San Francisco Giants shortstop Nick Ahmed hit his first home run of the year during the bottom of the sixth inning in Monday's 5-4 win over the Chicago Cubs. Ahmed's homer was only the sixth extra-base hit he's delivered in 124 at-bats, but he also walked twice and is now slashing .250/.291/.323 with 13 RBI and 11 runs scored. He is no longer the middle infielder who popped a combined 35 home runs in the 2018 and 2019 seasons, as Ahmed has managed 16 homers since the start of the abbreviated 2020 campaign. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues might consider Ahmed, but he's safe to keep on waiver wires right now.

San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman hit his ninth homer of the season in Monday's 5-4 win over the Chicago Cubs. It was the first home run in June for Chapman, who took Justin Steele deep in the bottom of the fifth to start the Giants' comeback from a 4-0 deficit. Chapman has flustered fantasy managers, but his 2-for-4 effort that included two runs scored on Monday might push him out of his funk. He is slashing .233/.313/.394 with 31 RBI, yet ranks among the top 20 with 50 runs scored. The power will eventually return for Chapman, but as long as he continues to find his way across home plate, his ability to score runs justifies keeping him in lineups in most leagues.

Kansas City Royals left-hander Cole Ragans (5-5) struck out 11 in just six innings during Monday's 4-1 win over the Miami Marlins. Ragans recorded his 12th quality start, allowing one earned run on four hits and three walks as he improved his record to (5-5). He is third behind Tyler Glasnow of the Los Angeles Dodgers (135) and Garrett Crochet of the Chicago White Sox (130) with 120 strikeouts over 98 innings. The Royals ace has been an anchor for fantasy managers this season. The 26-year-old owns a 3.05 ERA and 1.15 WHIP, with just 33 walks and six home runs allowed in 2024. Ragans will continue his run making batters swing and miss on Saturday when he faces the American League Central-leading Cleveland Guardians.

Chicago Cubs pitcher Justin Steele struck out nine over 7 1/3 innings during Monday's 5-4 loss at the San Francisco Giants. Steele finished with a no-decision as he allowed two earned runs on solo homers from Matt Chapman and Nick Ahmed among the six hits he yielded while walking one in his 108-pitch effort. He has been dominant in June, sporting a 1.69 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 32 innings with six earned runs among the 12 runs he's allowed despite an (0-1) record. Steele now has a 3.08 ERA with 65 strikeouts in 64 innings but has yet to pick up his first win of the season. He will make his next start on Saturday at the Milwaukee Brewers and should be started in all leagues while he's pitching well recently.

Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Rhys Hoskins made his only hit count in Monday's 6-3 win over the Rangers, going 1-for-4 with a grand slam and two strikeouts. Hoskins came to the plate in the bottom of the sixth inning down by two with the bases loaded and no outs, ambushing a Jacob Latz fastball deep into the left-field seats. Despite the blast, the 31-year-old has hit for less average and power than usual, slashing .224/.316/.423 with 11 HR, 23 runs scored, and 35 RBI in 232 plate appearances. The good news is that he has picked things up a bit lately and now has a six-game hitting streak. Hopefully, he will be able to continue this for fantasy managers.