Javier Assad Recalled and Starting Against Angels

The Chicago Cubs recalled right-hander Javier Assad from Triple-A Iowa on Friday, and he will make the start in the series opener in Anaheim against the hosting Los Angeles Angels, according to Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times. In a corresponding move, the Cubs put right-handed reliever Ryan Brasier (groin) on the 15-day injured list […]

Otto Lopez Scratched on Friday With Illness

Miami Marlins shortstop Otto Lopez (illness) was scratched from Friday's starting lineup against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays due to a stomach illness, according to Kevin Barral of Fish on First. With Lopez under the weather, Maximo Acosta will make the start at the 6 in Miami and will bat ninth against Blue Jays right-hander […]

Panthers Unlikely to Trade Adam Thielen to Vikings

Josina Anderson reports that a trade between the Carolina Panthers and Minnesota Vikings involving veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen is "not likely, at this point," according to a league source. Thielen is in the last year of a three-year, $25 million contract and wouldn't command top-tier money, but the Panthers apparently want to keep the […]

Jesus Baez Homers With His New Team

The St. Louis Cardinals' newly acquired infield prospect Jesus Baez smacked his first home run with his new ballclub on Thursday and went 1-for-4 on the evening with two strikeouts. Baez is the Cardinals' seventh-ranked prospect in the organization, according to MLB.com, and was recently acquired from the New York Mets in the trade that […]

Carson Williams Making Big-League Debut on Friday

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop prospect Carson Williams is making his major-league debut on Friday night against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals and right-hander Miles Mikolas, starting at shortstop and batting seventh for the Rays. Fantasy managers might want to temper expectations for the 22-year-old infielder in his first taste of big-league pitching given his struggles […]

Eduardo Tait Hitting His Stride in High-A

Minnesota Twins second overall prospect and MLB's 54th overall prospect, Eduardo Tait, has found his stride in High-A for the Cedar Rapids Kernels. The Twins acquired Tait in exchange for right-hander Jhoan Duran at the trade deadline, and he is currently on a four-game hitting streak, going 5-for-16 (.312) and is slashing .252/.313/.429 with 14 […]

Zach Neto Returns to Halos Lineup

Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto (wrist) is starting at shortstop and hitting in his customary leadoff spot for Friday's series opener at the Big A in Anaheim against the visiting Chicago Cubs and right-hander Javier Assad. Neto had to leave Wednesday's contest early against the Cincinnati Reds after he was hit by a pitch […]

Yandy Diaz Out on Friday

Tampa Bay Rays first baseman/designated hitter Yandy Diaz (hamstring) is not in the team's starting lineup for Friday's contest againt the visiting St. Louis Cardinals. Second baseman Brandon Lowe is moving to the DH spot and will hit third, while Tristan Gray draws into the lineup at second and will bat out of the nine-hole […]

Marcus Semien Could be Out All Weekend, IL Stint Possible

Texas Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien (foot) is not in the team's starting lineup for Friday night's contest versus the Cleveland Guardians. Jeff Wilson of DLLS Sports reports that Semien could miss the entire weekend series against the Guards and might need to go on the 10-day injured list. Ezquiel Duran will make the start […]

Walker Jenkins Smacks His Eighth Homer of the Season

The Minnesota Twins' top prospect and MLB's 14th overall prospect, Walker Jenkins, smacked his eighth home run of the season on Thursday. On the season, Jenkins is slashing an excellent .308/.424/.481 eight homeruns, 24 RBI, 42 runs, and 12 stolen bases in 255 plate appearances across the CPX League, Single-A, and Double-A. Jenkins was the […]

Alec Burleson Scratched With Wrist Injury

St. Louis Cardinals infielder/outfielder Alec Burleson (wrist) has been scratched from the starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Lars Nootbaar is now starting in left field and will bat leadoff, with Nathan Church re-entering the lineup in center field and in […]

Athletics Recall Eduarniel Nunez

The Athletics right-handed flamethrower Eduarniel Nunez will rejoin the big league roster after being optioned on August 6. The 26-year-old will fill Ben Bowden's (lat) spot in the bullpen. Nunez was acquired at the trade deadline from the San Diego Padres and has put together a nice season in MiLB (across Double-A and Triple-A), with […]

Jake Bauers Returns From Injured List

The Milwaukee Brewers reinstated first baseman/outfielder Jake Bauers (shoulder) from the 10-day injured list on Friday and placed shortstop Joey Ortiz (hamstring) on the 10-day IL in a corresponding move, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. Bauers will begin on the bench in Friday's series opener against the visiting San Francisco Giants at American Family Field. […]

Joey Ortiz Goes on Injured List With Strained Hamstring

The Milwaukee Brewers are placing shortstop Joey Ortiz (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list on Friday with a left-hamstring strain, according to Adam McCalvy of MLB. com. In a corresponding move, the team activated first baseman/outfielder Jake Bauers (shoulder) from the injured list. Ortiz will need to miss at least the next 10 days after […]

Derrick Harmon Diagnosed With MCL Sprain, Expected to be Out a Month

Pittsburgh Steelers rookie first-round defensive tackle Derrick Harmon (knee), who injured his knee in the preseason finale on Thursday night against the Carolina Panthers, was diagnosed with an MCL sprain, sources told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Harmon is expected to miss around a month, which makes him a candidate to open the regular season […]

Cowboys Would Need to be Blown Away by Offer to Trade Micah Parsons

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports the Dallas Cowboys have received multiple trade inquiries on disgruntled pass-rusher Micah Parsons, but the Cowboys are not entertaining those trade inquiries right now and don't plan to trade him. Fowler goes on to say that it would take "some sort of Herculean-sized offer" for Dallas to even seriously consider trading […]

A.J. Brown Looks Good During Pre-Game Workout

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (hamstring) looked "pretty good" while catching passes from quarterback Jalen Hurts during a pre-game workout on Friday before the team's preseason finale at MetLife Stadium against the New York Jets, according to John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia. The Eagles are being cautious with some of their players to […]

Jordan Westburg Going on Injured List

The Baltimore Orioles are placing infielder Jordan Westburg (ankle) on the 10-day injured list on Friday with a sprained right ankle and will add infielder Vimael Machin to the active roster in a corresponding move, according to Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports. Westburg will head back to the IL after spraining his ankle on Monday. […]

McCade Brown Expected to Start for Rockies on Sunday

MLB.com's Thomas Harding says to expect Colorado Rockies right-handed pitching prospect McCade Brown to be called up from the minors to start on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. The former third-round pick in 2021 has proven that he's fully healthy after having Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in 2023. The […]

DraftKings CFB DFS Lineup Picks: Daily College Fantasy Football (8/23/25)

We have waited over eight months for this! College football is finally back! I'll be with you every step of the way this season with DFS picks for every slate, ESPN College Pick 'Em picks, Top 25 rankings every week, and every game picked against the spread. That's right...every single one! Our opening salvo of […]

Jeff McNeil Out Again on Friday

New York Mets second baseman/outfielder Jeff McNeil (shoulder) will start on the bench again for Friday's series opener against the division-rival Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Brett Baty is making another start at the keystone and is hitting out of the six-hole against Braves left-hander Joey Wentz. McNeil is considered day-to-day with soreness in his […]

Fantasy Baseball Closer Depth Charts - MLB Bullpens and Saves

Saves are an important component for many fantasy baseball leagues. Closers are one of the most volatile positions in fantasy baseball and one of the highest turnover positions in MLB. Each year, closers drop like flies, and many MLB teams make in-season changes due to injuries or poor performance. Relief pitchers are becoming increasingly important […]

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Still Missing in Action

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (hamstring) remains sidelined for Friday's series opener on the road against the Miami Marlins. Ty France will make yet another start at first base and will bat sixth against Marlins rookie right-hander Ryan Gusto. Guerrero tweaked his hamstring in Monday's series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates and […]

Jhostynxon Garcia Batting Fifth in MLB Debut

Boston Red Sox outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia is starting in center field and will bat fifth in his major-league debut in the Bronx against the division-rival New York Yankees and left-hander Max Fried on Friday. It will not be an easy first assignment for Garcia. The 22-year-old Venezuelan was called up to the majors for […]

Starts and Sits - All Starting Pitcher Matchups for Fantasy Baseball (August 18 - August 24)

Kick off the second half of August with a surge alongisde our starting pitcher starts/sits for fantasy baseball Week 21 - Monday, August 18 through Sunday, August 24. This column provides readers with who is pitching, the opponent, and a confidence/startability score based on an array of metrics. Keep us bookmarked for every start/sit option and […]

5 Early Round Fantasy Football Targets: Undervalued Draft Picks to Chase

Hello, RotoBallers! If you are looking for fantasy football breakout candidates, you have come to the right place. In this article, I will discuss my top five breakout candidates for the 2025 fantasy football season. Breakout candidates, in my eyes, are those who not only exceed their ADP, according to NFFC projection, but also have the […]

Brandon Nimmo Absent for Series Opener on Friday

New York Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo (neck) is absent from the team's starting lineup for Friday's divisional clash against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Tyrone Taylor will make another start in left field and will bat seventh versus Braves left-hander Joey Wentz. Nimmo is missing a second straight game with neck stiffness and could […]

Andy Smith's Fantasy Football League-Winners: 6 Must-Draft Players (2025)

Hello RotoBallers! Training camp is underway, and the Hall of Fame Game is just around the corner, which means it is time to start digging deep into fantasy football. While it is crucial to hit on most of your draft picks, if you can identify specific players with elite upside, you can put yourself in […]

Brandon Young Goes on Injured List With Hamstring Strain

The Baltimore Orioles announced on Friday that they placed rookie right-hander Brandon Young (hamstring) on the 15-day injured list with a left-hamstring strain and selected the contract of right-hander Matt Bowman from Triple-A Norfolk in a corresponding move. The O's also moved reliever Felix Bautista (shoulder) to the 60-day IL after he had season-ending surgery. […]

Fantasy Football Zero RB vs. Hero RB Strategy - Best Draft Strategy in PPR & Half-PPR Leagues (2025)

To Hero RB or not to Hero RB (and when), that is the question in fantasy football... Allow me to come clean before we kick things off. For years, I didn't put much (if any) thought into altering strategies based on scoring format. Instead of performing any necessary due diligence, I took the easy way […]