San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb was brilliant in defeat on Friday, allowing one run over six innings in a tough 2-0 loss against the Los Angeles Angels. Webb struck out 12 while allowing just four hits and walking none in this one. His changeup was electric in this one, generating 11 whiffs on 14 swings. The 28-year-old has been excellent this season, pitching to a 2.40 ERA and 1.03 WHIP with 38 strikeouts in 30 IP. While his numbers will likely regress a bit, it looks like Webb will once again be a stable rotation piece in fantasy that provides good ratios and strikeouts.

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Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Tyler Anderson tossed six shutout frames on Friday, earning his second win of the season in a 2-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants. Anderson held the Giants to just three hits and two walks while striking out six. The lefty has rolled off two consecutive scoreless outings and has allowed four total hits over his last three starts (16 IP). While that is unlikely to continue, it might be worth riding the wave while Anderson is hot. He has had stretches like this one in the past, and he can certainly be helpful when he's pitching like this. Just know that it could all come crashing down at any time.

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New York Yankees starting pitcher Carlos Rodon had his best start of the season on Friday, shutting out the Tampa Bay Rays for six innings in a 1-0 win. Rodon was very sharp in this one, allowing just two hits while striking out nine. Although it was mostly good for the lefty, he did walk four and had now walked 16 in just 29 innings so far this year. That's not ideal, but if he's limiting hits and striking batters out like in this one, it might not matter. All in all, it was a strong bounce-back effort for Rodon, and fantasy managers should feel better about the 32-year-old after this one.

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Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto was electric on Friday, tossing seven scoreless frames while punching out 10. Yamamoto only allowed five hits and didn't walk a batter in this one. The 26-year-old sophomore has taken his game to another level early in the season, throwing 18 consecutive scoreless innings and looking like a Cy Young-level pitcher. He now has a 0.93 ERA and 0.86 WHIP to go with 38 strikeouts in 29 IP. Yamamoto has been elite, and anyone lucky enough to have drafted him should be excited about what this season could bring.

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Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Andrew Abbott was brilliant on Friday, chucking six innings of one-run baseball while punching out 11. Abbott allowed just two hits and a walk, with the only damage coming off a Cedric Mullins solo homer in the second frame. Abbott has shown big upside in the past, but his consistency has been spotty at best. In today's game, he got whiffs on his fastball, curveball, and especially his changeup. If he can keep those pitches rolling, he certainly has the chance to be special. He's not widely rostered in fantasy, but that needs to change after this performance. Go out and grab him if he's out there in your league.

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Houston Astros outfielder Cam Smith had his best day as a big-leaguer on Friday, smacking two homers in a 6-4 win over the San Diego Padres. Smith hit a three-run shot in the second inning to put the Astros ahead, then added a solo homer in the fourth for some insurance. Although he hasn't gotten off to a flying start, Smith has flashed some upside, hitting three homers and swiping a base in just 49 at-bats. Holding onto the rookie while he figures things out at the major league level would be a wise move.

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Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story had a monster day at the dish on Friday, going 3-for-4 with a pair of homers, three runs scored, and six RBI. He started his day with a three-run bomb in the first inning, and then put a capper on it with another three-run shot in the seventh. Don't look now, but Story has a very impressive .321 AVG and .876 OPS to go along with 10 runs, five homers, 14 RBI, and six swipes. Fantasy managers have gotten all they could ask for and more from the late-round pick, and if he can stay healthy he should be a steal this season. He should be owned and started in all leagues at this point.

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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.

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Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Evan Phillips (shoulder) is expected to rejoin the roster for their series against the Chicago Cubs. Phillips has been working his way back from a shoulder strain that kept him sidelined for part of the postseason last season. He began the season on the 15-day injured list, but he appears almost ready to return. Phillips hasn't posted pretty numbers during his rehab assignment, but those stats don't matter too much. The Dodgers are hopeful that Phillips can slide right back into his role as a high-leverage option at the back-end of this bullpen.

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San Francisco Giants first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. (rest) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Los Angeles Angels. Wade will take a seat for the second straight game as the Angels send left-hander Tyler Anderson to the mound on Friday. Wade hasn't been much of a fantasy option anyway considering he's 5-for-49 with one home run and seven RBI on the season. In his absence Casey Schmitt will cover first base and bat sixth against Anderson. Schmitt hasn't been any better this season as he's 4-for-23 heading into Friday's contest.

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Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Martin Perez (forearm) was forced to exit early during Friday's game against the Boston Red Sox. The southpaw didn't have favorable results before exiting the contest. Perez allowed five hits, four earned runs, and two walks in three innings of work. He was pulled from the game due to left forearm tightness. The expectation is that Perez will undergo further imaging to determine the severity of the issue. For now, Perez can be considered day-to-day, but could end up on the injured list. Fantasy managers can hold Perez for now who has been solid with two earned runs or less in all of his starts prior to Friday's game.

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Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Lucas Erceg (foot) was removed from Friday's game against the Detroit Tigers. Erceg was helped off the field after getting hit on his left foot by a comebacker. It was an 109-mph line drive off the bat of Riley Greene. The expectation is that Erceg will undergo further evaluation to determine the severity of the injury. Fantasy managers will have to check back for another update. Hopefully Erceg doesn't miss much time as he's an important piece to this Royals bullpen.

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Baltimore Orioles pitching prospect Brandon Young is set to make his MLB debut on Saturday afternoon against the Cincinnati Reds. Young joined the Baltimore taxi squad prior to Friday's series opener and is set to take the big league bump for the first time on Saturday. Young opened the campaign with Triple-A Norfolk and held a 2.76 ERA with an impressive 0.92 WHIP across 16 1/3 innings of work. During this stint, the right-hander struck out 17 batters and served up just two free passes. This was a nice improvement compared to the 3.44 ERA and the 1.28 WHIP he held at Triple-A during his first stint with Norfolk during the 2024 campaign. Fantasy managers should only target Young in AL-only formats. He could be worth a look in DFS as a high-upside value play.

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The Athletics have recalled left-handed pitcher Jacob Lopez from Triple-A Las Vegas. In a corresponding move, the Athletics have optioned right-handed pitcher Jason Alexander to Las Vegas. Lopez has enjoyed a strong start to the campaign with Triple-A Las Vegas and is being rewarded with a promotion to the big leagues. Across 14 2/3 innings of work, the southpaw has held a strong 2.45 ERA with a 1.09 WHIP. He struck out 22 batters while serving up just five walks. The 27-year-old has only made two brief appearances in the major leagues during the 2023 and 2024 campaigns. Across 22 2/3 career frames, Lopez has posted a 4.76 ERA with a 1.24 WHIP. Fantasy managers should expect Lopez to operate out of the bullpen, but he could be given opportunities to earn starts in the rotation.

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The Minnesota Twins have designated right-handed pitcher Matt Canterino for assignment. This transaction opened a spot on the roster for infield prospect Luke Keaschall. Entering spring training, Canterino did not pitch in a minor league contest since the 2022 campaign due to Tommy John surgery. He was able to enter camp healthy but suffered a shoulder strain. Later in March, the Twins announced that he would undergo season-ending surgery. In 2022, Canterino was quite effective in Double-A, logging 34 1/3 innings to the tune of a stellar 1.83 ERA with a 1.14 WHIP. He struck out 50 batters and served up 22 free passes. While the Rice product has shown potential at times, he has been unable to stay on the mound over a full season for several years.

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The Minnesota Twins have optioned catcher Mickey Gasper to Triple-A St. Paul on Friday. Gasper was able to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster but was unable to find much success during the opening weeks of the campaign. Through 10 contests, Gasper posted a .111/.273/.111 line with just two hits and a 4:7 BB:K. Gasper generated a .094 xBA and a .108 xSLG, which are both well below the average marks. Last summer, Gasper made his MLB debut with the Boston Red Sox and did not tally a hit across a 13-game stint. Fantasy managers should expect Gasper to operate as the top backstop with St. Paul. In the major leagues, Ryan Jeffers will continue to be the top backstop in Minnesota while Christian Vazquez (hand) is out. When Vazquez is cleared to return, they will likely split catching duties.

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Texas Rangers third baseman and outfielder Josh Smith (thumb) is still out of the Rangers' lineup for Friday night's matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Smith injured his thumb against the Seattle Mariners and hasn't played for five days. The 27-year-old had been making his mark filling in for Josh Jung at third base, slashing for a .342/.432/.500 line in 44 PA. In Smith's absence, Dustin Harris will get the start in left field and will hit sixth. The 25-year-old has perform well in his five games this season but will face a tough test Friday against Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Though a tough test, DFS managers may find value in a cheap option by getting Harris into their lineups.

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The Los Angeles Angels have designated infielder Nicky Lopez for assignment. In a corresponding move, the Angels activated infielder Zach Neto (shoulder) off the injured list. Lopez has appeared in five games this season and did not tally a hit across six plate appearances. If Lopez is not claimed on waivers, the 30-year-old will report to Triple-A Salt Lake. Last season, Lopez held a .241/.312/.294 slash line with just 12 doubles and one long ball across 124 contests with the Chicago White Sox. Under the hood, Lopez generated a low .288 xSLG and a .268 xwOBA, which were both well below the average marks. If Lopez returns to Triple-A Salt Lake, he may eventually earn the call back to the majors later in the summer as a depth infielder.

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Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto (shoulder) has been reinstated from the injury list and will be batting seventh in the Angels' lineup in their matchup against the San Francisco Giants. Neto underwent right shoulder surgery in November and has progressed through a rehab assignment for the past few weeks. The 24-year-old will look to show his 2024 season was a strong showing of who he can be at the plate after posting a 112 OPS+ and a 5.1 WAR. Fantasy managers need to make sure to grab him off the waiver wire if available as he will certainly provide long-term value in all fantasy leagues. DFS managers may want to wait for Neto to shake off the rust before he can provide DFS value.

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Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani is out of the Dodgers' lineup for Friday night's game against the Texas Rangers. Ohtani and his wife are expecting their first child. Fantasy managers should expect that Ohtani may be out for a few days, though manager Dave Roberts did say that it's possible Ohtani returns to the team by Sunday. The Dodgers have yet to release an official lineup for Friday night but expect Enrique Hernandez to get more at-bats in Ohtani's absence. Hernandez has hit for a .564 OPS to start the season, making him tough to trust in any fantasy format. Fantasy managers looking to fill Ohtani's void this weekend should be able to find other options on the waiver wire.

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