Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler was excellent on the mound during Friday's game against the Miami Marlins. Wheeler gave up a two-run home run to Eric Wagaman, but was basically untouchable outside of that. He tossed seven innings, allowing five hits, two earned runs, and recording 13 strikeouts in the win. Wheeler hasn't been like himself lately, but hopefully this outing will help him get back on track. He'll take a 3.73 ERA with 41 strikeouts into his next start against the New York Mets. Fantasy managers have been given a few bad starts from Wheeler, but he remains a must-start in fantasy formats.

Detroit Tigers right-hander Tommy Kahnle picked up the save in a 6-1 win over the Kansas City Royals on Thursday. Kahnle tossed two scoreless innings while not allowing a baserunner and failing to record a strikeout to preserve the win. The veteran reliever has been productive at the back of the Detroit bullpen this season, converting all three of his save chances while posting a 1.29 ERA, 0.43 WHIP, and five strikeouts over seven innings of work. The Tigers opened the season with a ninth-inning committee, but it appears that Kahnle has emerged as the favorite for the ninth-inning role moving forward.

Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander Andrew Heaney had a nice bounce-back outing on Thursday to help sweep the visiting Washington Nationals at PNC Park, tossing 7 1/3 scoreless innings with five hits allowed, two walks and four strikeouts to win his first game of the season in a 1-0 ball game. It wasn't an eye-popping stat line when all was said and done, but Heaney induced a lot of weak contact and was efficient while throwing 95 pitches. The 33-year-old southpaw let up four earned runs in six innings in a loss to the Cincinnati Reds his last time out, but outside of that outing he's been strong in his first season in Pittsburgh. Heaney's strong effort on Thursday lowered his season ERA to 2.13 with 22 strikeouts and six walks in his first 25 1/3 innings pitched. While he shouldn't be counted on as a big strikeout guy, Heaney can continue to be a productive fantasy streamer in the right matchups.

Free-agent right-handed reliever Hector Neris signed a minor-league deal with the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday. Neris began the season in the Atlanta Braves' bullpen but allowed five earned runs on five hits (one homer) while walking one and striking out one in just an inning of work before he was designated for assignment. The 35-year-old veteran chose free agency after clearing waivers and has now latched on with the Halos. For the time being, he'll most likely report to Triple-A Salt Lake and serve as minor-league relief depth for the Angels. Neris saw a drop in his strikeout rate and swinging-strike rate last year with the Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros despite winning 10 games and recording 18 total saves. He has 107 career saves over 12 big-league seasons, but his days as a high-leverage reliever are likely over.

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that infielder DJ LeMahieu (calf) could begin a minor-league rehab assignment next Tuesday. LeMahieu tweaked his calf in spring training and was forced to begin the regular season on the injured list, but he's been taking at-bats at extended spring training in Florida and appears to be ready to play in minor-league games. Boone said that the 36-year-old will need a full build-up once he starts his rehab assignment, so the oft-injured LeMahieu almost certainly won't make his 2025 debut for the Yankees in April after missing most of spring training. When LeMahieu does come off the injured list, whenever that may be, he won't be guarantee regular playing time if he's not producing. His best path to playing time in the Bronx will be at the hot corner. The two-time batting champion hit just .204 last year and was limited to 67 games due to injuries.

San Francisco Giants infielder Wilmer Flores and outfielder Jung Hoo Lee will take a seat on Thursday afternoon as the Giants will face Philadelphia southpaw Cristopher Sanchez. Flores has enjoyed an impressive start to the campaign, holding a .242/.286/.515 slash line with 16 total hits and six long balls. He tallied 23 RBI and scored 11 runs. Lee has also been swinging a hot bat as he has slashed a strong .338/.395/.647 line with 10 doubles and three round-trippers across the first 17 contests of the regular season. Fantasy managers should expect both Flores and Lee to likely rejoin the starting nine on Friday evening when they face the Angels. However, the Angels are scheduled to send out lefty Tyler Anderson, which could keep Lee out of the lineup. Instead, Luis Matos will cover center field, and Casey Schmidt will cover first base. The Giants should be faded in DFS facing Sanchez, who enters Thursday with a strong 3.12 ERA.

Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman helped power the team to an 8-7 win over the Rockies on Wednesday night by going 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, and his third homer of the year. He sent an 0-1 sinker from German Marquez over the right center field wall to give the Dodgers a 2-1 lead and spur them on to a seven-run first inning. In his nine games this season, Freeman is hitting .333 with three home runs and a .486 wOBA. His hard-hit rate and barrel rate are both up this year after a slight decline last year, and the 35-year-old remains an elite run-producer in the middle of a stacked Dodgers' lineup.

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper was terrific on Wednesday, going 2-for-3 with a homer and a pair of walks in an 11-4 loss to the San Francisco Giants. Harper also scored twice and cashed in two RBI. The 32-year-old former MVP hasn't been his usual world-beating self this season, but he is now up to a .269 AVG and .873 OPS to go with 11 runs, four homers, nine RBI, and four swipes. Those are solid numbers, even if slightly underwhelming for someone of Harper's caliber. Still, he is a must-start fantasy option and will likely improve as the season continues.

Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw (knee, toe) had a positive first minor-league rehab start on Wednesday with Triple-A Oklahoma City, throwing three scoreless innings while allowing two hits, walking none and striking out two. The 37-year-old former MVP and three-time Cy Young winner threw 22 of his 30 pitches for strikes but only topped out at 88.8 mph with his four-seam fastball. Kershaw has plenty of time to build his velocity back up, though, as he's not eligible to come off the 60-day injured list until May 17. The Dodgers are going to take their time with the future Hall of Famer, which means he might not even be allowed to rejoin their big-league starting rotation by May 17. While Kershaw can still have solid outings, he has become much more of a fantasy dice roll and is likely to have his innings heavily managed when he eventually returns.

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer and a walk in a 6-4 win over the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday. Harper blasted a two-run shot off Hayden Birdsong in the seventh inning to push the Phillies' lead to 6-3. The blast traveled 354 feet with an exit velocity of 106.2 MPH. Harper is off to a decent start in 2025, hitting .250 with three homers, nine runs, seven RBI, and four steals across 64 at-bats. The veteran remains one of the top fantasy hitters in the league.

Cincinnati Reds left-hander Wade Miley (elbow) is scheduled to throw three innings in an extended spring training game on Tuesday in Arizona and then could start a minor-league rehab assignment, according to manager Terry Francona. It's unclear when Miley might be an option to make starts for the Reds in 2025, but the veteran 38-year-old southpaw is clearly making progress after having a hybrid internal-brace/Tommy John procedure on his left UCL last May. He will need a lengthy rehab assignment and probably won't be an option for Cincy's starting rotation until late May or early June, and he doesn't have much fantasy appeal at all these days. Miley made only two starts a season ago with the Milwaukee Brewers before being shut down with his elbow problems, and he allowed five earned runs on six hits while walking two and striking out two in seven innings.

The Atlanta Braves sent outfielder Marcell Ozuna (hip) back to Atlanta on Monday for an exploratory MRI exam on his injured hip, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Justin Toscano. The MRI showed inflammation but nothing serious, and Ozuna is considered day-to-day. While it seems that the 34-year-old veteran slugger has avoided a serious injury, he's expected to miss the entire three-game series in Toronto against the Blue Jays. Atlanta has the day off on Thursday before returning home on Friday to start a weekend series against the Minnesota Twins. Fantasy managers will want to check back then to see if Ozuna is feeling good enough to return to the starting lineup. With Ozuna out on Monday, Bryan De La Cruz served as the designated hitter and went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in the 8-4 victory.

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado continued his strong offensive start to the season in Monday's 8-3 win over the Astros. Arenado went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a solo home run, and two RBI. The 33-year-old punished a seventh-inning Luis Contreras middle-middle fastball, launching it into the left-field bullpen. Arenado seems to have left his awkward off-season with the Cardinals' front office in the past, slashing .316/.409/.526 with two HR and nine RBI in his first 66 plate appearances. His slugging percentage has been up after last season's disappointing production, although, like last season, he has not hit the ball very hard.

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich is taking a seat for Monday's series opener against the visiting Detroit Tigers at American Family Field with left-hander Tarik Skubal on the mound. Yelich will get a day of rest after starting each of the team's last 10 games. Isaac Collins will serve as the team's designated hitter on Monday night and will bat second against Skubal. Coming off offseason back surgery, Yelich does have three home runs in his first 16 games, but he's also hitting only .143 (8-for-56) in the early going with a double, 10 RBI, eight walks and 16 strikeouts in 65 plate appearances. Fantasy managers shouldn't start panicking yet, but he's been a disappointment after a very strong start in 2024. Collins is in a prime spot in the batting order but will be avoided by most DFS gamers against Skubal. The switch-hitter has gone 5-for-21 with no homers, two runs and two stolen bases so far this year.

Atlanta Braves outfielder/designated hitter Marcell Ozuna (leg) is out of the team's starting lineup on Monday against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Center due to a minor leg injury. However, manager Brian Snitker isn't too concerned. Bryan De La Cruz will serve as the designated hitter and will bat fifth against Blue Jays left-hander Easton Lucas for the series opener. It's good news that Ozuna's injury doesn't sound very serious, but fantasy managers will need to pull him from their lineups on Monday and check back to see if he's available to play in Game 2 of the series in Canada on Tuesday. The 28-year-old De La Cruz should be avoided in DFS lineups for Monday's slate because of his slow start in 2025. The Dominican outfielder has gone just 8-for-39 (.205) with no home runs, a stolen base and 16 strikeouts in his 42 plate appearances over 13 games.

According to Justin Toscano, a beat writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Atlanta Braves right-hander Craig Kimbrel was Assigned To Double-A Columbus on Monday. The Braves had signed Kimbrel to a minor-league deal, and he has spent that time ramping up at the team's complex in Florida but has yet to face any hitters. The assignment to Double-A suggests that Kimbrel and the Braves are taking the next step, hoping he still has something left in the tank and will help the Braves' bullpen in 2025. The 36-year-old struggled with the Baltimore Orioles in 2024, with a 5.33 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP, but is still considered a future Hall-of-Famer and respected by many in the baseball community. Fantasy managers can continue to monitor his progress, as Kimbrel could hold value as a high-leverage reliever for the Braves. Still, Raisel Iglesias will likely continue to get the save opportunities if and when Kimbrel arrives.

According to Justin Toscano, a beat writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Atlanta Braves right-hander Craig Kimbrel was assigned to Double-A Columbus on Monday. The Braves had signed Kimbrel to a minor-league deal, and he has spent that time ramping up at the team's complex in Florida, but he has yet to face any hitters. The assignment to Double-A suggests that Kimbrel and the Braves are taking the next step, hoping he still has something left in the tank and will help the Braves' bullpen in 2025. The 36-year-old struggled with the Baltimore Orioles in 2024 with a 5.33 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP, but he is still considered a future Hall of Famer and respected by many in the baseball community. Fantasy managers can continue to monitor his progress, as Kimbrel could hold value as a high-leverage reliever for the Braves. Still, Raisel Iglesias will likely continue to get the save opportunities, if and when Kimbrel arrives.

Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman earned his third save of the season on Sunday afternoon by closing out the Red Sox's 3-1 victory over the White Sox in Chicago. Chapman took the loss on Saturday, allowing a walk, stolen base, and walk-off single after entering the ninth inning in a tie game. He came in with a two-run lead on Sunday and had two strikeouts in the ninth, getting Luis Robert Jr. to start the inning and Michael A. Taylor to end the game. The 37-year-old veteran has 11 strikeouts in his seven innings and has converted each of his three save opportunities. The run he gave up on Saturday is the only run he has allowed all season, but he has now pitched in back-to-back games, so he may not be available as the Red Sox continue their road trip in Tampa Bay on Monday night.

Phillies ace Zack Wheeler had another down day on Sunday and ultimately was handed his first loss of the season. Wheeler went six full innings against the Cardinals, allowing seven hits, one walk, and four earned runs in the 89-pitch outing. He recorded just three strikeouts, his lowest game total of the season and his fewest since recording a pair in a four-inning outing on May 12 of last season. Wheeler allowed 11 baserunners and five earned runs in his previous start, against the Braves. Through four starts in the young season, Wheeler is 1-1 with 28 strikeouts, a 4.07 ERA, and 1.07 WHIP. Wheeler should be able to right the ship in his next start. He is slated to face the Marlins at home on April 18.

Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (rest) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Sunday's game against the Chicago Cubs. Freeman recently returned from the injured list and went 1-for-6 with three strikeouts during that span. It's not shocking to see the Dodgers giving Freeman a day off to get his mind right. Enrique Hernandez will cover first base and bat eighth versus right-hander Colin Rea. Hernandez is 4-for-40 to start the season, so he isn't an ideal fantasy option right now.