Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino (hamstring) is in the Opening Day lineup. Pasquantino will serve as the designated hitter and bat in the three-hole behind Jonathan India and Bobby Witt Jr. Pasquantino suffered a Grade 1-plus hamstring strain earlier in the week but has been cleared to serve as a DH. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status as the Royals may opt to ease him into defensive work. During spring training, Pasquantino posted a .208/.216/.417 slash line with four doubles and two home runs across 17 games. Last season, the 27-year-old logged a career-high 131 contests and held a .262/.315/.446 slash line with 19 long balls. He showed an elite eye at the plate with a 12.8 percent strikeout rate and generated a solid .331 xwOBA. He carries high RBI upside batting behind Witt and is a solid play in DFS facing Cleveland right-hander Tanner Bibee.

New York Mets infielder Luisangel Acuna is making the start at second base on Opening Day on Thursday against the Houston Astros and left-hander Framber Valdez at Daikin Park in Houston. With Jeff McNeil (oblique) opening the season on the injured list, the Mets are expected to go with a platoon at the keystone between Acuna and the lefty-hitting Brett Baty. The 23-year-old Acuna, the younger brother of Braves All-Star Ronald Acuna Jr., had a .966 OPS in his first 14 major-league games a season ago, but he went 13-for-52 (.250) with a double, five RBI, three steals, seven runs and eight strikeouts in 56 plate appearances over 21 Grapefruit League games this spring. Acuna will have a role to open the 2025 season, but Baty is expected to see most of the playing time at second, and Acuna could head back to the minors when McNeil makes his return from the IL.

Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager (calf) is serving as the designated hitter and is batting in the two-hole on Opening Day on Thursday versus the visiting Boston Red Sox and left-hander Garrett Crochet at Globe Life Field. Seager was held out of the team's final two exhibition games on Monday and Tuesday against the Kansas City Royals due to a sore calf, so the Rangers will ease him in on Opening Day as the DH. Josh Smith is starting at the 6 and batting ninth. Considering the fact that Seager may not be 100 percent and with him going up against one of the toughest left-handers in the game, DFS gamers will probably want to avoid him on Thursday. As long as the 30-year-old doesn't suffer a setback with his calf on Thursday, he could be back on defense this weekend. Seager has never faced Crochet in his career.

Cincinnati Reds infielder/outfielder Gavin Lux is starting in left field and is batting cleanup in his debut for the Reds on Opening Day on Thursday at Great American Ball Park against the visiting San Francisco Giants and right-hander Logan Webb. Especially with Austin Hays (calf) starting the year on the injured list, Lux should be a lineup regular between left field and third base for the Reds against right-handed pitchers. Batting out of the cleanup spot on Opening Day makes the 27-year-old left-handed hitter an enticing DFS play against Webb, who he has hit .263 against with an .838 OPS in his career, including three RBI. While Lux is in a more favorable hitting environment in Cincy, it remains to be seen how much he'll play against lefties after seeing just 46 at-bats versus southpaws in his final season with the Dodgers in 2024.

Washington Nationals outfielder Dylan Crews is starting in right field and batting eighth in the lineup on Opening Day on Thursday at Nationals Park against the division-rival Philadelphia Phillies and right-hander Zack Wheeler. This isn't exactly what Crew's fantasy managers wanted to see on Day 1 of the regular season, especially considering the 23-year-old spent most of his time serving as the team's leadoff hitter during his MLB debut in 2024. For now, shortstop CJ Abrams will open up as the club's leadoff man against a right-handed pitcher, but we should expect to see Crews at the top of the order against lefties at least. Crews, the second overall pick last year out of LSU, hit just .218 (26-for-119) with three homers, eight RBI and 12 stolen bases in his first 31 MLB games in 2024. Heading into his first full season, Crews should primarily be a speed asset in fantasy while contributing steadily everywhere else as an everyday player.