New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge continued his power surge on Friday night as he smacked a solo shot for his 49th homer on the season in the Yankees' 3-0 win over the Colorado Rockies. The solo shot off of Rockies' starter Kyle Freeland was Judge's only hit on the day as he went 1-4. The AL MVP favorite now has a 1.192 OPS and has a homer in four straight games. He's on pace to finish with 62 HR on the season, which would tie his career high that was set in 2022. With the Yankees fighting to stay in front of the Baltimore Orioles in the AL East, every one of Judge's blasts have been vital to New York's success. It goes without saying but Judge should be a must start in all fantasy formats and DFS managers need to find a way to have him in their lineups at all costs.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Carlos Rodon tossed six shutout innings and struck out five in the Yankees' 3-0 win over the Colorado Rockies on Friday night. Rodon reduced his ERA to 4.16 on the season and improved his record to 14-8. This was his 12th quality start of the season and just his first in August, a good sign for the lefty. Rodon has been struggling to go deep in games, completing six innings just twice since June 15th before tonight. His efficiency will be key for the Yankees down the stretch as they'll be facing many important games in the weeks ahead as they work to make space between them and the Baltimore Orioles in the standing. With Luis Gil hitting the IL this week, the Yankees' rotation will need to be efficient with their pitch count to keep their bullpen fresh and anything Rodon can do to be more efficient will be great for New York. He will look to make another quality start during his next scheduled start on Wednesday when the Yankees head to Washington DC to face off against the Nationals.

Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson recorded a multi-hit game on Friday night, including a solo shot in the first inning, in the Reds' 6-5 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 436 foot bomb off Pirates starter Bailey Falter was Stephenson's 17th on the season. The 28-year-old has been on a bit of a hot streak in August, hitting for a .943 OPS and smashing six of his 17 homers during the month. Stephenson looks to be a solid under-the-radar candidate for fantasy managers to add for their playoff push, especially with Stephenson's current hot streak in August providing a ton of value. He should continue to get plenty of playing time for the Reds as they work to find their way back into the playoff race. Look for Stephenson to be back in the lineup tomorrow when the Reds face off against Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jake Woodford.

San Diego Padres outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (thigh) took batting practice ahead of Friday's series opener against the visiting New York Mets at Petco Park. Tatis remains uncertain when he'll be back with the Padres, but the belief is that he'll be able to get back into San Diego's lineup during the second half of September. Although it's unclear when he'll go on a minor-league rehab assignment, multiple sources say the plan is for him to face live pitching at some point next week. The 25-year-old superstar is finally beginning to make some significant strides in his recovery from a right femoral stress reaction, and he should be able to help out during the fantasy postseason in the next couple of weeks. Tatis is slashing .279/.354/.468 with 14 home runs, 36 RBI, 50 runs scored, and eight stolen bases across 308 at-bats (80 games) this year.

The New York Mets say starting pitcher Paul Blackburn only has a bruise on his right hand after exiting Friday night's start against the hosting San Diego Padres at Petco Park, but he'll undergo further testing on Saturday. Other tests can pick up small fractures that traditional X-rays cannot, so it's important for the Mets to cover their bases on this one after Blackburn was struck by a David Peralta comebacker in the third inning of Friday's game against San Diego. Fantasy managers should deem the hurler day-to-day ahead of his next scheduled appearance, which tentatively lines up on Thursday on the road against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The 30-year-old right-hander has not fared well since landing in Queens, logging a 5.18 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, and 21:7 K:BB over 24 1/3 frames (five starts). Jose Butto would be an option to join New York's rotation if Blackburn needs to go on the injured list.