21 mins agoChicago Cubs outfielder
David Peralta opted out of his minor-league deal with the Cubs and became a free agent. Peralta chose to sign a minor-league deal with Chicago in the offseason after having surgery on the flexor tendon in his left elbow last October. The 36-year-old veteran left-handed hitter was batting just .217 (15-for-69) with two home runs, eight RBI and 10 runs scored in 20 games for Triple-A Iowa before opting out of his deal. Peralta will now be hoping he can latch on with another team where he'll have a better shot at making it back to the Show. The Venezuelan outfielder also underwhelmed last year in 133 games with the Los Angeles Dodgers, slashing .259/.294/.381 with seven home runs, 55 RBI, four stolen bases and 47 runs scored in 422 plate appearances. For now, Peralta is well off the fantasy radar.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Milb.com
37 mins agoAnother week, another disappointing Sunday for Xander Schauffele. The 30-year-old PGA Tour superstar entered the final round of the Wells Fargo Championship with a one-shot lead over Rory McIlroy, but he eventually succumbed to the pressure yet again en route to a runner-up finish. While his recent results have been disappointing for outright bettors in the community, fantasy managers capitalized once again on Schauffele's top-10 upside and overall DraftKings value. Last week's result marked Schauffele's eighth top-10 finish in his last 12 starts, and he ranks inside of the top-20 in a number of key statistical categories this week, including weighted strokes gained on approach and around-the-green, par 5 scoring, bogey avoidance, and strokes gained on long and difficult courses. Perhaps most impressive, he's made the cut and finished inside of the top-20 in eight consecutive Major appearances. Schauffele is unlikely to hoist the Wanamaker Trophy this year, but he's once again one of the safer bets to land inside of the top-10 when all is said and done on Sunday.
--Ryan HickeySource: PGA Tour
38 mins agoThanks to his third-place finish at this year's Masters, Max Homa has seemingly shed the narrative that he doesn't have the ability to contend in Majors. With that pressure gone, the 33-year-old Tour superstar will have his sights set on the Wanamaker Trophy at Valhalla. Fantasy managers should be salivating at the thought of rostering Homa at his $9,700 salary this week, as he enters the week on the heels of a T8 result at last week's Wells Fargo Championship, marking his fifth top-10 finish of the 2023-2024 season. While off-the-tee play is not typically a strength of his, he has gained strokes in that category in three-straight Major appearances, and his ability to spike on approach and putting is second to none in this field. Homa should garner plenty of ownership and attention this week, and fantasy managers should roster him with confidence this week.
--Ryan HickeySource: PGA Tour
40 mins agoWill Zalatoris' resume still lacks a Major Championship victory, but it certainly hasn't been for lack of effort. The 27-year-old Wake Forest alum has been a staple on Major leaderboards over the years, having posted seven top-10 finish in his 12 career Major appearances, including most recently with a T9 finish at this year's Masters. Those seven results include three solo-runner up finishes, including one that came in the 2022 version of the PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club. While Zalatoris' return from back surgery a little over a year ago has produced some inconsistent results, he has certainly shown flashes of his pre-injury form with three top-10 finishes in just 11 starts in the 2024 calendar year. Fantasy managers will have a tough time facing Zalatoris given his pedigree and Major track record, although limited exposure may be the sensible route to take given his recent form.
--Ryan HickeySource: PGA Tour
41 mins agoSam Burns looked solid in his first action back following the birth of his first child, gaining close to three strokes from tee-to-green and over two strokes putting en route to a T13 finish at the Wells Fargo Championship last week. Fantasy managers may no longer have to worry about him withdrawing mid-tournament to attend his baby's birth, but they have plenty of reasons to worry about his recent form and Major Championship track record. Prior to last week's T13 result, the five-time PGA Tour winner posted a T44 at the RBC Heritage and consecutive missed cuts at the Masters and the Valspar Championship. Burns has also failed to finish inside of the top-20 in his 15 career Major appearances, and he's missed the cut in three of his last four Major appearances. Statistically, he ranks outside of the top-40 golfers in the field in driving distance, driving accuracy, overall approach, around-the-green, putting on Bentgrass, and par 5 scoring. Fantasy managers may want to look elsewhere for upside in the mid-$8,000 salary range on DraftKings this week.
--Ryan HickeySource: PGA Tour
43 mins agoDustin Johnson is likely to be a polarizing option for fantasy managers this week. The 24-time PGA Tour winner and two-time Major champion undoubtedly has the pedigree and skill set to contend at any event anywhere in the world, just as he's proven on the LIV Tour in
read more...
44 mins agoMin Woo Lee is likely to be a popular option for fantasy managers at the PGA Championship this week, and perhaps rightfully so. The up-and-coming 25-year-old Tour star has posted nine top-25 finishes in his seven starts in the 2024 calendar year, including back-to-back top-25 finishes at the Masters and The CJ Cup Byron Nelson. He's also impressively gained strokes off-the-tee in all nine of those starts, a metric that will be crucial to success at Valhalla. Lee profiles well for this golf course, as he ranks 39th in driving distance, eighth in approach from 175-200 yards, 16th in approach from 200+ yards, 28th in Bentgrass putting, and 12th in par 5 scoring. He's shown the ability to contend in Majors, with five finishes inside of the top-25 in just 10 Major appearances, including his personal best T5 finish at the 2023 U.S. Open. Lee offers plenty of upside for fantasy managers at a mere $7,700 DraftKings salary and should be given plenty of roster consideration this week.
--Ryan HickeySource: PGA Tour
45 mins agoThe 2014 PGA Championship at Valhalla produced one of the most memorable Major finishes in recent golf history, with Rory McIlroy making a late charge in the near darkness to capture his fourth Major title. Sometimes forgotten in that story is PGA Tour veteran Rickie Fowler, who held
read more...
54 mins agoDallas Mavericks forward/center
P.J. Washington continued his successful series against the Thunder on Monday with a 21-point, 12-rebound effort in a 100-96 loss. Like many of his teammates, Washington struggled for efficiency, shooting 7-for-19, but he was outstanding with a 5-for-11 effort from three-point range. Washington's night also included one block. The 25-year-old started off the series with a fairly quiet performance in Game 1, but he has since then hit top gear to average 21.8 points and 8.8 rebounds with a fantastic 51.4 percent shooting from deep. Dallas will need more of the same from him as the series heads back to Oklahoma City tied through four games.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 hour agoDallas Mavericks guard
Kyrie Irving contributed only nine points as the team was beaten 100-96 on home court by the Thunder on Monday. He finished with 4-for-11 shooting, missing both attempts from downtown. Irving's stat line also included one rebound and nine assists with one turnover and five fouls. It's been an up-and-down series for Irving, as he now boasts two nine-point duds but has gone for 20-plus points in the other two games. If the trend continues, we should see Irving bounce back in Game 5 on Wednesday. Overall, he's averaging 15.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 7.5 assists, and 1.3 steals in the matchup.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 hour agoDallas Mavericks point guard
Luka Doncic had a rough shooting night against the Thunder in Game 4 on Monday but found a way to record his second triple-double of the 2024 playoffs. He finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists, shooting 6-for-20 from the field. Doncic once again shook off a questionable tag to take the court on Monday, but he was well off his best form, hitting 2-for-9 from downtown and committing seven turnovers. Defensively, Doncic contributed with two steals and one block. Following Monday night, Doncic is now shooting only 39 percent from the field in the second-round series. He's struggled for efficiency throughout the postseason, and it could end up being very costly for Dallas.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 hour agoThe Buffalo Bills signed veteran wide receiver
Marquez Valdes-Scantling to a one-year deal worth up to $4.5 million on Tuesday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. MVS is no stranger to playing with elite quarterbacks between his time with
Aaron Rodgersread more...
1 hour agoOklahoma City Thunder guard/forward
Jalen Williams was limited to 5-for-19 shooting with zero makes from downtown against Dallas on Monday, but he still played a large part in a 100-96 win. Despite the poor shooting, Williams posted 14 points with nine rebounds, six assists, and a game-high four steals. Williams' efficiency from the field in the series has now dropped below 40 percent, but he has been one of the standout names against the Mavericks, averaging 17.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.3 steals.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 hours agoOklahoma City Thunder forward/center
Chet Holmgren had a good two-way outing against the Mavericks on Monday, scoring 18 points on 6-for-9 shooting and posting a second consecutive game with four blocks. He was also tied for most rebounds on the team with nine boards and recorded one steal. Holmgren is quietly filling the stat sheet each night, although he's hit the 20-point mark only once in these playoffs. The giant out of Gonzaga has put up 15.3 points per game in the series against the Mavericks with 7.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 3.3 blocks, and 1.0 steals.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 hours agoOklahoma City Thunder guard/forward
Luguentz Dort made a mark with 17 points, eight rebounds, and one block in Monday's Game 4 victory against Dallas. Both teams struggled to score the basketball, and Dort finished with a 4-for-14 record from the field. Three of his makes came from 10 three-point attempts. He added six points with perfect free-throw shooting. Dort has been shooting the three-ball well in the postseason, hitting 42.9 percent of his efforts. However, his shooting numbers have started to drop in the series against the Mavericks, as Dort spends a lot of energy on the defensive end, trying to slow down
Luka Doncic as much as possible. The defensive specialist averages 10.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.0 steals for the playoffs.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 hours agoOklahoma City Thunder guard
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 34 points as the team tied the Western Conference semifinals series against Dallas with a 100-96 victory on Monday. He recorded a third consecutive outing with at least 30 points by shooting 14-for-27 from the field and making all six free throws. With two swats to his name, Gilgeous-Alexander also extended his run with multiple blocks to five games, and his busy 42-minute night included eight rebounds, five assists, and two steals. The Thunder star has been causing nightmares for Dallas throughout the series, averaging 31.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 2.8 blocks, and 1.3 steals.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 hours agoCarolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas collected two points in Monday's 4-1 victory over the Rangers. He helped Jordan Martinook get the team's third goal and finished off the scoring himself with the net empty. Facing elimination for a second time in the series, Carolina exploded for four third-period goals. Necas had gone three games without any points before getting back on track Monday night. Despite the recent drought, Necas has remained among Carolina's top scorers in the postseason, producing eight points (three goals, five assists) across 10 outings.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 hours agoCarolina Hurricanes center Evgeny Kuznetsov recorded the game-winning marker as the team fought off elimination for a second time with a 4-1 victory over the Rangers on Monday. He potted his fourth goal of the postseason 6:39 into the third period. Kuznetsov appears to enjoy the high-pressure environment, as he was also among the goal-scorers in Game 4. The Russian centerman has begun to build a goal streak after being a healthy scratch in the second game of the series. He's managed six points (four goals, two assists) across nine playoff games this year, skating on the fourth line and the second power-play unit.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 hours agoDallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen took his scoring streak to four games with a three-point outing in Monday's 5-1 win over Colorado. He registered a goal and two assists, setting a new franchise record among blue-liners with his fourth three-point game in the playoffs. The big effort also made Heiskanen Dallas' top scorer in the 2024 postseason. With 11 games played, he's tallied 12 points (four goals, eight assists). Edmonton's Evan Bouchard (13) is the lone defenseman with more points than him.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 hours agoDallas Stars forward Wyatt Johnston had a dominant performance against Colorado in Game 4 on Monday, finishing a 5-1 road victory with three points. He gave the Stars a 2-0 lead with a short-handed goal and a power-play marker before wrapping things up with an assist in an empty-net situation near the end of the game. Johnstone became only the fourth player in franchise history to register a three-point game in the playoffs before age 21. There had previously been only 10 players in NHL history with at least two multi-goal performances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The youngster from Toronto has had a great postseason campaign, as Johnston sits among the top goal-scorers with seven markers and is averaging a point per game through 11 contests.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
3 hours agoColorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews was unable to play in Monday's Game 4 against Dallas due to an illness. He was a late scratch for the contest. Toews has been a key cog in Colorado's success, and the defense clearly struggled without him as the Stars coasted to a 5-1 victory. Through eight appearances this postseason, Toews boasts six points (one goal, five assists) with 13 hits and eight blocks. He's been eating up nearly 24 minutes a night as one of the Avalanche's top rearguards. Sean Walker took Toews' spot on the first defensive pairing on Monday. He had a rough night, going minus-two in 19:28 of action with two blocks and three hits.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Colorado Avalanche
3 hours agoColorado Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin has been suspended for six months without pay. The news was announced right before the team's playoff clash with Dallas on Monday. Nichushkin will enter Stage 3 of the NHL/NHL Players' Association Player Assistance Program, which carries an automatic six-month suspension. Losing Nichushkin is a bitter blow for Colorado. He's tied for most goals in the 2024 postseason with nine markers in eight games. Artturi Lehkonen replaced the Russian winger on the first line in Monday's Game 4.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
3 hours agoArizona Diamondbacks catcher
Gabriel Moreno went 1-for-2 in the batter's box on Monday with three walks and his first home run of the season. In 33 games this season, Moreno has a .248/.350/.356 slash line with a stellar 15:14 BB:K. The 24-year-old launched only seven home runs last season and looks to settle in around that number again this campaign. However, while Moreno lacks in power, he possesses excellent contact skills and a strong eye at the plate. Currently, Moreno has a 12.0% strikeout rate and 12.8% walk rate, which places him in the top 96th and 86th percentile, respectively, of all qualified hitters. He remains a solid contributor for batting average in standard leagues and should remain rostered in most formats.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 hours agoSan Diego Padres shortstop/outfielder
Jackson Merrill went 2-for-3 at the plate on Monday with a home run. The rookie tallied a solo shot in the seventh inning, which was his third of the season. Through his first 41 games at the major-league level, the 21-year-old has a strong .291/.342/.403 slash line with six stolen bases. Merrill has played in all but one game this season for the Padres and has several strong underlying metrics, such as a 45.5% hard-hit rate and .453 xSLG, which are both significantly above-average. The former first-round selection has settled right in at the major-league level and should be rostered in all standard formats.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 hours agoSeattle Mariners outfielder
Luke Raley went 3-for-4 in the batter's box with a long ball, two singles, and three RBI in Monday's victory over the Kansas City Royals. In the second frame, Raley launched his third home run of the season, which scored
Cal Raleigh. Then in the third inning, he knocked an RBI single, which scored
Jorge Polanco. He capped things off with another single in the eighth frame and then swiped his second bag of the season. Through 31 games, the 29-year-old has a solid .266/.310/.392 slash line. Raley is on the strong side of a platoon and is worth considering in deeper mixed leagues due to his ability to hit for power and potentially steal double-digit bases.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 hours agoPittsburgh Pirates outfielder
Bryan Reynolds went 5-for-5 at the plate in Monday's victory with a home run and a double. Reynolds laced a double in the third inning to score
Andrew McCutchen and then hit a solo shot to pad the Pittsburgh lead in the ninth. This perfect outing brings Reynolds to a solid .256/.351/.427 slash line with five total long balls through 42 games this season. The 29-year-old is a consistent fantasy contributor, and his strong underlying metrics suggest he could be in store for another successful season. He currently has a .266 xBA and .458 xSLG, which are both above-average among qualified hitters. The former Vanderbilt Commodore should always remain in your fantasy lineup and be considered in DFS.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
4 hours agoPittsburgh Pirates backstop
Yasmani Grandal launched his second home run in just seven games with his new club on Monday. The 35-year-old looks to be settling in quite nicely in the Steel City with an impressive .545 SLG through his first week as a Pirate. Grandal was on the 15-day injured list to open the season with plantar fasciitis but is now looking like his past self. Grandal began splitting catching duties with
Joey Bart, but he has now started each of the past four games, suggesting he has a slight lead for the starting role. Grandal is worth adding in NL-only formats for the time being but could force his way into mixed leagues if his power surge continues.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
4 hours agoMilwaukee Brewers first baseman/outfielder
Jake Bauers increased his hit streak to four games on Monday by knocking a single and a grand slam. On the season, the 28-year-old has a solid .244/.326/.476 line with four home runs, four stolen bases, and 21 RBI. Since the start of May, he has been riding an impressive .346/.500/.727 line with a strong 5:9 BB:K ratio. Bauers has only been in the lineup against right-handed pitchers so far this season which does hinder his fantasy value. Nonetheless, in deeper mixed leagues and NL-only formats, fantasy managers looking for a strong source of power should consider adding Bauers to their team.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 hours agoTexas Rangers starting pitcher
Michael Lorenzen produced his best start of the year on Monday, going seven scoreless innings while allowing only one hit and four walks. The Rangers, unfortunately, couldn't provide Lorenzen with any offense, as he finished with a no-decision in the 7-0 loss to the Cleveland Guardians. The performance lowered his ERA to 3.75 and WHIP to 1.22 on the season, but the four walks gave him 18 walks on the season in only 36 innings. The ERA and WHIP are on par with his career numbers of 4.10 and 1.32, but the walks are higher than normal, as he's averaging almost double the amount of walks per inning with 0.5 walks. The heavy load of walks doesn't bode well for his next outing when he faces a patient Philadelphia Phillies team that ranks fifth in the league in taking free passes.
--Joey Inglese - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 hours agoPittsburgh Pirates catcher/outfield prospect
Henry Davis has struggled since his demotion to Triple-A Indianapolis last week. The former Number one overall pick opened the year with the big-league club, but struggled with a .162 batting average and four RBI in 68 at-bats before veteran
Yasmani Grandal returned from the injured list and took away his job. Since being sent back down, Davis is 3-for-19 with two runs and two RBI. Davis was picked number one overall for a reason and still has a bright future ahead of him, but he will need to turn things around in Triple-A to get another chance with the big-league club. Although managers in redraft leagues should have already cut ties, Davis still has value in dynasty leagues.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: Milb.com
RADIO
