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Look for our fantasy baseball starting pitcher rankings, hitter upgrades and downgrades daily to help you make smart fantasy baseball lineup decisions and for MLB betting tips. MLB game odds are provided by ESPN BET, and fantasy advice is geared toward ESPN 10-team leagues with standard scoring.

Note: This file will be updated with any overnight pitching changes or weather-related game postponements, along with the addition of the latest MLB game odds as of the indicated time of publication.

That didn't take long. With just 25% of the season in the books, there is already a huge shift in the betting odds for National League Rookie of the Year. Heading into the season, Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto was the overwhelming choice. Just six weeks later, his countryman Shota Imanaga has taken over as the betting favorite. Given that the odds are set in part to generate the most action, Imanaga's ascent and overtaking of Yamamoto is remarkable.

The current NL Rookie of the Year odds on ESPNBet are Imanaga +175 and Yamamoto +375. Imanaga (+700) has the third-highest odds for NL Cy Young and Yamamoto checks in seventh (+1300).

Turning the discussion to fantasy baseball, who do you prefer for the rest of the season, Imanaga or Yamamoto? Yamamoto has made one more start than Imanaga, but they've logged nearly the same number of innings with Yamamoto at 42 and Imanaga at 41 2/3. Yamamoto's ERA is 2.79, supported with a 2.94 xFIP and 2.98 SIERA. Imanaga's ERA is 1.08, but with a 3.28 xFIP and 3.08 SIERA. It's close, but Yamamoto's ERA estimators are a smidge better.

Imanaga has benefited from a .239 BABIP and 90.6% left on base mark. Meanwhile, Yamamoto has also been a bit fortunate with a .269 BABIP and 80.6% left on base. Yamamoto has recorded a 27.8% strikeout rate and a 4.7% walk rate, for a 23.1% K-BB%. Imanaga's strikeout rate is 26.9% with a 3.1% walk rate, resulting in a 23.8% K-BB%. To date, Imanaga has the slight edge. However, he'll be hard-pressed to maintain such a low walk rate.

Heading into the season, home runs were a big concern for Imanaga. So far, he's yielded only three long balls, compared to five for Yamamoto. This accounts for some of the discrepancies in actual ERA.

Both hurlers are benefiting from the league being unfamiliar with them as they traverse lineups for the first time. Imanaga has stated it's too early to credit his success; the real test will come when teams face him for a second and third time.

The Cubs worked with Imanaga in the spring. They set up an apparatus to train him to throw more four-seamers up in the zone. So far, the results are positive, though the dead ball is helping matters. Not to mention, Wrigley Field plays bigger in the spring with cooler temperatures. It tends to shrink over the summer when the mercury rises and the wind blows towards the ivy.

While my expectations for Imanaga have improved from draft season, I still expect Yamamoto to post the superior season. To be honest, I'm a bit shocked at the odds paradigm.

Both hurlers are in action on Monday, with Yamamoto on the road against the San Francisco Giants and Imanaga with his biggest challenge so far with a date in Truist Park against the Atlanta Braves. Imanaga is ranked in the lower half of the Starting pitcher rankings. This indicates Imanaga is a risky start. I'm generally aggressive, and Atlanta hasn't faced Imanaga yet, so my lean is having him active. That said, with Monday being just the first day of the head-to-head scoring period, playing it safe is a defensible approach.

Fantasy managers have almost all day to ponder lineups with all 14 games played under the lights, beginning at 6:35 p.m. ET with the Toronto Blue Jays visiting the Baltimore Orioles.

It's not too late to start a free fantasy baseball league. Leagues drafted this week will start scoring fresh the following Monday. Come and join the fun!

To get the latest information on each team's bullpen hierarchy, as well as which pitchers might be facing a bit of fatigue and who might be the most likely suspects to vulture a save or pick up a surprise hold in their stead, check out the latest Closer Chart, which will be updated every morning. 

Best and worst hitters from the day are generated by THE BAT X, a projection system created by Derek Carty using advanced methods like those used in MLB front offices, accounting for a variety of factors including player talent, ballparks, bullpens, weather, umpires, defense, catcher pitch-framing, and lots more.