Clayton Kershaw retires after 18 storied seasons with the Dodgers, ending a chapter of singular dominance and resilience.

He carried Hollywood’s team through ups and downs, mixing acclaim with October heartbreak, leaving a legacy built on leadership as much as stats.

His departure reshapes the Dodgers’ future rotation while placing him among LA’s all-time greats alongside Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant.

For fantasy managers, the news signals rotation shifts and late-career value questions as LA chases one more October run.

Week 25 of 2025 centers on late-season waiver wire boosts for five categories: Runs, Home Runs, RBI, Stolen Bases, and Batting Average. The featured hitters bring multi-positional eligibility and hot streaks to the table, offering powerful sprint-to-points options for fantasy managers chasing a final push. Expect rostership shifts and pinch-ship opportunities as rosters tighten and playoff berths loom, with the emphasis on players delivering steady counting stats plus occasional speed.

Key pickups include Daylen Lile’s extended Nationals run, Bader and Marsh fueling Philadelphia’s late-season surge, Burger’s Rangers power, Sal Stewart and Kody Clemens offering versatility and pop, and Addison Barger’s continued two-way value. Add in Josh Bell, Patrick Bailey, Jose Caballero, Caleb Durbin, Mickey Moniak, and Gabriel Moreno for depth and upside across positions. The guide blends power, speed, and flexibility for those final daily lineups.

Atlanta Braves sweep Nationals in a four‑game set, preserving a solid position in the draft lottery landscape while eyeing a rest-of-season run. A potential NL Rookie of the Year windfall from Drake Baldwin could dwarf any lottery wavering, and Hurston Waldrep’s bounce-back start reinforces his mid-rotation upside as Brandon Gaudin’s broadcast presence cements the Braves’ top‑tier TV experience.

On the MLB front, Quintana lands on the 15‑day IL for Milwaukee, Willson Contreras is shut down for the season in St. Louis, and Cole Wilcox earns a Rays bullpen opportunity, signaling late‑season value shifts across the league that fantasy managers will want to monitor alongside Braves’ development headlines.