In The Field
OF J.D. Martinez was back in the Diamondbacks' lineup on Saturday after missing Friday's game due to illness. He remains a strong fantasy OF option this week. OF Matt Kemp was activated from the DL on Saturday after recovering from his hamstring strain. Kemp is a viable option in most leagues this week. 2B Ben Zobrist returned to the Cubs lineup on Wednesday, a day after missing a couple games with neck stiffness. Zobrist is fine for the upcoming week but in what has been a down year, there are likely better options in many leagues. Oft-Injured SS Zack Cozart is day-to-day once again, this time after taking a pitch off the ankle in Friday's game. Cozart will likely be fine for the upcoming week but owners will want to keep an eye on his status before plugging him in. The Reds activated OF Scott Schebler from the DL last week after he recovered from a rotator cuff strain. Schebler wasn't able to maintain his hot start and there are likely better options out there in most leagues with him likely sharing time with Jesse Winker. C Devin Mesoraco can't seem to stay healthy and his latest injury, a broken foot, will likely put him on the shelf for the rest of the season. Mesoraco is droppable in those deep leagues where he was still owned. 3B Nolan Arenado was right back in the Rockies' lineup on Friday after taking a pitch off the hand in Thursday's game. Arenado remains a must-start fantasy stud this week. The Dodgers acquired OF Curtis Granderson in a deal with the Mets on Friday and should see the bulk of the action in center field over the struggling Joc Pederson who was just demoted to Triple-A. Granderson's fantasy value gets a boost in a stronger Dodger lineup while Pederson is droppable as it's hard to imagine him seeing regular playing time in the Dodgers crowded outfield. 1B Adrian Gonzalez returned last week after missing over two months with a back injury but given the emergence of Cody Bellinger it's hard to imagine him seeing enough action to warrant regular fantasy use. Stash him away on the bench for now until his role becomes clearer. Bellinger owners will want to keep an eye on his status over the next few days after he left Saturday's game with a minor ankle sprain. The Brewers acquired 2B Neil Walker in a trade with the Mets last week. Walker's value should jump a bit in a stronger lineup and a move to a more hitter-friendly home ballpark at Miller Park. He's a solid 2B option in most leagues. SS Orlando Arcia was back in action on Friday after missing much of the week with back spasms. Arcia is quietly having a solid fantasy season and is worth a look in deeper leagues this week. C Stephen Vogt was activated from the DL last week after recovering from his knee sprain and will go back to splitting time behind the dish with Manny Pina. Vogt is worth a look in deep leagues with large rosters where he can be plugged in part time. 3B Wilmer Flores was back in action on Friday after missing two games last week with rib cage soreness. Flores remains a viable option in some deeper leagues this week. OF Odubel Herrera was unable to bounce back quickly from his hamstring strain and was placed on the 10-day DL last week retroactive to August 15. Herrera could return as early as Friday, and will be worth plugging in lineups in most leagues as he's really turned his season around in the second half. C Francisco Cervelli was placed on the 10-day DL with inflammation in his wrist. Cervelli will likely be out of action all week and NL-owners looking his way will have to look elsewhere. Chris Stewart will see most of the action behind the plate but has minimal fantasy value. OF Gregory Polanco was placed on the 10-day DL last week with a hamstring strain with the move being retroactive to August 13. Polanco is technically eligible to return as early as today, but he's likely looking at another few weeks off. He's worth stashing in deeper leagues. 1B Brandon Belt continues to recover slowly from a concussion and it remains to be seen if he'll be able to return this season. Belt is still worth stashing in deeper formats in case he can bounce back. 2B Joe Panik's status for the upcoming week is up in the air after suffering a concussion of his own last week. Panik owners will likely need to roll with other options this week. OF Dexter Fowler is day-to-day after sitting out Saturday's game with a sore back. Keep an eye on the hot-hitting outfielder's status before starting him this week. SS Trea Turner has resumed taking batting practice but it's still likely to be another couple weeks before he gets the call to return to the Nationals' lineup. Keep him stashed away. OF Brian Goodwin was placed on the 10-day DL with a groin strain last week with the move retroactive to August 14. Goodwin is eligible to return for the bulk of the action this week but that doesn't appear likely. Goodwin is worth stashing in NL-only leagues. Adam Lind is seeing some additional playing time in the outfield and is worth a flier in those same formats.
On The Mound
Robbie Ray will rejoin the Diamondbacks rotation for a start on Thursday after recovering from taking a line drive off of his head. Ray pitched well in Thursday's minor league rehab start and returns to being a solid option in most leagues this week. After he was annihilated in his last start Jon Lester was placed on the 10-day DL on Friday with lat tightness. Lester will only miss at one or two starts but will be of no used to fantasy owners this week. Mike Montgomery will take over Lester's spot in the rotation and is worth a look for spot duty in deeper leagues this week. Anthony Senzatela will get another crack at starting for the Rockies following the demotion of Jeff Hoffman last week. Senzatela will need to string together a few quality starts before he'll be worth considering in NL-only leagues. Clayton Kershaw continues to inch closer to a return from his back injury and could begin a rehab assignment by next week. Keep Kershaw stashed as he'll likely need at least a couple rehab starts before he returns, but don't be surprised to have him back when the calendar flips to September. Yu Darvish left Wednesday's start early with back tightness and will sit out his next turn in the rotation. The Dodgers expect Darvish to return on Sunday which will make him a late week option for owners in leagues with daily roster deadlines, while weekly roster league owners will need to play it safe and look elsewhere this week. The Mets placed Seth Lugo on the DL last week with a shoulder impingement, opening the door for the return of Robert Gsellman who had missed almost two months with a hamstring strain. While the potential is there, neither Lugo nor Gsellman have pitched well enough this season to warrant trusting in fantasy lineups. Johnny Cueto threw a successful bullpen session on Friday and will make the first of what is expected to be two rehab starts on Monday. Keep stashing Cueto away, but don't expect to see him for at least another week. Adam Wainwright's season is in jeopardy after he landed on the DL with an elbow impingement. Wainwright's dip in velocity this season has really hurt his effectiveness and it's hard to imagine him bouncing back to contribute much down the stretch. The Cardinals have once again called on Luke Weaver to fill the hole in their rotation. Weaver pitched very well at Triple-A this season and has flashed those same skills in a few starts already making him worth adding in most fantasy leagues. Max Scherzer was placed on the 10-day DL on Saturday after he was scratched from Friday's start with neck stiffness. Scherzer will likely miss a turn in the rotation this week so he'll need to be stashed away. The Nationals did get a boost from the return of Stephen Strasburg from his elbow impingement with a return to the mound on Saturday. He's a must-start fantasy starter once again.
In The Bullpen
Jeurys Familia has begun a minor league rehab assignment as he attempts to return late this season from surgery to remove a blood clot in his shoulder. Familia has an outside chance of earning saves in September but for now he's best left on the wire. Mark Melancon returned from the DL last week but the Giants, at least for now, seem content to let Sam Dyson continue to handle closing duties. Melancon is worth holding onto if you have the roster space, but if you're looking for saves, Dyson is the guy. Seung Hwan Oh is back in the saddle as the Cardinals closer after Trevor Rosenthal landed on the DL last week. Rosenthal may be facing Tommy John surgery and can be dropped as it's hard to imagine him returning in any capacity this season. Oh is worth snagging if you need saves but he's been incredibly volatile this season.
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