Jason Heyward DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

San Diego Padres outfielders Gavin Sheets and Jason Heyward are not in the starting lineup on Saturday afternoon, as the Chicago Cubs will send left-handed pitcher Matthew Boyd to the mound. Fantasy managers should expect both Sheets and Heyward to return to the starting lineup on Sunday when they face scheduled starter right-handed pitcher Ben Brown. Instead, the Padres will have Yuli Gurriel serve as the designated hitter for Sheets and Brandon Lockridge to cover left field in favor of Heyward. Sheets has enjoyed an impressive start to the campaign, hitting a .421 AVG with five RBI across seven contests. Both Gurriel and Lockridge are not worth targeting in DFS facing Boyd, who tossed five shutout frames in his season debut.

San Diego Padres outfielder Brandon Lockridge has been told he will make the Opening Day roster, and he's expected to platoon in left field with Jason Heyward to begin the season, according to MLB.com's AJ Cassavell. Lockridge, who bats right-handed, will be on the short side of the platoon with Heyward, primarily entering the starting lineup when the Friars face a left-handed starting pitcher. The 28-year-old earned a spot on the Opening Day roster by hitting .364 with seven stolen bases and two RBI in 20 Cactus League games this spring. He made his big-league debut in 2024 with SD but appeared in just 12 games, going 2-for-12 with a homer, RBI and two stolen bases. Lockridge's main draw is his speed -- he stole 50 bags in the majors and minors with the Padres and Yankees in 2024 -- but because his playing time will be limited, he's mainly an asset for his speed in NL-only fantasy leagues.

According to Dennis Lin of The Athletic, the San Diego Padres have signed outfielder Jason Heyward to a contract. Lin noted that Heyward is expected to share time in left field with Connor Joe who the team acquired earlier on Friday evening. Heyward opened the season with the Los Angeles Dodgers but eventually ended his campaign in Houston. Across 87 contests, the veteran posted a .211/.288/.412 slash line with 12 doubles, 10 home runs, and five stolen bases. In 2023, Heyward held a solid .269/.340/.473 slash line with 23 doubles and 15 home runs across 124 contests with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Given his strong defensive metrics, fantasy managers should expect Heyward to be given several opportunities in left field, likely in a platoon role with Connor Joe. However, given his declining bat, he should only be targeted in deeper NL-only formats.