One of the biggest storylines of the upcoming offseason is absolutely going to be the collapse of the early rounds in 2026 Fantasy Baseball drafts. Here's how bad it is: Fernando Tatis didn't homer until nearly June, and he was probably the best first-round pick you could have made this year. With less than three weeks left, there's not a ton anyone can do to change their overall outlook, but you'd still like to see some of those disappointing superstars close out the season strong.
And not just for their 2027 outlook – if you're still alive in the playoffs, or playing in a Roto league through the end of the season, these games do still matter! And two of the biggest names in Fantasy are looking to make a big impact down the stretch. One, Shohei Ohtani, was back in the lineup Monday after missing four straight with lingering knee and biceps injuries; the other, Aaron Judge, will make his long-awaited return from a rib injury Tuesday.
Given how long he's been out – Judge hasn't played since May 31 – you might think Judge is the bigger question mark down the stretch. But I'm not sure that's the case. The Yankees have taken their time with the stress fracture in his rib, and though he ended up skipping a rehab assignment, I mostly expect him to hit the ground running.
There isn't a ton of time left for Judge to get back up to speed, but when he missed nearly two months back in 2023, he returned without a rehab assignment and still managed 18 homers in his final 57 games while putting up a .965 OPS. There are no guarantees, but if Judge is healthy, he should be dominant. Get him back in your lineup.
You're getting Ohtani back in your lineups, too, of course. But that "if he's healthy" part feels a lot more speculative here. Ohtani has been battling through multiple maladies while trying to get back on the mound, and it seems like he's had to put his plans to return to the mound completely on hold for the time being.
Ohtani was clearly limited by his injuries in the games before his shutdown this weekend, and it's fair to wonder if he's ever going to get back to being 100% healthy this season; in hitting just .242/.322/.472 in August, it's clear he hasn't been for some time. As I've stated before, you're still starting Ohtani in all leagues. But while the biggest question with Judge is whether there will be rust upon his return, Ohtani just feels like a much bigger question mark.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
