De La Cruz Powers Reds Past Cubs in Week 1 Win
Elly De La Cruz set the tone early and the Cincinnati Reds never let go, holding off the Chicago Cubs 6-4 on Friday night to open Week 1 of the 2026 season. The 24-year-old shortstop was the best player on the field by a wide margin, turning in a 31.0 fantasy-point performance that anchored a Reds lineup looking to build off a shaky finish to the week prior.
Cincinnati came in having dropped three of its previous four, including a couple of lopsided defeats to the Dodgers, so this one mattered for momentum even if the calendar says it's still early. The Reds got exactly the kind of complete effort they needed — production up and down the lineup, a strong hold from Chase Burns on the mound, and De La Cruz doing the heavy lifting when it counted.
How it unfolded
This game had the feel of a lineup-versus-lineup battle rather than a pitcher's duel. De La Cruz set the pace, and the Reds' offense followed his lead, spreading production across seven different players who each cracked double-digit fantasy point totals. Carlos Jorge chipped in a strong day out of center field with 23.0 fantasy points, giving Cincinnati a dangerous one-two punch at the top of the lineup that Chicago's pitching staff never quite solved.
Burns held up his end on the mound, working through Chicago's order well enough to keep the Cubs from ever seizing control, finishing with 13.0 fantasy points. Behind the plate, Jose Trevino and Tyler Stephenson both contributed with 11.5 and 10.5 fantasy points respectively — a rare night where the Reds got production from both catchers in the mix. Eugenio Suárez, still a steady veteran presence in the middle of this order, added 11.5 points of his own, and JJ Bleday chipped in 11.0 to round out a lineup that had scoring threats from top to bottom.
Chicago didn't go quietly. Ian Happ was terrific in a losing effort, posting a team-best 25.5 fantasy points. Carson Kelly matched him nearly stat for stat with 23.0 points of his own, giving the Cubs two players who outproduced almost everyone not named De La Cruz. Michael Conforto added pop in the middle of the order with 15.0 points, and Dansby Swanson chipped in 11.0. But it wasn't enough to overcome the deficit created by De La Cruz's monster night and the depth Cincinnati got from the rest of its order.
Standout performances
De La Cruz was the unquestioned Game MVP, and it wasn't particularly close. His 31.0 fantasy points more than doubled several of his teammates' totals and dwarfed anything Chicago could counter with. When your shortstop delivers that kind of value, everything else the offense does becomes a bonus rather than a necessity.
Jorge's 23.0-point showing deserves attention too — a big night from the center fielder gives Cincinnati manager confidence that the lineup has thump beyond its headline names. On the pitching side, Burns did enough to keep his team in position to win, and that's often the unsung part of these tight, high-scoring affairs.
For Chicago, Happ and Kelly were the two names that stood out. Both delivered performances that, on most nights, would be enough to win a ballgame. Unfortunately for the Cubs, De La Cruz's ceiling was simply higher, and Cincinnati's supporting cast did more with less.
What this means going forward
It's Week 1 of a long season, and one game rarely tells the full story. But for a Reds team that had dropped three of its previous four before this one, a win fueled by a monster De La Cruz performance and contributions from seven different players is exactly the kind of formula manager will want to see repeated. Cincinnati's lineup depth — getting solid nights from both catchers, a corner outfielder, and a designated hitter simultaneously — suggests this offense can carry the club even on nights when the ace isn't dealing.
For Chicago, the concern is different. Happ and Kelly can't do it all alone, and until more of the supporting cast steps up, results like this one are going to be the pattern rather than the exception.
For fantasy managers building lineups on JockBroker, De La Cruz's ceiling performance is a reminder of just how valuable an elite shortstop can be on any given night.
