New York Mets designated hitter J.D. Martinez will return to the lineup and hit fourth on Monday against the Chicago Cubs. After coming off the bench in Sunday's 4-2 extra-innings win and flying out in a pinch-hit at-bat in the ninth inning, the veteran will start in the Mets' series opener. Martinez got a late start to the season after signing with New York in late March and dealing with a back issue a couple of weeks ago. However, he officially made his season debut on Friday, where he went 2-for-4 with one RBI and one double. Expect the 36-year-old to take some days off here and there over the next few weeks since he didn't have a spring training. Nonetheless, he's a player whom fantasy managers should be looking to pick up in fantasy, given his potential to hit 25-30 home runs atop the Mets' lineup.

San Francisco Giants designated hitter Jorge Soler had a rough go Sunday in the 3-2 victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Soler couldn't connect at the plate, striking out all three times. He continues to struggle at the plate, hitting .171 (6-for-35) with four runs, three RBI, two homers, three walks, and 13 strikeouts in his last 10 games. He's slashing .216/.314/.402 with four doubles, 14 RBI, 14 runs, five homers, 14 walks, and 31 strikeouts in 29 games this season. Fantasy managers should continue to bench Soler until he can turn things around at the plate.

Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton was a part of the scoring action Sunday in the 11-5 win against the Los Angeles Angels. Buxton went 1-for-4 with three runs, one walk, and two strikeouts. He has now connected with at least one hit in eight games out of his last 10. Buxton is hitting .244 (21-for-86) on the season with seven doubles, one triple, one homer, 10 runs, 11 RBI, two walks, and 31 strikeouts across 92 plate appearances in 2024. The strikeouts have been a concern for Buxton but his overall consistency at the plate makes him a solid starter for fantasy managers. The Twins will face the Chicago White Sox to start the week with a three-game series for the 30-year-old outfielder.

New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo has been heating up at the plate over the last week. On Sunday, Rizzo went 4-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in the blowout win over the Milwaukee Brewers. This marked Rizzo's fourth homer in six days and his 300th career long ball of his career. It came in his 1,664th game since debuting with the San Diego Padres in 2011. The six hits in the last two days has boosted his slash line to .277/.341/.446 on the season. Fantasy managers should check the waiver wire to see if Rizzo is available.

Baltimore Orioles closer Craig Kimbrel blew his second consecutive save on Sunday before leaving the game alongside the team's training staff. Kimbrel issued a four-pitch walk to Darrell Hernaiz and then served up a two-run home run to Kyle McCann before leaving. He also blew the save in Friday's game after allowing two hits and three walks. It is unclear at this point what Kimbrel's injury is, but something was off with the veteran reliever. Expect more news to come out shortly from the Orioles.

Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman was 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk during Sunday's 3-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. It was just the second homer of the season for Freeman and his first since March 28th. Despite the slight power outage, the former MVP has still been quite productive. Freeman is slashing .306/.425/.435 with 19 RBI, one stolen base and a 15.4 BB%. The 34-year-old is still one of the best bats in baseball and a serious hot streak might be right around the corner.

Toronto Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman picked up his first win of the season during Sunday's 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Gausman allowed one run on five hits across seven innings of work. He struck out five batters without issuing a walk. The 33-year-old had a tumultuous start to the season due to injuries and inconsistencies, but he has only given up two earned runs across his last three starts. Gausman will look to continue his recent success in his next projected outing against the Washington Nationals.

Los Angeles Angels third baseman Miguel Sano (knee) is still banged up after being pulled from Wednesday's game due to left knee soreness. The right-handed slugger was able to play on Friday but then sat out on Saturday. Sano had an MRI on his knee, which revealed inflammation in his left knee. The organization is currently considering Sano as day-to-day right now. Luis Rengifo figures to see additional playing time until Sano is ready again.

The Miami Marlins placed outfielder Avisail Garcia (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list on Sunday with a left-hamstring strain, according to a source. In a corresponding move, outfielder Dane Myers was recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville. The team also selected the contract of right-hander Emmanuel Ramirez from Jacksonville and designated left-hander Kent Emanuel for assignment. Garcia was pulled from Saturday's contest against the Washington Nationals with his hammy injury and will now miss at least the next 10 days. At this stage of his career, the 32-year-old isn't much of a fantasy asset in mixed leagues. He's currently hitting .240 (12-for-50) with two home runs and two RBI. Myers immediately jumps into Miami's starting lineup on Sunday and will start in right field and hit seventh against Nationals left-hander Patrick Corbin.

New York Mets designated hitter J.D. Martinez will retreat to the bench on Sunday for the series finale against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals. Martinez didn't make his 2024 debut with the Mets until Friday night after signing with the club late in spring training and then suffering a back injury while getting ramped up at extended spring training. The 36-year-old veteran right-handed went 3-for-8 in his first two games with an RBI, but he also struck out five times. The Mets plan on easing Martinez back into the fold, so it shouldn't be a surprise that he's on the bench in only his third game back. With Martinez starting on the bench, DJ Stewart will serve as the team's designated hitter and bat cleanup against Cardinals right-hander Lance Lynn. The 30-year-old lefty hitter isn't a bad low-cost DFS option on Sunday in the cleanup spot. He's hitting .200 (9-for-45) on the year with three homers and 11 RBI.

Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Baez was scratched from Sunday's lineup against the Kansas City Royals for undisclosed reasons. Zach McKinstry is now starting in his place and will hit seventh in the batting order against Royals right-hander Michael Wacha. Baez will start on the bench after starting the team's previous seven games. If he's dealing with an injury, we'll update you on condition when we get word. The 31-year-old free swinger has been a disappointment pretty much ever since he landed in Detroit in 2022 and he is off to another bad start in 2024, hitting .193/.233/.277 with only one home run, nine RBI, six stolen bases and 21 strikeouts in 90 plate appearances. McKinstry will be a poor sleeper option in DFS at shortstop. He's never faced Wacha in his career.

Minnesota Twins first baseman Carlos Santana went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, four RBI, and three runs scored in Saturday's 16-5 win over the Angels. The veteran was also hit by a pitch in the contest. The 38-year-old is experiencing a power surge of late, with all three of Santana's home runs coming in the last three games. The former All-Star hit 24 home runs last season, so the pop is certainly still there, but even after the recent resurgence, he's still slashing a paltry .181/.269/.325 on the year and is probably best left on the waiver wire.

Minnesota Twins outfielder Max Kepler hit his first home run of the season in Saturday's 16-5 blowout win over the Angels. The 31-year-old was 2-for-4 with a walk, two RBI, and two runs scored in the contest. Since returning from injury just over a week ago, Kepler has gone 8-for-19 (.421) with seven RBI, four runs scored, and a 2:2 BB:K over six games. After blasting 24 home runs last season, fantasy managers were hoping for more from the lefty, but hopefully they'll start coming in bunches as he's still putting the bat on the ball at an above-average rate (81.1% Contact%). His HR/FB% has taken a step back though, just 5.6% compared to 16.1% from last season, and a Barrel% of 6.5% compared to last season's 12.2%. If you are buying into the hot streak he's on over the past week, the outfielder is available in 85% of Yahoo leagues.

New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton is back in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers. The slugger was given a rest day for Friday's game but still notched a go-ahead RBI double in extra-innings in the Yankees' 7-6 loss to the Brewers. Stanton has had a solid start to the season slashing .232/.284/.476 with five HR and 13 RBI. He'll get a matchup against Brewers right-hander Joe Ross, who Stanton is 2-10 against with a HR. With Stanton hitting for an .829 OPS against righties (compared to .658 vs lefties) he should be a viable option in DFS formats.

The New York Mets have placed outfielder Starling Marte on the bereavement list while infielder Mark Vientos has been recalled from Triple-A Syracuse to take his spot on the active roster. The 35-year-old has been off to a hot start this season, hitting .288 with four home runs, six stolen bases, and a .769 OPS across 111 trips to the plate, good for a 119 wRC+ that sits 19% above the league average. Marte plummeted down draft boards after a 2023 season that saw him hit .248 with only five homers alongside 24 stolen bases and a .625 OPS across 86 games in 2023, by far the worst offensive season of his career. However, he has rewarded managers who bet on a bounce back in drafts this spring.

Washington Nationals outfielder Joey Gallo (shoulder) was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left-shoulder sprain on Saturday. Outfielder Alex Call was promoted from Triple-A Rochester as a result. The 30-year-old has posted a .122/.286/.311 stat line with three home runs and five RBI. Even though Gallo has struggled at the plate, he still maintained an impressive 19.4% barrel rate, which placed him in the 99th percentile among qualified hitters. Gallo should be expected to be sidelined for at least the next ten days. Call should make his season debut sometime next week. The 29-year-old flashed speed at times as he swiped nine bags last season and could be a target in NL-Only formats.

New York Mets outfielders Harrison Bader and Starling Marte are both out of Saturday's lineup. As a result, Tyrone Taylor will play in center field and bat seventh, and DJ Stewart will man right field and bat fifth. Bader has put up a solid .267 AVG during his first month in Queens but will get a breather since he has not registered a hit in his past three games. Marte, who has been off to a great start with a .288 AVG and four home runs, will miss his first game of the season. Both Taylor and Stewart have a tough matchup today as they will face Sonny Gray, who enters Saturday with a dominant 1.04 ERA and 0.87 WHIP, and both will be popular fades in DFS.

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Springer and utility man Isiah Kiner-Falefa are both out of the starting lineup on Saturday against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers. This will be Springer's first off day since April 19. The 34-year-old veteran has gone 7-for-28 with a home run since then to drop his season line to .228/.322/.356 with three home runs, five RBI, three stolen bases and 11 runs scored in 101 at-bats. With Springer sitting on Saturday, rookie Addison Barger will make just his third major-league start, playing in right field and batting ninth against Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow. Barger, the former sixth-round pick in 2018, has yet to get a hit in his first eight MLB at-bats and won't be a recommended DFS option in the nine-hole in a tough matchup.

Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy, shortstop Gavin Lux and outfielder Josh Outman, who all hit left-handed, are out of Saturday's lineup against left-hander Yusei Kikuchi and the Toronto Blue Jays. Enrique Hernandez will play third and bat sixth, Miguel Rojas is at shortstop and hitting eighth, and rookie Andy Pages is in center field and will bat seventh for the Blue. Muncy is hitting a modest .258 (23-for-89) this year with five home runs and 18 RBI, but he's gone just 5-for-25 (.200) with one homer and 10 strikeouts against lefties. Lux has struggled in general, hitting .183 (13-for-71) and has yet to go deep. Outman's fantasy stock has really fallen as he's fallen into a platoon with Pages. Hernandez is the DFS play to consider with a .256 career average and 55 homers in 1,417 plate appearances against southpaws. He's also hitting .308 in 13 career at-bats against Kikuchi.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith went 4-for-5 in Friday's 12-2 victory over the Blue Jays, with two of his four hits going for extra bases, including a double and his second home run of the season. The 2023 All-Star also drove in three runs and scored three times. This was the second straight game Smith has recorded four hits, raising his season slash line to .376/.413/.527 and putting himself in position as the third-highest-scoring backstop for fantasy thus far. The Dodgers face Jays left-hander Yusei Kikuchi on Saturday night. Smith is hitting a scorching .520/.581/.680 against lefties so far this season and is 1-for-3 off Kikuchi in his career.