Chicago Cubs infielder Nick Madrigal provides the Cubs with an elite contact-based bat and can fit as a backup at second and third base. Nico Hoerner is set to be the club's primary second baseman, while manager Craig Counsell has made it clear that he wants to take a long look at Christopher Morel at the corner, given his athleticism and offensive upside. In addition to Madrigal, Patrick Wisdom and Miles Mastrobuoni give the Cubs some other bench options. The 26-year-old Madrigal, a former first-round pick by the Chicago White Sox in 2018 out of Oregon State, has hit .280 in his four big-league seasons, but it's come with only four home runs, 67 RBI and 16 stolen bases in 234 games. Madrigal has limited NL-only fantasy upside as a bench/utility option for the Cubbies.

Cincinnati Reds right-hander Graham Ashcraft (toe) is set to make his Cactus League debut on Thursday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ashcraft has been slow-played in spring training after having surgery on his toe last September, but he's ready to go now and is expected to part of the team's Opening Day starting rotation, barring a setback with his toe this spring. The 26-year-old former sixth-round pick out of the University of Alabama at Birmingham went 7-9 in his second big-league season in 2023 with a 4.76 ERA (5.06 FIP) and 1.37 WHIP with 52 walks and 111 strikeouts in 145 2/3 innings over 26 starts. He started strong last year before eventually falling apart. Despite his high velocities, he's been a disappointment so far in the strikeout department.

Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Bobby Miller allowed back-to-back doubles to the Chicago White Sox in his Cactus League debut on Tuesday, but he eventually settled down and allowed only the two hits and a run while striking out one and walking none in his two innings of work. "I thought Bobby threw the ball well," manager Dave Roberts said. The Dodgers and fantasy managers are counting on Miller to take a step forward in 2024 after a strong rookie year that saw him post a 0.78 ERA through his first four major-league starts. The 24-year-old finished with an 11-4 record, 3.76 ERA (3.51 FIP) and 1.10 WHIP in 22 starts. Not only does Miller have elite velocity, but he can fool batters with six different pitches. He'll have a high price as a low-end No. 2/high-end No. 3 starter in fantasy drafts this spring.

Minnesota Twins Opening Day starter Pablo Lopez and closer Jhoan Duran were beat up in the team's 12-3 Grapefruit League loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday. In total, Twins pitchers allowed 17 hits. Lopez, who struck out two and gave up three hits in his two innings of work, surrendered a two-run homer to infielder Ramon Urias. Fantasy managers should take spring results with a grain of salt. Duran, a 26-year-old Dominican reliever, saved a career-high 27 games for the Twins in 2023 and has been excellent in his two seasons in Minnesota, sporting a 2.15 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 35 saves, 41 walks and 173 K's in 130 relief innings. He's also one of the league's hardest throwers, as he led baseball with 473 pitches thrown at or above 100 mph. Not only does Duran strike out a lot of hitters, but he also keeps the ball on the ground. He is RotoBaller's fourth-ranked fantasy closer.

Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola looked to be in midseason form in his Grapefruit League debut on Sunday when he threw two perfect innings with three strikeouts against the New York Yankees. Nola had a 4.62 ERA in his first 30 starts last year before recording a 2.27 ERA in his final six starts down the stretch. His first spring start was notable because he's never been very good in spring training, carrying a career 5.34 ERA (73 earned runs in 122 2/3 innings). His late-season mechanical adjustments and comfort with MLB's new rules have many believing he'll be much better in 2024. Nola freely admits he struggled in 2023 with the introduction of the pitch timer. But when he started to look at the timer to his left, everything changed. The 30-year-old has a pretty safe fantasy floor as a low-end ace.