Week 21 of 2025 brings a compact set of starting-pitcher waiver options, tailored for shallow leagues but with deeper-leaning plays that could pay off in standard formats. Will Warren anchors the top tier, offering reliable volume and recent five-inning quality starts as the Yankees chase wins. Jose Quintana stabilizes the rotation with dependable innings and solid ratios on a strong Brewers squad. Jose Soriano combines strikeouts with groundball variety for a back-end slot in many leagues. Hurston Waldrep offers upside as a top Braves prospect getting a late-season shot, while Charlie Morton provides veteran savvy as Detroit managers lean on experience. In deeper formats, Cristian Javier returns to form with injury-recovery potential; Zebby Matthews brings swing-and-mmiss upside tempered by HR risk; Nolan McLean, Jason Alexander, and Ryan Bergert each offer speculative, weekend-ready options with varying ceilings. Kyle Bradish, Michael McGreevy, Sean Burke, Michael Lorenzen, and Joey Wentz close the list with a mix of floor, wins potential, and breakout vibes. Proactive rosters can maximize Week 21 by pairing safe floors with high-upside stashes, while tracking BvP and PvB data for favorable matchups.

Dodgers spring tale repeats a familiar refrain: championship glow masking a harsh reality. Injuries, especially to the pitching staff, have bled into the lineup, and the offense that led the majors early in the season has cooled in the past six weeks. On pace for roughly 92 wins and clinging to a one-game edge in the NL West, Los Angeles faces a reminder that last year’s surge wasn’t a straight line to another title.

In the Freeway Series opener, Yoshinobu Yamamoto labored, surrendering a first-pitch homer to Neto and slipping into a 4⅔-inning, six-run pull that underscored the rotation’s fragility. The offense never found rhythm against Soriano, managing just two hits through six. Ohtani and Muncy finally broken through in the eighth with blasts, but the comeback came too late as the Angels swept. Momentum has swung, Padres are surging, and the Dodgers’ path to repeat looks harder but not implausible.

The club’s last 48 hours encapsulate the season: a stinging setback, a reminder that last year’s late run wasn’t guaranteed, and a blueprint—pitching depth and timely hitting—still within reach. With two months left, the Dodgers can still chase another World Series, but fantasy managers should monitor rotation health, bullpen stability, and emerging roles, like Freeland’s potential call-up, as the race tightens.

Dodgers enter spring training with the shadow of last year’s title at their back, but a familiar noisy mix persists: injuries to the rotation and bullpen, and an offense that cooled after a scorching first half. With a 68-51 record, they hold a one-game NL West edge on the Padres and project to around 92 wins if the pattern continues.

Monday’s 7-4 loss to the Angels underscored the gaps—Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s rough 4⅔ innings, Angels’ power from Neto and Trout, and a late Muncy blast that wasn’t enough to turn the tide. Two months remain, the grind of schedule heavy with rivalry series, and the defending champs are chasing steadier contributions from atop the rotation and bullpen while hoping to recapture momentum.

The Angels series, combined with the Blue Jays setback from the prior weekend, has the Padres nudging closer in a tight division race. Still, the Dodgers can theoretically win another World Series, but this season’s path has been anything but fun, demanding health, depth, and timely offense in a league that won’t yield a championship without a fight.

Dodgers vs Angels opens a tight Freeway Series with a lean on the underdog Angels at home, while a player-prop heavy parlay nudges the night toward offense and strikeouts. The board features Dodgers -1.5, Over 8, Yoshinobu Yamamoto Over 6.5 Ks, Jose Soriano Under 15.5 Outs Recorded, and Mike Trout Under 1.5 Total Bases. It’s a night built for calculated risk rather than outright favorites.

Yamamoto’s road prowess is a key driver for the Dodgers’ side, posting a 7-3 mark with a stingy 1.63 ERA and 0.90 WHIP across 66.1 road innings. Soriano, conversely, has struggled at home (1-7, 5.56 ERA, 1.56 WHIP in 68 IP), making the Dodgers’ offense a sharper target in Anaheim. Trout carries an 8-game hit streak, but his own power metrics align with the under on total bases in this matchup.

Historically, the Angels have had recent success against Los Angeles when the two clubs meet, including a May sweep where they won as underdogs. The suggested playbook blends Yamamoto’s road strength with Soriano’s home splits and Trout’s current run, leaning into a measured risk profile that could cash in if Yamamoto dominates and Trout’s contact stays elevated but power remains limited.

The Dodgers and Angels renew the Freeway Series under the Angel Stadium lights, with the Angels owning a 78-73 edge in the all-time regular-season series and even sweeping a May visit to Dodger Stadium. In Monday’s opener, Yoshinobu Yamamoto meets Jose Soriano, a clash the odds favor Dodgers -1.5 and a 8.5 total. Yamamoto brings a chance to pile up strikeouts against a line-up that has whiffed more than usual since the All-Star break.

Angels have been dialing up strikeouts (26.7% since the break), a perfect setup for Yamamoto’s 6.5 K prop, while Soriano must navigate a red-hot Dodgers lineup that is trending toward top-10 OPS since play resumed. Angels’ bullpen has been leaky (4.81 ERA, 26th), giving Los Angeles ample late-run insurance to push this one out.

Bottom line: Dodgers are the smart play to win and cover, leveraging a surge in offense and an Angels’ bullpen stumble. Yamamoto’s strikeout ceiling makes the 6.5 line appealing, and the overall series feels ripe for a Dodgers win by margin.