Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said that right-hander Merrill Kelly will be the team's Opening Day starter, per Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic. Kelly, 37, began last season with the D-backs before being traded to the Texas Rangers. In 32 total starts (184 innings), he went 12-9 with a 3.52 ERA (3.76 FIP), 1.11 WHIP, and 167:48 K:BB. Kelly was much better in Arizona before the trade, recording a 3.22 ERA (3.58 FIP) and 1.06 WHIP with 121 K's and 38 free passes in 128 2/3 frames over 22 starts. Kelly doesn't have overpowering stuff and is nearing the end of his career, but he can still be effective as a starter, as he frequently uses his stellar changeup to generate weak contact. In addition to regularly getting weak contact, Kelly has excellent control, with a 7.2% walk rate in his seven MLB seasons. Kelly can provide some stability to the back end of a rotation in deep fantasy leagues. He's ranked at RotoBaller as the No. 64 starting pitcher in fantasy.

Kansas City Royals first baseman/outfielder Jac Caglianone had a frustrating debut season in the major leagues last year, slashing .157/.237/.295 with seven home runs, 18 RBI, 19 runs scored, 18 walks, and 52 strikeouts in 62 games over 232 plate appearances. The 23-year-old former sixth overall pick in 2024 out of Florida had impressive exit velocities, barrel rate, and bat speed, but he also struck too much and chased bad pitches. It was a small big-league sample size for Caglianone in 2025, and the Royals are giving him some "runway to establish himself as an everyday player" in 2026, according to Anne Rogers of MLB.com. KC sees him playing a lot in right field to begin the season. Mechanically, Caglianone focused on keeping his weight balanced in the offseason rather than being so front-foot heavy. There are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about Cags long term, especially with his elite power, but fantasy managers in redraft leagues will be a bit more hesitant to buy in as he heads into his sophomore season.

Arizona Diamondbacks infielder/outfielder Jordan Lawlar struggled in his first taste of big-league action in 2025, hitting .182/.257/.288 with zero home runs, five RBI, nine runs scored, and two stolen bases across 74 plate appearances. The 23-year-old also posted below-average defensive metrics while bouncing around between third base, second base, and shortstop. Over the offseason, Arizona announced that the majority of Lawlar's 2026 Spring Training reps would come in the outfield. The position change may end up leading Lawlar to an early-season starting role in the big leagues, as star Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll (hand) underwent surgery on a broken hamate bone on Wednesday and may miss the start of the season as a result. Arizona outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (knee) will definitely be sidelined for Opening Day, so the team has a significant need for help in the outfield. Lawlar mashed Triple-A pitching to a .313/.403/.564 line with 11 home runs, 52 RBI, 50 runs scored, and 20 stolen bases across 300 plate appearances in 2025. With a current average draft position of pick 336, Lawlar could be worth a late-round dart throw in fantasy drafts heading into 2026.

Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia put together a breakout season in 2025, hitting .286/.351/.449 with 16 home runs, 74 RBI, 81 runs scored, and 23 stolen bases across 666 plate appearances. The 25-year-old posted career-best walk (9.3%) and strikeout (12.6%) rates, while still posting a stellar 45.1% hard-hit rate. Garcia also spent time at shortstop, second base, and in the outfield in 2025, so he may offer multi-position eligibility to fantasy managers in certain league formats. Although it was the best of his career, Garcia's 5.6% barrel rate in 2025 remains below average and may indicate a limited power ceiling. However, there's reason to believe that he could offer more in terms of stolen bases, as Garcia swiped 37 bags despite a brutal .281 on-base percentage as recently as 2024. Garcia should be locked into an everyday role at the top of the Kansas City lineup, so he offers a stable floor in terms of RBI and runs scored. If he can get back to his previously demonstrated levels of aggression on the base paths while holding his gains with the bat, Garcia's current average draft position of pick 80 could prove to be a bargain for fantasy managers.