Yainer Diaz DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz was just 2-for-33 on the season coming into Friday's game against the Angels, but he broke through in a big way, going 3-for-5 with a double, his first home run of the season, and five RBI. His home run was a grand slam in the fifth inning off of relief pitcher Garrett McDaniels, and he added his RBI double in the sixth to help power the Astros to a 14-3 victory. Diaz is still hitting just .132 over his first 10 games of the season with a .199 wOBA, but hopefully, this is a sign that he's ready to snap out of his slump and go on a roll. Last year, he had 16 homers and a .329 wOBA with 84 RBI in 148 games, and his fantasy managers will hope this big game gets him back on track.

Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz is not in the starting nine when the Astros travel to Minnesota to face the Twins on Thursday afternoon. Diaz has been behind the dish in each of the past three contests but will cede duties to Victor Caratini this afternoon. Caratini will bat in the six-hole. Over his past three contests, Diaz tallied just one hit across 11 at-bats and struck out twice through five total games. Diaz has tallied just two hits and held a 1:4 BB:K. Fantasy managers should expect Diaz to return to the starting nine on Saturday afternoon when they continue this three-game set against the Twins. Caratini has seen four at-bats and tallied one hit. He is best to leave out of your DFS lineup this afternoon facing Minnesota right-hander Joe Ryan, who allowed one run across five innings in his last start.

Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz is not in Saturday's lineup for the final game of their opening series against the New York Mets. Diaz got the starting nod behind the dish for the first two games and went 1-for-7 at the plate with one RBI and a 1:2 BB:K. Instead, Victor Caratini will get the nod behind the dish and bat sixth. Fantasy managers should expect Diaz to return to the starting nine on Monday evening when the Astros host the San Francisco Giants. Diaz enjoyed a breakout campaign last season as he appeared in a career-high 148 contests and posted a .299/.325/.441 slash line with 16 long balls and two stolen bases. Caratini held a .268/.336/.408 slash line last season and is worth a look in DFS as a value option facing Griffin Canning. Caratini should see several RBI opportunities batting in the heat of a potent Houston lineup.

Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz (illness) is returning to the starting lineup on Sunday afternoon. The primary backstop was dealing with an illness. Fantasy managers should expect the 26-year-old to operate as Houston's top catcher during the 2025 season. After appearing in 104 contests in 2023, Diaz logged a career-high 148 starts in 2024. Across this stint, Diaz posted a .299/.325/.441 slash line. His batting average was the fifth-highest mark in the American League. Diaz tallied 29 doubles and 16 home runs. He added 70 runs and 84 RBI. Under the hood, Diaz placed in the 97th percentile in xBA and 80th percentile in xSLG. In addition, Diaz held a 17.4 percent strikeout rate while generating hard hits at a strong 47.5 percent rate. Fantasy managers should view Diaz as a high-floor No.1 catcher in all formats.

Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz is receiving a breather in the series finale on Wednesday versus the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. With Diaz on the bench, Victor Caratini is behind the plate and is catching rookie right-hander Spencer Arrighetti while batting fifth against Phillies right-hander Taijuan Walker. It's a normal day of rest for Diaz in the matinee affair after a night game. The 25-year-old is in the midst of a second straight strong season for the Astros, slashing .297/.323/.456 with 16 home runs, 72 RBI and 57 runs scored in a career-high 121 games as the team's primary catcher. His power has been down a bit this year, but fantasy managers can't really complain at a shallow position. Caratini has hit a solid .273 (45-for-165) in a backup role but has limited power (six homers). He's also hitting .143 in seven career at-bats against Walker.