May 19, 2025
Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher
Shelby Miller worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth to finish off the Colorado Rockies and earn his fourth save in a 1-0 win. Miller allowed two hits and intentionally walked a batter, but was able to get out of it. With the D-backs' bullpen riddled with injuries, Miller has stepped up when called upon and been solid as the fill-in closer. He is now 4-for-6 in save opportunities with a 1.37 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 22 strikeouts in 19 ⅔ IP. Unfortunately for Miller and his fantasy owners,
Justin Martinez is currently rehabbing in Triple-A and will likely take back the closer's role when he returns. It makes sense to hold onto Miller just to see what his usage is when Martinez comes back, but if there are other save options available it is certainly worth a look.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May 19, 2025
San Francisco Giants relief pitcher
Ryan Walker worked a scoreless ninth inning to pick up his eighth save of the season in a 3-2 win over the Athletics on Sunday. Walker struck out one and didn't allow a baserunner in this one. He is now 5-for-7 in saves with a 5.29 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, and 16 strikeouts in 17 IP on the year. The 29-year-old has had a difficult start to his season, but that hasn't deterred the Giants from using him in high-leverage opportunities. While he has ceded some saves to
Camilo Doval, he still appears to be the go-to reliever for the Giants. That could change if his struggles continue, but for now Walker should remain rostered in all leagues where saves matter.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May 19, 2025
Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher
Jordan Romano picked up his fifth save of the season on Sunday, tossing a perfect ninth inning to preserve a 1-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Romano has been fantastic of late, with eight straight scoreless appearances in which he has allowed a total of four baserunners. The 32-year-old still holds horrible numbers on the season, but most of that was from a few brutal outings early on. With
Jose Alvarado suspended for 80 games due to PED use, Romano could be in line for the majority of save opportunities, although
Matt Strahm could see some usage as well. Romano should be rostered in all leagues where saves matter.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May 19, 2025
Houston Astros starting pitcher
Framber Valdez had a strong start on Sunday, posting seven innings of three-run ball in a 4-3 win over the Texas Rangers. Valdez allowed six hits and a walk while striking out eight in a solid performance. It was the third start in a row of seven-plus innings for the lefty, who appears to have found his stuff again after a few rough starts early in the season. He now has a 3-4 record with a 3.57 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and 59 strikeouts over 63 IP. While the numbers don't fly off the page, Valdez is one of the best bets for volume in all of baseball while maintaining solid ratios and strikeouts, making him an elite option in fantasy.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May 19, 2025
New York Yankees outfielder
Cody Bellinger had a monster game at the plate on Sunday, going 3-for-3 with a homer, a double, two walks, and six RBI in an 8-2 win over the New York Mets. Bellinger's home run was a grand slam in the eighth inning that effectively ended this one. The 29-year-old has been excellent in May, going 20-for-57 with four homers and 12 RBI in the month so far. The hot stretch has brought his overall line to a .258 AVG, 25 runs, seven homers, 28 RBI, and four steals. He has been productive and should remain that way in a strong Yankees lineup. Bellinger should be an automatic start for fantasy managers.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May 19, 2025
Cincinnati Reds outfielder
Will Benson led the charge on Sunday, hitting two home runs and driving in all three of the Reds' runs in their 3-1 win over the Cleveland Guardians. Benson has been on an absolute tear at the dish, hitting homers in four consecutive games and driving in 10 runs over that stretch. The 26-year-old had a rough 2024 season and was in Triple-A to start this season, but hit well in the minors and earned a call-up on May 10. In his short time in the majors, Benson is now up to a .367 AVG with six runs scored, five homers, 11 RBI, and a stolen base in 30 at-bats. There was some hype around Benson in years past, and he might be finally breaking out. Even though it is a small sample size, Benson is worth a look in standard-size leagues in hopes he can keep it going.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May 18, 2025
Washington Nationals shortstop
CJ Abrams went 3-for-5 with two home runs, one double, two RBI, and three runs scored in Sunday's 10-4 win over the Orioles. He now has four home runs in his last six games and is slashing .312/.368/.574 with eight home runs, 18 RBI, 24 runs, and nine stolen bases in 35 games on the season. He's on pace to blow by the 20 home runs and 31 stolen bases he totaled in 2024, and looks like a true five-category standout for fantasy.
--Jeremy Heist - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May 18, 2025
Seattle Mariners starting pitcher
Bryan Woo picked up his fifth win of the season in a 6-1 win over the Padres. He allowed one run on five hits while striking out five over seven innings. Woo has been one of the most consistent pitchers in all of baseball this season, with all nine of his starts being six innings or more. He's a quality start machine, with seven so far on the year. He'll carry a 2.65 ERA and a 55:8 K:BB into his next start, set to be in Houston against the Astros.
--Jeremy Heist - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May 18, 2025
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher
Merrill Kelly earned the win in a 1-0 win over the Rockies on Sunday, striking out 11 over seven scoreless innings. He allowed one hit and walked three. Kelly has been very solid this season, as he hasn't given up more than three runs in a start since he gave up nine in his first start of the year on April 3. His ERA is now down to an excellent 3.26 with 52 strikeouts and 15 walks in 58 innings. The spike in strikeouts in this start is likely due to Colorado's poor offense more than anything else, but Kelly will look to carry this momentum into his next start, which lines up against the Cardinals.
--Jeremy Heist - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May 18, 2025
Paul Skenes was dealt a tough-luck loss on Sunday in a 1-0 loss to the Phillies. He pitched an eight-inning complete game, allowing one run on three hits and one walk while striking out nine. This was his third straight quality start and his seventh straight of allowing three runs or less. The phenom now holds a 2.44 ERA on the year with 62 strikeouts and 16 walks in 62 ⅔ innings. He'll look to maintain his dominance in his next start, which is currently lined up to be against the Brewers.
--Jeremy Heist - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May 18, 2025
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher
Mick Abel looked great in his major league debut, pitching six scoreless innings with nine strikeouts against the Pirates. One of the most encouraging signs of his outing was the fact that he walked no batters, as his control issues is what sent the youngster spiraling down top prospect rankings. He walked 65 batters in 113 innings in 2024, but has been having a rebound 2025 where he's posted a 2.53 ERA and 1.21 WHIP with 51 strikeouts and 13 walks through eight starts in Triple-A. This was only supposed to be a spot start, with
Taijuan Walker expected to take
Aaron Nola's spot in the rotation. This start may have changed Philadelphia's plans, and Abel is worth an add in fantasy if he does stay in the rotation.
--Jeremy Heist - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May 18, 2025
Minnesota Twins infielder/outfielder
Willi Castro (knee) remained out of the starting lineup on Sunday during their contest against the Milwaukee Brewers. The utility man fouled a ball off his knee during Friday's contest. He was held out of action on Saturday as well. Fantasy managers should continue to keep a close eye on his status leading up to their next contest on Monday evening against the Cleveland Guardians. Castro has posted a modest .235/.306/.367 slash line through his first 28 games of the campaign. Castro has gone deep twice and swiped two bags. While he does not carry high offensive upside, the 28-year-old does have value in daily lineup leagues given his multi-positional eligibility on most platforms. If he were to remain out,
Kody Clemens should continue to see starting opportunities.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Minnesota Twins
May 18, 2025
The Boston Red Sox have shut down right-handed pitcher
Tanner Houck (elbow) from throwing. Houck was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right flexor pronator strain earlier this week. However, it appears the 28-year-old is expected to remain on the injured list longer than the 15-day period. Through the early part of the campaign, Houck has struggled, posting an 8.04 ERA with a 1.69 WHIP across 43 2/3 innings of work. Under the hood, Houck has generated a high 5.84 xERA and a .301 xBA, which have placed him in the ninth and seventh percentiles, respectively. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status as he slowly increases his workload. While he remains sidelined, fantasy managers should expect
Hunter Dobbins to remain in the starting rotation.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Christopher Smith
May 18, 2025
The Philadelphia Phillies have activated right-handed pitcher
Jose Ruiz (neck) from the 15-day injured list. In a corresponding move, the Phillies placed left-handed pitcher
Jose Alvarado on the restricted list. Alvarado was hit with an 80-game suspension earlier on Sunday for taking performance-enhancing drugs. Ruiz has been held out of action throughout May. Through his first 11 1/3 innings of work, Ruiz posted a 4.76 ERA with a 1.41 WHIP. He struck out 11 batters but served up six free passes. Under the hood, the right-handed relief pitcher has generated whiffs at a strong 29.9% rate and allowed hard hits at a strong 34.4% rate. Fantasy managers should expect Ruiz to return to a middle-relief role in the Philadelphia bullpen.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Philadelphia Phillies
May 18, 2025
San Francisco Giants outfielder
Luis Matos (shoulder) is back in action on Sunday when the Giants face the Athletics. Matos was initially scratched from Friday's lineup due to shoulder discomfort. Matos was also held out of action on Saturday. However, the 23-year-old was able to appear in the final game of their series against the Athletics. This afternoon, the young outfielder is slated to cover right field and bat in the six-hole. Through his first 20 games of the campaign, Matos has gotten off to a slow start, holding a .167/.219/.350 line. He has gone deep three times and swiped one bag. Under the hood, he has generated a low .289 xwOBA. This afternoon, Matos is worth considering in DFS as a value play facing Athletics southpaw
Jeffrey Springs, who has posted a modest 4.27 ERA this season.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Susan Slusser
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