Fantasy baseball pitcher rankings, lineup advice for Monday (2025)

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 have 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

Short-slate strategy

Only four games comprise Monday's schedule, leaving a bunch of holes in your active fantasy lineup. With precious few days left in the season, it's crucial to take advantage of every opportunity.

In points leagues, the approach is straightforward. Identify players in action on Monday and roster as many as possible.

In category leagues, it's best to focus on the stats where you have the most to gain. Though, sometimes instead of trying to gain points, the best tactic is making sure others don't catch you in the category.

Two areas often meriting extra focus are steals and saves/holds. Let's review some players in action on Monday with a chance to contribute.

Using the last month as a basis, the best team to target is the Seattle Mariners for their road date with the Houston Astros. The primary players to pick up are OF Victor Robles (7.7% rostered in ESPN leagues) with 13 steals over the past month, 2B/3B/SS/OF Dylan Moore (3.4% rostered) with eight steals over the prior month and 2B/3B Josh Rojas (1.6% rostered) with four swipes over the previous month. Robles has been dealing with some minor injuries but if he's out, there is a better chance Moore is playing.

Another solid option is the Chicago Cubs when they visit the Philadelphia Phillies. Using the same time frame of a month, SS Dansby Swanson (63.7% rostered) has collected six bags while OF Pete Crow-Armstrong (14.9% rostered) has gathered four pilfers.

Switching to the bullpens, five of the eight primary closers in action on Monday are available in over half of all ESPN leagues. They are Arizona Diamondbacks Justin Martinez (7.5%), San Francisco Giants Ryan Walker (28.2%), Cubs Porter Hodge (8.0%), Phillies Carlos Estevez (41.3%) and Blue Jays Chad Green (8.5%).

What you may have missed on Sunday

• Arizona Diamondbacks C Gabriel Moreno is scheduled for an MRI today after aggravating a left adductor strain. Moreno recently returned from an IL stay caused by this same ailment. The club is hopeful that the issue isn't serious and suggested Moreno could be available off the bench tonight when the Diamondbacks host the San Francisco Giants. Arizona is tied with the New York Mets for the final two NL wild-card spots, two games ahead of the Atlanta Braves.

• Houston Astros RHP Spencer Arrighetti left yesterday's game as a result of cramping in his calf. He completed six effective innings, limiting the Los Angeles Angels to a pair of earned runs on five hits with six strikeouts and no walks. The rookie right-hander threw only 78 pitches, so he could have hurled another frame, but the call was made to end his day. The Astros bullpen went on to surrender seven runs in a 9-8 loss, but the Astros are essentially locked into the AL's No. 3 seed.

• While yesterday's loss has little effect on the Astros playoff positioning, possibly losing OF Yordan Alvarez is a concern. Alvarez hurt his right knee on a slide into second base in the third inning of yesterday's matinee. He left the game and has been diagnosed with a knee contusion. More will be revealed today after Alvarez undergoes an MRI.

• The Boston Red Sox were without OF Tyler O'Neill for both ends of their doubleheader sweep of the Minnesota Twins. O'Neill was experiencing a sore back. He is questionable for tonight's road date with the Toronto Blue Jays.

• In Red Sox news, closer Kenley Jansen's season (and likely his tenure with the Red Sox) is over, with the righty's impending placement on the 15-day IL due to a right shoulder injury. Any save chances over the season's final week will be shared by Chris Martin and Justin Slaten. Also, imaging on 3B Rafael Devers' shoulders showed inflammation in both, with neither requiring offseason surgery.

• The Seattle Mariners were hopeful that RHP Luis Castillo would be able to come off the IL to start tonight's crucial road affair with the Astros, but RHP Bryce Miller will get the nod instead. The Mariners are currently two games behind the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals for the last two AL wild-card spots, though they also must leapfrog the Twins who are only one game back of the pair. Castillo is expected to be back before the end of the season, but not likely until the club's final series, at home against the Oakland Athletics.

Everything else you need to know for Monday

• Monday's slate begins at 6:40 p.m. ET with the Phillies hosting the Cubs. It features RHP Aaron Nola, whose Phillies are in a tight race with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the home-field advantage that comes with the best record in the National League, so expect a full outing from the veteran right-hander.

• The only two probable starters with a rostership low enough to be reviewed as streaming options are facing each other with Diamondbacks LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (28.2% rostered) taking the hill at home against Giants RHP Hayden Birdsong (2.9% rostered). Rodriguez is the preferred choice as he checks more boxes. The Diamondbacks are still in the thick of the playoff chase while the Giants are playing out the string. Rodriguez faces the weaker offense and enjoys home field advantage. Most importantly, Rodriguez is coming off a pair of solid efforts, including fanning 11 in 6 6 1/3 innings on the road against the Colorado Rockies.

• With so few options, let's expand the rostership threshold to include Boston Red Sox RHP Tanner Houck (64.3% rostered). After making the American League All-Star team, Houck has sputtered over the second half, recently missing a few starts due to shoulder fatigue. He returned last week, throwing four innings with one run allowed against the Tampa Bay Rays. Houck won't be stretched out too much more, but he should muster at least five frames.

• Betting tip of the day: It's never a surprise when the Arizona Diamondbacks sport the highest implied runs scored total, especially on a day with an abbreviated four-game schedule. Ketel Marte will likely garner some down-ballot MVP votes for the most potent offense in the league. The Diamondbacks are still in the thick of the playoff chase, so back Marte to go over 2.5 total hits + runs + RBI (+140).

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.

• Joc Pederson (ARI, LF -- 14%) vs. Hayden Birdsong

• Pavin Smith (ARI, RF -- 11%) vs. Birdsong

• Spencer Horwitz (TOR, 1B -- 14%) vs. Tanner Houck

• Jake McCarthy (ARI, RF -- 20%) vs. Birdsong

• Heliot Ramos (SF, LF -- 21%) at Eduardo Rodriguez

• Mark Canha (SF, LF -- 7%) at Rodriguez

• Geraldo Perdomo (ARI, SS -- 13%) vs. Birdsong

• Victor Robles (SEA, CF -- 8%) at Hunter Brown

• Mike Yastrzemski (SF, RF -- 1%) at Rodriguez

Worst over-50% rostered hitters for Monday

• Jeremy Pena (HOU, SS -- 54%) vs. Bryce Miller

• Nico Hoerner (CHC, 2B -- 91%) at Aaron Nola

• Cal Raleigh (SEA, C -- 84%) at Hunter Brown

• Dansby Swanson (CHC, SS -- 64%) at Nola

• Isaac Paredes (CHC, 3B -- 80%) at Nola

• Ian Happ (CHC, LF -- 84%) at Nola

• J.T. Realmuto (PHI, C -- 80%) vs. Nate Pearson

• Nick Castellanos (PHI, RF -- 73%) vs. Pearson

• Eugenio Suarez (ARI, 3B -- 51%) vs. Birdsong

• Yainer Diaz (HOU, C -- 93%) vs. Miller

THE BAT X's Best Stacks for Monday

• Seattle Mariners at Brown

• Philadelphia Phillies vs. Pearson

• Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Birdsong