Chandler Simpson Fantasy Stats

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson will start Opening Day on Thursday against the St. Louis Cardinals on the bench, according to MLB.com. The Rays will roll with Ryan Vilade (batting second) in left field, Cedric Mullins (batting eighth) in center field, and Jonny DeLuca (batting sixth) in right field against Cardinals left-hander Matthew Liberatore. Simpson, 25, bats from the left side and will have to wait to make his first start in 2026. In his first year in the big leagues in 2025, Simpson hit .299 (32-for-107) against southpaws, as opposed to a .293 (9-for-307) average versus righties. The former second-rounder in 2022 slashed an impressive .295/.326/.345 with a .671 OPS, no homers, 26 RBI, 53 runs scored, and 44 stolen bases in his first 109 big-league games. He gives fantasy managers virtually zero power, and when he is in the lineup, he'll likely be down at the bottom of the order, limiting his counting-stat upside. Still, Simpson is useful in all leagues for his elite speed in Tampa.

Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said that outfielders Chandler Simpson (hamstring) and Cedric Mullins (back) are feeling better and should play on Tuesday in Grapefruit League action, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Simpson, the more attractive fantasy outfielder of the two because of his high-end speed, has not played since last Tuesday after feeling soreness in his left hamstring. It's an injury the 25-year-old had battled through early in camp, so the Rays aren't taking any chances. Simpson doesn't offer much to fantasy managers outside of stolen bases, so he could be vulnerable to a loss of playing time if his glove doesn't improve in the outfield. Mullins, 31, also hasn't played since last Tuesday due to a sore back, but it's not viewed as a long-term issue. He still has power from the left side and could be on the strong side of a platoon in Tampa, but declining batted-ball metrics for Mullins make him merely a late-round dice roll in mixed fantasy leagues this year.

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson (hamstring) hasn't played since Wednesday, but fantasy managers shouldn't be too worried right now. On Saturday, manager Kevin Cash said that the team is being overly cautious with Simpson. It sounds like the speedy outfielder is dealing with left hamstring tightness. The Rays don't want to push Simpson too hard and have him make the injury worse. For now, Simpson should be considered day-to-day. The 25-year-old doesn't appear to be in jeopardy of missing Opening Day. Last season, Simpson slashed .295/.326/.345 with 26 RBI and 44 stolen bases in 106 games. Simpson is a great source for steals, but he doesn't offer a ton of upside outside of that.

Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said that outfielder Chandler Simpson (hamstring) is tentatively scheduled to make his 2026 Spring Training debut on Friday, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Simpson has been held out of the Rays' first few Spring games due to a tight left hamstring, but it does not appear that he is suffering from a serious injury. It would make sense for Tampa Bay to slow-roll Simpson's recovery from a hamstring ailment at this point in the calendar, as the 25-year-old's main appeal as both a fantasy and real-life player is his speed. Across 441 plate appearances in 2025, Simpson hit .295/.326/.345 with zero home runs, 26 RBI, 53 runs scored, and 44 stolen bases. He struck out in just 9.8% of his plate appearances, but also posted a remarkably poor 0.0% barrel rate. As long as Simpson makes a full recovery and can hold down regular playing time in Tampa Bay, his speed and ability to hit for average give him fantasy appeal. However, his lack of power makes him difficult to build around in rotisserie-scoring formats.

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson (hamstring) is dealing with a tight left hamstring and will not play in at least the first several Grapefruit League games in spring training, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Simpson continues to do on-field work, so it doesn't appear to be a very serious injury. Still, it's something to watch carefully for the 25-year-old, whose game is mostly based on speed. The 25-year-old former second-round pick in 2022 out of the Georgia Institute of Technology made his major-league debut last year and slashed .295/.326/.345 with a .671 OPS, zero home runs, 26 RBI, 53 runs scored, and 44 stolen bases in 441 plate appearances over 109 games. With no power and a below-average glove, there isn't a ton of room for error for the speedy Simpson. Because Simpson is mainly a stolen base contributor, he has a limited ceiling as a No. 4 fantasy outfielder.

Tampa Bay Rays speedy outfielder Chandler Simpson made his major-league debut in 2025 and didn't disappoint with his wheels, stealing 44 bases in 109 games. Simpson also hit an impressive .295 (122-for-414), but outside of his speed and high average, there was a lot to pick apart. The 25-year-old former second-rounder was caught stealing a league-high 12 times, had zero home runs, and only drove in 26 runs while hitting at the bottom of the batting order. Simpson's lack of power is a major drawback, and his subpar defense puts him at risk of losing playing time if he's not hitting and getting on base regularly. On the plus side, Simpson hit over .300 against both fastballs and breaking pitches in his first year in the big leagues. If you draft Simpson specifically for his speed, you'll need to get your power elsewhere. Heading into his sophomore season, RotoBaller has him ranked as the No. 39 fantasy outfielder.

Tampa Bay Rays outfield prospect Chandler Simpson went 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs during their victory over the San Francisco Giants on Friday evening. He also swiped a bag. In the sixth inning, Simpson ripped a two-run single, which scored Jake Mangum and Ha-Seong Kim. Over his last six contests, the 24-year-old has tallied at least one hit in each game and posted a remarkable .500/.538/.625 line with two stolen bases and a 1.163 OPS. Through his first 74 games in the major season, the Georgia Tech product has looked rather impressive, holding a .307/.342/.360 line with an eye-catching 34 stolen bases. Even though he carries minimal power upside, Simpson remains a must-start option given his elite batting average and speed production.

Tampa Bay Rays rookie outfielder Chandler Simpson (finger) is back in the starting lineup for Tuesday's game in Anaheim against the hosting Los Angeles Angels and right-hander Jose Soriano, starting in left field and batting leadoff. It Will Simpson's first game starting since he sprained his left index finger in last Thursday's game against the New York Yankees. The 24-year-old should be returned to all starting fantasy lineups for his speed alone now that he's back in action. Since he was called back up to the majors in late May, he's been excellent, slashing .311/.351/.368 with four RBI, 13 runs scored and 13 stolen bases in 30 games. Simpson is a great catalyst for Tampa's lineup in the leadoff spot and should continue to help with runs scored and steals in fantasy as a lineup regular the rest of the 2025 season. He has never faced Soriano in his career.

Tampa Bay Rays rookie outfielder Chandler Simpson (finger) remains out of the starting nine for Monday's series opener against the hosting Los Angeles Angels. Jonny DeLuca is making another start in center field and will bat fifth against Angels left-hander Yusei Kikuchi. Bally Sports' Ryan Bass reports that Simpson's index finger continues to progress, though, and he has felt better swinging the bat in the cages. The 24-year-old will test things out defensively before Monday's game against the Angels, but he should be ready to return to the lineup on Tuesday. The speedy Simpson is missing his fourth straight game but should return on Tuesday. The former second-rounder has made an immediate impact in all fantasy leagues in his rookie season, batting just under .300 with 32 steals in 65 games played.

Tampa Bay Rays rookie outfielder Chandler Simpson (finger) remains out of action for Saturday's contest against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers. Jonny DeLuca is making another start in center field for the Rays and will bat seventh against Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell (shoulder), who is making his first start since coming off the 60-day injured list. Simpson sprained his left index finger on Thursday against the New York Yankees and will miss his second straight start. The Rays have faced left-handers the last two games, too, so perhaps Tampa is just waiting to face a righty again to get the speedy rookie back in the lineup. Fantasy managers will want to check back on Sunday to see if Simpson makes his return. DeLuca is still searching for his first homer of 2025, but he's also had only 40 at-bats and is hitting a cool .400 with four RBI and five steals in a small sample size.