Brady House has yet to unlock legitimate MLB power. With 3 homers in 224 AB and a launch angle around 5.8°, his slugging is far from ideal. He struggles to time fastballs and must lift and pull the ball to reach 20+ homers, a prerequisite for fantasy relevance given his walk rate and strikeout profile.

Within the Nationals' rising group, James Wood represents a higher-ceiling power benchmark, underscoring how crucial House's development is to his long-term role. If House unlocks power while maintaining solid defense, his fantasy floor could rise substantially in a competitive lineup.

Nationals aim to snap a six-game slide as Jake Irvin starts at Nationals Park against Tampa Bay. Brady House sits, Paul DeJong starts, and Luis García Jr. slides to the 8th against a righty. Rays reshuffle the bottom of the order with Jake Mangum, Chandler Simpson, Bob Seymour and Hunter Feduccia while Ryan Pepiot takes the mound.

This afternoon doubles as an audition for Washington’s young core with a month left in the season, while Tampa Bay looks to maintain momentum in an afternoon clash that could ripple through late-season lineups and fantasy rosters.

Daylen Lile returns to spark Washington as they try to snap a five-game skid against Tampa Bay, with Brady House sidelined and Paul DeJong stepping in. Riley Adams handles catching with Millas sidelined, while Mitchell Parker remains a steady fifth starter. On the Rays, Junior Caminero anchors the offense, Chandler Simpson prowls the bases, and Carson Williams patrols short, with Adrian Houser on the hill in a deadline-move matchup. Nationals Park hosts a game that could hinge on timely hitting and base-running aggression.

Fantasy angles center on Lile's return boosting WAS's lineup flow, DeJong's versatility and RBI upside, Adams' workload in Millas' absence, Caminero's power, and Simpson's speed atop TB's order. Houser's start against WAS offers streaming upside for Rays stacks, while Parker's stability gives Washington a slate-controlling arm if he edges into a quality outing.

Wheeler’s season-ending surgery forces the Phillies to lean on Aaron Nola as the true ace-two punch, and Nola answered with a quality start after Wheeler’s diagnosis, flashing 94.1 mph on the fastball and six strikeouts over six innings. Philadelphia’s lineup fed off Harper, Realmuto and Bohm as Sosa’s stance adjustment sparked a big early outburst, including a three-run homer from Sosa and Trea Turner’s solo shot later. The bullpen locked it down with Robertson, Strahm, Kerkering and Duran closing the door in a tighter finish.

The Nationals still play, still building. A weekend in San Francisco offered a snapshot of their future: Gore showed why he’s the present-and-future ace in six stellar innings, Abrams delivered a homer off Verlander, and Wood anchored a multi-hit, run-producing day with Wood and Lile contributing in the leadoff and middle order. Brady House and Daylen Lile added important knocks, underscoring a growing core that could turn Washington into a competitive threat next season. With a month and a half left, the focus is on confidence, habits, and proving they can contend, even if the season’s destination remains distant.