Outlook Max Muncy
Max Muncy is swinging a scalding-hot bat for the division-leading Dodgers, making him an easy start despite recent health scares.
After a brief scare with shortness of breath earlier in the month, Muncy has returned with a vengeance as the everyday third baseman for the first-place Dodgers. Over his last seven days, he has torched opposing pitching with a .471 batting average and a 1.114 OPS. His surge has helped stabilize a Los Angeles lineup currently navigating key injuries to Will Smith and Teoscar Hernandez.
Muncy's recent batting average spike is a departure from his career norm, as he is a lifetime low-.200s hitter who typically relies on walks and power. While his current .270 average will likely regress closer to our projected .228 mark, his underlying slugging ability is elite. With 14 homers already in the books, he is well on his way to easily outpacing our rest-of-season projection of 15 home runs.
The Dodgers finish up in Pittsburgh today before heading to Chicago for three games against the White Sox. Muncy faces highly beatable matchups, including Mitch Keller and Erick Fedde, both of whom carry ERAs above 4.50. With four remaining games against vulnerable pitching, he is a locked-in fantasy option. Verdict: Start.
Updated 2 days ago
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Outlook Alex Lange
Late-Inning Opportunities Drive Value as Lange Navigates Ratio Turbulence
Alex Lange enters the campaign in a prime position to secure high-leverage work for the Kansas City Royals. Following a trade from Detroit, the 30-year-old veteran slots in as a key late-inning weapon in a rebuilt bullpen. With established closing experience from his 26-save season in 2023, Lange has the potential to push for ninth-inning duties if incumbent options stumble. His status as a primary setup option ensures that he will remain a vital cog in the team's relief plans regardless of his official title.
Our projections anticipate a solid contribution of 10 saves, 65 strikeouts, and a 3.83 ERA over 47.0 innings of work. Lange’s primary appeal remains his dominant swing-and-miss stuff, but his fantasy profile is continually held back by a high projected walk rate and an expected 1.38 WHIP. Fantasy managers must weigh his high-strikeout upside against the potential damage to their weekly WHIP and ERA ratios, which has historically fluctuated during his six-year career.
Ultimately, Lange is an intriguing target for managers hunting for cheap saves or holds in deeper formats. While his control issues prevent him from being a Tier-1 relief option, his path to saves is much clearer than most late-round relievers. He serves as an excellent bench stash with high supplemental value if he can harness his secondary pitches and command the strike zone more consistently.
Updated 2 days ago
