Taylor Ward MLB Picks At Sleeper Fantasy Today, 4/17: Baseball Projections + More
What a great slate of MLB games here on a Thursday! It’s the perfect opportunity to win some money on Sleeper Fantasy with our Sleeper MLB DFS picks!
Today we look to ride the hot streak of two leadoff hitters starting with Taylor Ward of the Los Angeles Angels and then Lars Nootbar of the St. Louis Cardinals.
Overall, it should be a fun night and one where we can make a few extra bucks with our MLB pick ‘em picks today.
Sleeper Fantasy Picks for Thursday, April 17: MLB DFS Projections
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Taylor Ward Sleeper Fantasy MLB Pick: More Than 1.5 Hits+Runs+RBI
We are riding the Angels again tonight as they draw the struggling Kumar Rocker. Ward has been fantastic to start the season, leading off for the Angels gives him an early shot to get on base and score first inning runs against Rocker who has had issues not only with giving up home runs but also the free passes here as well.
Let's ride the hot streak of Taylor Ward in this matchup tonight.
Lars Nootbar Sleeper Fantasy MLB Pick: More Than 1.5 Hits+Runs+RBI
Lars Nootbaar, the Cardinals' leadoff hitter, is thriving in 2025 with impressive power and speed. Tonight, he faces Griffin Canning, a contact-oriented pitcher with a high 5.0 BB/9 and a 15% HR/FB rate, despite a 50% groundball tendency.
Expect Nootbaar to exploit Canning’s vulnerabilities, driving the Cardinals’ offense with a big performance at the top of the lineup.
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Player News
Daulton Varsho picked up three hits, three RBI and a homer in a win over the Angels on Thursday.
Varsho has only played in seven games this year, but they’ve been seven good ones. He’s homered three times already, and his slugging percentage is a remarkable — and entirely unsustainable — .727 over 22 at-bats. Varsho has been a mediocre offensive player in his two seasons with the Blue Jays, but it’s possible at the age of 28 he’s having a breakout campaign. Far from a guarantee, but possible.
Taylor Ward hit a two-run homer in a loss to the Blue Jays on Thursday.
Ward, 31, gave the Angels a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer off Chris Bassitt in the first inning. He’s now gone deep in two of his last three games, and it ‘improves’ his slash to .181/.224/.391. Ward has been one of the most hot/cold players players in the sport over the last few years, so fantasy managers who can afford to make some roster moves may want to look at Ward while the going is good.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. picked up three hits and scored twice in an 8-5 win over the Angels on Thursday.
Guerrero also drew a walk. It gives the first baseman multiple hits in back-to-back games, and it’s the third time in May that he’s reached that mark. That’s helped raise his average from .268 to .295, and the only thing fantasy managers can be disappointed with is his .432 slugging percentage. That number should continue to climb as the season unfolds, but Vladdy Jr. has had some inconsistent seasons when it comes to power production.
Chad Green picked up his first save of 2025 with a scoreless ninth against the Angels on Thursday.
Green got the save after Jeff Hoffman worked in back-to-back games — and struggled — in the first two contests against the Angels. He struck out two and looked the part while needing just nine pitches to get through the inning. Hoffman should remain the closer, but Green is on his tail if the struggles were to continue.
Chris Bassitt allowed five runs — four earned — while working six-plus innings against the Angels on Thursday while picking up a win.
Bassitt allowed three runs over the first two innings on a pair of homers, but settled down over his next four frames. He came out to work the seventh, but ended up being charged for two more runs after leaving the contest. The 36-year-old veteran has forged a 3.35 ERA and outstanding 49/8 K/BB ratio over the first quarter of the season, but this wasn’t him at his best. He’ll get the Rays next week if the rotation order stays the same for Toronto.
José Soriano allowed three runs over five innings while not factoring in the decision Thursday against the Blue Jays.
Soriano left with a 4-3 lead, but it was erased quickly after his departure. The 26-year-old was not exactly dominant in his outing with eight hits allowed and four free passes, but he did strike out six to help balance things out a smidgen. Soriano takes an even ERA of 4.00 into a scheduled start against the Padres in San Diego on Tuesday. There should be better options for that one.