Zane Smith Should Lag Teammates But Will Still Benefit from Speed Increase

Although Zane Smith will likely get a boost from the improved Chevrolet investment into Spire Motorsports for 2024, don't expect Smith to seriously compete with teammates Carson Hocevar and Corey LaJoie for team supremacy. Although the triumvirate competed for different teams in 2023, Hocevar's speed percentile on intermediates last year was 42.38 to LaJoie's 28.12 […]

Corey LaJoie Benefiting from Increased Factory Backing

With Chevrolet investing substantially more into Spire Motorsports than it has in previous years, the Spire cars were immediately faster than usual in practice and qualifying this weekend at Las Vegas with Carson Hocevar ranking 13th-fastest and Corey LaJoie ranking 15th-fastest in practice. LaJoie did out-qualify Hocevar by .038 seconds but will be starting worse […]

Carson Hocevar Immediately Competitive with Cup Veterans on Intermediates

In his first full-time race on a standard NASCAR Cup Series track, Carson Hocevar qualified 14th and will be the highest-starting Spire Motorsports driver in Sunday's race, although Corey LaJoie technically outqualified him but will be starting worse because he was in a more competitive group in the first round of qualifying. The 21-year-old wunderkind […]

Noah Gragson's Subpar Intermediate Speed Should Cost Him at Las Vegas

Noah Gragson is a big question mark in 2024, especially on intermediates like this weekend's race at Las Vegas. Although Gragson shockingly had the second-fastest lap and fifth-fastest average speed in practice, he only qualified 30th. On intermediate tracks in 2023, Gragson posted an abysmal speed percentile of 17.90 and they were Gragson's worst track […]

Austin Dillon Too Slow on Intermediates to Seriously Contend

Austin Dillon surprisingly outqualified his teammate Kyle Busch for this weekend's Las Vegas NASCAR Cup Series race, but don't expect him to seriously contend in the race. In 2024 thus far, Kyle Busch has an average speed percentile of 87.90, which ranks 5th in the Cup Series, while Dillon at 9.38 is last among full-timers. […]

LeBron James Makes History On Saturday Night

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (ankle) scored a team-high 26 points in Saturday's loss to the Denver Nuggets. He added nine assists and three steals. The 2003 No. 1 overall pick was once again on the injury report heading into this one because of his nagging ankle issue. However, it didn't matter, as James […]

Jerami Grant Injured Saturday, Doesn't Return

Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant (quadriceps) exited Saturday's game against Memphis. He did not return. The 29-year-old logged 15 minutes, finishing with five points. Grant will presumably undergo further testing to determine the severity of the injury. The Blazers play again on Monday in Minnesota, and it's possible Grant won't be available. If that's […]

Wyatt Langford Homers Twice, Continues Torrid Spring

Texas Rangers' top outfield prospect Wyatt Langford went 3-for-4 with two home runs and five RBI in Saturday's spring game against the Chicago White Sox. Langford took Prelander Berroa deep in the third inning for his first long ball of the game. He later crushed a three-run shot off Bryan Shaw in the sixth inning […]

Roster Chase Briscoe With Caution At Las Vegas On Sunday

During qualifying for Las Vegas, Chase Briscoe scored a starting position of sixth for Sunday's race. Briscoe has one top-10 finish and gained positive place differential three times in six Cup starts at Las Vegas. After finishing 10th in the Daytona 500 and wrecking last week at Atlanta, Briscoe is showing solid speed through pre-race […]

Daniel Hemric Is A Favorable Driver To Round Out Las Vegas Lineups

Kaulig Racing driver Daniel Hemric will start this week's Pennzoil 400 from the 34th starting position. In three Cup Series starts at Las Vegas, Hemric has three top-25 finishes, with his best finish being 17th in September 2019. In practice, Hemric's single-lap time ranked 20th of all drivers, while his overall lap average ranked 18th. […]

Ryan Preece Will Race Las Vegas In A Backup Car

Ryan Preece spun and crashed during practice three laps into his first run. As a result, Preece will start 36th, his lowest starting position of the year so far, with a backup car. In eight Las Vegas starts in the Cup Series, Preece placed in the Top 20 twice, gaining positive place differential four times. […]

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Is A Risk Best-Suited For DFS Tournament Lineups

In this week's Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will start from the 13th position. In 17 previous LVMS races, Stenhouse has six top-20 finishes, with his last one being scored in 2021. Despite recording a single-lap time in practice that ranked 16th of all drivers, Stenhouse did display top-10 speeds […]

Can Daniel Suarez Score Another Strong Finish at Las Vegas?

Last week's Atlanta winner, Daniel Suarez, captured a 16th starting position during Las Vegas qualifying for Sunday's race. In 13 Vegas starts, Suarez collected four top-15 finishes, including both 2023 races at the site. In practice, Suarez recorded a single-lap time that ranked 23rd of all drivers, while his 10-consecutive lap average ranked 13th, showcasing […]

Kaz Grala Will Make His First Las Vegas Start In A Cup Car

Rick Ware Racing driver Kaz Grala will make his first Las Vegas start in a Cup car this week from the 32nd position. In four Xfinity Series starts at Vegas, Grala's best finish was 16th in March 2018, while he has one top-5 finish at the site in three Truck Series races. During last week's […]

J.J. Yeley Is Not Worth Starting As the Slowest Driver At Las Vegas

J.J. Yeley, who is driving for NY Racing, did not set a lap in qualifying and will start 37th on Sunday. In 15 Cup Series starts at Las Vegas, Yeley has three top-20 finishes, with his last one being scored in September 2018 driving for BK Racing. In practice, Yeley set the slowest single-lap time […]

Matt McLain Set To Have Live At-Bats

Cincinnati Reds infielder Matt McLain (oblique) took 70 swings on Friday and is set to have live-at bats on Wednesday for the upcoming week. McLain has been shut down since he tweaked his right oblique early in spring training. The 24-year-old has progressed well from his oblique injury and no longer feels soreness. In his […]

Matt Chapman Signs With The Giants: Fantasy Baseball Outlook

After being a free agent for most of the offseason, third baseman Matt Chapman finally found a new home. Chapman agreed to a three-year, $54 million deal with the San Francisco Giants. The new Giants third baseman can opt out of his contract following either of the first two seasons. Chapman will bring a much-needed […]

Max Scherzer Could Return In June

Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said the team is looking at "June" for right-hander Max Scherzer (back) to return in 2024. He underwent surgery to repair a herniated disc in his back in mid-December. Scherzer initially had a timeline to return around the All-Star break, but the veteran will continue rehab and could potentially come […]

Top 250 Dynasty Fantasy Baseball Prospects Rankings (February 2024 Update)

We're back, RotoBallers, for the February 2024 update of our MLB team's dynasty fantasy baseball prospects rankings for the 2024 season. We're now into 2024 with an eye on the upcoming year, and moves by MLB teams have begun to shape how we look at prospects. This list adds a half-dozen 2024 international signees who […]

Aledmys Diaz Dealing With A Groin Strain, Out 2-3 Weeks

Oakland A's infielder Aledmys Diaz (groin) is set to miss the next 2-3 weeks due to a strained left groin. He was scratched from Wednesday's lineup and underwent an MRI, which revealed a left groin strain. There is a chance Diaz could return before the end of spring training, but that's the case scenario according […]

Brandin Podziemski Questionable Against Boston

Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski (knee) is questionable for Sunday's game in Boston. The rookie is battling right knee inflammation, likely emanating from Thursday's matchup with the New York Knicks. He didn't play on Friday night against Toronto, resulting in Klay Thompson returning to the starting lineup. Thompson played well, too, ending the night […]

William Contreras Off To Solid Start This Spring

Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras is slashing .286/.286/.571 with a home run and three RBI over five games during spring training. Contreras became one of the top catchers in fantasy baseball after slashing .289/.367/.457 with 17 home runs, 78 RBI, 86 runs, and six stolen bases over 611 plate appearances in 141 games last season. […]

Cody Martin Out On Sunday

Charlotte Hornets guard/forward Cody Martin (ankle) isn't available for Sunday's matchup with the Toronto Raptors. The 28-year-old had 12 points and two blocks in 32 minutes in Friday's game against Philadelphia. But he tweaked his ankle in that one, so he's out on Sunday. Unfortunately, Martin has missed plenty of time over the years because […]

Seth Curry Won't Play Versus Toronto

Charlotte Hornets guard Seth Curry (ankle) won't play on Sunday against the Toronto Raptors. Brandon Miller (back) wasn't available for Friday's meeting with the 76ers, so Curry got the start. However, he suffered a sprained right ankle, ending his night prematurely. Nonetheless, the 33-year-old could miss more games moving ahead. But with Miller listed as […]

Lance Lynn Set To Make Spring Debut On Friday

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Lance Lynn is lined up to make his Grapefruit League debut Friday versus the Washington Nationals. Lynn began his career in St. Louis and will be sporting the Cardinals uniform for the first time since 2017 after signing a one-year, $10 million deal with the team during the offseason. The 36-year-old […]

Brandon Miller Expected To Return On Sunday

Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller (back) is expected to face the Raptors on Sunday. The rookie had a team-high 21 points in Thursday's loss to the Bucks. He also took a shot to his back, keeping him off the floor for Friday's meeting with the Philadelphia 76ers. Seth Curry (ankle) got the start for Miller […]

Kristaps Porzingis Uncertain For Sunday

Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (quadriceps) is questionable for Sunday's game against the visiting Warriors. The 2015 No. 4 overall pick has played well in his first season with the C's, averaging 20.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks. But he's also missed 15 games. With Boston owning the best record in the National Basketball […]

Christian Braun Gets Starting Nod

Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun will move into the starting five ahead of Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers. The 22-year-old will be the lone change to the starting five on Saturday. Fellow guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (personal) will sit this game out which will give Braun an expanded role. Despite the extra minutes, Braun […]

Anthony Davis Available Versus The Champs

Los Angeles Lakers forward/center Anthony Davis (Achilles) will play on Saturday against the Nuggets. The bilateral Achilles Tendinopathy isn't anything new, and he was listed as probable, so there wasn't any genuine concern regarding his availability for the clash with the Champs. Despite being in the league for over a decade, Davis remains one of […]

LeBron James Will Play On Saturday

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (ankle) is available ahead of Saturday's game against the Denver Nuggets. James has been a regular on the injury report due to his left ankle issues. He has been cleared to play on Saturday despite being tagged as questionable earlier in the day. The 39-year-old should have his normal […]