Oakland visits Minnesota for a three game set, leaning on Nick Kurtz, Shea Langeliers, and JJ Bleday to spark the lineup while Luke Keaschall and Lawrence Butler add speed and versatility. Minnesota counters with Byron Buxton atop the order and Trevor Larnach and Matt Wallner in the heart of the lineup behind Joe Ryan on the mound. The clash pits patient at-bats and power against solid pitching and bullpen depth, with Oakland hoping Langeliers growing pop and Kurtz on base ability create run opportunities against a steady Twins rotation.

Fantasy players should watch Langeliers as a catcher with upside and Kurtz as a multi position bat who can drive runs in this series; Buxton remains a high ceiling option when healthy, with Larnach and Wallner offering solid DFS pop. The series could hinge on Buxton health and Minnesota's ability to maximize plate appearances against Oakland mid rotation arms and bullpen inefficiencies, while Langeliers and Kurtz present deeper breakout targets for daily fantasy and wagers.

Athletics vs Twins is a midweek showdown with Oakland as the road underdog and odds leaning toward Minnesota. The headline is Jacob Lopez, who has stitched together 24 scoreless innings across four starts, a feat that makes him a sneaky betting play against a Twins lineup that has slipped OPS-wise since the All-Star break. The Twins counter with Joe Ryan, who owns a strong 2.72 ERA this season, but Minnesota’s offense has cooled, ranking near the bottom in OPS and wRC+ over the same stretch.

The bet landscape features a top prop: Lopez under 2.5 earned runs allowed, banking on his recent efficiency and a depleted Twins order. Oakland’s offense has rallied since the break, ranking highly in OPS and wRC+. The recommended play is Athletics +122, with Lopez’s hot streak and the A’s post-break offense giving the underdog a credible path to a win in a park-friendly matchup at Target Field.

Jake Burger's season hit a snag as the Rangers placed him on the injured list with a sprained left wrist, his third IL stint of the year. Despite an August OPS of 1.097, the wrist issue shelves him as Texas faces a pivotal seven-game stretch against AL wild-card rivals, with first-base duties shifting to Rowdy Tellez and Alejandro Osuna recalled from Round Rock to fill the gap. Burger is batting .242 with a .691 OPS on the year and had started 78 of 126 games; the club hopes the swelling settles quickly so he can return by late August. The roster move underscores how tight the playoff race is and how owners should monitor Texas’ lineup shifts.