Editor's Note
Week 4 was decided as much by who didn’t show up as by who did. Six different starting pitchers posted -10 points or worse. The dRuNkies’ staff melted down. REM GEM’s 13-bat distribution evaporated. And TakeOver dropped a single-day total nobody else has come close to all year. Box scores below.
⭐ Matchup of the Week
F/S led by 56.3 after Apr 21. Posted 1.0 pt on Apr 24. Lost by 6.4. Brutal.
🔥 Highest Score
Lobos’ floor: no day below 36.2. Titans had 7 hitters above 22 — and lost.
🚨 Pitching K.O.
dRuNkies pitching: 4 negative arms, 45.6 total pts. Apocalypse.
Upset of the Week
TakeOver dropped 129.0 on Apr 24 — highest single day of the season.
Cellar War
PLAYEROS’ Apr 24 collapse: 11.0 pts on a day Dynasty scored 45.7. Same pattern as Week 3.
Lineup Wins
Rebels had 11 hitters above 12 pts. NCS pitching: just 78.1 total.
The Shocker: TakeOver 373.8, REM GEM 286.9
Revenge of the Top-Heavy
After watching TakeOver lose Week 3 because their stars were carrying water for a leaky lineup, they flipped the script entirely. REM GEM, the league’s most balanced roster, ran into the buzz saw. The daily breakdown is wild: TakeOver was actually trailing by 35.4 points heading into Apr 24, then dropped a nuclear 129.0-point Friday — the highest single-day output of the season. From there, REM GEM never recovered.
The TakeOver roster bounced back top to bottom. Michael Busch (34.0) and Yordan Alvarez (32.0) led the way, but the real difference from Week 3 was the middle of the lineup carrying weight: Kazuma Okamoto (22.5), Luis Arraez (20.5), Carter Jensen (19.5), and Gunnar Henderson (18.5) all delivered 18+ points. The pitching was the bigger story. Max Fried’s 36.8 was an ace performance, but the stunner was Louis Varland posting 31.4 — a streamer-level arm producing top-end SP value. Will Warren (24.6), Emmet Sheehan (22.3), and George Kirby (21.6) gave them four arms above 21. Even Sandy Alcántara bounced back to 19.6 after his Week 3 disaster. Only Vesia (-1.6) and Sánchez (-5.8) blemished the staff — a far cry from last week’s four negative arms.
REM GEM, meanwhile, suffered exactly the kind of week that had been waiting in the wings. Michael Harris II (36.5) and Bobby Witt Jr. (35.0) were brilliant, but after that the lineup that produced 13 contributors in Week 3 went strangely quiet. Trea Turner contributed 1.5 points across an entire week. One and a half — from a top-15 player. The pitching was equally rough: Gavin Williams crashed back to earth (10.6), José Soriano dipped to 8.5, Luis Castillo posted 7.5, and Logan Gilbert (0.4) and JoJo Romero (-4.5) brought up the rear. When even the deep-roster format works against you, this is what it looks like.
The Verdict
TakeOver moves to 2-2 with a roster that now looks fully formed. REM GEM’s first loss raises the question of whether they’ve been beating up on weaker schedules.
The Cautionary Tale: SAJOMA 374.3, dRuNkies 226.6
The Pitching Apocalypse
After winning Week 3 with five quality starts and elite depth, the dRuNkies’ staff imploded in Week 4. Just look at the pitching line: Gregory Soto (22.2), Luke Weaver (16.9), Clay Holmes (14.7), Eduardo Rodriguez (10.5), Jack Leiter (6.5), Freddy Peralta (3.9), Ranger Suárez (-2.2), Riley O’Brien (-3.8), Walker Buehler (-11.4), and Bryan Woo (-11.7).
Four pitchers in negative point totals. Including the Week 3 hero Riley O’Brien crashing from 44.4 to -3.8 — a 48.2-point swing from a single arm. Walker Buehler at -11.4 and Bryan Woo at -11.7 represent two more disaster starts. The total pitching output of 45.6 points for a full week is, candidly, almost unthinkable from a roster this talented.
The lineup wasn’t the problem. Christian Walker (38.5) had a monster week, Max Muncy (31.0) re-emerged, Ben Rice (20.5), Andy Pages (20.0), and Agustín Ramirez (16.5) gave them five 16+ contributors. The hitters posted 181.0 — a perfectly fine total. The pitching just couldn’t hold up its end.
SAJOMA, by contrast, was the most balanced team in the league this week. Kevin McGonigle (39.5) and Drake Baldwin (37.0) — both rookies — torched the league. Ildemaro Vargas at 32.0 from the utility slot is the kind of waiver-wire steal that wins championships. Brooks Lee (30.0) gave them a fourth 30+ point bat. SAJOMA had six bats above 22 points — that’s not a fantasy week, that’s a Murderers’ Row. The pitching was equally lethal behind Skenes (36.7), Imanaga (24.9), Chase Burns (21.9), Mason Miller (15.2), and Matt Strahm (15.2). Aaron Nola at -12.1 was the only blemish — and even that wasn’t enough to keep them from a 138.8-point pitching total.
The Verdict
SAJOMA officially announces themselves as a top-tier contender. dRuNkies need to seriously evaluate whether their pitching depth is real or a Week 3 mirage.
The Heartbreaker: VOP 341.7, F/S 335.3
Decided by 6.4 Points
Another wire-to-wire dogfight for F/S, and this time they came up just short. F/S led by 56.3 points after Apr 21. Then VOP dropped a 93.3-point Apr 22, and F/S managed exactly 1.0 point on Apr 24 — the lowest single-day total of any team this week. F/S responded with an 89.6-point Apr 25 to take the lead back, but VOP’s 75.2 closeout on Apr 26 swung the matchup by the final 6.4 points. This is the kind of loss that haunts a fantasy manager all season.
F/S had another stacked offensive week. Sal Stewart (37.5) is officially a star — back-to-back massive weeks. Tyler Soderstrom (30.5) is producing like a top-10 1B. Vinnie Pasquantino (28.5) has finally arrived. Shea Langeliers (23.5), Mickey Moniak (21.0), Bo Bichette (16.5), Chase DeLauter (16.0), and Corbin Carroll (14.0) gave them eight bats above 14 points. The pitching staff partially redeemed Garrett Crochet, who bounced back from -25.5 to a positive 30.6. Nolan McLean’s 26.5 is a streamer find. But Merrill Kelly’s -13.9 was the swing point in a 6.4-point loss. One single bad start cost F/S this matchup. Again. That’s becoming a theme.
VOP got another monster Ohtani week — 26.0 batting plus 20.6 pitching for 46.6 combined. Matt Olson posted 45.5 points. Cal Raleigh (29.0) at catcher is positional gold. Alex Bregman (28.0) and Munetaka Murakami (26.5) gave them five bats above 26. Even with Trevor Rogers (-7.5) and Reynaldo Lopez (-13.9) blowing up at the back end of the staff, the offense was simply too deep to lose.
The Verdict
VOP is 4-0 — barely. F/S falls to 1-3 having lost two of three by single-digit margins. This roster is one closer-luck week away from being scary.
The 4-0 Twin: Lobos 375.7, Titans 328.2
The Wolfpack Stays Perfect
Los Lobos became the league’s first team to reach 4-0, and they did it in the most balanced fashion possible. The Titans actually had a better single-day outing (97.5 on Apr 25), but Lobos’ floor was extraordinary — they didn’t have a single day below 36.2, while the Titans had three days below 38.5. That’s the difference between a 4-0 team and a 0-4 team in microcosm.
The Titans, despite the loss, posted 328.2 — their best week of the season. Elly De La Cruz finally exploded for 37.0, the kind of week that’s been baked into his draft cost. Ozzie Albies (36.5), Nick Kurtz (35.0), and Jonathan Aranda (34.0) added enormous value. Samuel Basallo (32.0) from the catcher slot is positional gold. Moisés Ballesteros (26.0) and Josh Jung (22.5) round out seven hitters above 22 points. That’s the lineup the Titans drafted. The problem was the pitching once again. Cole Ragans (32.6) was finally the SP1 they needed, and Payton Tolle (23.6) was a brilliant streamer pickup. But Misiorowski (15.6), Gore (6.5), Pagán (2.1), Pérez (-1.8), De Los Santos (-2.4), Bradley (-7.7), and Chandler (-10.6) was a disaster zone. Three pitchers in the negative. Bradley and Chandler combining for -18.3 alone is enough to swing a tight matchup.
Los Lobos’ top performers were Riley Greene (39.0), Isaac Paredes (37.0), and rookie Daylen Lile at 35.0 — the Lile pickup is officially a league-altering waiver claim. Manny Machado (23.5), Yandy Díaz (23.0), and Zach Neto (16.5) gave them a solid second tier. The pitching was less spectacular than usual — Skubal had a quiet 7.6 — but Drew Rasmussen (26.6), Tyler Rogers (25.7), Shane McClanahan (23.5), and Landen Roupp (21.5) covered.
The Verdict
Lobos are 4-0 and tied with VOP for first overall. The Titans are 0-4 despite their best offensive week of the season — pitching depth is now officially the biggest hole on a roster in this league.
Lineup Wins: Rebels 312.6, NCS 293.1
The Rebels Find Their Rhythm
The Rebels finally cashed in their massive scoring weeks for an actual win. NCS led after Day 1 and Day 2, then the Rebels' Apr 22 and Apr 24 outbursts (50.0 and 49.6) effectively decided the matchup. NCS came roaring back with a 78.1-point Apr 26, but it was too late — the Rebels had built the lead and managed it.
NCS got another huge Seiya Suzuki week (41.0) — he's emerging as their MVP. Ronald Acuña Jr. (24.0) is showing flashes. Wetherholt (21.5), Liam Hicks (21.0), Willson Contreras (20.5), Kyle Schwarber (19.5), Chandler Simpson (18.0), and Xander Bogaerts (17.5) all delivered 17+. That's eight bats above 17 — the most balanced offensive week NCS has had all season. The pitching, however, was catastrophic. Chris Sale (33.6) was excellent, Seth Lugo (17.0) and Edward Cabrera (14.7) were okay, but Robbie Ray (7.5), Rico García (6.3), Tanner Scott (3.6), Anthony Núñez (3.1), Paul Sewald (-7.5), and Steven Matz (-8.7) bottomed out as a group. Total pitching output: 78.1 points. That's not enough to win matchups in this league.
The Rebels actually got outproduced 242.0 to 215.0 on offense — James Wood's 36.5 was the breakout, finally arriving as the star his prospect pedigree promised. Junior Caminero (33.0) continues his ridiculous start. Aaron Judge (23.0) and Iván Herrera (23.0) tied at the next tier — Herrera is officially a top-3 catcher this season. Taylor Ward (21.0) and Spencer Torkelson (21.0) added another tier. Ernie Clement (17.5), Yainer Díaz (14.0), Xavier Edwards (14.0), and Gary Sánchez (12.5) chipped in. The Rebels had eleven hitters above 12 points — a stunning distribution. The pitching was thin, though: Tyler Glasnow's 39.8 was a phenomenal start, but Roki Sasaki (10.5) and Jakob Junis (10.3) were the only other meaningful contributors. Total pitching: 70.6 points — even worse than NCS. Both staffs were ugly. The Rebels won this on lineup depth alone.
The Verdict
Rebels move to 2-2 and continue to look like a top-five team in disguise. NCS falls to 1-3 with one of the most paradoxical rosters in the league — elite top-end talent, miserable pitching depth.
Cellar War: Dynasty 295.9, PLAYEROS 262.4
The Cinderella Win That Wasn't
PLAYEROS finally broke through? Not quite. The Dynasty got the win they desperately needed, but the daily breakdown reveals a wild ride. PLAYEROS' Apr 24 collapse — 11.0 points on a day the Dynasty scored 45.7 — was the death blow. That mirrors PLAYEROS' Week 3 collapse on the second-to-last day. There's a pattern emerging: this is a roster that struggles when even one of their big four (Ramírez, Harper, Alonso, Naylor) has an off-day, because the supporting cast doesn't pick up the slack.
The Dynasty got production from places that haven't shown up all year. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (29.0) finally looked like a first-round pick. Carlos Correa (25.5) was excellent. Julio Rodríguez at 24.5 is a return-to-form moment Dynasty owners have been waiting for since Day 1. Wilyer Abreu (22.0) was the surprise — a 22-point week from a fourth outfielder is the kind of contribution that pushes you over the line. Geraldo Perdomo (18.5), Ryan Jeffers (17.0), and Byron Buxton (14.0) all chipped in. The pitching was led by Andrés Muñoz (25.3) out of the closer role, Dylan Cease (24.5), and rookie Max Meyer at 21.7. Yamamoto dropped to 11.7, but the depth carried. The Dynasty also benefited from cleaner negatives: only Ezequiel Tovar (-4.0) hurt them on the hitting side.
PLAYEROS got a stunning 50.3-point pitching performance from Justin Wrobleski — a streamer pickup that absolutely paid off. But beyond that, the staff was a wasteland. Michael King's 18.6 was fine, but Jason Adam (13.2) and Dennis Santana (7.2) were the only other positive contributors. Shane Baz (4.3), Jack Flaherty (2.0), Will Vest (-2.5), Michael Wacha (-3.8), and Nathan Eovaldi (-5.4!) blew up. Eovaldi going negative after his 29.2 in Week 3 is brutal volatility. The lineup had Naylor (28.0), Harper (27.0), Gleyber Torres (23.5), Ian Happ (20.5), and Ramírez at a quiet 19.5 — but Pete Alonso (12.0) and Marcell Ozuna (-5.0) underperformed badly.
The Verdict
The Dynasty pulls out of the cellar at 1-3. PLAYEROS falls to 0-4 in the most cursed start in the league. They scored 355 in Week 3 and lost; they scored 262 here and lost. The variance is finally biting them.
The Bigger Picture After Week 4
Two Teams Still Perfect. Three Teams in Crisis.
Lobos and VOP are the only undefeateds, and both are doing it differently. Lobos win with depth (no superstar going off, just six contributors at 20+ every week). VOP wins with stars (Ohtani, Trout, Olson, Murakami) plus enough waiver-wire pitching to fill in. They are the two best teams in the league through four weeks — full stop.
The pitching volatility problem is league-wide. Look at the negative point totals from this week alone: Bryan Woo (-11.7), Walker Buehler (-11.4), Reynaldo Lopez (-13.9), Merrill Kelly (-13.9), Aaron Nola (-12.1), Bubba Chandler (-10.6). Six different starters posted -10 or worse in a single week. Pitcher streaming and lineup management is now the single biggest factor separating contenders from pretenders.
The basement teams are running out of time. PLAYEROS and the Titans are 0-4 and need wins immediately. F/S has lost two of three by single-digit margins and shouldn’t panic. The Dynasty’s win over PLAYEROS feels less like a turnaround and more like a coin-flip the right way.
The real story: roster depth wins weekly leagues. The four undefeated/one-loss teams (Lobos, VOP, dRuNkies, SAJOMA, REM GEM) all featured 8+ players above 15 points this week. The four 0-4/1-3 teams (Titans, PLAYEROS, F/S, Dynasty, NCS) all had multiple players post negative totals. It’s not the stars — every team has stars. It’s the bottom of the bench.
"Week 5 is already underway. The contenders are pulling away, and the basement teams need miracles."
League of Champions · May your closers convert and your streamers hold their ratios.
