues where available. Since replacing Eaton in the lineup, Taylor is batting .289 with four runs, three RBI and two steals.

Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Thu 5/4/17 7:34 PM

Taylor went 2-for-2 with two stolen bases and two walks during Thursday's win over Arizona.
EDGE Analysis
Taylor is now sporting a five-game hitting streak (9-for-19) with four runs, two RBI and two stolen bases. The Washington lineup is stacked, and Taylor has an everyday role, so his fantasy value could continue to climb quickly. A speculative add could pay off handsomely because of Taylor's cross-category potential. Just note that he entered Thursday's game with a career .641 OPS and is far from a risk-free acquisition.