Willie Cauley-Stein, Dorian Finney-Smith Out For Friday

The Dallas Mavericks' frontcourt stands to be short-handed for Friday's game against Portland with center Willie Cauley-Stein out due to the league's health and safety protocols and small/power forward Dorian Finney-Smith (personal) also unavailable. The return of Dwight Powell stands to help the second unit, whereas Kristaps Porzingis should see a sizable workload at the […]

Gregor Gillespie Makes His Long-Awaited Return To The Octagon

With some time out of the cage and a curiosity to see how he rebounds from his first professional loss, Gregor Gillespie (13-1) will enter the Octagon for the first time in 16 months on Saturday as he is set to battle Brad Riddell. Prior to his first-round loss to Kevin Lee in November of […]

David Fletcher (2B/SS/3B, LAA) - 2021 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers

Analyzing David Fletcher is an exercise in extremes. No qualified batter swung-and-missed less frequently than Fletcher did in 2020, and no qualified batter posted a lower hard-hit rate than Fletcher’s 17.8% mark. In an era of hitters who tend to be more power-oriented, Fletcher stands out as a contact-focused hitter with unremarkable power. Fletcher’s ability […]

Harry Hunsucker Takes Late-Notice Call-Up

Rebounding from his Contender Series loss in November of last year, Harry Hunsucker (7-3) earned a 45-second first-round knockout on the regional scene to punch his ticket to the UFC. Hunsucker is replacing the injured Don'Tale Mayes on Saturday against Tai Tuivasa. Not only is Hunsucker a late replacement, but he is a fight-week replacement. […]

John Wall, Ben McLemore Questionable To Play Friday

Houston Rockets point guard John Wall (knee) and shooting guard/small forward Ben McLemore (ankle) have both picked up questionable designations for Friday's contest against Detroit. Wall has been circling a return in the near future, while McLemore has missed the team's two previous outings. Mired in an 18-game losing streak, the Rockets' depth chart has […]

Tai Tuivasa Trying To Start A New Winning Streak

Tai Tuivasa (11-3) snapped his three-fight losing streak with a first-round knockout at UFC 254 in October of last year. A dangerous striker in the heavyweight division, 10 of Tuivasa's 11 career wins have come by knockout, with several of those coming in the first round. Tuivasa was originally slated to face Don'Tale Mayes, but […]

Monte Morris Will Miss Fourth Straight Game Friday

Denver Nuggets point guard Monte Morris (quad) has been ruled out for Friday's contest versus Chicago due to a strained left quad. Morris' absence marks his fourth outing in a row on the sidelines, paving the way for Facundo Campazzo and P.J. Dozier to continue seeing relevant minutes off the bench, with Paul Millsap regaining […]

Kevin Love Will Remain Out Friday

Cleveland Cavaliers power forward/center Kevin Love (calf) has been ruled out for Friday's contest against San Antonio as he continues to battle the calf ailment that has all but zapped his 2020-21 campaign. Love returned to make two starts to begin the second half, but he played just 12 combined minutes before shutting it down […]

Dylan Carlson (OF, STL) - 2021 Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers

Pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training in a couple of weeks, which means fantasy baseball draft season is ramping up. We do not know if there is a universal DH or a full 162-game season. What we do know is we will draft teams regardless and we will need some fantasy sleepers. Some sleepers […]

Davis Bertans Exits Early, Won’t Return Thursday

Washington Wizards small/power forward Davis Bertans (calf) has been deemed unavailable to return for Thursday's contest against the Jazz after departing early due to a tight right calf. Prior to leaving, Bertans played four minutes off the bench and made his lone field goal, adding one blocked shot. Such an early departure lands Bertans firmly […]

Best-Ball Late-Round Targets - Outfield

With best-ball drafts gaining steam, we are pumping out more best-ball content at RotoBaller. I wrote the Best-Ball Targets and Best-Ball Fades for the premium draft guide and will now produce a three-part series on late-round targets. Part one focused on late-round infield targets, and now we head to the outfield for some late-round targets.  […]

MLB Spring Training Notebook (3/18) - Montgomery, Alcantara Surging

Welcome to the 2021 edition of RotoBaller's Spring Training Notebook. Thankfully, we have real, live baseball being played every day again, and while it doesn't count for anything, these exhibition games gives us the smallest glimmer into players and teams heading into the new season. We're into our third week of spring training games and […]

OG Anunoby Returns For Friday’s Contest

Toronto Raptors small/power forward OG Anunoby has been given the green light to get back into action Friday after having cleared the league's health and safety protocols. Anunoby has missed his team's six previous games, which may lead to a slight acclimation period that could stunt his minutes total. When he first missed time earlier […]

2021 Starting Pitcher Rankings - 5x5 Mixed Leagues (Part 2)

We now move on to starting pitcher in our mixed-league rankings analysis series. If you missed them, here is our review of Catcher, First Base, Second Base, Third Base, Shortstop, Outfield, and of course, Starting Pitcher Part One. RotoBaller's rankers, JB Branson, Pierre Camus, Nick Mariano, and Ariel Cohen have updated our 2021 Mixed League rankings once more based on […]

Josh Bell Hits Third Home Run Of Spring

Washington Nationals first baseman Josh Bell went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Thursday's 3-1 win over the Mets. Batting from the right side, Bell went the opposite way for this third homer of the spring- and his second to the opposite field. The switch-hitting first baseman now has nine hits in 11 spring […]

DeMar DeRozan Remains Sidelined For Friday’s Game

San Antonio Spurs small forward DeMar DeRozan (personal) will miss his fifth consecutive contest Friday against the Cavaliers due to a personal issue. San Antonio has managed to spread out DeRozan's shots in his absence with four different players (Rudy Gay, Drew Eubanks, Dejounte Murray, Jakob Poeltl) leading the team in scoring without him in […]

Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball: Ballpark Factors

If you have ever selected a streamable pitcher based on home park or benched an otherwise must-start arm at Coors Field, you already know how much a stadium can impact a player's bottom line. Ballpark Factors quantify the influence each stadium has, allowing you to make the most of your fantasy team's real-life schedule. However, […]

Carlos Carrasco's Hamstring Injury Classified As A Tear

New York Mets starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco (hamstring, elbow) threw a 20-pitch live batting practice session on Thursday and strained his right hamstring during the follow-up conditioning work. It is now being reported that Carrasco's hamstring injury is being classified as a high-grade tear. He is probably looking at a six-to-eight week absence, according to […]

Frank Ntilikina Enters Starting Five Thursday

New York Knicks point guard Frank Ntilikina has been tabbed as the team's starting point guard for Thursday's game against the Magic due to the injuries that have saddled Elfrid Payton (hamstring), Derrick Rose, Immanuel Quickley (ankle) and Austin Rivers (personal). Ntilikina should have unabated access to as many minutes as he can handle, with […]

Terrence Ross Ruled Out For Thursday’s Game

Orlando Magic shooting guard/small forward Terrence Ross (knee) has been deemed unavailable for Thursday's contest against the Knicks due to right knee soreness. It was previously reported that Ross would attempt to play through the ailment, but that has not come to fruition. With the Magic getting both Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier back in […]

Kyrie Irving Likely To Return For Friday’s Game

Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving (groin) has been deemed probable to get back onto the floor for Friday's contest against Orlando. Irving missed the team's most recent outing due to a sore right groin, which when coupled with Kevin Durant's (hamstring) absence, allowed James Harden to see an enormous offensive workload. Harden and Irving, […]

Raul Neto Cleared For Thursday’s Contest

Washington Wizards point/shooting guard Raul Neto (rib) has been given the green light to take the floor for Thursday's game against the Jazz. With Russell Westbrook ultimately being cleared as well, Neto loses most of his DFS appeal. Traditionally, Neto has stepped into a starting role on one of the two legs of a back-to-back […]

Stephen Curry, Kelly Oubre Jr. Doubtful For Friday

Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry (back) and small/power forward Kelly Oubre Jr. (foot) have been deemed doubtful to play in Friday's game versus Memphis. Curry departed Wednesday's game early due to the injury and was unable to practice Thursday, neither of which bodes well for his immediate status. Nico Mannion and Jordan Poole […]

Darius Bazley Faces Extended Absence Due To Shoulder Injury

Oklahoma City Thunder power forward Darius Bazley (shoulder) has been diagnosed as a "week-to-week" absence, as opposed to being merely day-to-day in light of the left shoulder contusion that has forced him to miss the past two weeks. Bazley had gotten into a solid rhythm prior to the injury, having amassed three double-doubles in his […]

Alex Caruso Will Rejoin Rotation Thursday

Los Angeles Lakers point/shooting guard Alex Caruso (concussion) has been cleared to get back into action for Thursday's game against the Hornets. Caruso has missed the team's two prior games as he works his way through the concussion protocol. Only utilized in the deepest of season-long formats, Caruso saw his minutes increase to 22.5 per […]

Carter Hart Guards The Cage Against The Islanders

Philadelphia Flyers goalie Carter Hart is expected to start against the New York Islanders on Thursday. Hart played in the 9-0 drubbing by the Rangers on Wednesday. He made 12 saves on 16 shots on goal. The 22-year-old has seen his struggles this year with a 7-6-3 record, a 2.75 goals-against-average and an .880 save […]

LPL & LCK DFS Picks for 3/19: DraftKings & FanDuel League of Legends Daily Fantasy

Both leagues are barreling towards playoffs, and the LCK only has one spot up for grabs yet. Even with KT's loss, they are still currently holding it. Gen G's upset of DWG didn't do much at the top of the standings besides buffer them from HLE. In the LPL, WE leapfrogged EDG into second, at […]

Luguentz Dort, Theo Maledon Cleared For Thursday’s Game

Oklahoma City Thunder shooting guard/small forward Luguentz Dort (toe) and point/shooting guard Theo Maledon (thumb) have both been given the thumbs up to get back into action Thursday against Atlanta. Dort had missed OKC's two most recent contests, while Maledon was questionable despite logging 32 minutes Tuesday. The duo stand to reclaim their own sizable […]

Manuel Margot (OF, TB) - 2021 Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers

When you get to the middle to late rounds of drafts, it becomes increasingly difficult to find stolen bases. Many of the options that are available will end up hurting fantasy owners in at least a couple of other categories. Therefore, it's important to either have a plan in place to attack steals early, or […]

Aaron Gordon, Evan Fournier Set To Play Thursday

Orlando Magic point guard/power forward Aaron Gordon (ankle) and shooting guard/small forward Evan Fournier (groin) have been cleared to take the floor for Thursday's game against the Knicks. Gordon will draw the start, but also serve as the team's backup PG behind Chasson Randle with the rest of the team's primary ball-handling options unavailable. Fournier […]