March 19, 2026
After spending the first eight seasons of his MLB career with the Houston Astros, starting pitcher
Framber Valdez signed a three-year, $115 million contract with the Detroit Tigers over the winter. The 32-year-old established himself as one of the most reliable southpaws in baseball during his time with Houston. Dating back to 2022, Valdez has recorded four consecutive seasons with at least 176 innings pitched, 169 strikeouts, and an ERA under 3.70. Across 192 innings (31 starts) in 2025, Valdez posted a 13-11 record with a 3.66 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and 187 strikeouts. The veteran routinely posts one of the highest ground ball rates among MLB starters, which helps him limit home runs but can lead to a slightly elevated WHIP. Valdez also relies on workload volume to rack up strikeouts, as he posted a middling 23.3% strikeout rate in 2025. Still, Valdez has established a bankable production floor and will also now be making his home starts in a pitcher-friendly environment in Detroit. Valdez profiles as a steady fantasy SP2 heading into 2026.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
March 19, 2026
Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that starting pitcher
Shane Bieber (forearm) is "progressing well" and could return to throwing off a mound "fairly soon," per Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet. Bieber made his return from April 2024 Tommy John surgery in late August 2025, but dealt with forearm fatigue during Toronto's postseason run that will delay his start to 2026. With Bieber,
Jose Berrios (elbow), and
Trey Yesavage (shoulder) all set to open the year on the Injured List, Toronto's starting pitching depth will be tested early on. Bieber pitched well across 40 1/3 innings (seven starts) for the Blue Jays in 2025, recording a 4-2 record with a 3.57 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 37 strikeouts. He should provide fantasy-relevant production when healthy in 2026, but his ability to stay on the mound for any extended stretch of time has to be considered a major question mark.
--Will BradySource: Sportsnet - Arden Zwelling
March 19, 2026
The Washington Nationals announced on Thursday that they optioned right-hander
Josiah Gray to Triple-A Rochester. The Nationals are going to give Gray a little more time to ease himself back in after he spent all of 2025 rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. The 28-year-old was a first-time All-Star in 2023 for the Nats, but he made just two starts in 2024 before being shut down with right-elbow trouble. He has allowed only one earned run while walking one and striking out five in 4 2/3 innings over two Grapefruit League starts this spring, but the Nationals will be able to control his workload a bit better with him at Rochester to begin the season. Gray should be in Washington's starting rotation at some point in 2026, but fantasy managers in deep-mixed leagues can take a wait-and-see approach. In his four years in the majors, Gray has a 4.84 ERA (5.50 FIP), 1.42 WHIP, and 382:184 K:BB in 386 2/3 innings over 74 outings (73 starts).
--Keith HernandezSource: Nationals Communications
March 19, 2026
MLB.com's Ian Browne writes that it is "hard to see" how Boston Red Sox outfielder
Masataka Yoshida fits into the team's outfield rotation on a regular basis in 2026. Boston has five projected outfielders entering the regular season in Yoshida,
Roman Anthony,
Jarren Duran,
Ceddanne Rafaela, and
Wilyer Abreu. Anthony, an emerging star in baseball, will play every day and will spend a lot of time in left field while also occasionally seeing time as the designated hitter and in right field when Abreu needs a day off. Duran will rotate between left, center, and DH. When Rafaela and Abreu play, they will always be in center and right field, respectively. It makes the 32-year-old Yoshida a trade candidate with a week to go until Opening Day. His fantasy value is way down after he hit only four home runs and drove in 26 while slashing .266/.307/.388 in just 55 games in 2025 due to injuries. Even if the contact-oriented Yoshida is healthy, he might not see enough at-bats in Beantown to warrant attention in mixed fantasy leagues.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Ian Browne
March 19, 2026
Tampa Bay Rays shortstop
Taylor Walls (oblique) is set to open 2026 on the Injured List due to an oblique issue, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. With Walls sidelined, Topkin reports that top Rays prospect
Carson Williams is "likely" to be the team's Opening Day starter at shortstop. Across 317 plate appearances in 2025, the glove-first Walls hit .220/.280/.319 with four home runs, 38 RBI, 36 runs scored, and 14 stolen bases. The 29-year-old is a career .195/.286/.298 hitter across 1,560 MLB plate appearances, rendering him largely unusable in the majority of fantasy formats. Walls' strong defensive metrics could lead to him regaining Tampa Bay's starting shortstop role once healthy. However, Williams appears likely to get an extended run of everyday playing time and could be a player for fantasy managers to target as a cheap source of power and speed.
--Will BradySource: Tampa Bay Times - Marc Topkin
March 19, 2026
Chicago White Sox pitchers
Erick Fedde and
Sean Burke have been named to the team's Opening Day starting rotation by manager
Will Venable, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.
Shane Smith,
Anthony Kay, and
Davis Martin will round out Chicago's rotation to begin the 2026 regular season. Fedde and Burke will be options for fantasy managers in AL-only leagues and won't provide much upside. Fedde, 33, spent time with the St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, and Milwaukee Brewers in 2025 and was very inconsistent, posting a 5.49 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, and 83:67 K:BB in 141 innings over 32 outings (24 starts). With a career 4.94 ERA and 6.9 K/9, there's not much to like about Fedde's profile. Burke, 26, has a 3.87 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, and 155:70 K:BB over 153 1/3 innings and 32 outings (25 starts) the last two years in Chicago. He actually made the Opening Day start in 2025, but issues with home runs and poor control made him inconsistent overall. That has carried into spring training this year.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Mark Feinsand
March 19, 2026
Tampa Bay Rays shortstop and top prospect
Carson Williams "seems likely" to be the team's Opening Day starting shortstop, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Williams was optioned to Minor League camp on Tuesday, but the news that presumed Rays starting shortstop
Taylor Walls (oblique) will open the year on the Injured List due to an oblique issue has apparently necessitated a change in plans. Williams made his MLB debut in 2025 and struggled mightily, slashing .172/.219/.354 with five home runs, 12 RBI, 11 runs scored, and two stolen bases across 106 plate appearances. The 22-year-old struck out in 41.5% of his big-league plate appearances and wasn't much better at Triple-A, where he logged a 34.1% strikeout rate. However, Williams also racked up 23 home runs and 22 stolen bases across his 451 Minor League plate appearances in 2025. If he can limit his swing-and-miss to a more manageable level, Williams carries clear power/speed upside for fantasy managers. However, his profile comes with considerable downside risk in the batting average category.
--Will BradySource: Tampa Bay Times - Marc Topkin
March 19, 2026
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher
Trey Yesavage (shoulder) will open the season on the Injured List due to a right shoulder impingement, per Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. Toronto had been slow-playing Yesavage in Spring Training in an effort to manage his innings workload, but it appears as though the young right-hander will now require an injury-related shutdown. The 22-year-old made his MLB debut in 2025 and was a key contributor in the Blue Jays' run to the World Series, pitching to a 3.58 ERA and 1.05 WHIP with 39 strikeouts across 27 2/3 postseason innings. It's not yet clear how much time Yesavage should be expected to miss, but losing him for any stretch is a blow to Toronto's rotation. From a fantasy perspective, Yesavage's workload uncertainty makes him difficult for managers to rely on. Veteran left-hander
Eric Lauer could be called upon to fill Yesavage's spot in the Blue Jays rotation to open 2026.
--Will BradySource: MLB.com - Keegan Matheson
March 19, 2026
Kansas City Royals relief pitcher
Matt Strahm (leg) was diagnosed with a leg contusion and is considered day-to-day after being struck by a line drive against the Rangers. He was removed as a precaution, but the injury doesn't look like it will impact his availability for Opening Day. Strahm was acquired by the Royals from the Phillies, where the 34-year-old has spent the last three seasons. He is expected to fill a high-leverage role in the Royals' bullpen, and he is worth a look in leagues that count holds as a category. He isn't expected to compete for saves, though, while
Carlos Estevez is healthy, which limits his value in standard mixed leagues.
--Zach ThompsonSource: Anne Rogers
March 19, 2026
Houston Astros starting pitcher
Tatsuya Imai has looked solid in spring training, allowing just two hits and one walk while picking up seven strikeouts in six innings. He worked three perfect innings with four strikeouts against the Marlins last Wednesday. The fact that he only has one walk is especially important since his control has been an issue at times in his eight years in the NPB in Japan. Last year, the righty posted a career-best 1.92 ERA and 2.01 FIP in 163 2/3 innings, racking up 178 strikeouts but also issuing 45 walks. He has huge upside as he joins the Astros rotation and will help fill in the void left by
Framber Valdez's departure via free agency. Imai has looked very sharp and brings great upside as the #44 starting pitcher and #65 overall pitcher in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings for 2026. If you can snag Imai, as a way to build rotation depth, he has the ceiling to be an elite producer if he successfully transitions to the MLB.
--Zach ThompsonSource: RotoBaller
March 19, 2026
Chicago Cubs first baseman
Michael Busch broke through as a regular in 2024 and emerged as a solid fantasy starter in 2025. He posted a .261/.343/.523 slash line with 34 home runs, 90 RBI, 78 runs scored, and four stolen bases. He was able to reduce his strikeout rate from 28.6% in 2024 to 23.5% in 2025 while increasing his barrel rate from 11.2% to 17.1% and his hard-hit rate from 39.9% to 47.3%. While he had lopsided platoon splits last year, struggling against southpaws, manager Craig Counsell said earlier in spring training that Busch has earned the right to play full-time and is not expected to be platooned to start the year. Busch's power production is excellent at his current ADP, and he is a legitimate bat to add once the elite options are gone at 1B. He's the No. 12 1B in RotoBaller's rankings, and his ADP is climbing based on the expectation that he'll be in a full-time role to start the season.
--Zach ThompsonSource: RotoBaller
March 19, 2026
New York Mets outfielder
Juan Soto is the No. 2 outfielder in the RotoBaller rankings, and he looks ready to live up to lofty expectations in his second season with the Mets. He is worth an early first-round pick since he consistently contributes across the board in multiple categories. Last year, he had a .263/.396/.525 triple-slash with a .390 wOBA, 43 homers, 120 runs scored, and 105 RBI. He also added even more value by setting a new career high with 38 stolen bases. In his first seven seasons in the majors, he had never stolen more than 12 bases. With such well-rounded production and a secure spot near the top of one of the better lineups in the National League, he's an elite play. He had a slow spring training before the World Baseball Classic, but he went 6-for-23 (.261) with a pair of homers for the Dominican Republic.
--Zach ThompsonSource: RotoBaller
March 19, 2026
Boston Red Sox first baseman
Willson Contreras is putting together a strong first impression after joining the team this offseason in a trade from the Cardinals. After hitting .257 with 20 homers and a .344 wOBA last year, the 33-year-old has gone 6-for-13 with a pair of homers in limited Grapefruit League action. He was part of the WBC-winning Venezuela team, going 3-for-12 with three RBI in four games. He is ranked as the No. 16 1B in RotoBaller's rankings and can be a solid option once the elite starters are off the board. He could get a boost from Fenway Park and a more competitive environment and lineup. He's expected to hit in the heart of the order and should be a solid source of average and power again this season.
--Zach ThompsonSource: RotoBaller
March 19, 2026
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher
Braxton Ashcraft struck out eight in 5 1/3 strong innings on Wednesday against the Detroit Tigers. The 26-year-old appeared in 26 games (eight starts) in his first taste of the majors last season, logging 69 2/3 innings and compiling a 2.71 ERA and 2.78 FIP. He looks ready to anchor a key spot in the Pirates' rotation going into the season and is an underrated part of the Pirates' exciting young rotation. If you need a late-round starting pitcher, Ashcraft can be an intriguing sleeper pick and can definitely be a streaming option to consider early in the season if he goes undrafted in mixed leagues.
--Zach ThompsonSource: ESPN
March 18, 2026
New York Yankees veteran infielder
Paul DeJong doesn't plan to opt out of his minor-league deal with the team on Thursday, a source told Joel Sherman of the New York Post. DeJong's plan is to try to make the big-league squad out of spring training, and if he doesn't, he'll begin the year at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. If the 32-year-old veteran were to win a job on the Opening Day roster for next week, he'd be operating in a bench role, leaving him very little fantasy upside at this point in his career. He's going into his 10th season in the big leagues with his seventh different team. Last year in 57 games with the Washington Nationals, DeJong hit .228/.269/.373 with a .642 OPS, six home runs, 23 RBI, 18 runs scored, and four stolen bases. DeJong reached the 30-homer mark once in his career, but that was all the way back in his third year in the big leagues in 2019 with the St. Louis Cardinals.
--Keith HernandezSource: New York Post - Joel Sherman
RADIO
