St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar is starting in left field and is back in the leadoff spot for the team's second game of the season on Saturday against the visiting Minnesota Twins and right-hander Joe Ryan at Busch Stadium. As a result, shortstop Masyn Winn will hit ninth for the second game in a row to begin the season. Nootbaar will see a notable boost in fantasy value if he sticks atop St. Louis' batting order in 2025 against right-handed pitchers. The 27-year-old got a good start on Opening Day on Thursday by going 2-for-4 with a two-run home run to help beat the Twins, and he'll hope to keep it going this weekend. Although he has only faced Ryan three times in his career, he has taken him deep once and driven in two runs. Nootbaar has struggled to stay on the field since 2023 due to injuries, but if he can stay healthy in 2025, a breakout campaign could be coming.

Los Angeles Angels infielder Yoan Moncada (thumb) is making his season debut for the Angels at third base and is batting fifth on Saturday against his former team, the Chicago White Sox, and right-hander Jonathan Cannon at Rate Field. The Cuban switch-hitter has never faced Cannon in his MLB career. The 29-year-old was held out of the team's Opening Day loss on Thursday in Chicago due to a minor thumb injury that was bothering him at the end of spring training, but after an off day on Thursday, Moncada is feeling good enough to give it a go. He should see most of the starts at third base for the Halos moving forward, but Moncada is mostly just a fantasy option in AL-only leagues and isn't guaranteed consistent playing time if he scuffles early on. Moncada did hit 25 home runs back in 2019, but he's struggled to stay healthy and hasn't played over 100 games in a season since 2022.

The Tampa Bay Rays placed outfielder Josh Lowe (oblique) on the 10-day injured list on Saturday with a right-oblique strain and recalled outfielder Jake Mangum from Triple-A Durham in a corresponding move, according to the Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin. Lowe strained his oblique on a single up the middle in the team's Opening Day win over the visiting Colorado Rockies on Friday and will probably not be ready to return from the IL when he's eligible. The 27-year-old is worth stashing in fantasy leagues where he's rostered while he heals, mainly for his stolen base prowess while he's healthy, but this is another reminder that in addition to a strikeout rate that spiked at 31.8 percent in 2024, Lowe's durability at the major-league level has been a big issue. Rookie Kameron Misner, who hit a walk-off homer on Friday for his first career long ball, is likely to start in right field in Tampa in Lowe's absence.

Kansas City Royals outfielder/first baseman Hunter Renfroe is not in the starting lineup on Saturday afternoon. Instead, MJ Melendez will shift to right field, which will open first base for Cavan Biggio. On Opening Day, Renfroe went 0-for-4 at the plate with one strikeout. Last season, Renfroe appeared in 120 games for the Royals. Across this stint, Renfroe held a .229/.297/.392 slash line with 18 doubles and 15 round-trippers. He was an elite defender in right field as he placed in the 87th percentile in arm value and 91st percentile in arm strength. However, in the batter's box, he generated an underwhelming .291 xwOBA and .223 xBA, which placed him in the 18th and 13th percentile, respectively. Given his lack of consistent production, he should only be rostered in deeper AL-only formats.

Washington Nationals second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. is not in the starting lineup on Saturday as the Washington Nationals will face Philadelphia Phillies left-handed pitcher Ranger Suarez. Instead, Amed Rosario will get the starting nod at the keystone. Garcia was in the starting lineup on Opening Day when the Nationals faced a right-handed pitcher. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his deployment in the starting lineup, as he took a seat against left-handed pitchers last season as well. In 2024, Garcia appeared in a career-high 140 contests and posted a .282/.318/.444 slash line with 25 doubles and 18 home runs. Last summer, Garcia posted a modest .235/.300/.235 slash line against southpaws. Garcia will likely return to the starting nine on Sunday when the Phillies send Aaron Nola to the mound.