Dodgers pounded Colorado at Coors Field and fantasy managers should expect more runs in the rematch. The pregame chatter shifts away from Shohei Ohtani’s price tag to the LA bats, with Freeman and Teoscar Hernandez leading the charge and Betts quietly contributing behind them as LA looks to extend a recent run of success against Tanner Gordon and a Rockies bullpen that has struggled all year. The betting card leans into offense: Over 11.5 runs, Freeman over 2.5 total bases, Hernandez over 1.5 total bases, forming a +330 SGP that rides Coors Field’s hitter-friendly environment.

Ohtani’s start is acknowledged, but the price makes him less appealing for a big-money flyer; the focus instead is on the Dodgers’ stacked lineup and the matchup against Gordon, who owns a high ERA and a Rockies bullpen that’s been among the league’s worst at run prevention. The plan: load Dodgers’ bats, exploit the second-worst bullpen, and ride Freeman and Hernandez in a high-upside mini parlay while respecting Coors’ volatility. Look for LA to push the pace and chase Gordon early, keeping the total in play for fantasy darts and daily fantasy lineups.

The Dodgers are in a tight postseason chase, and Mookie Betts is still occupying shortstop after moving from his longtime right-field spot, with Teoscar Hernández taking over Betts’s old position. Manager Dave Roberts admitted the team isn’t fielding its best defensive lineup every night, stressing that offense remains a priority in a crowded race. Hernández has been a catalyst at the plate, ranking second on the club with 20 homers and 75 RBIs, even as his defense can swing momentum the other way at times.

In Tuesday’s 11-4 rout of Colorado, the lineup rode a barrage of multi-hit days, including Alex Call’s career-best four hits. Freeman, Will Smith, Betts, Rojas, and Call all contributed, with two-out scoring helping the Dodgers plate eight of their 11 runs. Ohtani added his 44th homer and extended a 17-game on-base streak, while Call’s power blast highlighted a day where the Dodgers outhit the Rockies 18-11. Betts, hitting .243 after going 2-for-6, has drawn attention to the trade-off between Betts at short and Hernandez in the outfield as the club weighs its postseason chances. Roberts declined to move Betts back to right field just yet, signaling the Dodgers aren’t ready to overhaul a lineup that clearly still scores well when required.

Betts’s fielding percentage at short appears strong enough to surface as a concern only in a broader context of fatigue, as he’s near the NL shortstop leaderboard’s top tier despite limited appearances. The manager’s candid stance—“not there quite yet”—underscores the balancing act: maximize runs while maintaining enough defense to close out tight games. The Dodgers’ rhythm on Tuesday suggested a team that can adapt on the fly in pursuit of October baseball, even if the defensive alignment isn’t fixed for every night.

Bernabel’s walk-off single in the ninth capped a 4-3 win for Colorado over Los Angeles, snapping a 10-game skid against the Dodgers and boosting the Rockies to a four-game surge. Colorado sits 14-15 since the All-Star break, showing growth from a very young core while closing in on the league’s toughest competition.

The late rally began with Ezequiel Tovar’s bloop double and a misplay by Teoscar Hernández, then Bernabel delivered up the middle off Justin Wrobleski to seal it. Hunter Goodman spoke to the team’s learning curve and the joy of finally putting together clean baseball in pressure moments as the youngsters push the franchise forward.

LA, fresh off a sweep of San Diego, saw its title hopes tempered by a confident, rising Rockies club. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts emphasized that opponents will be treated as an equal, and the fielding depth in this game underscored both teams’ current trajectory as September approaches.

Ultimately, the moment underscored a rebuilt Colorado roster finding a pulse and a path toward sustainable competitiveness, with Bernabel and friends signaling a promising chapter for fantasy managers watching breakout candidates emerge late in the season.

Shohei Ohtani advances a tightrope act in August as he blends a heavy two way workload with a keen eye on health. The Dodgers lean into his value as the engine of the lineup while tamping down innings as an onfield pitcher, a balancing act that comes amid a late season bullpen squeeze and a narrowing division lead. He pushes opportunities on the basepaths again, even as he inches toward pitching a fuller role, underscoring the dynamic pressure of maximizing two way production in real time.

Ohtani remains a top fantasy asset with his elite blend of power, speed and reliable two way production. Through 23 plus innings on the mound he sits with a 3.47 ERA and a near pain free return, while at the plate he thrives with a high on base clip and 43 homers, paired with 17 steals. His velocity and slider show standout indicators, including a 98.3 mph fastball and a 56.5 whiff rate on his slider, suggesting continued upside as he adapts to extended pitching appearances.

The Dodgers plan is methodical: protect Ohtani by avoiding excessive extra innings, rely on a shallow bullpen to cover extra frames, and structure daily prep around the pitcher hitter dichotomy. A one sheet scouting approach guides each start, and the mental shift on start days is real, with hitters and pitchers sharing load, aiming for sustainable, long term value rather than short term cliff diving. It is a delicate calculus but one the club believes is worth it given his unique impact.

In this context, fantasy rosters benefit when aligning Ohtani with a schedule that emphasizes his favorable start days and monitors inning caps. Even as his offensive output remains blazing, his pitching duties cap the upside on some lineups; savvy managers should balance rostering him with complementary bats and a bullpen friendly bullpen friendly schedule to maximize weekly fantasy returns.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are grappling with their offense as the trade deadline approaches. Following a challenging start to July, their recent performances show a glimmer of hope. In a recent 5-2 victory against the Boston Red Sox, missing star Mookie Betts, the Dodgers managed to score five or more runs for the seventh time in ten games. Veteran outfielder Teoscar Hernández, who struggled earlier this season, recorded his first three-hit game since April and contributed a two-run home run in the win.

Young slugger Andy Pages also showed signs of life, hitting a sacrifice fly and a double in an engaging performance. Will Smith continues to lead the National League in batting average, while Freddie Freeman is finding his rhythm with consecutive multihit games. However, other hitters like Michael Conforto and Hyeseong Kim have failed to find their form, raising questions about the team’s lineup as the trade deadline approaches.