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          Fantasy baseball advice for Monday: Pepiot, Cortes highlight top streamers

          Ryan Pepiot projects to be one of the top streamers for Monday's MLB slate and has fanned 10 in 11 1/3 frames over his past two games. AP Photo/Jeff Chiu
          • Todd Zola, FantasyAug 26, 2024, 11:27 AM ET
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            • Writing on fantasy baseball game theory and player analysis since 1997
            • Winner of the 2013 Fantasy Sports Writer's Association Best Baseball Article
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          Look for our fantasy baseball starting pitcher rankings, hitter upgrades and downgrades daily to help you make smart fantasy baseball lineup decisions and for MLB betting tips. MLB game odds are provided by ESPN BET, and fantasy advice is geared toward ESPN 10-team leagues with standard scoring.

          Note: This file has been updated with any overnight pitching changes or weather-related game postponements, along with the addition of the latest MLB game odds as of the indicated time of publication.

          Both sides of the fence

          If Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora stays true to his word, history will be made on Monday when the Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays resume their suspended game from July 26. Danny Jansen was behind the plate for the Blue Jays. In fact, he was at the plate in the top of the second when the game was suspended.

          Soon thereafter, Jansen was traded to the Red Sox. Reese McGuire was the Red Sox catcher on July 26 but he's since been released. A quirk in the rules allows Jansen to replace McGuire.

          Joel Youngblood is the answer to the trivia question, "Who is the only MLB player to play, and get a hit for two different teams on the same day?" Soon, Jansen will be the answer to, "Who is in the only MLB player to appear for both teams in the same game?"

          The narrative could have been even better. Jansen was one strike away from possibly framing a pitch to have himself called out on strikes. The count is 0-1, so the plate appearance will be credited to Jansen's substitute. If there were two strikes, a punchout would have been charged to Jansen.

          Commissioner services will handle the stats from resumption in varying manners. In standard ESPN leagues, none of the stats from Monday night will be included in the standings. The action from July 26 counted that scoring period, but Monday's stats essentially don't exist in standard ESPN leagues. The policy is outlined here.

          The Red Sox will reportedly hand Nick Pivetta the ball for the resumption of the suspended game. The Blue Jays have not yet announced their plans, although Jose Berrios will pitch in one of the two AL East affairs.

          Aside from the rest of the suspended contest, there are 11 games on the Monday docket, including a day-night double header with the Cleveland Guardians hosting the Kansas City Royals. The opener kicks off the day's action at 1:10 p.m. ET.

          What you may have missed on Sunday

          • Miami Marlins SS Xavier Edwards is reportedly headed to the 10-day IL due to a sore lower back. The ailment has kept Edwards out of the last two games. It's a bad break for Edwards' fantasy team managers with the Marlins set to begin the week with a four-game set in Coors Field. Vidal Brujan will likely garner most of the action at shortstop in Edwards' absence.

          • Pittsburgh Pirates C Joey Bart will be placed on the 10-day IL after injuring his hamstring. Since the break, Bart has hit .302/.362/.519 over his 116 plate appearances. The club will reportedly recall Henry Davis to share backstop duties with Yasmani Grandal.

          • Yesterday, the San Francisco Giants had to turn to their bullpen early with SP Robbie Ray only completing three innings before being forced to leave due to a tight left hamstring. The club is hopeful the injury is minor so Ray will be able to make his next start, currently on tap for Saturday.

          • Atlanta Braves OF Michael Harris II had to leave yesterday's game after being hit in the left hand by a pitch in the first inning. He initially stayed in, but was removed after striking out in the second. X-rays indicated no fracture, so Harris is considered to be day-to-day. Marcell Ozuna also seemingly avoided a serious injury after fouling a ball off his shin. Ozuna stayed in the game but was seen icing his knee afterwards. Ozuna is still expected to be in today's lineup when the Braves open a road set with the Minnesota Twins.

          • Kansas City Royals OF Hunter Renfroe was once again placed on the 10-day IL, this time for a low-grade strained right hamstring. In a corresponding roster move, OF Tyler Gentry was promoted and should see some action while Renfroe is on the shelf. Gentry isn't a top prospect, but the right-handed batter could be in the lineup against left-handed pitching. The 25-year-old was hitting .251/.341/.423 for Triple-A Omaha.

          • Minnesota Twins OF Max Kepler was a late scratch as he has been experiencing soreness in his left knee. His status is day-to-day with Manuel Margot as his probable replacement.

          • The Baltimore Orioles were shorthanded on Sunday with both Cedric Mullins and Ryan Mountcastle out against the Houston Astros. Mullins has been sidelined for two games thanks to a quad issue, while Mountcastle has missed three straight contests as a result of a wrist injury. The status of both is day-to-day. Baltimore is off on Monday.

          • The Astros were also down a man yesterday, with OF Yordan Alvarez sitting for the third game in a row. Alvarez is dealing with a neck issue. His availability for tonight's road date with the Philadelphia Phillies is unclear.

          Everything else you need to know for Monday

          • The top streamer on the ledger comes in just under the cutoff with the Tampa Bay Rays giving the nod to Ryan Pepiot (49.4% rostered in ESPN leagues). Pepiot will face the Seattle Mariners on the road. The Mariners boast the best pitching in the league, but their offense is below average, in part due to the league's highest strikeout rate. Pepiot isn't dominant, but in the two starts since coming off the IL, he fanned 10 over 11 1/3 frames.

          • Next up is another hurler barely making the rostership cut with New York Yankees LHP Nestor Cortes (44.9% rostered) taking on the Washington Nationals in Nationals Park. The home crowd will be treated to the debut of top prospect OF Dylan Crews. The right-handed hitting rookie will hope to spark a lineup with the fifth worst wOBA facing left-handed pitching.

          • Speaking of debuts, the Detroit Tigers are set to promote 24-year-old RHP Ty Madden to start on the road against the Chicago White Sox. Madden has logged 18 starts, spanning 79 innings for Triple-A Toledo. He has fanned an impressive 102 batters, but he's walked 40. Madden has also yielded 100 hits, including 17 long balls, resulting in a 7.97 ERA and 1.77 WHIP. Even so, Madden's strikeout potential puts him in play facing the league's least potent offense.

          • Using hitters in Coors Field is Pavlovian. It's one of those, "It goes without saying," sort of things. So why am I about to focus on Miami Marlins hitters when it should be obvious? Usually, there are only a handful of players hitting in the bottom of the order widely available for pickup. Xavier Edwards leads the Marlins with a 51.6% rostership. Everyone else is available in more than half of all ESPN leagues. Furthermore, the Marlins are set to embark on a four-game series, giving you an extra chance to take advantage of the best hitting venue in MLB. Jake Burger (46.1% rostered) is a must add and he's eligible at 1B and 3B. Everyone else is available in at least 96% of ESPN leagues. The prime targets are 1B/3B Jonah Bride (4.2% rostered), OF Derek Hill (0.2% rostered), newly promoted 2B/OF Connor Norby (1.6% rostered) and SS/2B/OF Otto Lopez (0.8% rostered).

          • Betting tip of the day: Jose Berrios is slated to pitch Toronto's regularly scheduled game tonight in Fenway Park. While it is technically not part of a doubleheader, there's still every chance that the Red Sox will treat it as such and deploy a lineup with some reserves to face Berrios. The Red Sox have fanned at the fourth-highest clip versus righties and Berrios has had at least six punchouts in three of his last four outings. The forecast calls for cool temperatures with a slight wind blowing in, lessening the chance Berrios gets hit hard and exits early. I'm taking Berrios for over 5.5 strikeouts (+115).

          Starting pitcher rankings for Monday

          Reliever report

          To get the latest information on each team's bullpen hierarchy, as well as which pitchers might be facing a bit of fatigue and who might be the most likely suspects to vulture a save or pick up a surprise hold in their stead, check out the latest Closer Chart, which will be updated every morning.

          Hitting report

          Plan ahead in fantasy baseball with help from our Forecaster projections. Each day, we will provide an updated preview of the next 10 days for every team, projecting the matchup quality for hitters (overall and by handedness) as well as for base stealers.

          Best sub-50% rostered hitters for Monday

          Best and worst hitters from the day are generated by THE BAT X, a projection system created by Derek Carty using advanced methods like those used in MLB front offices, accounting for a variety of factors including player talent, ballparks, bullpens, weather, umpires, defense, catcher pitch-framing, and lots more.

          Worst over-50% rostered hitters for Monday

          THE BAT X's Best Stacks for Monday