Brice Matthews Making Season Debut in Center Field on Friday: Houston Astros infielder/outfielder Brice Matthews will make his 2026 debut on Friday against the visiting Los Angeles Angels and left-hander Yusei Kikuchi at Daikin Park. Per MLB.com, Matthews is starting in center field and will bat ninth in the lineup. With Matthews in the lineup, Jake Meyers will retreat to the bench against a left-hander. The 24-year-old prospect is expected to serve in a super-utility role for the Astros to begin the year after he saw playing time in center field, left field, and second base during spring training. The former 28th overall pick in 2023 hit .250 (9-for-36) with an .817 OPS, a homer, 10 RBI, six runs scored, and eight stolen bases in 16 Grapefruit League games this spring. Matthews went just 7-for-42 (.167) in a small 13-game sample size in his MLB debut in 2025 with two walks and 20 strikeouts, but he's a high-upside rookie who possesses plus speed and above-average raw power. - as of Fri, 27 Mar 2026 16:53:30
Yordan Alvarez Shifts to Left Field on Friday: Houston Astros outfielder Yordan Alvarez, who was in the designated hitter spot on Opening Day on Thursday, will shift to left field on Friday against the Los Angeles Angels and left-hander Yusei Kikuchi, according to MLB.com. With shortstop Jeremy Pena (finger) back, Carlos Correa is shifting to third base, pushing Isaac Paredes to DH. Alvarez will bat out of the two-hole. Despite the lefty-on-lefty matchup for Alvarez in Game 2 of the regular season, he should be left in all starting fantasy lineups, as he's hit .357 against Kikuchi in his career with a 1.143 OPS, three home runs, and nine RBI in 28 at-bats. The 28-year-old Cuban went 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout in Thursday's 3-0 loss, but he had what looked to be a no-doubt home run taken away from him when the ball hit the rafters at Daikin Park. Alvarez is a three-time All-Star who had established himself as one of the best all-around hitters in baseball before being limited to only 48 games due to injury in 2025. He could see plenty of time in left field this year (if he's healthy) if the Astros want to keep Paredes' bat in the lineup. - as of Fri, 27 Mar 2026 16:46:42
Ben Rice Will See Time Against Left-Handed Pitchers This Year: New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that first baseman/catcher Ben Rice and outfielder Trent Grisham, who are both out of the starting lineup on Friday against San Francisco Giants lefty Robbie Ray, will see playing time against southpaws in 2026, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. "A lot of it has to do with the first three series, the first nine games -- this (Robbie Ray) is probably the only lefty we're going to see," Boone said. Rice, 27, broke out in 2025 in his first full year in the big leagues and earned more exposure to lefties, hitting .255/.337/.499 with an .836 OPS, 26 home runs, 65 RBI, and 74 runs scored in 530 plate appearances over 138 games played. Against left-handers, Rice went 22-for-106 (.208) with seven of his home runs on the season. The 27-year-old lefty slugger also has catcher eligibility. Rice's fantasy arrow is firmly pointing up in 2026. He went 1-for-4 on Opening night on Wednesday in the win over the Giants. - as of Fri, 27 Mar 2026 16:22:38
Ozzie Albies Hitting Third to Kick Off 2026 Season: Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies will bat in the three-hole for the Braves on Opening Day on Friday against the visiting Kansas City Royals and left-hander Cole Ragans at Truist Park, according to MLB.com. This is definitely notable after Albies only had seven of his 157 plate appearances in 2025 out of the No. 3 spot in the batting order. Overall, the three-time All-Star hit .240/.306/.365 with a career-worst .671 OPS, 16 home runs, 74 RBI, 74 runs scored, and 14 stolen bases in 667 plate appearances over 157 games played. The 29-year-old switch-hitting second baseman was much better against lefties from the right side of the plate in 2025, going 49-for-177 (.277) against them, but with only four of his 16 total home runs. The Braves could have Albies hitting elsewhere against righties in 2026, but for now, he's in the heart of Atlanta's order on Opening Day as he looks to bounce back in his 10th year in the big leagues. Albies is hitless in just one career at-bat against Ragans. - as of Fri, 27 Mar 2026 16:09:30
Drake Baldwin Batting Second, Serving as DH on Opening Day: Atlanta Braves catcher Drake Baldwin will serve as the team's designated hitter and bat out of the two-hole on Opening Day on Friday against the visiting Kansas City Royals and left-hander Cole Ragans at Truist Park, per MLB.com. At least until catcher Sean Murphy (hip) returns, the Braves plan to use Baldwin at DH and Jonah Heim behind the plate against left-handed pitchers. The 24-year-old Baldwin was named National League Rookie of the Year in 2025 after slashing .274/.341/.469 with an .810 OPS, 19 home runs, 80 RBI, and 56 runs scored in 446 plate appearances and 124 games. Baldwin had an impressive .299/.358/.460 slash line with an .818 OPS against left-handed pitchers last year, although only four of his 19 home runs came against them. There is plenty of counting-stat upside with Baldwin, who should be in the lineup regularly, even when Murphy returns. After what he showed last year, Baldwin should be considered a top-10 fantasy backstop. - as of Fri, 27 Mar 2026 15:39:34
Carter Jensen Serving as DH, Hitting Ninth on Opening Day: Kansas City Royals catching prospect Carter Jensen is serving as the team's designated hitter and is batting ninth in the order on Friday on Opening Day against the Atlanta Braves and left-hander Chris Sale, according to MLB.com. Jensen, 22, impressed in a 20-game cup of coffee in KC in 2025 in his MLB debut, going 18-for-60 (.300) with three home runs, 13 RBI, and 12 runs scored in 69 plate appearances. Jensen went just 9-for-42 (.214) during spring training, though, adding three homers, eight RBI, seven runs, one stolen base, four walks, and 11 strikeouts in 15 Cactus League games. He's expected to split catching duties in 2026 in his first full year in the majors with veteran Salvador Perez while also seeing at-bats at DH for the Royals. Don't overlook the fact that Jensen could be playing every day for the Royals this year. DFS managers will want to avoid him on Opening Day in the nine-hole against Sale, though. - as of Fri, 27 Mar 2026 15:31:27
Kazuma Okamoto Hitting Seventh in Major-League Debut: Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Kazuma Okamoto will bat seventh in the Jays' lineup on Opening Day on Friday at the Rogers Centre against the visiting Athletics and right-hander Luis Severino, per MLB.com. The Blue Jays signed Okamoto over the winter to a four-year, $60 million contract to lock him in as their primary third baseman in 2026. The 29-year-old right-handed-hitting infielder looked good at the plate in eight Grapefruit League games this spring, going 6-for-19 (.316) with a homer, three doubles, four RBI, four runs scored, three walks, and four strikeouts in a small sample size. Okamoto was limited to 69 games in Japan last year due to an elbow injury, but if healthy, he has the opportunity to be a consistent power bat for fantasy managers at hitter-friendly Rogers Centre. Fantasy managers who have him rostered in dynasty/keeper leagues will be hoping for a similar career arc as the Cubs' Seiya Suzuki. - as of Fri, 27 Mar 2026 15:11:27
Clay Holmes Could Be an Undervalued Source of Innings in 2026: New York Mets right-hander Clay Holmes made the transition from high-leverage reliever to starting pitcher in his first season with the team in 2025. Across 165 2/3 innings (33 appearances, 31 starts), Holmes recorded a 12-8 record with a 3.53 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and 129 strikeouts. Holmes' trademark power sinker transferred over to the starting rotation, as he logged a 55.8% ground ball rate. However, the 33-year-old's average fastball velocity dropped from 97.5 mph in 2024 to 93.5 mph in 2025, and he posted a subpar 18.2% strikeout rate. Given how much contact he allows in combination with his middling 9.3% walk rate, Holmes may always be a negative in the WHIP category for fantasy managers. Still, he showed an ability to eat innings in 2025 and owns a career HR/9 of 0.61, which could help him consistently beat his ERA projections. If Holmes can take a marginal step forward with his strikeout rate in 2026, he could be a useful depth arm for fantasy managers. - as of Fri, 27 Mar 2026 14:57:46
Can Jack Leiter Replicate His Strong Close to 2025 Over a Full Season in 2026?: Across 151 2/3 innings (29 starts) in 2025, Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jack Leiter pitched to a 10-10 record with a 3.86 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and 148 strikeouts. While the former top prospect established himself as a back-end rotation piece in Texas, his season-long K-BB% of 12.5% does not jump off the page. However, Leiter finished the 2025 season significantly stronger than he started it. After the All-Star break, the 25-year-old pitched to a 3.28 ERA and 1.19 WHIP with 79 strikeouts across 71 1/3 innings. Command remains a red flag in Leiter's profile, as he's recorded a walk rate below 10% just once across his four professional seasons. Still, if he can re-produce the 26.3% strikeout rate he recorded in the second half of 2025 over a full season in 2026, Leiter could easily emerge as a very valuable fantasy starting pitcher. Entering the year, Leiter profiles as a fantasy SP5 with upside. - as of Fri, 27 Mar 2026 14:34:08
Is Shane Baz Poised for a Breakout Season in Baltimore?: Across 166 1/3 innings (31 starts) for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2025, starting pitcher Shane Baz recorded a 10-12 record with a 4.87 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and 176 strikeouts. Baz was traded to the Baltimore Orioles over the offseason, and he's currently penciled into a mid-rotation role in Baltimore. While Baz's ERA and WHIP were both inflated in 2025, there's reason to believe he may have gotten a bit unlucky. He had the misfortune of pitching his home games in a minor league park last season, which helped contribute to his elevated 1.42 HR/9. Baz allowed 18 home runs across 82 1/3 innings at home, compared to just eight home runs in 84 innings on the road. If Baz can hold his 24.8% strikeout rate while doing a better job limiting the long ball, he could easily see his ERA regress closer to his 2025 xERA of 3.86. Baz also performed well in Spring Training for Baltimore, allowing just three earned runs and four walks while striking out 14 across 10 1/3 innings. He profiles as a fantasy SP4/5 with upside entering 2026. - as of Fri, 27 Mar 2026 14:23:39
Willi Castro Projected for Everyday Playing Time in Colorado Entering 2026: After signing a two-year deal with the team over the offseason, Colorado Rockies utility man Willi Castro is expected to serve as the team's primary third baseman to open 2026. Across 454 plate appearances split between the Minnesota Twins and Chicago Cubs in 2025, Castro hit .226/.316/.366 with 11 home runs, 33 RBI, 58 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases. The 28-year-old's main appeal is his positional versatility, as he's logged significant time at every position on the diamond other than first base, catcher and pitcher. With a career 5.9% barrel rate and 33.2% hard-hit rate, Castro is unlikely to provide more than 10-15 homer power for fantasy managers. However, he's just two years removed from stealing 33 bases as a member of the Twins in 2023. If Castro can hold everyday playing time while playing his home games in the hitter-friendly environment of Coors Field, he could be a useful multi-positional eligible depth piece for fantasy managers in 2026. - as of Fri, 27 Mar 2026 14:12:30
Ben Rice on the Bench Against Lefty in Game 2: New York Yankees left-handed-hitting first baseman/catcher Ben Rice will take a seat on Friday at Oracle Park against the San Francisco Giants with left-hander Robbie Ray on the mound, according to MLB.com. Rice will give way to right-handed-hitting Paul Goldschmidt, who is starting at first base and batting leadoff for the Yanks. Rice, who broke out in 2025 with 26 home runs and 65 RBI in 138 games played, is expected to play more against lefties in 2026, but he'll start on the bench in this one. In his young MLB career, Rice has a .683 OPS against left-handers as opposed to an .809 OPS versus righty pitchers. He went 1-for-4 with a walk and a run scored in Wednesday night's Opening Day win over San Fran. Goldschmidt, a former National League MVP, has seen a decline in his production in recent years, but the 38-year-old veteran did have an impressive .981 OPS with seven of his 10 homers against southpaws last year. He's gone hitless in five career at-bats against Ray. - as of Fri, 27 Mar 2026 13:36:16