March 17, 2026
Kansas City Royals second baseman
Jonathan India (groin) returned to Tuesday's Cactus League lineup against the Los Angeles Dodgers and got the start at second base while batting leadoff. The Royals removed India as a precaution during Friday's spring training game against the Arizona Diamondbacks with right-groin tightness, but the 29-year-old has returned to action this week. Barring a setback, India will be ready to start on Opening Day later this month in his second year with the team. The former National League Rookie of the Year in 2021 with the Cincinnati Reds struggled in his first year in the American League, slashing .233/.323/.346 with a career-low .669 OPS, nine home runs, 45 RBI, and 63 runs scored over 567 plate appearances and 136 games played. India's fantasy stock is obviously way down -- he's the No. 42-ranked second baseman at RotoBaller -- but perhaps he rebounds for the Royals while sticking at the keystone this year.
--Keith HernandezSource: Kansas City Royals
March 17, 2026
Houston Astros right-hander
Hunter Brown established himself as one of the best starting pitchers in baseball in 2025, recording a 12-9 record with a 2.43 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 206 strikeouts across 185 1/3 innings (31 starts). The 27-year-old boosted his strikeout rate to a career-best 28.3% while lowering his walk rate to a career-low 7.8%. Brown benefited from an elevated 82% strand rate, so he may see some regression in his ERA in 2026. Still, Brown has gotten better in each of his three full big-league seasons to this point and appears to have a safe production floor as he enters the prime years of his career. Brown has also been one of the more durable arms in MLB in recent seasons, recording three consecutive campaigns with at least 31 appearances. Brown should be viewed as a low-end fantasy SP1 by redraft managers heading into 2026.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
March 17, 2026
Chicago Cubs outfielder
Pete Crow-Armstrong broke out in a major way in 2025, hitting .247/.287/.481 with 31 home runs, 95 RBI, 91 runs scored, and 35 stolen bases across 647 plate appearances. However, the vast majority of the 23-year-old's production was front-loaded in the first half of the season. After the All-Star break, Crow-Armstrong hit .216/.262/.372 and struck out in 25.6% of his plate appearances. He also struggled against left-handed pitching throughout the year, logging a .594 OPS with a 29.3% strikeout rate against southpaws. As a result of his second-half troubles, Crow-Amstrong enters 2026 with some question marks in his fantasy outlook. Still, Crow-Armstrong's 13% barrel rate in 2025 backs up his power surge, and his 62 stolen bases over the past two seasons leave little doubt about his ability to provide fantasy value with his legs. Crow-Armstrong is also considered to be one of the best defensive center fielders in baseball, which should keep his playing time in Chicago secure even if he struggles with the bat. Crow-Armstrong profiles as a high-risk, high-reward outfield option for fantasy managers in 2026.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
March 17, 2026
Across 66 innings as a rookie in 2025, Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher
Jacob Misiorowski posted a 5-3 record with a 4.36 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and 87 strikeouts. The 23-year-old made his MLB debut in mid-June and dominated in the early going, hitting the All-Star break with a 2.81 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP. However, Misiorowski hit some rough patches in the second half of the season, posting a 9.58 ERA in August. Command is an issue for Misiorowski, as he finished his first MLB season with an 11.4% walk rate and recorded a 14.4% walk rate across 97 1/3 innings in the Minors in 2024. If he can't get the walks under control, it will be difficult for Misiorowski to be anything but a drag on the WHIP category for fantasy managers. Still, Misiorowski offers tantalizing swing-and-miss upside. He struck out 31.9% of the batters he faced in 2025 and posted back-to-back Minor league seasons with strikeout rates north of 30% in 2023 and 2024. Misiorowski profiles as a high-risk, high-reward starting pitching option for fantasy managers in 2026.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
March 17, 2026
After being limited to just 73 games by a back injury in 2024, Milwaukee Brewers designated hitter/outfielder
Christian Yelich bounced back with an excellent showing in 2025. Across 644 plate appearances, the 34-year-old slashed .264/.343/.452 with 29 home runs, 103 RBI, 88 runs scored, and 16 stolen bases. Yelich made some changes to his approach in 2025, posting his best barrel rate (10.5%) since 2020 and recording his highest homer output since 2019. However, he also recorded the highest full-season strikeout rate (25.9%) of his career and his first single-digit walk rate (9.9%) since 2015. From a fantasy perspective, Yelich selling out for a bit more power is a positive as long as he keeps his strikeout rate low enough to hit for a respectable batting average. Yelich must be considered a significant injury risk at this point in his career, but he also carries high-end five-category upside that makes him a tempting selection for fantasy managers heading into 2026.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
March 17, 2026
Across 687 plate appearances in 2025, Kansas City Royals shortstop
Bobby Witt Jr. slashed .295/.351/.501 with 23 home runs, 88 RBI, 99 runs scored, and 38 stolen bases. While the 25-year-old's numbers were slightly down across the board relative to his banner 2024 campaign, Witt Jr. still provided elite overall fantasy production. Overall, Witt Jr. profiles as one of the most bankable superstars in baseball. Across four MLB seasons, he has never finished with fewer than 20 home runs, 30 stolen bases, 80 RBI, or 80 runs scored. There may also be reasons to think that he can boost his power output closer to the 30-homer mark that he reached in both 2023 and 2024. For one, Witt Jr. posted an above-average 12.5% barrel rate in 2025. Additionally, the Royals are moving the fences in at Kauffman Stadium this year, which could lead to a more home run-friendly environment in half of Witt Jr.'s games. Heading into 2026, Witt Jr. looks like one of the safer picks for fantasy managers early in the first round of drafts.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
March 17, 2026
Miami Marlins pitchers
Janson Junk and
Braxton Garrett are now battling for the fifth and final starting-rotation spot to begin the 2026 season, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Junk is being built up as a starter and will get one more Grapefruit League start this week before spring training wraps up. Garrett, who has a 6.75 ERA this spring, is trying to return to form after having elbow surgery back in December of 2024.
Sandy Alcantara,
Eury Perez,
Chris Paddack, and
Max Meyer are Miami's other locked-in starting pitchers. The 28-year-old Garrett, the former seventh overall pick in 2016, is the more attractive deep-league stash, but the Marlins might prefer to ease him into action after he missed the entire 2025 season. Junk, meanwhile, was decent for the Fish last year, posting a 4.17 ERA, one save, a 1.14 WHIP, and 77 strikeouts in 110 innings. He might be best as a long-reliever/swingman for Miami, though, and he has a weak 17.5% career strikeout rate in five MLB seasons.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Miami Herald - Barry Jackson
March 17, 2026
Seattle Mariners right-hander
Bryce Miller (oblique), who has been out since he cut his bullpen session short on March 11 due to a left-oblique injury, threw a full bullpen session in camp on Tuesday of around 30 pitches without any restrictions, according to MLB.com's Manny Randhawa. Miller has made only one Cactus League start this year, pitching 1 1/3 scoreless innings. The 27-year-old had a 2.94 ERA in 31 starts in a breakout 2024 season, but he made only 18 starts in 2025 due to injuries and finished with an ugly 5.68 ERA. His bullpen session was good news on Tuesday, but Miller isn't going to be ready for the start of the regular season in less than two weeks. Either
Emerson Hancock or
Cooper Criswell will take Miller's spot in the starting rotation to begin the 2026 campaign. Miller has bounce-back potential, but more injuries this spring have nearly pushed him outside of the top-100 starting-pitcher rankings at RotoBaller.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Manny Randhawa
March 17, 2026
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar
Shohei Ohtani will pitch in the team's Cactus League game on Wednesday against the San Francisco Giants, manager Dave Roberts told Maddie Lee of The Los Angeles Times. Roberts also revealed that Ohtani is lined up to pitch in the Freeway Series against the Los Angeles Angels on March 22 and 24. The 31-year-old right-hander isn't recovering from any type of injury, but the Dodgers are slow-playing him this spring after a lengthy run into the postseason. Ohtani will be pitching in a spring training game on Wednesday for the first time since 2023 with the Angels. The Dodgers plan on Ohtani being a two-way player for the entire 2026 season, but he'll be on an innings limit early on and will only go around three to four innings, which will obviously limit his ceiling in both DFS contests and regular fantasy leagues. When he's fully healthy and fully stretched out, though, Ohtani has fantasy ace potential as a starting pitcher.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Maddie Lee
March 17, 2026
Updating a previous report, the Chicago Cubs have clarified that outfielder
Seiya Suzuki's right-knee injury involves a sprained posterior cruciate ligament, according to Patrick Mooney of The Athletic. Suzuki can still do baseball activities while receiving treatment for his knee, but it's "unclear when he will be able to start the season." Although it's probably more likely than not that the 31-year-old veteran opens the 2026 regular season on the injured list, it's ultimately good news for the Cubs. The fact that Suzuki even still has a chance to play on Opening Day in late March is a positive for Chicago and fantasy managers. Until Suzuki is able to return to the Cubbies' lineup,
Matt Shaw and
Michael Conforto are expected to share playing time in right field. The No. 27-ranked fantasy outfielder at RotoBaller injured his knee trying to steal second base on Saturday in the World Baseball Classic contest against Venezuela while playing for Team Japan.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Patrick Mooney
March 17, 2026
Cincinnati Reds right-hander
Chase Burns has made the team's Opening Day roster, according to Charlie Goldsmith of FOX 19. Starting pitchers
Rhett Lowder and
Brandon Williamson also made the squad, giving the Reds six starters for a five-man starting rotation. Burns, Lowder, and Williamson are some of the team's best young pitchers, so it will allow them to rotate them through the final two spots in the rotation to help with their inexperience and recent injury history. RotoBaller has the hard-throwing 23-year-old ranked as the No. 43 starting pitcher already because of his elite strikeout potential. Burns might not be a regular starter with a turn every five days right out of the gates in 2026, but if he performs, he could quickly become a staple for Cincy in their rotation. The former second overall pick in 2024 out of Wake Forest made his big-league debut in 2025 and had a 4.57 ERA and 1.31 WHIP with 67 K's and 16 walks in 43 1/3 innings over 13 outings (eight starts). Burns has as high a ceiling as any young arm in baseball.
--Keith HernandezSource: FOX 19 - Charlie Goldsmith
March 17, 2026
San Diego Padres closer
Mason Miller will be available to pitch on Tuesday night against Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic final, manager Mark DeRosa told Jorge Castillo of ESPN. Despite throwing 22 pitches on Sunday in his save against the Dominican Republic in the semifinals, the hard-throwing right-hander will be available out of the bullpen on Tuesday. If Miller gets into Tuesday's game, it will be his third time pitching in the last five days. The 27-year-old former third-round pick in 2021 out of Gardner-Webb University is one of the most dominant closers in the game and will be the first reliever off the board in most fantasy formats. Miller has a ridiculous 13.8 K/9 and 39.5% strikeout rate in his three years in the big leagues in 160 innings pitched. Only two of his 22 saves last year came after the Padres acquired him in a blockbuster trade for the A's, but Miller's fantasy stock is way up in 2026 now that he's SD's unquestioned ninth-inning arm.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jorge Castillo
March 17, 2026
Chicago Cubs outfielder
Seiya Suzuki (knee) has been diagnosed with a strained PCL in his knee, according to Bruce Levine of the Marquee Sports Network. As of now, it's unclear if Suzuki will go on the injured list to begin the 2026 regular season. Suzuki underwent an MRI exam after injuring his knee while playing for Japan in the World Baseball Classic on Saturday against Venezuela, and the 31-year-old has been shut down from baseball activities since. Thankfully, Suzuki isn't dealing with any torn ligaments in his knee, which could have ended his 2026 season. However, with Opening Day coming up in less than two weeks, we'd bet on the Cubs putting Suzuki on the injured list to begin the year. In the meantime,
Matt Shaw and
Michael Conforto will likely platoon for Chicago in right field. The injury makes Suzuki a bit riskier in fantasy baseball drafts for managers looking for power. Suzuki had a career-best 32 home runs and 103 RBI in 151 regular-season games for the Cubbies last year in his fourth year in the big leagues.
--Keith HernandezSource: Marquee Sports Network - Bruce Levine
March 17, 2026
Tampa Bay Rays outfield prospect
Jacob Melton, who was in contention to make the Opening Day roster out of spring training, has been optioned to minor-league camp and will begin the 2026 season at Triple-A Durham, according to Ryan Bass. Melton is considered a key piece of the team's future and is expected to be up in the majors at some point in 2026. The Rays acquired Melton in the offseason from the Houston Astros in a three-team trade. The 25-year-old former second-round pick in 2022 out of Oregon State made his major-league debut in Houston last year and struggled to a .157/.234/.186 slash line, no homers, seven RBI, seven stolen bases, six walks, and 29 strikeouts in 78 plate appearances over only 32 games for the Astros. Melton might be a platoon bat when he eventually reaches Tampa this year, but he's an intriguing stash in dynasty/keeper leagues for his plus speed and developing power stroke. He's listed as Tampa's No. 4 prospect, per MLB Pipeline.
--Keith HernandezSource: Ryan Bass
March 17, 2026
Tampa Bay Rays shortstop prospect
Carson Williams, who was in contention to make the Opening Day roster, has been optioned to minor-league camp and will start the 2026 season at Triple-A Durham, according to Ryan Bass. Williams is a key piece of the Rays' future and is expected to be up in the major leagues at some point in 2026. The 22-year-old former 28th overall pick in 2021 looked overmatched in his first taste of big-league pitching in just 32 games, going 17-for-99 (.172) with five homers, 12 RBI, six walks, and 44 strikeouts in 106 plate appearances. He has looked much better in Grapefruit League action this spring, going 8-for-22 (.364) with two RBI, a run, one stolen base, one walk, and five strikeouts in 11 games played. Per MLB Pipeline, Williams is Tampa's No. 1 prospect. He has clear 20/20 upside at a premium position, making him a must-stash in all dynasty/keeper leagues, and even some deeper mixed and AL-only leagues in 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: Ryan Bass
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