Daylen Lile’s September breakout carried the Nationals’ rebuild into focus, earning him NL Player of the Month and NL Rookie of the Month as he posted .391/.440/.772 with 9 homers and 8 steals. His late-season surge helped him finish the year at .299/.347/.498 with 15 doubles and 11 triples, a month-long feat last matched by Willie Mays in 1957. Washington’s prospects—Crews, Wood, Abrams, Gore—provide a potent core, but offseason pivots around Cairo’s fate and a manager who can maximize a winning mindset for 2026.

With a 66-96 finish, the Nationals are embracing youth and ambition. Lile’s September numbers become a springboard for keeper and dynasty fantasy formats, while Crews, Wood, Abrams, and Gore chart a path to more consistent production. The impending managerial decision looms, but the talent mix suggests Washington could flip the calendar in 2026 with the right leadership and development plan.

Paul Toboni is headed to Washington as the Nationals' head of baseball operations, a move designed to jump-start a rebuild after a sixth-place grind in six seasons. Toboni rises from Boston’s scouting-heavy front office to oversee player development and personnel decisions, with a core group in D.C. that includes James Wood, CJ Abrams and MacKenzie Gore. Washington hopes his track record of farm-prospect development translates into a faster path to competitiveness, even as the NL East remains loaded with Philadelphia, New York, Atlanta and Miami.

Braves extend their late-season surge to a ninth straight win as they roll to an 11-5 victory over Washington. Chris Sale earns his first win against the Nationals, while Ronald Acuña Jr. fuels the attack by reaching base five times, homering, drawing three walks and getting hit by a pitch. Rookie Drake Baldwin plates two runs on a 2-for-4 night, and Ha-Seong Kim loads the bases with a check-swing walk that sparks a five-run third. Ozzie Albies exits with a fractured hamate bone, adding a cloud over Atlanta’s infield.

MacKenzie Gore struggles early for Washington, while Braves starter Hurston Waldrep prepares for the next showdown against Andrew Alvarez. Jose Suárez closes with three scoreless innings for the save, capping a night that underscored Atlanta’s late-season depth and fantasy-friendly production from top-to-bottom. Managers will want to monitor Albies’ injury and the shifting infield roles as the Braves push for the postseason.

Three MLB betting props headline Monday's three-game slate: Gore over 4.5 Ks, Cronenworth over 0.5 total bases, Verlander under 1.5 earned runs.

Gore's return from shoulder inflammation comes with a 182-strikeout season and a 10.39 K/9, underscoring upside against Atlanta. Cronenworth has been on base in eight of the last nine and San Diego can keep pressure on Freddy Peralta. Verlander has been a model of efficiency, delivering a string of low ER starts against a Cardinals lineup with pressure to win.

These picks combine late-season urgency with solid underlying form, offering smart risk-reward in a lean Monday slate for fantasy bettors and daily fantasy players.