Look for our fantasy baseball starting rankings, upgrades and downgrades daily to help you make smart fantasy baseball lineup decisions and for MLB betting tips. MLB betting odds are provided by ESPN BETand fantasy advice is focused on ESPN 10-team standard-scoring leagues.

Note: This file will be updated with any overnight pitch changes or weather-related game postponements, along with the addition of the latest MLB game odds at the indicated time of publication

The Long National’s nightmare is almost over

Since winning the 2019 World Series, the Washington Nationals have experienced five consecutive losing seasons. They are tied with the Colorado Rockies for the worst record in that span, checking in at 283-410 (.408). While the Nationals likely won’t compete for a playoff spot next season, challenging for a .500 record is a reasonable goal.

The position players are developing, especially with 2B Luis Garcia and SS CJ Abrams form an exciting duo in the middle. Two of the top outfield prospects are staying, with James Wood and Dylan Crews exhibiting the power/speed combination that has them on the precipice of fantasy and MLB stardom. Keibert Ruiz has taken a step back behind the plate, but he still makes contact at an elite level and has the offseason to regain his lost exit velocity. The revolving door at the hot corner should finally be resolved sometime next year with top prospects Brady House.

The pitching hasn’t progressed as smoothly as the offense, or has it? The club has received surprising contributions from Jake Irwin and Mitchell Parker. Neither projects as an ace, but they have shown they can be effective in the back end of a major league rotation. He’s still raw, but LHP DJ Herz has shown exciting strikeout potential.

The problem is that RHP MacKenzie GoreRHP Josiah Gray and RHP Cade Cavalli would front the rotation. Gore has shown flashes, but Gray and Cavalli lag behind. Injuries have limited the latter two, though Gray continues to show control issues when healthy.

Gore’s 4.34 ERA is close to league average. But his ERA estimator suggests he has pitched better. A high .357 BABIP and low 66.7% lefty-on-base mark have inflated Gore’s surface stats. His 23.8% strikeout rate is better than league average and he has given up just 14 home runs in 147⅓ innings. The only area where Gore has performed below average is control, with an 8.9% walk rate, and it’s no wonder.

Gore (16.8% listed in ESPN leagues) pitches for three more outings, each of which will set personal bests in starts and innings pitched. The first is Sunday at home against the Miami Marlins. For the season, the Marlins have the seventh-lowest wOBA against lefties, though they have been better since the All-Star break. Even so, they fan at an above-average clip, landing Gore in streaming territory.

Everything else you need to know for Sunday

• Sunday’s action begins at 12:05 PM ET in Motown with the Detroit Tigers hosting the Baltimore Orioles. Thirteen matinees follow. The Atlanta Braves host the Los Angeles Dodgers in the ESPN Sunday night business.

• Sunday is the final day of Round 1 of the fantasy playoffs (September 2-15). Those still in need of a pitching boost should consider the Oakland Athletics LHP JP Sears (21.5% listed) for his road date with the Chicago White Sox. He’s not dominant and has a pedestrian 18.0% strikeout rate, but Sears has cataloged 12 quality starts in 29 outings, with 16 efforts lasting at least six frames. Innings and run prevention help mitigate Sears’ lack of strikeouts, though facing the White Sox in that realm could be a boon.

• Texas Rangers LHP Andrew Heaney has been hitting well lately, registering a 3.00 ERA and 0.97 WHIP over his last seven attempts (36 innings), fanning 42 while issuing just eight walks and allowing just five homers. Wins have been heard to come by, and runs will be few and far between on Sunday against RHP George Kirby and the Seattle Mariners. But Heaney will face one of the league’s weakest lineups against lefties, in part because he struck out at the fourth-highest rate.

• Another pitcher with elevated strike upside is the Minnesota Twins RHP David Festa. The Twins and Cincinnati Reds will wrap up an interleague set at Target Field. Despite hitting the Twins RHP Bailey Ober tough Friday night, the Reds have struggled against right-handers. They are particularly susceptible to strikeouts with 25.1% strikeouts to righties, fourth highest in the league. Festa hasn’t compiled enough innings to qualify, but if he did, his 28.6% strikeout rate would rank seventh.

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Starting pitcher rankings for Sunday

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Relief report

To get the latest information on each team’s bullpen hierarchy, as well as which pitchers may face some fatigue and who may be the most likely suspects to grab a save or pull a surprise in their place, check out the latest Closer Diagram , which will be updated every morning.

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Battle report

Plan ahead in fantasy baseball using our Forecaster projections. Each day we will provide an updated preview of the next 10 days for each team, projecting the matchup quality for hitters (total and by hand) as well as for base stealers.

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Best under-50% hitters listed for Sunday

Best and worst hits of the day are generated by THE BAT X, a projection system created by Derek Carty using advanced methods similar to those used in MLB front offices, which account for a variety of factors including player talent, ballpark, bullpens, weather, umpires , defense, catcher pitch framing and much more.

• Ezequiel Tovar (COL, SS — 27%) vs. Kyle Hendricks

• Ryan McMahon (COL, 3B — 43%) vs. Hendricks

• Charlie Blackmon (COL, RF – 5%) against Hendricks

• Andrew Vaughn (CHW, 1B – 8%) vs. JP Sears

• Michael Toglia (COL, 1B – 9%) against Hendricks

• Luis Garcia Jr. (WSH, 2B — 34%) vs. Adam Oller

• Brendan Rodgers (COL, 2B — 5%) vs. Hendricks

• Pete Crow-Armstrong (CHC, CF – 15%) at Cal Quantrill

• Nolan Jones (COL, LF — 32%) vs. Hendricks

• Brandon Lowe (TB, 2B – 9%) at Ben Lively

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Worst over 50% hitters listed for Sunday

• Triston Casas (BIM, 1B – 50%) at Carlos Rodon

• Adolis Garcia (TEX, RF — 81%) at George Kirby

• Anthony Volpe (NYY, SS — 72%) vs. Cutter Crawford

• Brice Turang (MIL, 2B – 66%) at Zac Gallen

• Michael Garcia (KC, 3B – 61%) at Jared Jones

• Brandon Nimmo (NYM, CF – 84%) at Christopher Sanchez

• Marcus Semien (TEX, 2B — 99%) in Kirby

• Cal Raleigh (SEA, C – 84%) vs. Andrew Heaney

• Jarren Duran (BIM, CF — 97%) in Rodon

• Max Muncy (LAD, 3B – 62%) at Charlie Morton