Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Dylan Cease continued his amazing first season with the Jays at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday, throwing seven shutout innings with two hits allowed, one walk, and 10 strikeouts to lower his season ERA to 2.28, which ranks second in the American League, behind only the Yankees' Cam Schlittler. Cease was handed a no-decision in the eventual 3-2 extra-inning loss after closer Louis Varland gave up a game-tying home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to third baseman Alex Bregman. The 30-year-old hurler has been electric in 2026, and he's been especially hard to hit since the beginning of July, having allowed just four earned runs with 56 strikeouts in his six starts over that span. In addition to being second in the AL in ERA, Cease leads the league with his 184 strikeouts and is second in all of baseball. Cease will face Boston for the fourth time this year in his next outing. He's 2-1 against them with a sharp 1.83 ERA, 10 walks, and 24 strikeouts in 19 2/3 innings. In his last meeting against them, he threw a one-hitter. Obviously, Cease has been a no-brainer must-start in all fantasy baseball leagues in 2026.

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Brandon Pfaadt has been unbelievable on the mound lately. Since being recalled on June 30, Pfaadt owns a 1.55 ERA, 1.03 WHIP in 40.2 innings across seven starts. He has quietly been excellent on the mound and deserves to be rostered in more fantasy leagues going forward. Overall this season, Pfaadt owns a 3.66 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and a 52/22 K/BB ratio across 20 games (10 starts) with the Diamondbacks. He's currently slated to take the ball against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday. Fantasy managers seeking pitching help should consider adding Pfaadt ahead of that start.

New York Mets outfielder Luis Robert Jr. has really struggled to make an impact during his first year with the team. Due to injuries, Robert has played in fewer than 40 games this season. When healthy, Robert is posting a .189/.280/.307 slash line with four home runs, 12 RBI, and two steals. Robert finally came alive with the bat during Thursday's game against the Cleveland Guardians. Robert collected three hits at the plate in the 13-6 victory. Hopefully, it's a sign that Robert is finally turning the corner at the plate. Deep league fantasy managers might want to give him a chance because his overall upside might be worth the risk.

Chicago White Sox catcher Joey Bart (hand) was forced to make an early exit from Thursday's game against the Boston Red Sox. Bart was removed from the contest after getting hit by a pitch on the hand during the seventh inning of this contest. He was immediately removed from the game and replaced by Drew Romo. Before leaving, Bart was 0-for-2 at the plate and was hit by a pitch twice. It was announced afterwards that Bart suffered a fractured fifth metacarpal in his left hand. He'll likely undergo further testing, but a stint on the Injured List is almost guaranteed. Romo should see increased playing time behind the plate, and Edgar Quero will likely be recalled from Triple-A if Bart misses time.