Josh Naylor Back in Starting Lineup on Monday: Seattle Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor (quadriceps) is starting at first base and is batting cleanup for Monday's series opener in Minnesota against the Twins and rookie left-hander Connor Prielipp, according to MLB.com. Naylor needed just one day to recover from quadriceps tightness and is right back in the lineup after missing Sunday's series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals. Fantasy managers will be hoping that Naylor can pick up right where he left off at the plate, as he had gone 12-for-25 (.480) with a home run, four RBI, three runs scored, and four stolen bases over his last seven games. The 28-year-old left-handed-hitting Canadian has hit just .208 (21-for-101) on the year with three home runs, 11 RBI, seven runs scored, and four steals in 101 at-bats. Fantasy managers might want to keep Naylor benched against a lefty he's never faced. Naylor has gone 4-for-24 (.167) against lefties so far in 2026, with none of his three homers coming against them. - as of Mon, 27 Apr 2026 18:08:06
Amid Slump, Luke Raley Still Worthy of Roster Consideration?: Seattle Mariners outfielder Luke Raley continued his skid on Sunday, going 0-for-3 at the plate, and he's now hitless in his last 12 at-bats and is 1-for-19 (.053) over his last 10 games. Of course, as a career .232 hitter coming into the season, the 6-foot-3 slugger was probably overdue for some regression after starting the year 20-for-59 (.339). Still, with bat speed, hard-hit rate, barrel rate, and average exit velocity all 89th percentile or better, expect more home runs from the left-handed hitter, even if the batting average doesn't return. He's seen just two plate appearances against left-handed pitching all season, which puts a cap on his production ceiling in season-long leagues, although leagues with daily lineup changes alleviate that problem somewhat. With a career ISO of .216 and wRC+ of 127 against righties, though, he could be a solid DFS play on days where the Mariners have a high implied run total and are facing a right-hander. - as of Mon, 27 Apr 2026 15:29:05
Moises Ballesteros Continues to Trend Upward, Worth Adding Off the Wire?: Chicago Cubs catcher/designated hitter Moises Ballesteros has been raking to begin 2026. The diminutive backstop has collected an extra-base hit in three consecutive games (three doubles, one home run), and is now slashing a robust .397/.446/.690 on the year with a .486 wOBA and 215 wRC+. The drawback right now is that he is exclusively being deployed against right-handed pitchers, with five plate appearances against LHP and 60 against RHP, while averaging under three plate appearances per game so far. With how hot he is, though, the Cubs' former top prospect warrants consideration for a roster spot, especially in leagues that allow daily lineup changes. This is a kid who was a .303 career hitter in 182 games at Triple-A and who hit .298 in his 20-game debut in 2025, so if his advanced hit tool earns him more at-bats, more production will follow. The 22-year-old is available in almost 80 percent of Yahoo! leagues, and should be a regular DFS consideration when the Cubs are facing a right-hander. - as of Mon, 27 Apr 2026 15:25:06
What Does Power Outage Mean for Jake Bauers' Fantasy Value?: Milwaukee Brewers first baseman/outfielder Jake Bauers has done a fine job filling in at first base this season after expected starter Andrew Vaughn (hand) hit the injured list before the season began. Bauers hit five home runs in his first 15 games this season, and although he is in the midst of a 10-game homerless drought, the left-handed slugger is also currently riding a five-game hit streak. During this streak, he's gone 8-for-21 (.381) with three doubles, and is now slashing .261/.316/.477 for the year with a .339 wOBA and 115 wRC+. Expected stats like xBA and xwOBA are in line with his actual statistics, so there doesn't appear to be any signs of regression one way or the other, and with bat speed, hard-hit rate, and average exit velocity all 92nd-percentile or better, more long balls should be on the way. Vaughn could be back by mid-May, so Bauers' playing time could become diminished, but for now, he's worth adding from the waiver wire for managers looking for some power production, and is available in over 80 percent of leagues. - as of Mon, 27 Apr 2026 15:18:06
Should Fantasy Managers Consider Dropping Daulton Varsho?: Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho looked like he was heating up, going 13-for-38 (.342) over a 10-game stretch from April 10 through April 22, but went ice cold in the Cleveland series over the weekend. The left-handed hitter went 0-for-11 in the three-game set and is now slashing .230/.302/.379 with a .303 wOBA and 88 wRC+. The 29-year-old is putting the bat on the ball at a career-best 84.1 percent of the time with a career-best strikeout rate of 16.7 percent, but with a noticeable year-over-year drop in bat speed, it looks like he's sacrificing power for contact, but it's coming without a corresponding uptick in batting average. The 5-foot-8 slugger belted at least 18 home runs from 2022 to 2025, but with an average exit velocity in the fourth percentile and just a 5.6 percent barrel rate, that could be a challenge in 2026. Perhaps his bat will warm up with the weather, but there may be higher upside options on the waiver wire. He's 36 percent rostered on Yahoo!, and it probably shouldn't be any higher than that for now. - as of Mon, 27 Apr 2026 14:18:05
Spencer Strider Fans Seven in Rehab Start, Joining the Braves Next?: Atlanta Braves right-hander Spencer Strider (oblique) took the loss for Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday, but he looked good in what could be his final minor-league rehab start before making his 2026 season debut with the Braves. Strider allowed two earned runs on four hits while walking two and striking out seven in five innings of work for the Stripers. He threw 50 of his 82 pitches for strikes, generated 16 swings and misses, and hit 96.9 mph on the radar gun. All signs are pointing to the 27-year-old being reinstated from the 15-day injured list soon to rejoin Atlanta's starting rotation. If Strider is activated this week, he'll be lined up to make his first start of 2026 on the road in Denver at hitter-friendly Coors Field against the Colorado Rockies this weekend. Strider broke out in 2023 with a league-high 20 wins, 281 strikeouts, and a 2.85 FIP, but he made only two starts in 2024 after having elbow surgery, and he wasn't quite the same in 2025 following surgery. He's worth stashing and taking a chance on to see if he can rediscover his pre-injury form for the Braves. Strider is rostered in 90% of Yahoo leagues. - as of Mon, 27 Apr 2026 12:02:05
Logan Henderson Continues to Soar Atop Stash Rankings in Week 5: Milwaukee Brewers right-handed pitching prospect Logan Henderson continues to perform at a high level at Triple-A and is on the verge of returning to the major leagues. Since returning after his one spot-start with the Brewers this season, Henderson has logged 9 2/3 innings (three outings) with a near-perfect 0.93 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, and a 12:7 K:BB. While his command has not been perfect, Henderson has been able to show high-end strikeout upside while limiting the damage in the box score. Last summer, Henderson made his MLB debut and looked more than comfortable in his first five MLB starts, carrying a 1.78 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP over 25 1/3 innings. Currently, the Brewers do not have a clear opening for the young right-hander, but given his prior success in the majors and current dominance at Triple-A, he is a top candidate to put in an "N/A" spot in deeper 12-team leagues in Week 5. - as of Mon, 27 Apr 2026 11:43:57
Is Bryce Eldridge Still Worth Stashing Amid Power Skid?: San Francisco Giants first-base prospect Bryce Eldridge has hit a bit of a skid at Triple-A but still holds high-end upside in all 12-team formats. Over his last 10 contests at Sacramento, the team's No. 1 hitting prospect has seen his production take a steep decline, as he has held a .189/.250/.216 line with a low .466 OPS. During this stretch, Eldridge has hit just one extra-base hit (a double) while posting a 13:3 K:BB. However, over his first 15 games, Eldridge was swinging a scorching hot bat, carrying a .368/.493/.561 line with five doubles, two home runs, 14 runs, and 11 RBI. Eldridge made his MLB debut last summer but struggled over his brief stint, holding a .476 OPS. While he may be in a bit of a slump at the plate, given San Francisco's lack of proven options at first base and DH outside of Rafael Devers, Eldridge remains a high-end stash option in Week 5. - as of Mon, 27 Apr 2026 11:41:08
Robby Snelling Still Holds Priority Stash Upside Despite Rough Outing: Miami Marlins left-handed pitching prospect Robby Snelling took a big step back in his most recent outing at Triple-A, but remains a high-end stash candidate among pitching prospects. On April 24, Snelling had his worst outing of the young season, logging five innings of two-run ball with two hits and five walks. He struck out only four. Walks have not been a real issue for Snelling at the top level of the minor leagues, so managers should not be overly concerned. Over his first four games of the campaign (19 innings), the southpaw struck out 31 hitters while walking only nine with a 1.89 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP. Last summer, during his first look at Triple-A, Snelling was just as sharp, holding a 1.27 ERA with a 0.99 WHIP over 63 2/3 innings. Given his track record at Triple-A, Snelling appears to be on the verge of his MLB debut. - as of Mon, 27 Apr 2026 11:38:33