Washington’s eight-game skid exposes a broken mix of fragile starting pitching, shaky fundamentals, and frustrated development. Brad Lord’s recent erosion from a promising stretch to a 4.34 ERA era signals rotation fragility; Daylen Lile’s aggressive baserunning underscores the Nationals’ decision-making woes. Young talents James Wood, MacKenzie Gore, Cade Cavalli, and Konnor Pilkington flare with upside but struggle to sustain it as a full rebuild stalls, while Tampa Bay’s well-rounded club offers a sting in the backdrop. For fantasy, ride volatility with eyeing upside arms and opportunistic hitters while hedging with safer alternatives against the Rays’ depth.