Payton Tolle, SP, BOS
Tolle was incredible against the Yankees on Thursday, striking out 11 across 6.0 IP, while allowing 1 ER on 3 hits and 1 BB. He picked up right where he left off in AAA, where he produced a 3.00 ERA and 19:4 K:BB across 15.0 IP this season, and in fact he was even better than that in his 2026 MLB debut. Perhaps his greatest area of weakness is the homerun ball - he allowed 5 HR's in 16.1 IP in his brief stint with the Red Sox last season, and he allowed another long ball on Thursday. Even so, the upside is too great to allow him to hang around on the waiver wire.
Riley Greene, OF, DET
Greene went 2-3 with a HR and 2 RBI against the Brewers on Thursday, and is now hitting a monstrous .417/.533/.694 over his last 12 games. It has been a strong start to the season for Greene from a plate discipline perspective as he currently boasts career bests in strikeout and walk rates, propelling him to a .289 BA and .396 OBP through 26 games. The over-the-fence power has surprisingly been lacking so far this season, as Thursday's blast was just his 2nd long ball of the year after he put up 36 dingers in 2025. He's hitting the ball as hard as ever with a 49.2% HardHit%, yet he entered Thursday with an impossibly low 4.5% HR/FB%. That number has been over 16% in each of his past three seasons, and we should expect it to return to that level going forward. Greene remains a solid fantasy outfielder, who perhaps could be in line for his strongest season yet.
Christopher Sanchez, SP, PHI
Sanchez had a rough outing against the Cubs on Thursday, allowing 6 ER's on 12 hits and 2 BB's in 5.1 IP, while striking out 4. His ERA is still a shiny 2.94 through 6 starts, although his WHIP is an unsightly 1.60. Perhaps Sanchez has been fortunate to avoid more damage considering how much traffic he has allowed on the basepaths, but the high number of baserunners itself would appear to be a matter of bad luck, as hitters have recorded a .423 BABIP against him this season. Sanchez currently owns a career high 11.50 K/9, while his GB% remains elite at 57.0%, resulting in a spectacular 2.54 xFIP. Expect his WHIP to deflate as the season progresses, and continue to rank him as one of the top pitchers in baseball.
Cam Schlittler, SP, NYY
Schlittler continued his tremendous start to the 2026 season, allowing just 1 ER on 4 hits and 1 BB in 8 IP against the Red Sox on Thursday, while striking out 5. Schlittler has basically been lights out for the Yankees this season posting a 1.77 ERA, 2.26 xFIP, and a phenomenal 41:4 K:BB across 35.2 IP. He gets his groundballs (48.8% GB%), while the HR he allowed on Thursday was the first he has given up all season. There is nothing fluky about Schlittler's success so far this season, and he should be trusted by fantasy owners to continue producing strong results.
Ozzie Albies, 2B, ATL
Albies had a big game against the Nationals on Thursday, going 3-4 with a HR and RBI, to extend his hitting streak to 6 games. After two mediocre offensive seasons, the 2nd baseman has gotten off to a strong start in 2026, hitting .297 with 5 HR's through 26 games. He continues to be an excellent contact hitter (13.5% K%) but his quality of contact has been poor, with his 85.4 EV entering Thursday standing as a career low. His xBA and xSLG are well below his actual marks and are actually lower than previous seasons, making it fair wonder if he can keep this up. He should still be solid enough to be a fantasy starter, but he could be worth selling if you can find an owner who believes Albies is returning to his 30-HR form.
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