Washington Nationals right-hander Trevor Williams (elbow) has faced live hitters twice in the last week-plus and is now scheduled to throw four innings or build up to 65 to 70 pitches in a minor-league rehab start with Double-A Harrisburg on Tuesday in what will be his first competitive game since May 30. Williams has been out since late May with a flexor strain in his elbow. Barring a setback during what is expected to be a brief rehab assignment, Williams could rejoin the big-league rotation to make perhaps a couple of starts at the end of September. Manager Dave Martinez has said Williams probably needs to get up to 80 pitches before he comes off the 60-day injured list, so he'll need more than one rehab start. The 32-year-old veteran had bounced back from a rough 2023 to go 5-0 with a 2.22 ERA and 1.08 WHIP with 47 K's in 56 2/3 frames over 11 starts earlier this year before getting hurt.

San Diego Padres second baseman Xander Bogaerts, who moved to second base this year, could potentially be headed back to his former position with Ha-Seong Kim (shoulder) not particularly close to coming off the 10-day injured list. Rookie Mason McCoy has taken over at the 6 in Kim's absence, but the Padres devised that plan as a temporary solution when Kim's return was expected to come sooner. McCoy is solid defensively, but he's hitting just .204 with a .523 OPS. Bogaerts has settled in nicely at the keystone, but moving him back to short would allow Jake Cronenworth to slide from first to second and Luis Arraez from DH to first, freeing up the DH spot for a potential platoon between David Peralta and Donovan Solano. Solano could also play some first base. When Solano pinch hit for McCoy on Sunday, the Padres shifted Bogaerts to short and Cronenworth to second, perhaps a sign of things to come.

San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt said on Sunday that shortstop Ha-Seong Kim (shoulder) is "not as close as we'd like" to making his return from right-shoulder inflammation. The news could prompt the club to move Xander Bogaerts, who made the move from shortstop to second base this year, back to his former position. Kim hurt his shoulder three weeks ago diving back into first base, and the team was initially optimistic he'd return after the minimum 10-day stint on the injured list. But as Kim has attempted to ramp up his throwing, he has continued to feel discomfort. He took ground balls at short and attempted to ramp up his throws across the diamond on Saturday, but he's yet to be able to do so at 100% effort. At this point, the Padres are probably just hoping the 28-year-old will be available to them if they secure a spot in the playoffs.

Chicago White Sox right-hander Jared Shuster will serve as the team's opener for Monday's matchup against the division-rival Cleveland Guardians at Guaranteed Rate Field. Shuster could very well end up going multiple innings for the Pale Hose in this one, but he won't be a recommended fantasy streamer against the division-leading Guardians. The 26-year-old has started just two of his 34 appearances for the team in 2024, with his last "start" coming back on July 14 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, when he went 1 2/3 shutout innings with a walk and two strikeouts. Shuster hasn't allowed an earned run in his last three relief appearances over six innings while walking one and striking out six, but there just isn't any real fantasy upside here in a bad matchup. Avoid Shuster on Monday.

New York Mets right-hander Paul Blackburn (hand), who was originally scheduled to come off the 15-day injured list to make the start on Monday against the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre, will no longer start, according to the team. Instead, right-hander Tylor Megill is the team's new probable starter. It's unclear if Blackburn has had a setback with his hand, but if he hasn't, the 30-year-old veteran could just be pushed back a day as a precaution. Blackburn suffered a right-hand bruise several weeks ago on a comebacker but is close to rejoining the Mets' starting rotation. Since coming over from the Oakland Athletics in a trade, Blackburn has been an unreliable fantasy streamer, going 1-2 with a 5.18 ERA and 1.56 WHIP with 21 strikeouts and seven walks in 24 1/3 innings over his five starts. He'll be a shaky deep-league streamer if he rejoins the rotation this week in Toronto.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Michael Wacha was excellent on Sunday, shutting out the Minnesota Twins for seven innings in a 2-0 win. Wacha allowed just four hits and a walk while punching out seven in this one. The 33-year-old veteran has been clinical for most of the season, just as he has been since the 2022 campaign. He is a reliable source for a good ERA, decent WHIP, and some strikeouts while being a workhorse capable of 175-plus IP. He is a great back-end arm in any fantasy rotation.

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder/first baseman Pavin Smith had a game to remember on Sunday, going 3-for-4 with three homers and eight RBI in a 12-6 win over the Houston Astros. Smith did all of his damage in the first five innings, hitting a three-run homer in the 2nd, a grand slam in the third, and a solo shot in the fifth. The monster game brings the 28-year-old up to a .270 AVG and .905 OPS in 89 at-bats this season. Those numbers aren't too shabby, but the lefty hasn't been able to get into the starting lineup consistently and has spent most of his time in the minors. With a game like this, maybe the D-Backs will get him in the lineup more often. Still, it's hard to trust that one game will change things, so he isn't of much value in fantasy.

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Osvaldo Bido will rejoin the starting rotation on Tuesday against the Houston Astros. Bido was skipped on Saturday, potentially to reduce his workload as he is nearing his total from last year. This is an important move for fantasy, as Bido becomes a two-start pitcher this week (as long as the A's don't skip his next start as well) with the second matchup being against the lowly White Sox. He is a solid option in standard-size leagues, especially points leagues. Also noteworthy is that JP Sears is no longer a two-start pitcher and will lose the juicy White Sox matchup.

Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland looked sharp on the mound during Sunday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers. The southpaw was able to induce a ton of soft contact during this game. He allowed one unearned run while striking out four batters across six innings of work. It's not an easy task to hold this Brewers lineup in check. Freeland has been better as of late with three quality starts in his last four outings. He could be a low-end streaming option for his next outing against the Chicago Cubs.

Colorado Rockies outfielder Kris Bryant (back) is "questionable" to play again this season, according to Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post. Manager Bud Black expressed that the 32-year-old is "feeling good" and "doing better" but is running out of time to return to the diamond. Bryant has appeared in just 37 games this season and has held a modest .218/.323/.301 slash line with two home runs. 15 RBI, and a 13:48 BB:K. Bryant has been hindered by back injuries all season and may stay out for the remainder of the season. For now, fantasy managers should expect the rookie Jordan Beck and 31-year-old Jake Cave to see most of the starting opportunities in right field down the stretch.

Colorado Rockies outfielder Brenton Doyle (finger) will remain out of the starting nine on Sunday as the Rockies look to clinch a series victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. Doyle left Saturday's match early after injuring his finger when attempting to make a catch. As a result, 30-year-old Sam Hillard will cover center field on Sunday afternoon. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor Doyle's status as we enter the new week. Doyle has enjoyed a great 2024 season boasting a .268 AVG with 22 round-tripper and 26 stolen bases. Hillard has enjoyed a nice surge at the plate as of late, riding a .278 AVG and a .722 SLG. However, he has a difficult matchup against Milwaukee right-hander Freddy Peralta.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl (chest) will remain sidelined on Sunday as the Reds conclude a series with the New York Mets. Friedl left Saturday's game early after experiencing shortness of breath. As a precaution, he was taken to the hospital and thankfully nothing serious was detected. However, out of precautionary measures, the outfielder will take a seat on Sunday which will open up center field for Will Benson. Fantasy managers should pay attention to the 29-year-old's status ahead of the new week as he could miss a few more games. Benson is worth a look in DFS against the Mets as he will bat in the eight-hole and face Mets right-hander Luis Severino who enters Sunday with a 3.84 ERA.

New York Mets starting pitcher Jose Quintana tossed six-and-two-thirds shutout innings in Saturday's 4-0 victory over the Reds, allowing five hits and two walks while striking out six batters on the way to picking up his eighth win of the season. It was the third consecutive start in which the southpaw gave up one earned run or fewer, although it has been somewhat of a mixed bag for fantasy as he also only struck out 12 batters in 18 innings over that stretch (6.00 K/9). It has been much of the same all season, pitching to a 4.09 ERA (4.89 FIP), 1.31 WHIP, a 9.1% K-BB%, and a 6.99 K/9. The 35-year-old gets a tough matchup his next time out on the road against Philadelphia next Friday.

Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Willy Adames belted his 30th home run of the season in a 2-for-4 day at the plate during Saturday's 5-2 win over the Rockies. The 29-year-old also swiped a pair of bags in the contest, giving him 18 stolen bases on the season. It was the eighth home run in the last 13 games for the Dominican, and with 101 RBI on the season, he leads the National League in that category. After a poor month of June, the slugger was slashing .229/.321/.408, but has hit well ever since and now has the slashline up to a much more respectable .253/.335/.473 along with a .347 wOBA and 123 wRC+.

Boston Red Sox outfielder Tyler O'Neill homered twice in a 7-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox Saturday evening. The veteran hit his first home run off Garrett Crochet in the first inning, and the second off reliever Enyel De Los Santos in the fifth. O'Neill knocked in three runs and also scored three runs. On the season, he is hitting .258 with 27 home runs, 53 RBI, four stolen bases and 67 runs scored. That's also three home runs in the last seven games. O'Neill is a good power source at this late season stage. He will look to continue his hot hitting in the series finale tomorrow against the White Sox.

Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman and designated hitter smashed a two-run homer in a pinch-hit appearance during the Pirates' 5-3 loss on Saturday in the first game of their doubleheader. Tellez pinch-hit for Connor Joe in the bottom of the seventh and hit the two-run shot, his 13th of the season, off Nationals' right-hander Jacob Barnes. The lefty added on a walk in the bottom of the ninth before being pinch-ran for. The 29-year-old has started to turn things around after starting the season off very cold in April and May, hitting for an .853 OPS and knocking 11 of his 13 HR since June. Tellez's fantasy value is still somewhat subsided as he's mainly used as a platoon option vs right-handers, but he remains a solid option going forward. He's in the starting lineup for game two against Nationals left-hander Mitchell Parker and will likely sit on Sunday against Nationals' lefty Patrick Corbin. Fantasy managers should plan appropriately.

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado is officially in the Cardinals' lineup for their Saturday night tilt against the Seattle Mariners and will start at third base as normal. Arenado was removed from Friday night's game in the ninth inning with left shoulder soreness. Given that the 33-year-old is back in the starting lineup and playing his normal defensive position, there shouldn't be much worry about the injury for Cardinals fans and fantasy managers alike going forward. Arenado has had a subpar season with his bat by his standards, hitting for just a 98 OPS+. With the Cardinals fighting for a wild card spot (6.0 GB) they will need Arenado to turn it up offensively for them to be able to have a shot at contention. He'll have a tough test on Saturday night facing off against Mariners' starter Logan Gilbert. Fantasy managers should keep Arenado in their starting lineups but DFS managers may want to temper expectations given the stout matchup.

Seattle Mariners outfielder Victor Robles (elbow) is not in Saturday's lineup as the Mariners continue a three-game set against the St. Louis Cardinals. Robles was removed early from Friday's game after being hit by a pitch in his elbow and will need at least one more day to rest. Fantasy managers should consider the 27-year-old day-to-day for the time being. As a result, Mitch Haniger will cover right field and bat in the eight-hole. Haniger is in the midst of a rough 3-for-20 slump across his past seven games and should be left out of your DFS lineup as he will face St. Louis right-hander Kyle Gibson.

Chicago White Sox infielder Miguel Vargas (eye) is returning to the starting nine on Saturday afternoon and will bat in the eight-hole. Vargas has been kept out of the lineup for the past two games with an eye abrasion that was caused by a collision on September 3. In his past eight games, the 24-year-old has held a .200/.333/.300 line with just four total hits. Fantasy managers should expect Vargas to continue to serve as the everyday second baseman for the remainder of the regular season on the Southside. Vargas does have a favorable matchup this afternoon against Boston right-hander Cooper Criswell who carries a 4.14 ERA but is best to leave off your DFS lineup.

Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (knee) remains out of the lineup on Saturday afternoon as the Phillies continue a series against the Miami Marlins. The backstop left Friday's game early in the second inning after taking a foul ball to his left knee. As a result, Garrett Stubbs will be behind the plate and bat in the nine-hole. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to the Phillies lineup ahead of their game on Sunday. Stubbs has made just three starts since August 25 and is not worth putting in your DFS lineup as he will face Miami right-hander Darren McCaughan.