Washington Nationals DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Washington Nationals rookie right-hander Brad Lord will get another start on Monday at PNC Park and will be opposed by right-hander Paul Skenes. As a result, right-hander Jake Irvin is being bumped to Tuesday, while Mitchell Parker and Trevor Williams will go on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. Lord originally opened the year in the bullpen but was moved to a rotation spot when Michael Soroka (biceps) landed on the injured list. The 25-year-old made three relief appearances to begin the year before making his first start against the Los Angeles Dodgers last Tuesday. Although he only threw 55 pitches and went three innings, he didn't allow a run while giving up two hits, walking two and striking out four. Lord could be allowed to go a little deeper in his second start on Monday, but he'll be a low-upside streamer for fantasy managers. He's currently lined up to start again on Saturday at Coors Field

Washington Nationals outfielder Dylan Crews is starting in center field and is batting eighth in Monday's series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates and right-hander Paul Skenes at PNC Park. After a tough start to the season at the plate, Crews will be back in there on Monday to face his former college teammate at LSU in Skenes. Jacob Young will head to the bench and Alex Call will start in right field and bat leadoff. Infielder Amed Rosario will head to the bench after starting at third base the last two games with CJ Abrams (hip) on the injured list. Paul DeJong will start at the hot corner on Monday and hit seventh. Crews, the second overall pick in 2023 behind Skenes, has gone just 5-for-43 (.116) with no homers, five runs, and three steals in his first 12 games in 2025. Against Skenes, fantasy managers will probably be keeping Crews on their benches.

Washington Nationals outfielder Dylan Crews is not in the starting lineup for the second-straight game on Sunday when the Nationals conclude a series against the Miami Marlins. The former second overall pick from the 2023 MLB Draft has gotten off to a slow start to the season. Over his last 11 contests, the LSU product has posted an underwhelming .125/.146/.125 slash line with no extra-base hits and a 1:17 BB:K. As a result, Jacob Young will start in center field and Alex Call will get the nod in right field. Fantasy managers should consider monitoring Crews' opportunities as the team could decide to move him to Triple-A to continue his development. The Nationals' lineup is worth a look in DFS this afternoon, facing Miami right-hander Cal Quantrill.

The Washington Nationals have placed shortstop CJ Abrams (hip) on the 10-day injured list. In a corresponding move, the Nationals promoted infielder Nasim Nunez from Triple-A. The infielder aggravated his right hip flexor during Friday's contest against the Miami Marlins. The 24-year-old was also kept out of the starting lineup earlier in the week due to a hip injury. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status in case he needs to miss additional time while on the injured list. Through his first 11 games of the campaign, Abrams has held a .244/.289/.585 slash line with two doubles, four home runs, and four stolen bases. While Abrams is out, fantasy managers should expect Paul DeJong to see most of the opportunities at shortstop.

Washington Nationals CJ Abrams (hip) aggravated his hip flexor during Friday's 7-4 win over the Miami Marlins. Abrams injured his hip while attempting to steal second base and fielding a grounder in the third inning. The 24-year-old went 0-for-1 with a walk, stolen base, and a strikeout before exiting Friday's game. He will be re-evaluated on Saturday and is considered day-to-day for now. Abrams is slashing .244/.289/.585 with four home runs, seven RBI, and four stolen bases over 46 plate appearances in 2025. Amed Rosario replaced Abrams on Friday and would see an uptick in at-bats if he were to miss any games. Rosario is on the deep-league radar for fantasy managers searching for middle infield help after hitting .318 (7-for-22) with a home run and five RBI over seven games.