San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish blanked the division rival Los Angeles Dodgers in Sunday's victory. The veteran tossed seven scoreless innings and allowed two hits, one walk and struck out seven. It was an impressive start for the 37-year-old against one of the toughest offenses in the league. Darvish has been putting together a strong season over his first eight starts and owns a 3-1 record to go along with a 2.43 ERA and 0.97 WHIP with 37 strikeouts in 40 2/3 innings. He should be rostered in all formats, but draws a tough matchup against the Atlanta Braves this weekend.

Boston Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen tossed a clean ninth inning to pick up the save in a 3-2 win over the Washington Nationals. Jansen allowed just a hit in his inning of work, with no walks or strikeouts to account for. The veteran closer pitched on a third consecutive day for the first time this season, a move made possible because of his sparse usage in May, with only one other appearance before this weekend. Although he's had a few shaky outings, Jansen has been mostly solid for the Red Sox this season and should continue to see the bulk of their save opportunities. He is a good closing option in fantasy.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish was excellent again on Sunday, tossing seven shutout innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 4-0 victory. Darvish allowed just two hits and one walk while punching out seven in this one. The 37-year-old is turning back the clock since returning from neck tightness in late April, going 3-0 in his three starts while not allowing any runs and generating a 15:2 K:BB ratio. Darvish is always a tough pitcher to analyze, but he is a must-start while he is on this heater. Looking to sell high on the righty might be a shrewd move, but it is also a risk.

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt has been flat-out awful to start the month of May. The veteran slugger entered Sunday's game 1-for-32 with 14 strikeouts. Luckily, was able to do some damage against the Milwaukee Brewers. Goldschmidt went 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBI in the victory. This will raise his slash line to .197/.280/.279 on the season. This situation is obviously frustrating for fantasy managers, but maybe this is a sign of more good things to come.

Houston Astros starter Justin Verlander was in fine form on Sunday afternoon against the Detroit Tigers. The veteran right-hander tossed seven scoreless innings, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out eight batters. It was a nice bounce-back performance for Verlander after he surrendered seven runs to the New York Yankees in his previous outing. The 41-year-old now owns a 2-1 record this season to go along with a 3.38 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 23:12 K:BB through five starts. Verlander does not possess the same strikeout stuff he once had, but he is still a quality fantasy asset capable of churning out quality starts. He lines up against a surprisingly stout Milwaukee Brewers offense in his next projected start.

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado is getting his first day off of the season on Sunday in the series finale against the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers. In the first 39 games of the season, Arenado, much like the rest of St. Louis' lineup, has struggled with a career-low .703 OPS. The 33-year-old eight-time All-Star is slashing .270/.331/.372 with two home runs, nine doubles, 20 RBI and 14 runs scored in 166 plate appearances. In the first three games of the series against the Brewers, had one hit in 12 at-bats with three strikeouts. Fantasy managers will be hoping Arenado's first day off of the year can get him going. Brendan Donovan is starting at third base on Sunday and is hitting seventh against Brewers right-hander Bryse Wilson. Donovan is hitting .429 with two RBI in seven career at-bats against Wilson.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve is getting the day off on Mother's Day on Sunday in Detroit against the Tigers. With Altuve on the bench, Mauricio Dubon will start at second base and hit ninth in the batting order against Tigers right-hander Jack Flaherty. This will be Altuve's first day off of the season. The 34-year-old eight-time All-Star has been great this year so far with a .317/.379/.503 slash line with an .882 OPS, a league-leading 51 hits, seven home runs, 13 RBI, seven stolen bases and 26 runs scored for the Astros in 39 games played. However, he's slowed down of late, going 3-for-21 with seven strikeouts in his last five games. Dubon is hitting .274 (23-for-84) on the year but with only one home run. The 29-year-old will be a low-upside sleeper in DFS in the nine-hole for Houston in a tough matchup.

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Kevin Pillar went 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs scored, and a stolen base in Saturday's 9-3 win over the Royals. It was the 35-year-old's second three-hit game in his last four, so perhaps things are looking up for the veteran in what has been an otherwise forgetful beginning to the season. Through May 5, Pillar was batting .161 but this four-game stretch has raised his season average to .261 as he's logged just 12 starts in 2024 and has come in as a pinch-hitter, pinch-runner, or defensive replacement 12 times. The recent outburst is nice to see for Pillar, but you're still staying away for fantasy unless he can get more regular at-bats.

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher James Paxton pitched six innings of shutout ball in Saturday's 5-0 victory over the Padres, allowing just four hits and no walks while striking out four on the way to earning his fifth win of the season. The veteran has an impressive 2.58 ERA on the season and a low HR/FB% of 6.3%, but the 1.41 WHIP and -1.2% K-BB% are a bit concerning. A high 86.3% LOB% with such a low strikeout rate and a FIP of 4.91 indicate things could fall apart quickly for the southpaw. Nevertheless, if he can continue to walk the tightrope, the Dodgers should continue to provide enough run support for the 35-year-old to collect some additional wins.

Atlanta Braves left-hander Max Fried (3-1) allowed three walks while striking out five over seven scoreless and hitless innings in Saturday's 4-1 win over the New York Mets. The 30-year-old was removed after 109 pitches. Braves manager Brian Snitker pulled Fried from continuing to pursue the individual no-hitter and turned to the bullpen to close it out. The team's no-hitter was broken when Raisel Iglesias surrendered a solo shot to J.D. Martinez during the ninth inning. Fried has been dealing lately and has not allowed a run in three of his last four starts. Overall, he owns a 3.57 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and a 37:17 K: BB across 45 1/13 innings in 2024. Fried has been pitching well recently and should remain in all fantasy lineups for his next start Friday against the San Diego Padres.

Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel has been removed from his normal role as Orioles closer. Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told reporters Saturday that he talked with the 35-year-old Friday afternoon about the change in plans. Hyde said he intends to take it day-by-day and that he's not sure when Kimbrel will return back to the closer role, hinting that this move may be more temporary. "We need him to be Craig Kimbrel and we need him to be the lockdown guy he's been for his entire career," the Orioles manager stated. Kimbrel had failed to convert four of his last five save opportunities before the change on Friday night, when he threw a perfect seventh inning. Fantasy managers will want to keep an eye on Kimbrel over the next couple weeks, but should be looking for other closers if Kimbrel was their starting closer.

New York Yankees utility infielder DJ LeMahieu (foot) was seen hitting live pitching off JT Brubaker. Yankees manager Aaron Boone expressed confidence in the 35-year-old's recovery process and said that he will hit live again on Tuesday. The veteran is beginning to ramp up his work and should be starting a rehab assignment fairly shortly. LeMahieu has yet to make his 2024 debut. He posted a .243/.327/.390 line with 15 long balls and two swiped bags last season. When he returns, LeMahieu should see the majority of starts at the hot corner, which will significantly lower Oswaldo Cabrera's fantasy value. LeMahieu is worth holding onto in deeper formats and should be worth looking into in standard leagues when he is cleared to return.

Texas Rangers right-hander Max Scherzer (back, thumb) said that he was given a cortisone injection in his right thumb after undergoing additional tests on Wednesday. Scherzer is feeling better after the injection and apparently isn't dealing with any kind of ligament damage after he passes strength tests with his thumb. The 39-year-old three-time Cy Young winner's timetable has been pushed back due to this setback with his thumb, but the good news is that he was scheduled to play catch on Friday for the first time since reporting discomfort in his right thumb and forearm. The Rangers aren't going to rush Scherzer back, so fantasy managers might have to wait until early June now to get him back into their starting lineups.

Toronto Blue Jays outfielders Kevin Kiermaier (illness) and George Springer (illness) remain out of the starting lineup on Saturday against the visiting Minnesota Twins for the second straight day as they remain under the weather. Daulton Varsho is back in center field and is batting second, while Cavan Biggio is in right field and is hitting eighth in the batting order against Twins rookie right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson. Davis Schneider is back in left field and in the leadoff spot for the Jays. Fantasy managers need to keep both Kiermaier and Springer benched for another day and check back to see if they're feeling good enough to play in the series finale on Sunday. Nobody in Toronto's lineup has faced Woods Richardson in their careers.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos hit his third homer of the season to help Philadelphia to an 8-2 win over the Miami Marlins on Friday. Since April 20, Castellanos has hit .275/.333/.478 to help boost his batting average to .207, a 54-point jump in batting average since he ended the April 19 loss to the White Sox batting .153. All three of his homers have come in that span as the Phillies, who have won eight of their last 10, are banking that Castellanos can continue to keep his bat perking up. Castellanos is slashing .207/.268/.571 with three home runs, 13 RBI, 16 runs, and a stolen base over 157 plate appearances in 2024.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (elbow) threw long toss prior to Friday's game against the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays and is expected to throw a full bullpen session on Saturday morning. Manager Aaron Boone said the plan is to have Cole ramp up his baseball activities, but an exact timetable for his return to the mound has not yet been set. If the 33-year-old reigning American League Cy Young Award winner can begin a minor-league rehab assignment in late May, he should be able to rejoin New York's rotation in the middle of June. Right-handers Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt are both throwing well for the Yankees right now and are high-end streaming options in fantasy in favorable matchups.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Charlie Morton tossed seven strong innings in Friday's victory over the division-rival New York Mets, giving up one run on three hits (one home run) and one walk with seven strikeouts. Besides the seven punchouts, Morton's highlight of the night came when he escaped a bases-loaded jam in the second inning by striking out Mets third baseman Brett Baty to end the frame. The 40-year-old right-hander remains a dependable fantasy starter at this stage of his career, featuring a rock-solid 3.14 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 40:14 K:BB through 43 frames (seven starts) during the fourth season of his second stint in Atlanta this year. Morton is slated to take the hill in Wednesday's series finale at home against the Chicago Cubs. In four starts against the Cubs since 2021, Morton has a dicey 6.16 ERA and 20:11 K:BB over 19 innings.

New York Mets left-hander Brooks Raley (elbow) is "not close" to throwing, according to manager Carlos Mendoza. Raley is going to see another doctor this week in hopes that he can be cleared to throw. It's obviously bad news for a pitcher that was originally placed on the 15-day injured list on April 21, especially since he was expected to return from the IL when he was first eligible. The 35-year-old southpaw reliever probably won't return until at least June now, depending on how things go when he's cleared to resume throwing. The former sixth-round selection of the Chicago Cubs in 2009 out of Texas A&M was a key weapon out of the Mets' bullpen in 2023 with three saves, a 2.80 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 61 strikeouts in 54 2/3 innings out of the bullpen. Raley hadn't allowed a run in seven innings with nine K's in eight appearances this year before getting hurt.