Arizona Diamondbacks infield/outfield prospect Jordan Lawlar is officially an Opening Day starter in 2026, batting ninth and playing left field for his team's first game of the season against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Lawlar has long been considered one of the Diamondbacks' top prospects, but he's struggled with injuries and hit just .182/.257/.288 with a 35.8% strikeout rate across 74 plate appearances after making his MLB debut in 2025. Lawlar also had some defensive issues while spending time at every infield position other than first base, leading the Diamondbacks to shift him to the outfield this spring. Still, Lawlar will not turn 24 years old until July and posted a .967 OPS across 300 Triple-A plate appearances in 2025. With Diamondbacks outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (knee) currently working his way back from a torn ACL, Lawlar could have an extended run of everyday playing time to open 2026.

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New York Mets outfielder Mike Tauchman (knee) underwent surgery on the meniscus tear in his left knee on Thursday, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Heyman reports that Tauchman is expected to be sidelined for "six weeks before returning to play," so it appears as though Tauchman avoided a full meniscus repair, which would have kept him out for significantly longer. Across 385 plate appearances with the Chicago White Sox in 2025, Tauchman hit .263/.356/.400 with nine home runs, 40 RBI, and 44 runs scored. The 35-year-old owns a career 12.6% walk rate and has posted an on-base percentage of at least .350 in three consecutive campaigns. Once healthy, Tauchman could challenge Mets rookie Carson Benge for playing time in right field.

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Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte (lower leg) is in the lineup and batting leadoff for his team's Opening Day matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday. Marte was scratched from Arizona's exhibition finale on Tuesday due to lower-leg soreness, but it appears the 32-year-old has avoided a serious issue. Marte is coming off an excellent 2025 season in which he hit .283/.376/.517 with 28 home runs, 72 RBI, 87 runs scored, and four stolen bases across 556 plate appearances. When healthy, Marte is arguably the premier second baseman in all of baseball. However, the veteran switch-hitter does have a fairly extensive injury history, reaching 600 plate appearances just twice in 11 MLB seasons. Fantasy managers can breathe a bit easier now that Marte is officially good to go for the start of 2026.

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In his first full season in the big leagues in 2025, New York Yankees starting pitcher Will Warren recorded a 9-8 record with a 4.44 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, and 171 strikeouts across 162 1/3 innings (33 starts). The 26-year-old struggled with consistent command (9.1% walk rate) and allowed a slightly elevated 1.22 HR/9. However, Warren held a spot in the Yankees' rotation for the entire season and has consistently shown the ability to generate swing-and-miss pitches throughout his entire professional career. With Yankees starting pitchers Gerrit Cole (elbow), Carlos Rodon (elbow), and Clarke Schmidt (elbow) all opening 2026 on the injured list, Warren currently pencils in as the number three starter in New York. Warren is also coming off an impressive Grapefruit League, where he pitched to a 1.42 ERA and 0.63 WHIP while allowing just three walks across 25 1/3 innings. Warren could emerge as a breakout starting pitcher for fantasy managers in 2026.

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San Francisco Giants right-hander Hayden Birdsong (elbow) had successful surgery on his right elbow for UCL reconstruction on Wednesday with Dr. Keith Meister in Dallas, Texas, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Birdsong will return to Arizona later this week to start his rehab at the minor-league complex. The Giants placed the 24-year-old on the 60-day injured list before the start of the regular season in their loss on Wednesday night to the New York Yankees. The former sixth-round selection in 2022 out of Eastern Illinois will miss the entire 2026 campaign and most likely the start of the 2027 regular season after having elbow surgery. It's a tough setback for his fantasy baseball value in dynasty/keeper leagues. In his first two MLB seasons with the Gigantes, Birdsong went 9-10 with a 4.77 ERA (4.81 FIP), 1.44 WHIP, 25.4% strikeout rate, and a 13.1% walk rate in 137 2/3 innings over 37 appearances (26 starts). Command/control issues make Birdsong a shaky long-term asset.

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New York Mets pitching prospect Jonah Tong could be an early-season call-up for the team whenever they find themselves in need of pitching. Although the right-hander struggled to a 7.71 ERA, 1.77 WHIP, and a 14.9 percent K-BB% in his five starts with the Mets last year, he was one of the most dominant arms in the minors before that. Despite being in the majors for the final month, the former seventh-round draft pick still led all minor leaguers with 179 strikeouts in just 113 2/3 innings pitched, good for a 14.17 K/9. If he can continue to dominate to begin the 2026 campaign and perhaps tone down the walks (career rate of 11.5 percent) then he should be in contention for an early-season call-up. Pitching-needy managers in deeper leagues could consider stashing the 22-year-old, who is available in over 90 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

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Washington Nationals catching prospect Harry Ford was optioned to Triple-A Rochester earlier this month after an underwhelming spring, but that doesn't mean he won't be back in the big leagues soon. The Nats' third-ranked prospect is a former 12th-overall draft pick and had a strong 2025 at Triple-A, hitting .283 with 16 home runs while walking (74) nearly as many times as he struck out (88), which earned him a late-season promotion with the Mariners. The former first-rounder has a solid contact/power blend with his bat, and with his ability to draw walks, there is a solid OBP floor. The catcher's position is one of wear and tear, so there could be an opening for him on the major league roster sooner rather than later, and the 23-year-old should be considered one of the top stash candidates in deep two-catcher leagues.

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Seattle Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo will make his first start of the 2026 season in the team's fifth game on Monday, March 30, against the New York Yankees at T-Mobile Park, according to Adam Jude of The Seattle Times. Fantasy managers shouldn't read anything into the fact that Castillo will start the fifth game of the regular season after he pitched in the team's Cactus League finale on Monday. The 33-year-old veteran will have a difficult matchup to kick things off, though, after struggling in spring training. Castillo allowed 14 runs (13 earned) on 23 hits (five home runs) while walking four and striking out 13 in 15 innings pitched over five starts. Spring statistics should always be taken with a grain of salt. Castillo has had ERAs under 4.00 in three straight seasons and has also made at least 30 starts for fantasy managers over that span. He's no ace, but Castillo's fantasy floor is pretty high, especially when starting at pitcher-friendly T-Mobile Park.

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Miami Marlins pitching prospect Robby Snelling did not earn a spot in the team's starting rotation to begin the season, but will likely be one of the first names called when Miami needs pitching reinforcements. The Marlins' second-ranked prospect made the top two levels of the minors look easy in 2025, recording a 2.51 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and a 23.2 percent K-BB% across 25 starts (136 innings pitched) between Double and Triple-A. Despite allowing seven earned runs in 8 1/3 IP this spring, the southpaw showed his strikeout potential with 13 punchouts during that time. The 6-foot-3 hurler owns a 27.1 percent K% in 71 minor-league starts and has shown solid command, too, with an 8.0 percent BB% for his career. With the 22-year-old standing on the doorstep to the big leagues, the 39th-overall selection in the 2022 Draft is one of the top pitching stashes for fantasy, and is available in over 90 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

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Los Angeles Angels infielder Oswald Peraza is getting the start at second base and will bat ninth for the Halos on Opening Day on Thursday on the road against the division-rival Houston Astros and right-hander Hunter Brown at Daikin Park, per MLB.com. The left-handed-hitting Adam Frazier will start on the bench for Game 1 despite a right-hander being on the mound. The 25-year-old Peraza is coming into the start of the regular season hot after batting .315 (17-for-54) with an .888 OPS, two home runs, 10 RBI, six doubles, six runs scored, and six stolen bases in 18 Cactus League games. The former Yankees top prospect has also hit .750 with a home run and two RBI in four career at-bats against Brown, which might be why he's getting the starting nod on Thursday over Frazier. Speed is Peraza's biggest asset for fantasy managers in AL-only leagues, but he'll need to keep up his strong play from spring training to hold off Frazier against right-handed pitchers.

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Texas Rangers left-handed-hitting outfielder Evan Carter will take a seat on the bench on Thursday for the team's Opening Day contest against the Philadelphia Phillies and left-hander Cristopher Sanchez at Citizens Bank Park, according to MLB.com. Wyatt Langford is moving to center, while Sam Haggerty will make the start in left field and bat ninth for Texas. Haggerty is hitless in three career at-bats against Sanchez and will be a poor low-upside DFS option on Thursday against Sanchez. Injuries have held the 23-year-old Carter back from reaching his potential early in his MLB career, but he's expected to play more against southpaws in 2026 if he can stay healthy. The former second-round pick in 2020 played in a career-high 63 games in 2025 and hit .247/.336/.392 with five home runs, 25 RBI, 31 runs, and 14 steals in 220 plate appearances. Carter has hit just .083 (5-for-60) with 21 K's against lefties in his three big-league seasons.

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San Francisco Giants first base prospect Bryce Eldridge should remain on the fantasy radar in the early part of 2026, as the Giants' top-ranked prospect has some of the biggest power potential in the minors. The 6-foot-7 slugger blasted 25 home runs between Double-A and Triple-A last year in just 100 games, and although he was left off the club's Opening Day roster, he'll likely be back in the majors sometime in the first half of the season. The left-handed slugger carries some batting average risk with the amount of swing-and-miss that comes with his power stroke, but managers who are looking for a home-run boost should keep the former first-round draft pick top of mind, and he should be a top stash candidate in deeper leagues as the regular season gets underway.

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Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Jose Berrios (elbow) will throw off a mound this week, general manager Ross Atkins told The Athletic's Mitch Bannon. Berrios is on the 15-day injured list to begin the 2026 regular season after being diagnosed with a stress fracture in his right elbow last week. The Blue Jays are hoping that the veteran right-hander will be able to pitch through the issue this year, but because he hasn't pitched in a game in three weeks, he will need to build up his arm again. There isn't an exact time for when Berrios will be able to come off the IL, but fantasy managers should probably expect him to miss most, if not all, of April. When the 31-year-old is ready to rejoin the big-league squad, it could come in a long-relief role, which would kill most of what's left of his fantasy value. Berrios is no longer as dominant as he once was, he has injury concerns, and his home run issues probably aren't going away at hitter-friendly Rogers Centre.

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Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Shane Bieber (elbow) will throw off a mound this week, general manager Ross Atkins told Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. Bieber still needs a full ramp-up that will simulate spring training, but it's a big step in his return from forearm/elbow fatigue. The 30-year-old veteran was placed on the 15-day injured list to start the 2026 regular season. Up to this point this spring, Bieber has been limited to throwing on flat ground. He didn't make his 2025 debut until August last year while recovering from Tommy John surgery. When he returned, Bieber's velocity was up, but he still gave up plenty of hard contact and had a 3.57 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 37:7 K:BB in 40 1/3 innings over seven regular-season starts. He then went 2-1 in five postseason games (four starts), allowing nine runs (eight earned) while striking out 18 and walking six in 18 2/3 frames. Barring a setback, Bieber could be a back-end rotation arm for fantasy managers at some point in May.

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Milwaukee Brewers pitching prospect Logan Henderson should be a name for fantasy managers to keep an eye on in the early going of the 2026 season. Although the right-hander was optioned to Triple-A earlier this month, he'll surely be one of the first names considered when Milwaukee needs pitching help. The former fourth-round draft pick debuted last year with good results, posting a 1.78 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and an elite 25.3 percent K-BB% over five starts with the big league club. The 24-year-old looked good again in limited action this spring, allowing just one earned run in six innings pitched (1.50 ERA) with a 0.50 WHIP and a 4:0 K:BB. Fantasy managers with available bench space or even an NA slot should consider stashing the Brewers' seventh-ranked prospect ahead of his eventual call-up. Henderson is available in almost 80 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

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Toronto Blue Jays right-handed pitching prospect Trey Yesavage (shoulder) was "very effective" in a minor-league game on Wednesday, and his "velocity bumped back up," general manager Ross Atkins told Mitch Bannon of The Athletic. Toronto was being overly cautious with the 22-year-old's workload this spring, which is why he didn't appear in any Grapefruit League games. Then we learned that he was battling a right-shoulder impingement, which landed him on the 15-day injured list to begin the 2026 campaign. It's disappointing for Yesavage's fantasy managers, but it's a plus that he's pitching in games and looking good. Still, he is going to need probably a few more minor-league starts on an official rehab assignment before the Jays are comfortable having him rejoin the big-league rotation. When he makes his season debut, expect the Jays to ease him into action early on, limiting his DFS appeal. In year-long fantasy formats, Yesavage is one of the highest-upside young starting pitchers in baseball.

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Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Brandon Sproat had a solid spring showing, posting a 3.46 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and a 21.2 percent K-BB% in 13 innings pitched, earning himself a spot in the Brewers' rotation to begin the year. The right-hander began last season at Triple-A, and although the season-long numbers don't jump off the page, in 10 appearances from June 28 through August 30, the former second-round draft pick recorded a 2.44 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and 70 strikeouts in 59 innings pitched (20.9 percent K-BB%), which prompted his promotion to the big leagues. The 6-foot-5 hurler had a 4.79 ERA (2.80 FIP), 1.21 WHIP, and a much lower 11.9 percent K-BB% in his four starts for the Mets last year, and while a 7.40 K/9 in the majors doesn't grab the attention of many fantasy managers, the 25-year-old will draw a very favorable home matchup against the White Sox on Sunday in his first start of 2026. That should make him a viable waiver target, even if just for streaming purposes, and he could be a sneaky DFS pick in a game that the Brewers will surely be favored to win.

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Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler (shoulder) threw a bullpen session on Thursday at Citizens Bank Park and is expected to go three innings/50 pitches during his minor-league rehab start on Saturday at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, according to Corey Seidman of NBC Sports. Wheeler is making good progress in his recovery from surgery last September for venous thoracic outlet syndrome, and this will be his first game action since going under the knife. If everything goes according to plan during his rehab assignment in the minors, Wheeler could come off the IL and make his 2026 season debut in mid-April. The 35-year-old veteran is more of a risk in fantasy baseball going into his 12th season while coming off unique surgery, but Wheeler's high-end upside when healthy is too hard to ignore. He should not be available on any waiver wires to begin the year. The three-time All-Star had a 2.71 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and 195:33 K:BB in his 24 starts last year before being shut down.

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Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said he'd be "foolish" not to consider veteran right-hander Paul Sewald for save chances this year with both Justin Martinez (elbow) and A.J. Puk (elbow) on the injured list to begin the 2026 season, according to 12 News' Cameron Cox. Lovullo mentioned Sewald's experience at the back of the bullpen in his career, as the 35-year-old has 86 saves over his nine major-league seasons with five different teams. He certainly isn't a slam-dunk saves candidate for the D-backs or for fantasy managers, though, as he posted a weak 4.58 ERA (4.66 FIP), a 1.22 WHIP, two saves, 20 strikeouts, and six walks in just 19 2/3 innings in 2025 with the Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers. Sewald should be the Diamondbacks' first choice for save chances to begin the year, but Kevin Ginkel and Ryan Thompson could also be sprinkled in, and this could quickly evolve if Sewald struggles. Fantasy managers are better off staying away.

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Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson will start Opening Day on Thursday against the St. Louis Cardinals on the bench, according to MLB.com. The Rays will roll with Ryan Vilade (batting second) in left field, Cedric Mullins (batting eighth) in center field, and Jonny DeLuca (batting sixth) in right field against Cardinals left-hander Matthew Liberatore. Simpson, 25, bats from the left side and will have to wait to make his first start in 2026. In his first year in the big leagues in 2025, Simpson hit .299 (32-for-107) against southpaws, as opposed to a .293 (9-for-307) average versus righties. The former second-rounder in 2022 slashed an impressive .295/.326/.345 with a .671 OPS, no homers, 26 RBI, 53 runs scored, and 44 stolen bases in his first 109 big-league games. He gives fantasy managers virtually zero power, and when he is in the lineup, he'll likely be down at the bottom of the order, limiting his counting-stat upside. Still, Simpson is useful in all leagues for his elite speed in Tampa.

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