5 days agoNew York Mets outfielder/designated hitter
Jesse Winker is out of the starting nine for the second-straight game on Sunday afternoon as the Mets look to avoid a three-game sweep at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers. As a result,
J.D. Martinez will serve as the designated hitter and
Brandon Nimmo,
Tyrone Taylor, and
Starling Marte will be in the outfield. Since the start of the month, Winker has held a poor .071 AVG with just one extra-base hit. Even though the Mets offense has struggled over the past week, they have a favorable matchup against Milwaukee right-hander
Colin Rea and are worth a look in DFS.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoAtlanta Braves catcher
Travis d'Arnaud is not in the starting nine on Sunday afternoon as the Braves look to complete a three-game sweep against the Kansas City Royals. The backstop was the hero on Saturday evening as he launched a walk-off home run. As a result,
Sean Murphy will slot in behind the dish and catch for right-hander
Charlie Morton. Fantasy managers should expect d'Arnaud to get the nod in at least one game of the doubleheader against the New York Mets on Monday. Murphy is a solid play in DFS this afternoon as he will bat in the seven-hole and should have many RBI opportunities against Kansas City right-hander
Alec Marsh.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoSan Francisco Giants outfielder
Luis Matos was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento for the final game of the regular season as outfielder
Mark Canha (finger) was placed on the injured list with a right thumb sprain. Matos is not penciled into the starting nine and will be available off the bench as the Giants face the St. Louis Cardinals in their season finale. Matos has posted a .216/.240/.351 line across 44 games at the major league level this summer. The Giant offense is best to fade in DFS this afternoon as they will face Cardinal prospect
Michael McGreevy who enters Sunday with a strong 2.40 ERA.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: San Francisco Giants
5 days agoNew York Yankees outfielder
Juan Soto is not in the starting nine as the Yankees wrap up their 2024 regular season playing host to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Yankees clinched the top seed in the American League on Saturday and will give their superstar outfielder a day off ahead of the playoffs. Soto started in 157 games this summer and held a stellar .288/.419/.569 line with 41 long balls. Under the hood he boasted an MLB-best 18.1% walk rate and 57.0% hard-hit rate. As a result,
Jasson Dominguez and
Alex Verdugo will flank
Aaron Judge in the outfield. The Yankee bats are worth a look in DFS this afternoon as they will face Pittsburgh southpaw
Bailey Falter who enters Sunday with a 4.26 ERA.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Chris Kirschner
5 days agoBoston Red Sox outfielder
Tyler O'Neill is not in the starting lineup on Sunday as the Red Sox wrap up their 2024 season with a divisional match against the Tampa Bay Rays. As a result,
Jarren Duran will shift to left field which opens up right field for
Wilyer Abreu and center field for
Ceddanne Rafaela. O'Neill exceeded expectations in his first season in Boston as he sits with a strong .241/.336/.511 line with 31 home runs and four swiped bags. O'Neill fell just three home runs short of tying his career-high of 34 he posted in the 2021 campaign. Under the hood, the 29-year-old boasted a stellar 17.3% barrel rate and 48.8% hard-hit rate. DFS players should fade Boston hitters this afternoon as they will face Tampa Bay right hander
Ryan Pepiot.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers outfielder
Kevin Kiermaier (finger) suffered a dislocated finger in Saturday evening's game, according to Bill Plunkett of the Southern California Newspaper Group. Plunkett further reported that outfielder
James Outman has joined the Dodgers at Coors Field. Even though
Andy Pages will cover center field on Sunday afternoon, seeing Outman up with the team could suggest Kiermaier may be expected to miss a few games during the playoffs. Fantasy managers participating in playoff contests should continue to monitor the Dodger starting nine during the playoffs, as Kiermaier may remain sidelined. DFS players should consider adding Pages to their lineups this afternoon, as he is carrying a strong .318 average across his past seven games.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Bill Plunkett
5 days agoSan Diego Padres starting pitcher
Matt Waldron was recalled from Triple-A El Paso earlier on Sunday. In a corresponding move, the Padres demoted right-handed pitcher
Randy Vasquez to the minor leagues. Vasquez was given the starting nod on Saturday evening and held his own against the Arizona Diamondbacks as he tossed six shutout innings with only one hit and one walk.
Martin Perez is slated to start in the regular season finale for San Diego but Waldron could be deployed as a long relief option if Perez struggles. Fantasy managers should avoid streaming Perez this afternoon as he has generated strikeouts at a very low 18.2% rate this summer.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: San Diego Padrers
5 days agoColorado Rockies starting pitcher
Ryan Feltner (arm) is set to start in the final game of the regular season on Sunday afternoon against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Feltner left his previous start early due to cramping but that injury does not seem serious as he will get the nod in the season finale. The Ohio State product has held a 4.66 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, with a 50:135 BB:K ratio across 156 1/3 innings of work. The right-hander has held a slightly higher 5.53 ERA and 1.49 WHIP at home, where he will pitch this afternoon against a high-powered Dodger offense. DFS players should look to avoid Feltner in this start as he will have a tall task ahead of him.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoChicago White Sox outfielder
Luis Robert Jr. (ribs) is returning to the starting nine in the final game of the 2024 season. Robert was kept out of the lineup for the past two games due to soreness in his rib cage. The 27-year-old will cover center field and bat in the two-hole. After hitting a career-high 38 home runs last season, the outfielder took a significant step back this summer as he has hit only 14 with a modest .224/.279/.381 slash line. He will face Detroit right-hander
Kenta Maeda who enters Sunday's tilt with a hefty 5.93 ERA which makes Robert a solid play in DFS.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Chicago White Sox
6 days agoBoston Red Sox starting pitcher
Quinn Priester was recalled ahead of his start on Sunday afternoon. Priester has spent his entire time in the Red Sox organization pitching for Triple-A and will be set to make his Boston debut on the final day of the regular season. Through 38 1/3 innings at Triple-A Worcester, the former Bucco held a 5.40 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, with a 12:42 BB:K ratio. In 44 innings at the major league level in the Steel City this summer, Priester posted a 5.04 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP. The 24-year-old has continued to show growing pains against the top level of the minor leagues and the majors and should not be considered as a streaming option this afternoon.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Jen McCaffrey
6 days agoNew York Yankees relief pitcher
Mark Leiter Jr. (paternity) was activated off the paternity list earlier Sunday morning. The right-hander was away from the team for a few days but should be expected to return to his high-leverage role on Sunday and during the playoffs. Since being traded to the Yankees at the trade deadline, Leiter Jr. has logged a 5.23 ERA, 1.68 WHIP, with a 7:30 BB:K ratio across 20 2/3 frames. Earlier this season with the Cubs, Leiter posted a 4.21 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP through 36 1/3 innings of work. Leiter has generated whiffs and strikeouts at a strong 37.3% and 33.2% respectively and could occasionally mix in for save opportunities during October.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: New York Yankees
6 days agoWashington Nationals rookie outfielder
James Wood went 2-for-4 with a triple and a home run in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Phillies, collecting two RBI and two runs scored in the process. The hits extended the left-handed hitter's current hit streak to six games. The 22-year-old has shown he belongs in the big leagues since being called up at the beginning of July, slashing .269/.360/.434 with nine home runs and 14 stolen bases in 78 games (331 PA) to start his career. Expect the former second-round draft pick to start 2025 with the Nats and he'll likely have a costly ADP with the strong blend of power and speed.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 days agoAtlanta Braves catcher
Travis d'Arnaud stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the ninth 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts to that point in the game, but belted a pitch from Royals reliever
Sam Long over the center-field wall for the walk-off 2-1 win. The victory was huge for the Braves as both the Mets and Diamondbacks both lost as the three teams vie for the final two Wild Card spots. The veteran backstop has had a rough month, slashing .163/.280/.256 in 43 at-bats, and it was his first long ball since August 26. The 35-year-old has put together a solid season as a real-life catcher, not so much for fantasy, logging 97 games played with a .236-15-48-39-1 line working as the Braves backup, although he worked as the starter while
Sean Murphy was out with injury.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 days agoAtlanta Braves starting pitcher
Reynaldo Lopez (shoulder) was outstanding in his return off of the injured list on Saturday, tossing six innings of one-run ball, allowing just two hits and striking out nine Royals in a crucial 2-1 victory as the Braves look to lock down a wild-card spot. The 30-year-old has had a terrific season, even earning his first All-Star appearance this season, but has been limited in the second half due to injuries. Still, he came up big when the Braves needed it and will finish the regular season with an 8-5 record, an ERA of just 2.00, a 1.11 WHIP, and a K-BB% of 19.3%. The righty may have helped fantasy managers to are still in it to a championship and he'll look to continue that success next season in Atlanta.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 days agoTampa Bay Rays starting pitcher
Shane Baz tossed his third consecutive quality start in Saturday's 7-2 victory over the Red Sox, allowing two earned runs on just three hits and a walk while striking out seven over six innings of work, picking up his fourth win. Baz has looked good since coming off of the IL in July after his recovery from Tommy John surgery, other than perhaps some command issues which he's cleaned up as of late, with just four walks compared to 23 strikeouts over his last four starts. The righty looked like he had a promising future before requiring Tommy John, and that still looks to be the case after he posted a 3.06 ERA and 1.06 WHIP over 14 starts. While the 13.2% K-BB% overall doesn't jump off the page, the last four starts were more in line with what managers should expect from the former first-rounder next season, as he pitched to a 20.9% K-BB% over that timeframe.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
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