Cleveland Guardians outfielder Chase DeLauter is off to a red-hot start to the 2026 season, as he's hit four home runs in 14 plate appearances over his first three games of the year. The 24-year-old has also batted second in front of superstar Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez all three contests, a good sign for DeLauter's ability to rack up counting stats. While DeLauter was called up to the big leagues for Cleveland's postseason run in 2025, 2026 represents his first chance to establish himself as an everyday MLB outfielder. Health remains the biggest red flag in DeLauter's profile, as he has failed to reach 250 plate appearances in three consecutive professional seasons and has broken his left foot twice. However, if he can stay healthy, DeLauter could challenge for the American League Rookie of the Year Award. In any fantasy league where DeLauter is not already rostered, he should be a priority waiver wire target.

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Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Lucas Erceg was primarily utilized as a setup man in 2025, posting a 2.64 ERA and 1.17 WHIP with 48 strikeouts, eight wins, and two saves across 61 1/3 innings (61 games). However, Royals closer Carlos Estevez (ankle) allowed six earned runs while recording just one out in his first appearance of the 2026 season on Saturday. Estevez also allowed three home runs and four walks in five innings pitched in Spring Training, and he's currently nursing an ankle injury. Royals manager Matt Quatraro alluded to using Estevez in lower-leverage situations for the time being, which could open the door for Erceg to take over as Kansas City's primary closer. Erceg recorded 14 saves and a 28.5% strikeout rate across 61 2/3 innings split between the Athletics and Royals in 2024. He profiles as a priority waiver-wire target in any fantasy league where he is not currently roster.

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Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Jordan Romano looks to be his team's primary closer early in the 2026 season. The 32-year-old has recorded three strikeouts and a save without allowing a hit across his first two appearances, both of which came in the ninth inning. With Angels relievers Kirby Yates (knee) and Ben Joyce (shoulder) both currently on the injured list, Romano should have an extended run in the closer role in Los Angeles as long as he pitches reasonably well. The veteran right-hander recorded 95 saves across three seasons as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays from 2021 to 2023, but he's battled injuries and ineffectiveness over the past two seasons. While he may never get back to his peak form, Romano could be a bounce-back candidate with improved health in 2026. He profiles as a priority waiver-wire target in any fantasy league where he's not already rostered.

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Chicago White Sox infielder Lenyn Sosa is out of the starting lineup ahead of Sunday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers. This marks the second time in the first three games that Sosa has been held out of the starting lineup. The expectation was that Sosa would have a bigger role after smacking a career-high 22 home runs in 2025. Instead, Sosa appears to be stuck in a part-time role on the South Side of Chicago. So far this season, Sosa is 0-for-6 and might end up only playing against left-handed pitching. Andrew Benintendi will serve as the designated hitter while Everson Pereira starts in right field versus right-hander Brandon Sproat on Sunday.

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New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez will head to the bench ahead of Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. This appears to be a routine rest day for Alvarez, who has started in both games to begin the season. So far this season, Alvarez is 2-for-6 with one home run, one RBI, and one walk. Luis Torrens will take over behind the plate and bat ninth versus right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski on Sunday. Torrens doesn't offer enough upside to warrant streaming, but Alvarez has mixed league value at the moment.

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Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Marcell Ozuna (rest) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Sunday's game against the New York Mets. This looks to be a routine rest day for Ozuna, who started the first two games of the season. Over that span, Ozuna is 1-for-9 with a walk, so a trip to the bench seems fair. Bryan Reynolds will cover left field, while Jake Mangum takes over as the designated hitter versus right-hander Nolan McLean on Sunday. Ozuna has good power upside, but is only worth a look in mixed leagues to start the season.

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Miami Marlins relief pitcher Pete Fairbanks (rest) won't be available to pitch during Sunday's game against the Colorado Rockies, according to manager Clayton McCullough. Fairbanks will get a rest day on Sunday after picking up back-to-back saves to begin the season. The 32-year-old signed a one-year, $13 million deal with the Marlins over the offseason. So far, this deal is working out great for Miami, but they don't want to push the veteran right-hander too hard early in the season. Anthony Bender and Calvin Faucher are the favorites to pitch in the ninth without Fairbanks available on Sunday. Fantasy managers should consider scooping up Fairbanks if he's still available in your league.

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Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Jake Fraley (shoulder) has been scratched from Sunday's lineup versus the St. Louis Cardinals. Fraley suffered a right shoulder injury while attempting to make a diving catch during Saturday's contest. Rays manager Kevin Cash hinted that the injury wasn't serious, so fantasy managers should consider Fraley as day-to-day. Jonny DeLuca will cover right field and bat sixth against right-hander Dustin May on Sunday. Fraley should be back in the mix in a few days, but he doesn't have much fantasy appeal right now anyway.

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Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (personal) is back in the lineup ahead of Sunday's game against the Chicago Cubs. Abrams was away from the team for Saturday's game due to a death in the family. Nasim Nunez filled in at shortstop for that game, but will move over to second base on Sunday. Abrams will cover shortstop and bat sixth versus lefty Shota Imanaga. The 25-year-old went 1-for-4 during Thursday's season opener with two RBI in the victory. He should be rostered and started in most fantasy formats.

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Kansas City Royals right-handed reliever Carlos Estevez (ankle) was in a walking boot on Sunday morning and will have his ankle contusion re-evaluated, according to Anne Rogers of MLB.com. Manager Matt Quatraro said that he would be "surprised" if Estevez would be available on Sunday against the Atlanta Braves. And if Estevez was available, Quatraro said, "We would not be averse to putting him in a lower-leverage situation." "I'm not going to say he wouldn't do it, but I also think it would be probably smarter for us to try to build him a little bit in lower leverage first," Quatraro added when asked if he would use Estevez in the ninth inning. Estevez took a line drive off his left ankle in an eventful blown save on Saturday in which he allowed six runs in just one-third of an inning. The 33-year-old saw a drop in his strikeout rate in 2025, and his velocity has been noticeably down this spring. It appears that Estevez is already on very shaky ground early on in 2026, so fantasy managers chasing saves need to run to the waiver wire and add Lucas Erceg, who figures to be next in line for ninth-inning duties in KC as the Royals look to get Estevez right.

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Milwaukee Brewers catching prospect Jeferson Quero is making his major-league debut on Sunday against the visiting Chicago White Sox and left-hander Anthony Kay. Quero will do the catching for right-hander Brandon Sproat and will bat seventh. The Brewers surprisingly called up Quero to the big-league roster on Saturday from Triple-A Nashville to help give them more depth with first baseman Andrew Vaughn (hand) going on the 10-day injured list. The 23-year-old Quero will help fill in behind the plate with William Contreras serving as the designated hitter in the series finale against Chicago. Quero is the Brewers' top catching prospect. His development has been slowed in recent seasons due to various injuries, including hamstring and shoulder issues in 2025. Quero is still considered one of the best defensive backstops in the game. However, he could struggle with the bat early on in his first taste of big-league pitching. He slashed .255/.3336/.412 with six homers and 44 RBI in 58 games at Nashville in 2025.

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Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena is back in the starting lineup for the team's series finale on Sunday against the division-rival Los Angeles Angels, batting out of the leadoff spot against right-hander Jack Kochanowicz. Pena did not play in the Opening Day loss on Thursday while recovering from a fractured finger that he suffered earlier this spring while preparing for the World Baseball Classic, but he returned on Friday to go 2-for-5 with a run scored and a double before resting again in the team's win on Saturday. With Pena back in there, Carlos Correa will move back to third base, and Isaac Paredes will start at second base. Jose Altuve will serve as the designated hitter. The Astros are being careful not to overwork Pena early in the regular season, but his outing on Friday proved that his finger issue shouldn't be a problem when it comes to hitting. Fantasy managers in redraft leagues will want to get him back in their starting lineups on Sunday. Pena has one hit in just two career at-bats against Kochanowicz.

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Texas Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom (neck) said his stiff neck feels "much better" on Sunday, according to Kennedi Landry of MLB.com. deGrom played catch from 120 feet, which he couldn't do on Saturday before he was scratched from his first start of the 2026 season against the Philadelphia Phillies. The veteran hurler still feels it a bit, but he's hopeful that he can start in Baltimore against the Orioles this week. deGrom woke up Saturday morning with a stiff neck, and the Rangers decided not to take any chances with the oft-injured 37-year-old veteran. If the two-time Cy Young winner is cleared to take the ball for his first start of the year, it will likely come on either Tuesday or Wednesday at Camden Yards. deGrom was an All-Star for the fifth time in his career in 2025 and made 30 starts, but from 2021 to 2024, he made a total of just 35 starts for the Mets and Rangers due to injuries. He'll be a bit riskier against Baltimore if he ends up starting this coming week.

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Boston Red Sox center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's series finale against the Cincinnati Reds. Rafaela had started the first two games of the season, but he'll open Sunday's game on the bench. Masataka Yoshida will make his first start of the year at designated hitter, shifting Jarren Duran to center field. Rafaela has been off to an impressive start so far, hitting 3-for-9 with one run, one RBI, and one strikeout. He's also one of the most prominent defenders in baseball, so losing his glove in center field puts the Red Sox at a disadvantage. It makes sense to get Yoshida's left-handed bat in the lineup against Reds righty Rhett Lowder, although Rafaela did have reverse splits in 2025 (.720 OPS against right-handed pitching).

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Athletics outfielder Lawrence Butler is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's contest against the Toronto Blue Jays. Butler started Opening Day but hasn't played since then. It's unclear if his absence is related to his pre-season knee injury or the fact that the A's have faced a left-handed pitcher on back-to-back days. Butler went 0-for-3 in his lone appearance back on Friday. He's coming off a suboptimal 2025 season in which he slashed .234/.306/.404 with 21 home runs, 22 stolen bases, and 96 wRC+. It will be interesting to see if Butler comes off the bench Sunday and if he gets into the lineup against Braves right-hander Bryce Elder on Monday. If not, it will be safe to assume that his knee injury is lingering into the regular season.

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Toronto Blue Jays left-handed pitcher Mason Fluharty (knee) was hit by two consecutive comebackers during Saturday's game against the Athletics. Fluharty exited the game after the second occurrence. He was diagnosed with a right knee contusion, but his X-rays came back negative, according to Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. The 24-year-old is reportedly "feeling good," and although he might be a little sore on Sunday, the team doesn't expect the injury to be anything serious. It sounds like he'll avoid landing on the injured list and could possibly return to game action within the next few days. Fluharty had a 4.44 ERA as a rookie last year, with opponents hitting just .193 against him.

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Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman isn't in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Minnesota Twins. Instead, Samuel Basallo will catch and bat fifth. Rutschman has been hitting well through the Orioles' first two contests. He's 2-for-6 with a single, double, two walks, and one strikeout. Defensively, he does have one error and is 0-for-2 throwing out base stealers. Rutschman gets the day off because the Orioles are facing Twins right-hander Bailey Ober. The backstop had a mere .659 OPS against righties last year. Basallo's OPS against righties was even worse (.556), but he still hit them better than lefties. He started at designated hitter in the previous two games, going 1-for-7 with a single, a walk, and two strikeouts. We expect to see Rutschman in the starting lineup on Monday, and we wouldn't be surprised if he comes off the bench as a pinch-hitter in the series finale against Minnesota on Sunday.

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Baltimore Orioles outfielder Dylan Beavers will bat eighth and play center field during Sunday's game against the Minnesota Twins. Beaver sat out the season opener while recovering from knee and quadriceps injuries, but he made his season debut on Saturday, going 0-for-2 before the Orioles pinch-hit for him. It's interesting to see that he's playing center field, because that's a somewhat new position for him. He did play center in the minors, but all of his defensive innings in the majors have come in right or left field. He'll be up for the task, though, as he posted a modest 0 OAA and -1 FRV in the outfield last year. Beavers is a candidate to get his first hit of the season on Sunday against Twins right-hander Bailey Ober. The left-handed-hitting outfielder posted a strong .244/.387/.411 slash line against righties in 2025.

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Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Carlos Estevez (ankle) was hit with a comebacker during the ninth inning of Saturday's loss to the Atlanta Braves. Initial X-rays came back negative, but he will be reassessed on Sunday morning, according to Anne Rogers of MLB.com. Estevez entered Saturday's game with a two-run lead and an opportunity to earn the save. However, he allowed six runs, including a walk-off grand slam to Dominic Smith, while recording just one out. The veteran closer surrendered four hits and two walks along the way, and he was charged with the loss and blown save. Depending on the severity of the injury, Estevez could be headed for a stint on the injured list. Given that he likely lost his job as the team's closer on Saturday night, the Royals might feel less pressure to have him play through his ankle injury. Lucas Erceg, who had 14 saves in 2024, could be Estevez's successor if he does get removed from the closer role.

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New York Mets outfield prospect Carson Benge turned in a strong showing in his MLB debut on Thursday and is a top waiver-wire target. In his MLB debut on Thursday afternoon, Benge drew the start in right field and did not disappoint, going 1-for-3 with a home run, a stolen base, and two walks. Benge was in competition for the starting right-field job throughout spring training and ultimately claimed the role. In camp, the former 19th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft posted a strong .366/.435/.439 line with an .874 OPS. Last summer, Benge spent his time at High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A. He would finish the campaign carrying an overall .281/.385/.472 line with 15 home runs and 22 stolen bases (over 116 games). Given his clear starting role in one of the sport's most potent lineups and five-category skill set, Benge should be added in all formats ahead of Week 2 and be viewed as a starting-caliber outfielder.

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