RADIO
Daylen Lile Extends Hitting Streak by Blasting Two Home Runs on Thursday
Washington Nationals outfielder Daylen Lile has been hot lately, and it continued in Thursday's 5-4 loss to the division-rival Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Lile went 2-for-4 at the plate with two solo home runs to extend his modest six-game hitting streak. He also raised his batting average on the year to .248 and his OPS to .717. Believe it or not, it was Lile's third multi-homer game of the 2026 campaign, but he's hitting a modest .248/.299/.418 with 13 home runs, 54 RBI, 10 stolen bases, and 56 runs scored in his 452 plate appearances in 108 games in his second year in the majors. As a rookie in 2025, Lile had a .299/.347/.498 slash line with an .845 OPS, nine home runs, 41 RBI, 51 runs, and eight stolen bases in 91 games and 351 plate appearances. Lile is still very young and has an intriguing power/speed profile, especially since he doesn't strike out a lot. And the Nationals seem committed to the former second-rounder. Lile is definitely worth a roster spot as a depth outfielder, and he's gaining waiver-wire interest during his current hot streak. He's rostered in 59% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
James Wood Hits Two Homers on Sunday for First Multi-Homer Performance in 2026
Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood continued his surge at the plate in July, going 2-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI, a walk, and a strikeout in Sunday's 10-7 win over the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks in D.C. It was Wood's first multi-homer game of the 2026 season and the fifth of his career. The 23-year-old All-Star left-handed slugger is now leading the league in walks (82), runs scored (96), plate appearances (498), OPS (.953), and total bases (228) in 106 games played for the Nats in his third year in the league. He is also slashing .271/.396/.557 with 30 home runs, 72 RBI, and 15 stolen bases as one of the best all-around bats in baseball. Wood has been especially productive in 19 games (93 plate appearances) so far in July, going 23-for-74 (.311) with a 1.198 OPS, nine home runs, four doubles, a triple, 20 RBI, 23 runs scored, and two stolen bases. He's an emerging five-category superstar for Washington and is a must-start in all fantasy formats when he's active. Wood has held his own against lefties as well, hitting .265 (40-for-151) against them with nine of his 30 long balls.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
James Wood on His Way to a Career Year
Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood continues to impress and is establishing himself as one of the top power hitters in the MLB. He has hit 28 homers in 97 games and seems certain to pass his previous career-high of 31 homers from last year. His batting average is up from .256 to .279 while his wOBA has climbed from .353 to .416. He's already matched his career high with 15 stolen bases as well. He has the highest barrel rate and the highest hard-hit rate in the majors this season, along with the second-highest average exit velocity behind only Oneil Cruz. With such strong underlying metrics and elite production, Wood looks poised to be a fantasy centerpiece for years to come. He's still only 23 years old and continues to be one of the most exciting hitters in the game heading into the second half.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Dylan Crews a Second-Half Breakout Candidate to Target on the Waiver Wire?
Since being recalled from Triple-A in mid-May, Washington Nationals outfielder Dylan Crews has hit .211/.270/.343 with six home runs, 18 RBI, 25 runs scored, and five stolen bases across 189 plate appearances. The 24-year-old hit .228 with four home runs and three stolen bases across 107 plate appearances in June, but he struggled to just five hits in 39 plate appearances in July before the All-Star break. Once considered to be one of the top prospects in baseball, Crews owns just a .627 OPS across 643 career MLB plate appearances to this point. However, his underlying metrics suggest that improvement is coming. With a respectable 8.2% barrel rate and 42.5% hard-hit rate, Crews' xBA is .248, and his xSLG is .427. The young outfielder has also posted a respectable 21.7% strikeout rate. While Crews' highest-upside scenarios may no longer be realistic, he could still develop into a balanced five-category compiler. With his value at a low point, Crews is worth targeting on the waiver wire as a potential second-half breakout candidate.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Dylan Crews Showing Signs of a Post-Hype Breakout?
Washington Nationals right fielder Dylan Crews still has not fully broken through, but the fantasy case is getting easier to see. He is batting .232 with six home runs, 18 RBI, 23 runs, and five steals through 155 at-bats. That line is still uneven, but Crews has gone 18-for-58 with two homers, 12 runs, four RBI, three steals, and six walks over his last 15 games. This is more upside bet than finished product. Crews is hitting the ball hard, with a 90.9 mph average exit velocity, 44.2% hard-hit rate, and 9.2% barrel rate, and his speed gives him another path to fantasy value. The .232 average and low walk rate are real concerns, so this should not be framed as a safe five-category breakout yet. Crews is rostered in 35% of Yahoo leagues and belongs in 12-team formats.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Daylen Lile Ends Power Drought With Multi-Homer Performance
Washington Nationals outfielder Daylen Lile got in on the action in Friday night's 9-5 win over the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates in a game in which the Nationals went deep five times. Lile went 3-for-4 at the plate with two home runs and four RBI to snap a 23-game streak without clearing the fences. He also boosted his season average to .256 and his OPS to .730. Not only did Lile snap a power drought, but he's recorded four extra-base hits in his first two games in July after going 12-for-55 (.218) with two homers, four doubles, six RBI, six runs, no walks, and eight strikeouts in his last 15 games. Overall, in his second year in the big leagues with the Nationals, the former second-rounder in 2021 is batting .256/.309/.421 with a .730 OPS, 10 home runs, 43 RBI, 48 runs scored, and seven stolen bases in 87 games after he had a .299/.347/.498 slash line with nine homers, 41 RBI, 51 runs, and eight steals in 91 games in his rookie campaign in 2025. Lile is a sneaky source of power and speed in deeper fantasy leagues, and he's rostered in 63% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Dylan Crews Ready for Post-Hype Prospect Breakout?
Washington Nationals outfielder Dylan Crews came with tons of expectations after the Nats selected him second overall (behind college teammate Paul Skenes) in the 2023 MLB draft out of Louisiana State University, and so far in his first 153 games in the big leagues, he's been a bust. In 604 plate appearances with Washington since debuting in 2024, Crews has slashed just .215/.278/.356 with a .634 OPS, 18 home runs, 52 RBI, 33 stolen bases, and 75 runs scored. In 37 games so far in 2026, the 24-year-old has a weak .225/.267/.366 slash line with a .633 OPS, five homers, 17 RBI, four steals, a 20.7% strikeout rate, and a 2.7% walk rate. However, Crews showed some signs of life to close out the month of June, going 14-for-45 (.311) at the plate with a homer, three doubles, three RBI, nine runs scored, and two stolen bases in 11 games across 48 plate appearances. He's going to need to improve his plate discipline to sustain the hot streak, but fantasy managers looking for upside in the outfield should look Crews' way. He's rostered in only 35% of Yahoo leagues and is widely available.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
James Wood Has Arrived as an Elite Fantasy Outfielder
Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood has emerged as a fantasy superstar in 2026, hitting .260/.385/.511 with 20 home runs, 49 RBI, 70 runs scored, and 13 stolen bases across 382 plate appearances. Swing-and-miss is an issue for Wood (30% strikeout rate). However, Wood's underlying contact metrics are elite, as he's logged a 23.6% barrel rate and a 60.8% hard-hit rate. The 23-year-old's ability to consistently make hard contact should allow him to maintain a solid floor for his batting average, even with his elevated strikeout rate. As long as he stays healthy, Wood is a near lock to provide elite power and run production numbers and above-average speed for fantasy managers the rest of the way in 2026.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Dylan Crews Heating Up, Emerging as Waiver-Wire Breakout Candidate
Washington Nationals outfielder Dylan Crews has picked up momentum recently, recording three multi-hit performances over his last four games with three extra-base hits during that span. Crews has been somewhat disappointing since being selected No. 2 overall in the 2023 draft out of LSU, but a breakout could be approaching as the 24-year-old continues to find his rhythm at the plate. He is slashing .219/.258/.386 with a .644 OPS through 30 games this season. However, his expected batting average sits at .272, showing a significant gap between his results and underlying performance. Crews remains a young talent to monitor and could be a strong pickup before a potential breakout.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Is Dylan Crews a Post-Hype Sleeper to Target on the Waiver Wire?
Across 100 plate appearances since being recalled from Triple-A in mid-May, Washington Nationals outfielder Dylan Crews has struggled to a .189/.230/.337 slash line with four home runs, 14 RBI, 11 runs scored, and two stolen bases. However, the 24-year-old has begun to play a bit better of late, as he's logged a hit in six out of his last seven games. A former top prospect, Crews has had difficulty getting his MLB career off the ground to this point, owning a .622 OPS across 554 big-league plate appearances. He posted solid numbers but was not dominant in his time at Triple-A in 2026, hitting .258 with five home runs, seven stolen bases, and a 24.9% strikeout rate across 177 plate appearances. Still, Crews logged a 13.4% barrel rate and 50.9% hard-hit rate in the minors. Those marks have dropped to 9.1% and 42.9% in the Majors this season, but they still suggest that he's due for better results than what he's gotten so far. Fantasy managers may want to look at Crews on the waiver wire ahead of a possible breakout at the plate.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jacob Young Worth a Look Off the Waiver Wire in Deep Leagues?
Washington Nationals outfielder Jacob Young came into the 2026 season with just five home runs in his first three years in the league. He's only hitting .237 (49-for-207) in his first 66 contests this season, but he's already up to eight home runs in his 223 plate appearances. The 26-year-old former seventh-round pick in 2021 out of the University of Florida stole 33 bases in 2024 in his first full season in the majors, too, so he has some speed to spare, even if he has only swiped five bags in 2026. Fantasy managers in search of outfield depth in deeper leagues should consider adding Young while he's hot early in June. In eight games so far this month, Young has gone 6-for-22 (.273) with a homer, two triples, two RBI, four runs scored, and a stolen base in 22 plate appearances. With plenty of wheels and a boost in power this year, Young has become more attractive in deep formats. He's currently rostered in just 2% of Yahoo leagues, so he's widely available.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Dylan Crews Still Worth a Pickup Amid Slump?
Washington Nationals outfielder Dylan Crews has not enjoyed much success in his return to the majors, but the upside still keeps him on the waiver-wire radar. Crews is hitting .197 through 16 games since returning to Washington, though he showed signs of life Saturday, June 6, against the Arizona Diamondbacks by going 2-for-4 with a home run and two runs scored. Crews' waiver appeal is more about upside than immediate production. The surface numbers remain light, but his 91.3 mph average exit velocity and improved strikeout profile in comparison to his 2025 rate give fantasy managers a reason to stay interested before the results fully show up. The former second-overall pick has also posted a 46.9% hard-hit rate, which is well above the average marks. Crews is best viewed as an upside waiver-wire target for managers who can afford to wait on the former top prospect as he finds his footing.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Dylan Crews Returns on Tuesday After Hand Injury
Washington Nationals outfielder Dylan Crews (hand) is starting in right field and batting sixth for Tuesday's game in D.C. against the division-rival Miami Marlins and right-hander Lake Bachar, according to MLB.com. Crews will return to the Nationals' starting lineup after missing the last two games after he was hit by a pitch in Saturday's win over the San Diego Padres. The 24-year-old former second overall pick in 2023 out of LSU has been a disappointment so far at the major-league level since breaking in with the Nats in 2024. He has gone 9-for-41 (.220) with a homer, double, three RBI, four runs scored, a stolen base, one walk, and seven strikeouts in 11 games this year since being called up, and he's slashing .212/.280/.349 with a .628 OPS in his first three years in the big leagues. Despite the slow start, Crews is still rostered in over 30% of Yahoo leagues as a post-hype, power/speed stash candidate in fantasy leagues.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Changes in Jacob Young's Plate Approach Could Make Him an Appealing Waiver Wire Target
Across 201 plate appearances so far in 2026, Washington Nationals outfielder Jacob Young is hitting .232/.290/.378 with seven home runs, 25 RBI, 25 runs scored, and four stolen bases. While the 26-year-old is still a below-average offensive contributor by measure of wRC+ (89), he's made some notable changes at the plate this season. Young's max exit velocity is up from 107 mph to 110.1 mph, and his average launch angle has moved from 3.9 degrees to 10.8 degrees. As a result, Young's seven home runs this season are more than he had over the first 1,006 plate appearances of his career (five). He may also get to more speed over the course of a full season, as he swiped 33 bags across 150 games in 2024. At the very worst, Young's elite defense in center field should keep him in an improving Washington lineup on an everyday basis and allow him to rack up counting stats. In deeper leagues, fantasy managers could be wise to target Young on the waiver wire.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Dylan Crews Extends Hitting Streak, Remains a Priority Waiver Wire Target?
Washington Nationals outfielder Dylan Crews currently owns a five-game hitting streak, and he has already emerged as an intriguing waiver wire target in fantasy baseball leagues despite being called up from Triple-A just 10 days ago. In eight games since his promotion, Crews is slashing .242/.265/.364 with one home run, one stolen base, a 2.9% walk rate, a 20.6% strikeout rate, and 75 wRC+. Those numbers aren't great, but he has reached base in all eight of those contests, and he has a hit in seven of the eight. This type of consistency makes him an intriguing waiver wire addition, especially in deeper leagues. He's available for most managers, too, as he's rostered in just 20% of fantasy baseball leagues. It's a low-risk move for managers, and it could pay off as Crews continue to play (and hit the ball well) just about every day.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
