Pete Fairbanks Blows Save Wednesday

Tampa Bay Rays closer Pete Fairbanks blew the save in Wednesday's 5-4 loss to the Angels. Fairbanks came on in the ninth with a 4-3 lead and recorded an out to the first batter he faced, then the wheels came off. The 30-year-old proceeded to allow three singles and two walks (one was an IBB […]

Fantasy Baseball Injury Reports for Pitchers - Updates for Yu Darvish, Gerrit Cole, Kodai Senga, Kyle Bradish, Eduardo Rodriguez, Robert Stephenson, Jameson Taillon, more

Just a few weeks into the 2024 MLB season, there is no shortage of fantasy baseball hurlers dealing with ailments. That said, let's take a look at injured pitchers Yu Darvish, Gerrit Cole, Kodai Senga, Kyle Bradish, Eduardo Rodriguez, Robert Stephenson, Jameson Taillon, and more. This is our weekly edition of fantasy baseball injury updates […]

Forrest Whitley Sent Back Down

The long-awaited arrival of Houston Astros pitching prospect Forrest Whitley was short-lived. Houston's 2016 first-round draft pick and former top pitching prospect has battled injuries over the years but finally got the call, only to face five batters in Tuesday's 6-2 loss to the Braves before being sent back down to Triple-A Sugar Land. The […]

Joc Pederson Homers In Second Straight Game

Arizona Diamondbacks designated hitter Joc Pederson homered for the second straight game in Wednesday's 5-3 loss to the Cubs. Pederson came on to pinch hit in the sixth for Blaze Alexander, lining out to first in his initial at-bat before homering in the next at-bat in the bottom of the ninth off of lefty Drew […]

Andrew Wiggins To Be On The Trade Block In Offseason

Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins could be heading toward the exit this summer. The Ringer reports that league sources believe Wiggins will be included in trade talks in the offseason as the Warriors look to improve their roster following a disappointing campaign. Golden State's season ended on Tuesday when the team suffered a blowout […]

Damian Lillard Expected To Log Full Practice On Friday

Milwaukee Bucks point guard Damian Lillard (groin) was able to practice on Wednesday in a limited capacity and is expected to get a full session under his belt on Friday. Lillard is trying to get ready for Game 1 of the team's first-round series against Indiana, which starts on Sunday night. It's unlikely that we […]

Clippers "Preparing" To Have Kawhi Leonard Available In Game 1

Los Angeles Clippers guard/forward Kawhi Leonard (knee) hasn't yet been cleared for five-on-five practice, but head coach Tyronn Lue appears to be confident of having him in the lineup when playoff action starts this weekend. "I'm preparing to have him on the court," Lue said on Wednesday. "We just take it day-by-day. He's getting better […]

Sam Merrill Trending In Right Direction Ahead Of Game 1

Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard Sam Merrill (neck) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice as he continues to work his way back from injury. A neck problem kept him out for the final three regular-season games, but Merrill looks to be on track to return to the lineup for Game 1 of the playoffs against […]

Dean Wade Unlikely To Play In Game 1

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade (knee) isn't expected to play in Game 1 of the NBA Playoffs against Orlando on Saturday. He missed the end of the regular season, making his last appearance on March 8, and Wade wasn't in Wednesday's practice. Wade's absence means more minutes to Georges Niang and Marcus Morris Sr. off […]

Alex Caruso Doubtful For Friday With "Significant" Ankle Sprain

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Chicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso suffered a "significant" left ankle sprain in Wednesday's play-in contest against Atlanta and is doubtful to play on Friday versus Miami. Caruso suffered the injury in the first quarter on Wednesday when he collided with teammate Andre Drummond. Following a visit to the locker room, […]

Jimmy Butler Feared To Have Suffered MCL Injury

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (knee) is feared to have suffered an MCL injury in Wednesday's 105-104 loss to Philadelphia in the play-in tournament. He was hurt near the end of the first quarter when Philadelphia's Kelly Oubre Jr. landed on Butler's right knee. The Heat star managed to complete the contest and logged a […]

NBA Playoffs Predictions: Two High Seeds Most Likely to Bust in First Round

Welcome to the 2023-24 NBA playoffs! The best of the best remains, with each team hoping to reach the NBA Finals. The road to the Larry O’Brien Trophy will be difficult because the stakes are higher, and the most outstanding players elevate their game when it truly matters. Sixteen teams remain in the hunt for […]

2024 NFL Draft Analysis — Teams Without First-Round Picks

The NFL Draft is fast approaching. Before you know it, April 25 will be here and the Chicago Bears will be on the clock with the first selection. Opening night of the draft consists of just the first round, but it's arguably the most watched and enjoyed. However, not every team will have the luxury […]

MLB DFS: DraftKings, FanDuel Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (4/18/24) - Today's Top Lineups

Happy Thursday, RotoBallers! As we head into the weekend, a three-game slate is on the cards. DFS managers would like more games than it is, but there's still an edge to be gained on smaller slates. Feel free to ride the chalk; only be different in one or two spots.  The slate kicks off in […]

Free Agency Check - Wide Receiver ADP Risers and Fallers

What an NFL offseason it has already been, and the 2024 NFL Draft hasn't even taken place yet. Several Pro Bowlers will play on new teams this upcoming season after players like Saquon Barkley, Kirk Cousins, Josh Jacobs, and Tony Pollard all signed multi-year deals in free agency. However, the biggest surprise this offseason came […]

Time To Hang It Up: Top-Four NBA Forwards Who Should Retire After This Season

In any sport, retirement is inevitable. Whether it's because of age or an unfortunate career-ending injury, one must accept that even a decorated basketball career must come to a close. It's a part of an athlete's life. We've seen great players end their careers with a bang. For some, it came in the form of […]

Kevin Alcantara Hits First Homer

Chicago Cubs outfield prospect Kevin Alcantara went 2-for-4 with a home run on Wednesday for Double-A Tennessee. The home run would be the first of the year for the 21-year-old. Alcantara has been off to a very slow start this year, hitting just .086 with a stolen base and hopefully Wednesday round-tripper will get him […]

Matt Shaw Off To Impressive Start

Chicago Cubs shortstop prospect Matt Shaw is a name for dynasty managers to take note of, as he has been on fire to open the season for Double-A Tennessee. The Cubs first-round pick of 2023 had a great Spring Training with the club and that has carried over to Tennessee. Over his first nine games, […]

2024 Dynasty Startup Blueprint - FFPC Draft Strategies and More

There's nothing quite like the feel of a new dynasty startup and the anticipation of your incoming draft slot as you decide which players you want to make up the cornerstone of your roster for years to come. While we still have to wait four months for some live NFL action, the good news about […]

DraftKings, FanDuel Daily Fantasy Hockey Picks (4/18/24): Today's Top NHL DFS Lineups

Welcome, RotoBallers! If you do not know me, my name is Brandon and I write both The First-Serve and The Kick-Off for tennis and soccer, respectively. If you have not checked those out, make sure you do! It is the return of the NHL season, which means it's time to sharpen our skills and partake […]

Max Clark Drives In Four

Detroit Tigers outfield prospect Max Clark went 3-for-5 with four RBI for Single-A Lakeland on Wednesday. Clark now has 10 RBI on the season, but is still searching for his first home run. The 19-year-old was the third overall pick in the 2023 draft and is a consensus Top-15 prospect. Clark possesses the ability to […]

Will Justin Jefferson Hold Out This Offseason? 2024 NFL Contract Outlook

Justin Jefferson is one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. He's also not under contract beyond the end of the 2024 football season, and he has been trying to get a new contract done. Many players looking for a better contract end up holding out for part of the offseason or even into […]

Today's Top MLB Betting Picks - Expert Predictions for April 18, 2024

We have another abbreviated slate Thursday, but I like a couple of early-game betting opportunities in, fittingly, the two earliest games of the day. Attention, fellow sports bettors! We have some exciting news to share as we are now officially partnered with various sportsbooks and have some sweet sports betting promo offers! Get your deposit […]

Jonathan Cannon Earns No-Decision In Debut

Chicago White Sox pitching prospect Jonathan Cannon earned a no-decision in his big-league debut on Wednesday versus the Kansas City Royals. Cannon, 23, was the first pitcher in the 2022 draft to make his way to the show and he put together a solid performance. Over five innings, Cannon allowed three hits, one run, one […]

Tommy Troy Hits First Homer

Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop prospect Tommy Troy went 1-for-4 on Wednesday for High-A Hillsboro. His lone hit would be his first home run of the season. Although he is hitting .188 to start the season, it is nice to see him improving after recovering from a fractured foot this summer. The 12th overall pick in the […]

Gabriel Gonzalez Collects Three Hits Wednesday

Minnesota Twins outfield prospect Gabriel Gonzalez went 3-for-3 on Wednesday for High-A Cedar Rapids. Two of the hits were doubles, he walked once, drove in two, scored twice, and stole two bases. Despite the big day at the plate, his batting average stands at .250 on the young season, but hopefully this breakout game is […]

Josue De Paula Off To A Cold Start

Los Angeles Dodgers outfield prospect Josue De Paula went 0-for-4 on Tuesday for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga, bringing his season average down to .176. While he started the season with a six-game hit streak, none were multi-hit efforts and he's yet to hit his first home run of the 2024 campaign. De Paula had a solid […]

Browns Looking At Trevon Wesco

The Cleveland Browns reportedly visited with Tennessee Titans undrafted free-agent tight end Trevon Wesco on Wednesday. Wesco was originally drafted by the New York Jets in the fourth round (121st overall) in 2019 out of West Virginia. The 28-year-old spent the first three years of his NFL career in New York before single-year stints with […]

Seahawks Visit With Rashaad Penny

The Seattle Seahawks reportedly visited with unrestricted free-agent running back Rashaad Penny on Wednesday. Seattle is pretty familiar with Penny after taking him with the 27th overall pick in the 2018 draft out of San Diego State. The 28-year-old flashed moments of brilliance in the first five seasons with the Seahawks but just was never […]