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          Fantasy Baseball Forecaster for Week 8: May 12-18

          Juan Soto returns to Yankee Stadium in Week 8 after signing a 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets in the offseason. Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
          • Tristan H. Cockcroft
          May 12, 2025, 10:52 PM

          Fantasy baseball's Week 8 brings us Major League Baseball's first-ever "Rivalry Weekend," from May 16-18, with all 30 teams playing their designated rivals, 11 of them interleague series and four intraleague matchups.

          That means the annual Subway Series between the New York Mets and New York Yankees, the Crosstown Classic featuring the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox, the Silver Boot Series matching the Houston Astros up with the Texas Rangers, and the I-70 Series pitting the Kansas City Royals against the St. Louis Cardinals. In the first on the list, Juan Soto will return to Yankee Stadium for the first time since leaving the Yankees to sign a 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets in December.

          The busy weekend assures that all 30 teams are scheduled for at least six games, with only four -- the Atlanta Braves, Astros, Rangers and Washington Nationals -- aligned for seven. The Rangers will play all seven of those games at home.

          The 2025 fantasy baseball season hits a mathematical point of importance, as we'll reach the one-quarter mark of the year sometime Monday. Twenty-five percent of all games will be in the books once the first game of the week is completed. Such occasions are a good time to take a closer look at your fantasy team's current standing, needs and surplus.

          We might see the 2025 debuts of a pair of past fantasy aces, as the Los Angeles Dodgers appear ready to welcome Clayton Kershaw back and the Milwaukee Brewers should have Brandon Woodruff back into their starting rotations during Week 8. Kershaw becomes eligible for activation on May 17, or Saturday of Week 8, and could start that day or on Sunday. Woodruff is expected to be activated in time to make a Saturday or Sunday Week 8 start.

          Lineup lock times

          Scheduling quirks for Week 8

          Starting pitchers for Week 8

          Hitting charts for Week 8