April 7, 2026
Houston Astros outfielder
Cam Smith is off to a scorching start this season. He is slashing .297/.422/.595 with three home runs, six RBI, nine runs, and three stolen bases across nine games. The 23-year-old is currently on a seven-game hitting streak and has homered twice in the last three contests. His wOBA has increased from .298 to .399 compared to last season, while his hard-hit percentage has gone up from 40.8% to 47.8%, and his K% has decreased from 27.8% to 25%. Smith is Houston's starting right fielder, and his hot start has kept his bat in a potent Astros lineup that includes
Yordan Alvarez,
Jeremy Pena, and
Jose Altuve. He has moved to the No. 1 spot on the RotoBaller waiver wire rankings list for Week 2 and has become a must-add due to his hot start. Only rostered in 37% of Yahoo Fantasy leagues, Smith should be a priority for fantasy managers searching for outfield help.
--Brad Camara - RotoBallerSource: Baseball Savant
April 6, 2026
Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said that right-hander
Jacob deGrom (knee) felt something in his knee before his start on Monday against the division-rival Seattle Mariners, according to Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News. The Rangers didn't want to push the oft-injured deGrom too hard, which is why he only went 78 pitches in the 2-1 win in the series opener. deGrom managed to make it five innings but took a no-decision, allowing an earned run on a solo homer while walking one and striking out six. "I feel OK, it's a little tender, but I think we'll be okay," said deGrom. Fantasy managers familiar with deGrom's injury history won't be surprised if his next start is pushed back or if he lands on the 15-day injured list eventually. deGrom will be a much riskier fantasy starter in his next outing after dealing with knee discomfort, as he's set to face the World Series-champion Los Angeles Dodgers. The 37-year-old two-time Cy Young winner allowed three earned runs with no walks and seven strikeouts in 4 2/3 frames in his first start of 2026 against the Orioles.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Dallas Morning News - Shawn McFarland
April 6, 2026
Los Angeles Dodgers catcher
Dalton Rushing helped the Dodgers dismantle the hosting Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre on Monday by a score of 14-2 in Monday's series opener. Rushing went 4-for-4 at the plate with two solo home runs and three runs scored out of the eight-hole. The 25-year-old backstop was only playing in his third game of the 2026 season, going 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBI in his first two games played. The former second-rounder in 2022 out of Louisville made his major-league debut in 2025 and hit just .204/.258/.324 with four home runs and 24 RBI in 53 games played. Rushing is already one homer shy of matching his career high, but his fantasy upside in single-year formats remains low as the backup to All-Star
Will Smith, who should be back in the starting lineup for the second game of the series in Canada on Tuesday.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
April 6, 2026
Toronto Blue Jays right-hander
Max Scherzer (forearm) left his start on Monday in the World Series rematch against the Los Angeles Dodgers with right-forearm tendinitis, according to Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. Matheson also explains that the Blue Jays knew about Scherzer's forearm tendinitis going into his start on Monday, and it didn't get any worse. Manager John Schneider is "fairly confident" that Scherzer will make his next start. The 41-year-old veteran was pulled from the game at the Rogers Centre after just two innings and 36 pitches. Scherzer allowed two runs on two hits while walking one and striking out two over his two innings. Toronto can ill-afford another injury to its decimated starting rotation, but it looks like Scherzer will be allowed to make his next start on Saturday against the Minnesota Twins. The aging and no longer dominant future Hall of Famer should be avoided in DFS in that matchup.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Keegan Matheson
April 6, 2026
Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher
Brandon Williamson picked up his first win of the season on Monday, pitching 6 2/3 scoreless innings and allowing three hits and a walk while striking out four in his team's 2-0 win over the Miami Marlins. The quality start against Miami was a much-needed bounce-back effort for the 28-year-old, who got roughed up for six earned runs in his first start of the year against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Entering 2026, Williamson had pitched just 14 1/3 MLB innings across the past two seasons due to shoulder and elbow injuries. However, with Reds starters
Hunter Greene (elbow) and
Nick Lodolo (finger) both opening the year on the injured list, Williamson is getting his chance to prove he's worthy of a rotation spot. The left-hander owns just a 19.8% strikeout rate across 136 career big-league innings, so he may not offer fantasy managers much swing-and-miss ability. However, Williamson could be worth monitoring as a potentially cheap source of innings in deep leagues. His next scheduled start is Saturday at home against the Los Angeles Angels.
--Will BradySource: MLB.com
April 6, 2026
Tampa Bay Rays reliever
Bryan Baker picked up his first save of 2026 on Monday, allowing a solo home run but striking out two in the ninth inning of his team's 6-4 win over the Chicago Cubs. The 31-year-old has been sharp to open the year, recording six strikeouts while allowing just one hit and zero walks across his first four innings pitched. With Rays reliever
Edwin Uceta (shoulder) on the injured list, Tampa Bay right-hander
Griffin Jax got the first crack at the team's closer role. However, Jax has struggled mightily so far in 2026, opening the door for Baker to get an opportunity. Across 211 2/3 career MLB innings, Baker owns just five total saves. However, he has struck out nearly 28% of the batters he's faced in the big leagues and recorded a stellar 24.1% K-BB rate in 2025. In leagues where he's not already rostered, Baker could be a player for fantasy managers to target on the waiver wire.
--Will BradySource: MLB.com
April 6, 2026
Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher
Shane McClanahan made his second start of 2026 on Monday, pitching four innings and allowing two earned runs, one hit, and four walks while striking out five in his team's 6-4 win over the Chicago Cubs. The talented lefty is trying to revitalize his MLB career after missing all of 2024 due to Tommy John surgery and the entirety of 2025 due to a nerve issue in his triceps. Thus far, command has been a major issue for McClanahan, as he's issued seven walks across 8 2/3 innings pitched. Before his injury troubles, McClanahan had never recorded a walk rate above 8.7% in any of his three big-league seasons. While his control of the strike zone could return as he gets more reps under his belt in 2026, his current control issues will limit his ability to work deep into games. Fantasy managers may be forced to go in a different direction in their starting rotation, at least in the short term.
--Will BradySource: MLB.com
April 6, 2026
Cincinnati Reds closer
Emilio Pagan pitched a perfect ninth inning and recorded his fourth save of the season in his team's 2-0 victory over the Miami Marlins on Monday. Pagan's overall numbers for the year don't look pretty, as he's pitched to a 7.11 ERA with three walks and six strikeouts across 6 1/3 innings pitched. However, the 34-year-old's line is tainted by one four-run outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Pagan has allowed just one run across his other five appearances combined, and he's converted four of his five save chances. The veteran right-hander picked up 32 saves for Cincinnati in 2025, and he appears to have a firm hold on the team's closer job to begin 2026 as well. As long as that remains the case, Pagan should be in the starting lineup of fantasy managers.
--Will BradySource: MLB.com
April 6, 2026
Kansas City Royals relief pitcher
Lucas Erceg picked up his third save of the season on Monday, pitching a perfect ninth inning with a strikeout in his team's 4-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians. Across 4 2/3 innings pitched in 2026, the 30-year-old has allowed five hits, two earned runs, and two walks while recording three strikeouts. While Erceg's numbers don't scream dominance, he has been effective since taking over the Kansas City closer job from
Carlos Estevez (foot). Estevez is currently on the 15-day injured list with a foot injury that is not expected to cause him to miss significant time. However, Estevez struggled mightily in both Spring Training and his lone 2026 regular season appearance before being placed on the IL. Erceg profiles as a must-start reliever in the short term for fantasy managers, and could end up holding the ninth-inning role in Kansas City for the remainder of the year.
--Will BradySource: MLB.com
April 6, 2026
Detroit Tigers rookie shortstop
Kevin McGonigle is making the start at the 6 and will bat leadoff for Monday's series opener against the Minnesota Twins and right-hander
Joe Ryan at Target Field, per MLB.com. Infielder
Colt Keith will drop to third in the batting order. McGonigle, a 21-year-old former first-rounder, came into the 2026 season as the No. 2 overall prospect in all of baseball, and so far, he has delivered after impressing enough in spring training to make the Opening Day roster. He went 10-for-33 (.303) with three doubles, a triple, five RBI, five runs scored, six walks, and five strikeouts in his first nine major-league contests. McGonigle has proven to be mature beyond his years and should now be rostered in all fantasy leagues as a regular for Detroit. All signs point to the infield phenom hitting near the top of Detroit's batting order for many years to come.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
April 6, 2026
Minnesota Twins outfielder
Byron Buxton is serving as the designated hitter and is batting leadoff for Monday's series opener against the visiting Detroit Tigers and right-hander
Casey Mize, according to MLB.com. Buxton is still the DH after returning on Sunday after missing Saturday's game due to a forearm contusion that he suffered when he was hit by a pitch on Friday. The 32-year-old two-time All-Star hit second in eight of the team's first nine games this year and will now be tried atop the batting order against a pitcher he's very familiar with. Buxton is hitting .350 with a 1.100 OPS, two home runs, and four RBI in 20 career at-bats versus Mize. His fantasy managers will hope it will get him going at the plate in the early portion of the 2026 season, as Buxton enters Monday's action with a .133/.182/.233 slash line with no homers, an RBI, two runs, one walk, and 10 strikeouts in his first eight games played.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
April 6, 2026
The Baltimore Orioles announced on Monday that they recalled right-hander
Brandon Young from Triple-A Norfolk to start Monday's series opener against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field. Left-hander
Dietrich Enns (foot) was placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to April 4) in a corresponding move. Young is making the spot start in place of
Zach Eflin (elbow). The 27-year-old has the potential to be a sleeper two-start pitcher this week for fantasy managers in two good matchups against the White Sox and San Francisco Giants. Young made 12 starts for the O's in his first major-league season in 2025 and went 1-7 with a 6.24 ERA (5.35 FIP) and 1.54 WHIP with 47 strikeouts and 22 walks in 57 2/3 innings pitched. He allowed only one earned run with four strikeouts and no walks in five innings in his lone start for Norfolk this year before being called up to Baltimore.
--Keith HernandezSource: Baltimore Orioles
April 6, 2026
Los Angeles Angels outfielder
Mike Trout (hand) is not in the team's starting lineup for Monday's series opener in Anaheim against the visiting Atlanta Braves, per MLB.com. Trout had an injury scare in Sunday's series finale against the Seattle Mariners on Easter Sunday, but thankfully, X-rays came back negative, and he's only dealing with a left-hand contusion. It sounds like Trout, who has been on the injured list frequently in recent seasons, dodged a bullet and will avoid an early-season trip to the IL. Fantasy managers will want to check back on Tuesday to see if he's back in action at Angels Stadium against Atlanta.
Bryce Teodosio is starting in center field on Monday and will hit eighth against Braves All-Star left-hander
Chris Sale. Fantasy managers will want to avoid Teodosio in DFS with Sale on the bump. Trout has cooled off a bit at the plate after starting strong during opening week with a pair of home runs and stolen bases.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
April 6, 2026
The Houston Astros announced on Monday that they reinstated infielder
Isaac Paredes from the bereavement list. Paredes missed the entire weekend series with the Athletics, but he's back with the squad now. However, the 27-year-old is not in the starting lineup for Monday's series opener at Coors Field against the Colorado Rockies and right-hander
Ryan Feltner. Veteran
Carlos Correa will start at the hot corner and will bat cleanup for the Astros. Paredes has gone 5-for-22 (.227) with four doubles, five RBI, and four runs scored in his first six games played this year, but his playing time figures to be sporadic now that
Jeremy Pena appears to have completely recovered from a fractured finger that he suffered in March while preparing for the World Baseball Classic. He was a second-time All-Star in 2025 in Houston, when he hit 20 homers in 102 games, but unless he's traded this year, there will be limited upside as he tries to find at-bats in a crowded Houston infield.
--Keith HernandezSource: Houston Astros
April 6, 2026
Seattle Mariners infielder
Brendan Donovan (groin) is starting at third base and batting leadoff for Monday's series opener against the division-rival Texas Rangers and right-hander
Jacob deGrom at Globe Life Field, according to MLB.com. A left-groin injury kept Donovan from playing in the final two games of the series versus the Los Angeles Angels over the weekend, but the 29-year-old is back now in a tough matchup against deGrom, whom he's gone hitless against in three career at-bats. With Donovan back in the fold for Seattle,
Leo Rivas is moving from third back to shortstop. Donovan's fantasy managers will hope that he can pick up where he left off in the early going in 2026 in his first year with the M's. He has so far gone 10-for-27 (.370) with two home runs, four RBI, four runs scored, and a stolen base in eight games. Donovan was a first-time All-Star in 2025 in his last year with the Cardinals, but he has a limited fantasy ceiling with modest power and speed.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
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