Texas Rangers infielder Josh Smith (hamstring) made his first start since June 13 due to a hamstring injury and returned in a big way on Tuesday versus the New York Mets. Smith suited up as the designated hitter and went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run out of the No. 3 spot in the batting order. Smith has quietly put together a nice season with a .298 batting average to go along five homers, 28 RBI and four stolen bases in 69 games. Third baseman Josh Jung (wrist) has begun his rehab assignment, but Smith's versatility across the diamond should keep him in the lineup. Smith has overachieved this season, but his versatility and spot in the middle of the Rangers lineup should continue to make him a valuable option in deeper leagues.

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Jason Heyward came up big off the bench in Tuesday's victory versus the Colorado Rockies. The veteran began the game on the bench, but pinch-hit for Chris Taylor in the top of the ninth inning and it would prove to be a huge at-bat as he took Rockies reliever Tyler Kinley yard for a grand slam that would cut the Rockies lead to one at the time. His grand slam turned all the momentum in the Dodgers favor as they would walk away winners of the contest. Heyward has revived his career in Los Angeles over the past one and a half years, but he remains a better real-life player than fantasy player. As a platoon player, Heyward does not offer much value outside of DFS for now. On the season, he is now hitting .250 with four homers and 15 RBI over 80 at-bats.

Los Angeles Dodgers rookie outfielder Andy Pages went 1-for-3 with a pair of walks, two runs and a solo home run in Tuesday's victory versus the Colorado Rockies. Pages homer came off Austin Gomber in the top of the second inning and flew 382 feet. The rookie has been having a very solid campaign since making his debut on April 16. On the year, Pages is hitting .262 with eight homers, 21 RBI and a .744 OPS in 202 at-bats. Pages has become a Rookie of the Year candidate with his strong campaign thus far and his numbers should only improve as he has moved up to the No. 5 spot in the batting order with Mookie Betts (hand) sidelined for the next six-to-eight weeks. Pages makes for a good play in both dynasty and redraft formats.

Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Tobias Myers (4-2) turned in a quality start in a 6-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday. Myers tossed 6 1/3 innings of scoreless ball while allowing four hits, walking two, and picking up six strikeouts. The rookie picked up his fourth win of the season. He owns a 3.26 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and 42 strikeouts over 47 innings of work across 10 appearances (nine starts). Myers has emerged as a critical piece of the Milwaukee pitching rotation and should be in starting lineups for fantasy managers moving forward. His next outing is scheduled for Sunday against the San Diego Padres.

Colorado Rockies outfielder Brenton Doyle recorded four hits in five at-bats in Tuesday's loss versus the division rival Los Angeles Dodgers. Doyle had three singles and had a solo home run. In addition, Doyle had a pair of RBI and runs scored. The 26-year-old has been one of the lone bright spots in what has been a dismal year for the Colorado Rockies. Helping across the board, Doyle has hit .274 with six homers, 21 RBI and 18 stolen bases. Doyle will have the next five games this week with Coors Field at his advantage and should be in all daily lineups through the rest of the week. Even on a bad team, Doyle has found a way to be productive and should be rostered in more formats.

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena went 1-for-4 in Tuesday's loss versus the Minnesota Twins. Arozarena's lone hit would be a big one, as he put the Rays up 3-0 in the top of the first inning. Arozarena has been one of the more consistent outfielders over the past few seasons, but has struggled mightily this season with a .179 batting average to go with 10 homers, 25 RBI and seven stolen bases. The batting average is a major disappointment, but it is nice that the veteran is helping with power and on the basepaths. The outfielder is now hitting .257 with two homers and six RBI over his last 35 at-bats and it appears that he may finally being turning the page on a rough start to the season. With his recent improvement, Arozarena's buy-low window continues to shut more.

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Josh Lowe went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI and solo home run in Tuesday's loss versus the Minnesota Twins. It was a big game for the outfielder that has spent most of the season sidelined and has been in a season-long slump when healthy. Lowe is a regular starter for the Rays, but entering last night was on the verge of losing playing time as he was four for his last 32 entering the contest. Lowe was very productive for the Rays in 2023 with 20 homers, 83 RBI and 32 stolen bases, so the potential is there for Lowe to turn his season around. The hope is that Tuesday's performance can be what gets Lowe going as he can be a very productive all-around outfielder in most formats when he is at the top of his game.

Minnesota Twins utilityman Willi Castro went 2-for-4 with a walk, two doubles and a three RBI in Tuesday's victory versus the Tampa Bay Rays. Castro was leading off in the contest, his fourth straight start at the top of the order. The versatile veteran has been having a good season for the Twins, hitting .265 with five homers, 21 RBI, 41 runs and eight stolen bases in 249 at-bats. The Twins have dealt with different injuries throughout the season, but Castro's flexibility has made him a staple for the Twins this season. He will not blow away any particular category, but he offers just enough across the board to be valuable in deeper leagues, especially being eligible at multiple positions.

Tampa Bay Rays closer Pete Fairbanks (thumb) exited Tuesday's contest after being hit with a comebacker on the hand in the ninth inning. The closer went for X-rays after the game; the good news is that they were negative. The Rays have officially tagged Fairbanks with a right thumb contusion, and he is considered day-to-day. When healthy, Fairbanks continues to be one of the more reliable closers in the sport. With Fairbanks unlikely to be called upon in the next couple of days, look for Jason Adam as the next man up for any ninth-inning or high-leverage work.

Kansas City Royals second baseman Nick Loftin went 1-for-3 with a homer, a walk, and three RBI in a 7-5 loss to the Oakland A's on Tuesday. Loftin launched a two-run homer off Oakland starter Hogan Harris in the second inning, a blast that traveled 394 feet and had an exit velocity of 102.5 MPH. The homer was the first in 141 career at-bats for Loftin. The 25-year-old is now hitting .253 with one homer, 13 runs, and 12 RBI across 79 at-bats for the Royals in 2024. Loftin will need to show a lot more at the plate to be considered worthy of a roster spot in fantasy leagues.

Oakland A's second baseman Zack Gelof had a big night in a 7-5 win over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday. Gelof went 2-for-4 with a homer, a stolen base, two runs, and three RBI to help power Oakland to the win. The 24-year-old infielder has struggled in 2024, hitting .195 with six homers, 20 runs, 18 RBI, and eight steals across 200 at-bats for the A's. That said, he is showing signs of life at the plate of late, hitting .280 over his past seven contests. Fantasy gamers should continue to monitor Gelof as a potential waiver add if he continues his recent strong play.

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez came up clutch in his team's 11-9 win over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday. Hernandez went 1-for-5 with a game-winning, three-run homer in the top of the ninth inning to power the Dodgers to victory. The veteran's homer traveled 423 feet and had an exit velocity of 106.3 MPH, capping off a seven-run ninth inning for Los Angeles in their comeback win. Hernandez is enjoying his first season with the Dodgers, hitting .255 with 18 homers, 41 runs, 54 RBI, and four steals across 286 at-bats. Hernandez will remain a must-play with two games left in the Dodgers' away series against the Rockies at Coors Field.

Boston Red Sox shortstop Ceddanne Rafaela turned in an excellent game in a 4-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday. Rafaela went 3-for-4 with a double, a steal, and an RBI to help spark Boston to the win over their division rivals. The 24-year-old infielder is putting together a productive season for the Red Sox, hitting .251 with eight homers, 36 runs, 41 RBI, and 10 steals across 255 at-bats. He has been red-hot at the plate of late, batting .615 with six runs and four RBI over his past seven games. Fantasy gamers should have Rafaela locked into their starting lineups while he's on a hot streak.

The Detroit Tigers haven't indicated a timetable for outfielder Kerry Carpenter's (spine) return after he went on the injured list on May 29 (retroactive to May 27) with what the Tigers called lumbar-spine inflammation. Carpenter had been dealing with a lingering back issue and underwent tests the previous evening. The Tigers recently altered his diagnosis to a lumbar-spine stress reaction, which has been described by doctors as a crack in the bone that tends to appear clearly on MRIs and CT scans. It can take six weeks or three months for a stress fracture to settle down, so Carpenter's return isn't on the horizon. Before his injury, the 26-year-old had a 1.004 OPS against right-handed pitching, good for seventh in MLB. Carpenter should be able to return to full strength once the injury is healed, but he remains without a timetable and has yet to resume baseball activities.

San Francisco Giants second baseman Thairo Estrada hit a three-run, walk-off homer to lift them to a 7-6 win over the Chicago Cubs on Monday. Estrada's homer was his ninth and capped off a night that saw him finish with two hits, four RBI, and a walk in five plate appearances. The home run snapped a string of 20 consecutive games where Estrada had not gone deep. He is slashing .243/.277/.401 with 39 RBI and 37 runs scored. Estrada's versatility as a middle infielder offers some value and remains a solid fantasy option in leagues with 12 or more teams.

Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ homered and drove in three runs in Monday's 7-6 loss at the San Francisco Giants. Happ's eighth home run was a three-run shot in the top of the seventh inning that gave the Cubs a 6-3 lead as he finished with two hits and a walk in four plate appearances. He is slashing .229/.340/.400 with 36 RBI, 34 runs scored and six stolen bases. Happ is hurting fantasy managers with his batting average but makes up for it with his power and speed as he is on pace for 18 homers and could approach 15 steals.

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani had three hits during Monday's 9-5 win at the Colorado Rockies, his third multi-hit game in the last four. Ohtani had two doubles, a single, and a walk, as he also scored twice and drove in a run. He has recorded seven hits in his last 15 at-bats and is hitting .314/.388/.601 with 19 homers, 47 RBI, 55 runs scored, and 16 stolen bases. Ohtani is competing with New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge for fantasy MVP honors, and his fantasy managers are thriving behind his numbers.

Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman recorded five walks and two runs scored during the team's 9-5 win over the Colorado Rockies on Monday. The veteran slugger also reached base when he recorded a single in his final plate appearance; the first time in his career, Freeman reached base six times. He is slashing .302/.412/.504 with 10 homers, 43 RBI, and 47 runs scored. Freeman has been lethal in June to opposing pitchers as he is hitting .373/.500/.725 with four homers, 10 RBI, and 15 runs scored, along with a 1.225 OPS. One of the elite players at his position, Freeman continues to be an easy plug-and-play for fantasy managers.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher James Paxton (7-1) struck out eight over seven innings during Monday's 9-5 win at the Colorado Rockies. Paxton also recorded his sixth quality start, allowing two hits, one earned run, and one walk while picking up his seventh win of the season. Overall, Paxton has a 3.65 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP, striking out 43 and walking 33 in 66 2/3 innings. Fantasy managers of Paxton will have to wait until next Monday for his next start, an ideal matchup at the White Sox, where he is projected to square off against Chicago ace Garrett Crochet.

Chicago Cubs first baseman Michael Busch homered in Monday's 7-6 loss at the San Francisco Giants, his first dinger since going deep on May 28. Busch's ninth homer was a two-run shot in the sixth inning that gave the Cubs a 2-1 lead. He is hitting .324/.425/.471 with a .896 OPS in June. Overall, Busch is slashing .255/.350/.450 with a .800 OPS with 26 RBI and 31 runs scored. Busch is a solid second-tier first baseman whose value increases in leagues that use OBP or OPS as a category.