Boston Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu was probably the most unlikely of heroes during Thursday's season opener against the Texas Rangers. Abreu missed a majority of spring training due to an illness, but it doesn't look like that matters. Abreu went 3-for-3 with two home runs, including a go-ahead blast in the ninth inning during Thursday's victory. He collected four RBI along the way and two walks during the 5-2 win. Abreu wasn't a popular name on draft boards, but the 25-year-old does have the potential to knock out around 20-25 homers a season. He's also someone that is surprisingly quick and could steal some bases as well, so he should be on the radar for fantasy managers.

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Tyler O'Neill probably wishes that everyday was Opening Day. On Thursday, O'Neill homered for a record sixth consecutive Opening Day. The right-handed slugger joined the O's this offseason and is already off to a bang. He went 3-for-3 at the plate with a three-run blast and two walks in the blowout win over the Toronto Blue Jays. The O's added O'Neill this offseason in hopes that he could be a reliable source of power in the middle of the lineup. So far, O'Neill is doing a great job after a 31-homer season in 2024. His power numbers alone make him worth rostering in most fantasy formats.

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins came ready to play during Thursday's season opener against the Toronto Blue Jays. Mullins had an ugly spring with only a .136 batting average, but this performance shows that those camp numbers might not matter too much. Mullins went 3-for-5 with two home runs and five RBI during Thursday's blowout win. The left-handed slugger is looking to bounce back at the plate after slashing .234/.305/.405 with 18 homers and 54 RBI last season. After Thursday's game, Mullins is likely to become a popular waiver wire addition.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez was dominant on Thursday, tossing seven shutout frames while striking out four. There was never any real danger for the ace, as he scattered four hits and two walks throughout the game. He is coming off of a 2024 season where he posted a 2.91 ERA and 1.11 WHIP with 169 strikeouts in 176 innings. He may not give you the strikeout upside of some other aces, but his reputation as a workhorse pitcher is becoming a rare occurrence in today's game. He is a true innings-eater who will provide great ratios as a matchup-proof option for fantasy.

Houston Astros rookie right fielder Cam Smith wasted no time at all in collecting his first career MLB hit, slapping a single to the opposite field on the first pitch he saw from Clay Holmes, finishing 1-for-3 in Thursday's 3-1 victory over the Mets on Opening Day. It has been a meteoric rise for the 2024 first-round draft pick, progressing from Single-A to Double-A in his first taste of professional baseball last season, to making the Astros' Opening Day roster after a blisteringspring in which he slashed .342/.419/.711 with four home runs in 38 at-bats. The 22-year-old batted seventh in the order on Thursday, but as long as he's getting regular at-bats, he should at least be a viable bench option in most fantasy leagues until he proves otherwise.