The Mets watched Sean Manaea’s 2025 pattern resurface in a 9-3 loss at Nationals Park: he labored through 4 2/3 innings, fading after the third time through the order as Washington plated four runs in the fifth. The defeat drops New York back in the NL Wild Card battle, just 0.5 games ahead of Cincinnati, and preps a pivotal three-game swing in Atlanta against the Braves. Washington used patience and timely hitting to seize control, while the Mets could not sustain a rally after Lindor’s leadoff homer and Marte’s early blast.

New York did scratch out offense early with Lindor and Marte homering, and Alonso was involved in a fourth-inning baserunning sequence, but the offense stalled after the fourth. Manaea’s command wavered in the fifth as back-to-back-frame damage followed a hit-by-pitch and a bases-loaded situation, pushing the Nats ahead 5-3 and setting the tone for a bullpen night that couldn’t recover. Jackson Rutledge and a relied-on bullpen did their part, while Wood delivered a late three-run homer to seal the win.

For fantasy managers, the takeaway is the volatility of Manaea’s workload and the Mets’ reliance on an inconsistent rotation to sustain leads. Lindor and Marte provided pop, but the supporting cast didn’t enough. In the meantime, Washington’s offense thrived on patience and timely hits, hinting at favorable streaming options in deeper leagues as the Nationals look to capitalize on late-season momentum against improved but inconsistent opponents.

The Mets face a setback in their series finale with a tough lefty, but the bigger story is the shifting lineup due to injuries. Jeff McNeil is sidelined by shoulder soreness and Brandon Nimmo is nursing neck discomfort, creating a scramble for lefty-bait and defensive alignment. Tyrone Taylor stepped in on the left, while Starling Marte can cover left field if needed. With Francisco Alvarez on the IL and Nimmo unavailable off the bench, New York leans on Brett Baty and others to keep the offense productive against Washington’s lefty, MacKenzie Gore.

Mets versus Gore is a test: Gore has stifled New York in previous meetings, yet New York owns a .226 team batting average vs left-handed arms this year. Gore’s been solid against the Mets, but recent lineup shuffles could tilt the balance. McNeil’s absence takes away a top option against lefties, highlighting how Baty’s infield flexibility and Nimmo’s absence could shape the weekend rotation and lineup construction. The Rockies-style depth on the Mets’ bench becomes a premium as they navigate late-August fatigue and a schedule that includes a swing through Atlanta against the Braves.

Meanwhile, a note of intrigue in the other dugout: the Yankees added Paul Blackburn after releasing him from the Mets, a small but notable ripple for late-season roster moves. In Baltimore, Cedric Mullins remains a constant in center, while the Nationals rely on Gore’s lefty-mix to keep Mets hitters honest. The depth chart turns into a battleground for fantasy managers, who must weigh McNeil’s potential return, Nimmo’s timeline, and whether Baty or Mullins slots into a more fantasy-friendly role in the immediate days ahead.

MacKenzie Gore has allowed 17 homers this season and owns an 8.13 ERA over his last six starts, setting up a flirtation with Mets power in a high-leverage matchup. Pete Alonso already has a homer against Gore and sits with 28 on the year, squarely in play as a +375 HR prop for Thursday. The Inside the Lines crew also targets Tyler Soderstrom (+430) and Alec Burleson (+525) in Thursday’s slate, while noting Jose Urena’s vulnerability to RHBs helps justify a Soderstrom look. The piece emphasizes that MLB home run props are moneymakers with a robust model backing them, and highlights bet365 and BetMGM promos for new players. The projection model simulates every game 10,000 times, is up significantly on MLB HR picks, and has delivered multi-leg parlays paying well this season. The team at SportsLine provides continued daily MLB HR projections, with Brewers vs. Cubs as a referenced example. The article also points readers to the Inside the Lines daily blog for more picks and context on Thursday’s action.

Jamie's MLB DFS notebook for Thursday 8/21/25 spotlights a six-game DK slate and a three-game FD slate, with the Dodgers anchoring the night and an emphasis on elite arms alongside shrewd value plays. Ohtani’s absence nudges the lineup toward a power-heavy Dodgers pipeline and raises the floor for Freeman, Betts, and Hernandez. Immanaga and Gore headline the pitching options, while Cease and Priester offer differentiated paths on a short slate. India and Smith stand out among infielders and Seager, Pederson, and Teoscar headline the outfield mix, with Grichuk and KC stacks weaving through a few key playbooks. Dodgers stacks against Dollander dominate the strategy, Royals vs Corbin adds another high-upside angle, and Oakland vs Urena provides a rarer DK-only angle. Windy conditions and Coors Field volatility add another layer of nuance.

Value picks abound: India leads off Kansas City with run-scoring upside against Corbin, Kurtz and Pederson bring budget-friendly pop, and Will Smith’s multi-position eligibility creates lineup flexibility. Teoscar Hernandez and Freeman help round out a potent Dodgers lineup while Seager and Betts fill premium slots. In diversified builds, mixing Dodgers core with Royals and A’s targets can unlock salary relief without sacrificing upside. Injury news and lineup shifts remain critical as the day unfolds.

In short, the slate rewards balanced exposure: a top arm pairing in Imanaga/Gore with Cease/ Priester as a flexible pivot, big Dodgers stacks, and selective value adds across KC and OAK while staying mindful of weather and time constraints across DK and FD.

Zack Wheeler’s latest outing felt like a return to normalcy for Philly’s ace, even as the six-time Cy Young candidate in him remains a work in progress. He touched 97 mph with his four-seamer, but needed 97 pitches to log five innings, a reminder that the plan is less about peak dominance and more about building back reliability. The Phillies pulled out a 6-2 win thanks to late-inning bullpen support and back-to-back homers by Schwarber and Harper, underscoring the team’s readiness for a postseason run if Wheeler can string together true depth of start.

The backdrop is clear: Wheeler has pitched like a Cy Young contender for stretches this season, but recent turns have been shorter and less dominant. Shoulder soreness delayed a start, and since then he’s logged six starts with fewer innings and a 4.55 ERA, a departure from a 0.94 ERA earlier in the year. Still, velocity ticked up in the latest frame, and Wheeler’s confident assessment—"Everything felt normal"—keeps the door open for a comeback atop Philly’s rotation as the season winds down.

For fantasy and betting, the key question is sustainability: can Wheeler sustain velocity and command to push back into seven-inning outings? If so, his floor rises toward elite-SP territory, boosting wins and ratios. If not, expect a ceiling closer to a high-end, innings-limited starter, with a bullpen-centric path to wins in favorable matchups and a lingering risk in back-to-back starts.