The Cincinnati Reds pushed their hot streak to six wins in nine games with a 6-4 victory over the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim. Cincinnati will hand the ball to Nick Martinez, who has been better at home this season but carries a road ERA around 4.50 and has shown volatility on extended layoffs. Los Angeles counters with Yusei Kikuchi, who in recent starts has been far steadier at Angel Stadium, especially against right-handed lineups, and has delivered a sharper home K-rate. The night features a clear betting tilt: Kikuchi’s 9.4 K/9 overall with a home-friendly 2.40 ERA in 75 innings points to another strong showing at home, while Cincinnati’s lefty trouble and Martinez’s road form provide a path for the Angels to lean on power and contact off the lefty. The betting line leans Angels, with Kikuchi aiming to continue his home success and the Reds trying to slow a lineup that has fared better versus right-handed pitching of late. In fantasy terms, Kikuchi carries DFS intrigue for strikeouts, while Martinez and the Reds’ lineup demand attention for potential run production fluctuations depending on how left-handed specialists and bullpen usage play out.

Kikuchi’s bounce-back potential is amplified by his home splits; he’s fanned five in five of his past seven starts and has leaned on a home-venue comfort that has yielded a respectable ERA. Cincinnati’s offense, meanwhile, has been more proficient against right-handed arms but has shown vulnerability to southpaws lately, underscoring a nuanced matchup around sequencing and the Halos’ depth. The Angels’ bullpen, poised to rely on Kikuchi to chase a win at home, may tilt toward aggressive contact against the Reds’ lefty-backing lineup, heightening the odds for a close but tilted contest in the late innings. Expect Kikuchi to lean on the breaking stuff early and attack the zone, while Martinez plays a high-variance road game that could swing on one or two costly innings.

Today’s MLB HR prop slate leans toward value plays with a clear focus on four players fueling today’s bets: Junior Caminero, Jurickson Profar, Trevor Larnach, and Miguel Andujar. Caminero brings a favorable home spot at Steinbrenner Field and a recent rhythm that supports over 0.5 HR at strong odds. Profar follows with a hot stretch and the Braves’ aggressive lineup exposure. Larnach looks to punish Ginn’s misgivings against left-handed batters, while Andujar has found form in a power-friendly venue facing Kikuchi. The piece stresses shopping odds across FanDuel and DraftKings to squeeze extra value from +320 to +750 ranges, plus noting a few long-shot targets on the slate. Weather and park factors are highlighted as key tailwinds for several picks, and the author emphasizes sticking to sharp lines and tracking late scratches or lineup shifts that could affect outcomes.

Week 21 adds three intriguing stash candidates for fantasy baseball: Bubba Chandler, Sal Stewart, and Brandon Sproat. Chandler remains a high-upside arm in the Pirates system, despite a recent AAA skid that has cooled near-term expectations. Stewart has been scorching at Triple-A Louisville with a blend of power and contact that could push him into Cincinnati’s lineup soon. Sproat, blocked for a major-league path by the call of Nolan McLean, still shows flashy stuff that makes him a keeper in deeper leagues for late-season rotations or long-term upside. The piece weighs whether to stash these players on the bench or chase immediate help on the waiver wire, emphasizing the importance of monitoring AAA trends, line-drive power, and pitcher control as promotions loom.

The analysis leans toward patience in shallow formats while advising opportunistic holds in 12+ team leagues where the upside justifies the wait. It also highlights how teams like the Reds and Pirates could lean on their emerging talent to fuel late-season pushes, and how fantasy managers should leverage lineup tools and injury reports to time adds and cuts efficiently. The question remains: are these players a breakout away, or is the wait longer than Week 21? The answer hinges on piecing together minor-league performance, the majors’ call-up timelines, and the exact bench space managers can dedicate in the coming weeks.

Reds at Angels on August 20, 2025 features Nick Martinez against Yusei Kikuchi in a game Cincinnati hopes to close out the series with a sweep in Anaheim. Martinez has been solid at times but carries a 4.73 ERA this season; Kikuchi sits at 3.52 with a recent rough stretch. Hunter Greene provided a striking performance in the Reds’ 6-4 win, fanning 12 while Jo Adell stayed dangerous with two late homers for the Angels. Cincinnati sits 1.0 game back of the Mets for the NL Wild Card and will lean on a favorable road tilt as they chase late-season momentum.

Betting trends add intrigue: Reds are 7-3 over their last 10, 4-0 on the road, and have covered in 8 straight against Los Angeles while taking 3 straight at Angels. Angels have cooled to 1-4 in their last five. NBC Sports’ model projects Reds on the moneyline, Angels at +1.5 against the spread, and the total nudging over 8.0. The matchup is ripe for fantasy dust-ups from Cincinnati’s Greene and Martinez, and from Los Angeles’ Kikuchi and Adell in a game with high strikeout and power upside.

Watch for daily fantasy angles: Martinez’s durability can be a factor, while Kikuchi’s control and Angels’ lineup balance could tilt toward a more patient approach. The Reds’ bullpen depth could push Martinez to chase efficiency, whereas the Angels may lean on Adell and a power surge that can swing DFS contests.

The Angels found a rare bright spot this August: Jo Adell unleashed two solo homers in a 6-4 loss to the Reds, boosting his season total to 28 and keeping Angels fans dreaming about a power surge in the post-Ohtani era. He followed a 452-foot center-field shot in the seventh with a game-tying blow in the eighth, his exit velocity peaking at 115.3 mph and underscoring the elite pop he’s brought to Anaheim in 2025.

Meanwhile, Taylor Ward continued to carry the load, pushing his HR total toward a personal best while the Angels’ two-season rebuild inches forward on the back of homegrown talent. Even in defeat, these moments matter for fantasy managers — Adell’s raw power and Ward’s steady output give the Angels a (rare) silver lining in a year defined by transition.

Names like Trout and Ohtani loom in the backdrop, but the real story for 2025 is how Adell and Ward are emerging as the team’s next core. The milestone chase—two Angels with 30+ HRs—highlights a franchise reimagining its offense around homegrown power rather than marquee stars. For fantasy owners, Adell and Ward are the best anchors of that future, offering both power and staring lineup potential as the season winds down.