Are You For Real? Week 24 dives into under-5% rostered starters who flashed upside or noise in the final stretch. Freeland carved up San Diego in eight innings with 10 strikeouts, leaning on a dominant knuckle curve and a refined four-seam fastball while phasing out the sinker. The performance comes with Coors caveats, making it a one-off question mark rather than a commitment. Brad Lord followed a rough patch with a strong outing against Chicago, showing plus fastball movement and a usable slider but lingering questions about command and secondary depth. Cleveland's Parker Messick dazzled in six frames versus Tampa Bay, riding a signature changeup and a blossoming sinker to a string of quality starts. All three carry streamer appeal in the right matchups, especially in deeper formats, but fantasy rosters should remain cautious about long-term upside without more proof.

Freeland's mix shift and the curve's success raise the floor for a few more Coors-adjacent starts, yet road games and velocity concerns temper enthusiasm. Lord's slider and changeup offer glimpses, but the lack of a true knockout secondary paves the way for regression. Messick, while intriguing, is still a relative risk/reward play whose best path to sustained value hinges on continued changeup effectiveness and improved command of his other offerings. In Week 24, the message is clear: chase upside in the right contexts, but don’t baked-in trust into these three just yet.

Jesus Luzardo heats up Nationals Park as he aims to keep his hot stretch going, carrying an 11-5 record and 4.20 ERA. He’s already surpassed his career-high win total from 2023 and has won four straight decisions, with no losses since July 4. Brad Lord counters for Washington, rolling into the start with a 3-6 mark and a 3.28 ERA, valued for his recent turn back into a starter role and a 2.70 ERA over the last month. Philadelphia sits atop the NL East with strong momentum; Washington trails badly, adding bite to a marquee matchup that carries -193 on PHI and +160 on WAS. Beyond this pair, the day’s slate features Diamondbacks at Rockies, Marlins at Guardians, and a lineup of high-leverage bets, including Kyle Stowers’ +425 homer prop. The Rays of the rest of the night include Padres at Dodgers with a King-Kershaw duel, underscoring a MLB-wide focus on value in a crowded market.

The four‑game NL East showdown between the Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals heats up this weekend in D.C. with Philly aiming to lock down a top two seed and the BYE that comes with it. The odds lean toward Philadelphia, but fantasy players should watch leverage spots as each game unfolds, especially in a series where pitching matchups could tilt the total and scoring opportunities.

Phillies in Washington on Thursday night for a key early-august clash, with Jesús Luzardo starting for Philadelphia against Brad Lord of the Nationals. Philly looks to rebound after two rough losses to Cincinnati, being outscored 14-1 in that span. Washington has cooled to 4-10 over their last 14 but has shown a pulse, going 3-2 in the past five. Philly hasn’t dropped three straight since late June and have still won seven of 10 entering this game. Odds lean toward Philadelphia on the moneyline, with a chance for a wider margin at -1.5, while the total sits at 8.0 on NBC Sports bets and NBC Top Trends highlight recent spreads and over trends. The day’s betting model projects Philadelphia on the moneyline, Washington to cover +1.5, and the over hitting in this 8-run target, underscoring a pace that could favor offense in short bursts with Luzardo and Lord on the mound.

Fantasy angles center on Luzardo’s bounce-back ability and Lord’s chance to keep a stubborn Phillies lineup in check. First-pitch streaming at 6:45 PM ET from Nationals Park is primed for a swing-and-matter night, where a couple of timely hits or a bullpen hiccup could swing the lines in either direction. Stay glued to live updates and in-game filters for the latest on injuries, lineups, and bullpen usage as this one unfolds.