San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish was nearly unhittable on Sunday, throwing seven shutout innings of two-hit ball in a 9-1 win over the Atlanta Braves. This marks back-to-back Sunday Night Baseball victories for Darvish, who posted an eerily similar line last week against the Dodgers. In both outings he went seven innings and allowed zero runs, two hits, and a walk. The only difference is that he managed two more strikeouts in this one, totaling nine compared to seven last week. The dominant performance lowered his ERA to 2.08 and his WHIP to 0.90. He should be an easy start in all fantasy leagues after stellar outings against two of the best offenses in baseball and his streak of not allowing an earned run reaching 26 IP.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (rest) is out of the starting lineup ahead of the game against the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday. Fantasy managers don't have anything to worry about as this appears to be a routine rest day for Smith. In his absence, Austin Barnes will handle behind the plate and bat ninth on Sunday. Fantasy managers should be able to find a better streaming option considering Barnes isn't known for his ability with the bat.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Alex Cobb (hip, shoulder) has paused his throwing program and is not close to returning, per Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area. Cobb has been placed on the 60-day injured list since April 20 and has been shut down numerous times in his recovery process. Manager Bob Melvin emphasized that the 36-year-old pitcher still feels discomfort in his shoulder. This is not a good sign, as Cobb could be activated from the injured list later this month. This timetable looks unrealistic, and his absence could extend close to the All-Star Break. Cobb made 28 starts last season and showed excellent command with a 5.7% walk rate and a stellar 57.8% ground-ball rate. Cobb should remain on the waiver wire in all leagues but is worth keeping on an injured reserve spot in NL-only formats if you have room.

Chicago Cubs pitcher Drew Smyly (hip) is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment next week with High-A South Bend, per manager Craig Counsell. The 34-year-old journeyman was placed on the 15-day injured list on April 23 with a right hip impingement and is nearing the final step in his recovery process. Smyly has operated exclusively out of the bullpen this season with a hefty 4.97 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, and 5:11 BB:K ratio. The southpaw started 23 games for the Cubs last season but looks to be stuck in a long relief role this season. When Smyly returns to major league action, he should be left on all waiver wires, but he could be worth streaming in NL-only formats if he were to make spot starts throughout the summer.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Michael Taylor will take a seat on the bench on Friday for the start of a series at Wrigley Field against the division-rival Chicago Cubs. Taylor will retreat to the bench after starting the last four games while going 2-for-13 with a double, two runs scored and five strikeouts to drop his season slash line to a weak .222/.271/.287. The 33-year-old veteran outfielder has added only one home run, eight RBI, three stolen bases and 12 runs scored for the Bucs through a month and a half of the season. Jack Suwinski is getting the start in center field and is batting sixth, while Connor Joe will be in right field while hitting cleanup against Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks. Both Joe and Suwinski are worth a look as DFS sleepers in the outfield on Friday against a pitcher who currently holds an 0-3 record and 10.04 ERA.

New York Mets starting pitcher Jose Quintana picked up a no-decision in Thursday's contest versus the division rival Philadelphia Phillies. The veteran lefty tossed 5 1/3 frames and allowed four hits, two runs, no walks and struck out four on the evening. Quintana is who he is at this point in his career and that is an innings eater. With an ugly 5.21 ERA over his first nine starts, the 35-year-old can be avoided in a tough matchup versus the Cleveland Guardians and should remain on the waiver wire in all formats moving forward.

Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Erasmo Ramirez relieved relief pitcher Jason Adam with two outs in the ninth inning to record his first save of the season in Thursday's victory against the Boston Red Sox. Closer Pete Fairbanks seemed to have the night off and Adam got himself in trouble with two runners on base when Ramirez entered the ballgame. Ramirez has allowed seven runs in the 13 innings he has thrown this year and can be avoided in all formats with Fairbanks and Adam in line to receive most of the Rays save chances moving forward.

Los Angeles Dodgers backstop Will Smith will be getting the day off on Thursday as the Dodgers open a four-game set against the Cincinnati Reds. Smith has started each of the past six games and holds an overall .315/.381/.479 line with four home runs. Instead, Austin Barnes will serve as the catcher for Tyler Glasnow and will bat in the nine-hole. The 34-year-old is best to fade in DFS as he enters Thursday with a .219/.359/.250 slash line with no home runs and has only appeared in 13 games this season.

Texas Rangers right-hander Max Scherzer (elbow, neck, triceps) said he has had MRI exams on his elbow, neck and triceps and all of the imaging has come back clean. Scherzer is going to attempt to play light catch on Wednesday and will learn to manage his neck issue. The 39-year-old three-time Cy Young winner had surgery on Dec. 15 to fix a disc issue in his back and was hoping to return in May, but he was placed on the 60-day injured list on Wednesday and now won't be eligible to return before May 27. A recent thumb injury caused him to be shut down, which essentially assured that he wouldn't make his season debut for the defending champions until June. For now, there's no timeline on Scherzer's return, although his Hall of Fame resume makes him deserving of being stashed in all fantasy leagues.

Minnesota Twins first baseman Carlos Santana went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer in Sunday's victory against the Toronto Blue Jays. The homer would be the seventh of the season for the veteran. Santana has shown up with power this season as he also has 21 RBI. The issue for Santana has been that he is only hitting .212, but he has been hitting the ball hard with an average exit velocity of 90.7 MPH. Managers in deeper leagues should consider Santana if power is needed, but with the expectation that he will sink managers batting average along the way.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale produced his first double-digit strikeout effort of the season in Wednesday's 5-0 victory over the visiting Boston Red Sox, throwing six scoreless innings on six hits and one walk en route to his fifth win of the year. Staked to an early four-run lead, Sale cruised through his former club with relative ease on Wednesday. After giving up five runs to the last-place Miami Marlins back on April 19, the 35-year-old seven-time All-Star has gone 4-0 with a pristine 1.50 ERA and 32:3 K:BB over his past four starts (23 innings) for the Braves. Up next, Sale sets up for a manageable home start against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday. Over their last 12 outings, the Cubs are scoring just 2.8 runs per game.

Texas Rangers general manager Chris Young said that right-hander Max Scherzer (back, thumb) has been shut down from throwing for a few days while still dealing with a right- thumb/forearm issue. Scherzer doesn't have a timetable to resume throwing, but Young said he won't throw again until any tightness/discomfort is gone. The Rangers aren't going to take any chances with the 39-year-old veteran, who hasn't pitched in the big leagues since having surgery on Dec. 15 to fix a herniated disc in his back. Scherzer's thumb became a problem after his first minor-league rehab start for Triple-A Round Rock on April 24. Originally hoping to return to Texas' starting rotation in May, Scherzer could now be pushed back until June, depending on when he resumes throwing. With Dane Dunning (shoulder) now in the injured list, Jose Urena should stay locked into the rotation for at least a bit longer.

Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez is getting a breather on Wednesday against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers. Freddy Fermin will do the catching for right-hander Brady Singer and will bat eighth in the order against Brewers right-hander Joe Ross. It's a regular day of rest for Perez in a day game after a night game. The 33-year-old backstop has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball to start the 2024 season, as he's slashing .326/.387/.558 with a .945 OPS, eight home runs, a league-leading 31 RBI and 15 runs scored in 129 at-bats. Perez should be back in action for the Royals for the series opener in Los Angeles on Thursday against the Angels. Fermin is batting just .218 (12-for-55) with a homer and two RBI and is low-upside streamer in DFS in the eight-hole on Wednesday.

San Diego Padres outfielder Jurickson Profar went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs. Profar blasted a two-run shot off Shota Imanaga in the eighth inning to put the Padres on the scoreboard and tie the game 2-2. His home run traveled 385 feet with an exit velocity of 103.4 mph. The 31-year-old has been on absolute fire at the plate recently, hitting .429 (21-for-49) with four home runs, 12 RBI, 12 runs, and a stolen base over his last 13 games. Profar is slashing .338/.420/.538 with six home runs, 27 RBI, 22 runs, and two stolen bases across 150 plate appearances in 2024. Fantasy managers should continue to roll with Profar in most leagues while he's swinging a hot bat.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander did not have his good stuff in Tuesday's 10-3 loss to the Yankees. Verlander pitched five innings, allowing seven runs on eight hits (including three home runs) and three walks with two strikeouts. The veteran pitched well in his first three starts but this one brought his ERA all the way up to 4.43, and his 6.04 K/9 rate and 4.03 BB/9 rate leave room for improvement. Verlander should have an opportunity to find it in his next scheduled start, which is a favorable matchup at the Tigers.