3 mins agoHouston Astros starter Justin Verlander struck out seven batters in six innings as the Astros beat the Rangers 12-4 on Monday. Verlander (11-4) allowed only two runs and gave up zero home runs for the first time since June 6. The right-handed hurler is having another amazing season despite an alarming amount of home runs allowed. He especially has had success pitching on the road, going 8-2 with a 3.01 ERA and a 0.82 WHIP in 12 starts away from Minute Maid Park. Verlander is a top-shelf fantasy choice and could even get better if he can improve upon the 26 home runs allowed this season through only 132 2/3 innings pitched. Verlander is in line to pitch later this week.--Joey C - RotoBallerSource: Houston Astros

10 mins agoHouston Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel has picked up in the second half right where he left off, going 6-for-13 (.461) since the All-Star break. Gurriel continues to swing the hottest bat in all of baseball, slashing .395/.439/.1.053 with one double, eight home runs, 12 runs scored and 18 runs batted in over his last nine games. Gurriel's slugging percentage has sky-rocketed during this span, jumping from .423 on June 29 to .493 heading into Monday's matchup against the Angels. This offensive surge suddenly has Gurriel on course for his best season as a pro and already is two home runs away from his career-high of 18. Gurriel needs to be owned in all fantasy formats and is a must-play in DFS over the next few days.--Joey C - RotoBallerSource: Houston Astros

15 mins agoDallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott is reportedly considering holding out from Cowboys training camp. The team and Elliott (with his agents) have been in conversation for over a month, and the general thought is that Elliott won't hold out if he thinks the team is "making a serious push to get an extension worked." Elliott knows his value is at a high point right now and with the beating he takes each year, he does not want to risk going into the season without an extension at least in the process of getting done. This seems like a lot of smoke and not much fire for now, but it's something to keep an eye on as the Cowboys are scheduled to report to training camp in less than two weeks.--David A Marcillo - RotoBallerSource: Charles Robinson on Twitter

16 mins agoHouston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve went 3-for-5 with a grand slam on Sunday as the Astros beat the Rangers. Altuve now has seven hits over his last two games and is 8-for-16 (.500) over his last three played with two doubles, two home runs and six runs batted in. It has been vintage Altuve lately, slashing .357/.371/.595 over his last 42 at-bats and appears to be the healthiest he has been all season. Knee issues have really hampered the former MVP over the past season and a half but still is capable of elite production when he is right. Now is the perfect time to play Altuve in DFS leagues over the next week.--Joey C - RotoBallerSource: Houston Astros

25 mins agoChicago Bears running back Mike Davis will head into training camp looking to become more than the 'forgotten' man in the team's backfield. Most of the fantasy buzz this summer has gone towards teammates Tarik Cohen and rookie David Montgomery but don't count out Davis. The free agent acquisition fell short of having a 'breakout campaign' last season but set career- best marks in carries (114), yards (514), receptions (34), receiving yards (214) and total touchdowns (5). Davis was one of many running backs that the Seahawks rotated last year and he posted two games with 100 yards from scrimmage or more. Davis was in line for a heavier workload this season but drafting Montgomery is certain to cut into the timeshare. It is hard to envision a scenario where Davis averages more than 15 carries a game this season but could lead the team in touches in the red zone for an ascending offense.--Joey C - RotoBallerSource: Chicago Bears

52 mins agoCincinnati Bengals offensive lineman Clint Boling has retired due to a blood clot in his right leg. Boling was projected to be the starting right guard for Cincinnati this year, and his sudden retirement leaves the Bengals in a rough spot. Pro Football Focus ranked the Bengals offensive line as the league's 27th-best unit after the 2018 season, so losing a key player will make it even tougher on the offense. Running back Joe Mixon gets a slight downgrade with this news, as does quarterback Andy Dalton, though his fantasy stock was already low.--Justin Carter - RotoBallerSource: ESPN - Katherine Terrell

60 mins agoHouston Texans defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and the team were unable to reach a long-term deal before Monday's deadline, which means Clowney will play on the franchise tag this season. The former number-one overall pick is expected to hold out for most of training camp, but there's been no indication yet that he'll miss time during the season. Clowney's been injured a lot, but when healthy he's a disruptive defender and has tremendous upside in IDP leagues. His uncertain future does introduce some uncertainty for dynasty owners, though, as Monday's news likely means Clowney won't be a Texan when the 2020 season rolls around.--Justin Carter - RotoBallerSource: Adam Schefter

1 hour agoThat's three home runs in the last two game for Mike Brosseau. Through just 12 games, he's slashed .395/.425/.816 with eight extra-base hits and 10 RBI. Brosseau has come out of nowhere after sitting in AA Montgomery last year with an unimpressive .262 average and 13 home runs in over 400 at-bats. He's already up to four in just 40 at-bats against MLB pitching. The .500+ wOBA suggests some regression, so don't expect this level of play to continue. Matt Duffy is close to returning to the majors, so Brosseau will have to maintain close to this level of play or he'll slowly find himself in a reserve role.--Austyn Varney - RotoBallerSource: Fangraphs.com

2 hours agoThe Rays held a combined no-hitter through eight innings, but couldn’t close the deal. Ryan Yarbrough gave up a single to Hanser Alberto to start the innings and the cookie crumbled from there. Oliver Drake followed, allowing a bloop single and gifting and ER to Yarbrough. The Rays still won the game 4-1, but the night wasn’t as sweet as it could have been.--Austyn Varney - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com

2 hours agoAfter last going deep on May 28th, Austin Meadows connected for his 13th home run of the season last night. It came against soft-tossing right-hander Tom Eshelman and gave the Rays a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning. They never looked back, besting the Orioles 4-1 and remaining atop the wild card race, a game and a half over the A’s and four games ahead of the Boston Red Sox. They’ll need Meadows to pick it back up in the second half if they want to keep these playoff teams off their heels.--Austyn Varney - RotoBallerSource: CBS.com

2 hours agoThe Rays are wanting to see 25 to 30 comfortable at-bats out of Duffy at AAA before they give him the nod to come up. He’s up to 19 and should be in Tampa by the start of their next home stint. Duffy isn’t a game-changer, but he will get playing time and has always been a consistent bat. There are RBI opportunities throughout this order and he’ll be worth a DFS play against lefties. For season long, he hits for enough power and steals enough bases to consider him in a deep league.--Austyn Varney - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com

3 hours agoThe New York Mets placed starter Zack Wheeler on the IL Monday afternoon with a fatigued shoulder, an ominous sign for the current MLB trade market. Wheeler's IL move is retroactive to three days ago, with his earliest possible return date being July 23rd. The 29-year-old's injury is particularly concerning considering he just got extended rest due to the All-Star break. His name has been floated around frequently as a possible trading chip with the deadline nearing. While the Mets may still be able to execute a trade, the possibility of a strong return in any trade has taken a massive hit.--Ricky Delgado - RotoBallerSource: Tim Healey Twitter

3 hours agoChicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras (foot) will miss his second consecutive game on Monday versus the Reds. Contreras has been dealing with a sore right foot and is currently day-to-day. Victor Caratini will be behind the dish on Monday and bat fifth in a tough matchup versus Luis Castillo.--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: Chicago Cubs

3 hours agoJustin Rose heads to Royal Portrush with his eyes on a breakthrough at the Open Championship. Rose came oh-so-close to winning the Claret Jug at Carnoustie last year, but ultimately had to settle for a share of second place. The Englishman has had an underwhelming year by his lofty standards, but played beautifully at the recent U.S. Open en route to a T3 finish. Rose brings a hot putter with him to Northern Ireland, as he's gained strokes putting in five-consecutive starts. If his ball striking comes around, he'll have a great chance to put himself into contention at Portrush. Rose is a rock-solid DFS option this week. --Joe Nicely - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour

3 hours agoBoston Red Sox infielder Eduardo Nunez has been designated for assignment, announced the team on Monday. They also optioned pitcher Hector Velazquez to Triple-A Pawtucket and recalled pitcher Ryan Weber and utility man read more...

3 hours agoPhil Mickelson is set to make his 26th career start in the Open Championship. Mickelson struggled in Opens during the early portion of his career, but eventually captured the Claret Jug at Muirfield in 2013. The 49-year-old kicked off 2019 in style with a win at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, but his game has been in a downward spiral ever since. He's missed the cut in four of six post-Masters starts and must be considered a long shot at Royal Portrush this week. 'Lefty' is a 'boom or bust' GPP play that shouldn't be anywhere near cash-game lineups. --Joe Nicely - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour

3 hours agoRickie Fowler has a sterling track record in the Open Championship, but heads to the 2019 edition at Royal Portrush in sluggish form. Fowler has made the Open cut in eight of his nine career appearances, including a runner-up finish at Royal Liverpool in 2014. The fan favorite has a win at the Waste Management Open to his credit this season, but his recent form has not been sharp. He missed the cut at last week's Scottish Open on the heels of disappointing outings in his last two starts on U.S. soil. Though his game doesn't look great at the moment, Fowler will still be a popular DFS option for many casual fans this week. --Joe Nicely - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour

4 hours agoHenrik Stenson is in the field for the upcoming Open Championship. Stenson captured the Open title in an epic duel with Phil Mickelson at Royal Troon in 2016 and heads to Royal Portrush in red-hot form. The Swede recently logged top-10 finishes at both the Canadian and U.S. Opens, and notched a T4 in last week's Scottish Open. He's perhaps the best iron player in the world and leads the PGA Tour in strokes gained: approach this season. Stenson's current form and stellar Open track record makes him an elite option in all fantasy formats this week. --Joe Nicely - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour

4 hours agoBrooks Koepka is in the field for this week's Open Championship. Koepka has won four of the last 10 major championships in which he's played and will attempt to continue his dominant run at Royal Portrush. The American made his bones on the Euro and Challenge Tours, so he brings plenty of links-golf experience to the table. He's made the cut in four of his five career starts in the Open, with top-10 results in 2015 and 2017. Koepka looms large in all fantasy formats and continues to be an elite DFS option in major championships. --Joe Nicely - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour

5 hours agoThe San Francisco 49ers agreed to a two-year deal with kicker Robbie Gould on Monday. The sides avoided a potential franchise tag controversy by guaranteeing Gould $10.5 million over two years with a team option for two additional seasons. There were rumors that Gould was unhappy in the Bay and preferred returning to his hometown Chicago, but that is now moot. Gould, 36, has been a steady boot throughout his career with an 87.7 field goal percentage and a 78 percent success rate on attempts of 40-plus yards. Since joining the Niners in 2017, he’s converted 72 of 75 field goal tries (96 percent). With the 49ers offense expected to improve in 2019, Gould should be a solid fantasy kicker.--Andrew Le - RotoBallerSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter

6 hours agoBuffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen had a higher interception rate than touchdown rate and a completion percentage of just 52.8% during his rookie year. Going into his sophomore season, Allen seems very aware of the mistakes he made as a rookie and is eager to fix them. During an interview on XM NFL Radio last week, Allen said, "I know there’s a lot of things that I missed on last year" and he described these misses as "A lot of dumb plays." He then went on to describe his goal of "Learning from those and then going into next season and trying to apply what I’ve learned onto the field." Allen is a popular sleeper going into the 2019 season and if he can indeed cut down on the miscues, there's a good chance he could tap into some of that sleeper potential. He's a great target in two-QB leagues.--Andrew Ericksen - RotoBallerSource: NYup.com

6 hours agoBoston Red Sox designated hitter J.D. Martinez recorded two hits, including a solo home run in Sunday's loss to the Dodgers. The long ball marked Martinez's first since June 30, and just his third in the past 21 games. Boston will need Martinez to really get going if they are serious about making a push to win the American League East. The 31-year-old has 19 homers and 49 runs batted in this year, which is a far cry from the 49 HR and 130 RBI he put up last year. As you near the fantasy playoffs, it's possible you can still sell high on his name in hopes of a solid return.--Steve Janik - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com

6 hours agoBoston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts finished 3-for-5 with a solo home run and two runs scored during Sunday's extra-inning loss to the Dodgers. The 26-year-old has homered in three-straight games for the first time in his career, and he's absolutely on fire in July. Bogaerts has now hit safely in 19 in of his last 21 games played, including his current six game hit streak. In just three post All-Star break games, he’s gone 6-for-12 with three homers and six runs batted in. Boston begins a four-game series with Toronto on Monday and Bogaerts should have no problems continuing this hot streak he is on, as the Blue Jays' pitching staff is below average at best.--Steve Janik - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com

7 hours agoBoston Red Sox relief pitcher Brandon Workman pitched a perfect inning in Sunday's extra-inning loss to the Dodgers. The 30-year-old needed just 16 pitches to punch out all three hitters he faced. Workman has allowed just two runs in his last 16 2/3 inningsread more...

7 hours agoBoston Red Sox starting pitcher David Price lasted just five innings, while allowing four runs (one earned) on four hits with seven strikeouts and three walks in Sunday's extra-inning 7-4 loss to the Dodgers. Price was dealt some bad luck in the outing, as a first-inning error setup a three-run homer that immediately put LA out in front. However, he didn't allow a runner to touch second base again until his fifth and final inning. Over his past five starts, Price has been very serviceable, lasting at least five innings and not allowing more than two earned runs. Although, he has struggled with command a bit, surrendering nine walks in three July starts. The southpaw won't be working any complete game shutouts, but he is a solid source of strikeouts and depending on the matchup, he should keep a low runs allowed total. His next outing is against the Orioles on Friday, and is a plus matchup for Price; one that you can start him comfortably in.--Steve Janik - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com

8 hours agoAtlanta Braves reliever A.J. Minter allowed one hit and nothing more to close out his fifth game of the season against the San Diego Padres on Sunday. Luke Jackson, who remains the primary closer, was unavailable as he pitched in the first two games of the series. Minter owns a 6.56 ERA on the season to go along with 1.80 WHIP. He remains the second option out of the Braves' bullpen, and he could drop even lower if the team acquires another reliever before the trade deadline.--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com

8 hours agoAtlanta Braves starter Mike Soroka allowed six hits across seven scoreless innings during a 4-1 win over the San Diego Padres on Sunday. He struck out nine batters while walking one. The Canadian right-hander has been a revelation in the Braves' rotation this season. He owns a 10-1 record to go along with a 2.24 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and an 82/22 K/BB ratio. The 21-year-old has been one of the best pitchers in the National League throughout the first half of the season. He will look to keep it rolling against the Washington Nationals in his next projected start.--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com

8 hours agoAtlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna was 2-for-5 with a run scored and a stolen base during a 4-1 win over the San Diego Padres on Sunday. The 21-year-old has had a marvelous sophomore season, as he is slashing .291/.373/.512 with 23 home runs, 55 RBI, 71 runs scored, and 14 stolen bases. Acuna is one of the premier young talents in baseball, and he will only continue to get better. Count your blessings if you are lucky enough to own him in a dynasty/keeper league.--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com

8 hours agoAtlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman was 1-for-4 with a three-run home run during a 4-1 win over the San Diego Padres on Sunday. Freeman has endured his first cold streak of the season over his past 15 games, as he is batting .233 with 18 strikeouts during that span. Despite the recent struggles, he is slashing .302/.387/.576 on the season with 24 HRs, 71 RBI, and 71 runs scored. The 29-year-old is one of the best players in all of baseball. He can be locked into fantasy lineups every time he takes the field.--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com

8 hours agoOakland Athletics starter Brett Anderson allowed two runs on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings of work during a 3-2 win over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday. Anderson struck out three batters while walking one. The 31-year-old has been effective out of the Athletics' rotation this season. He owns a 9-5 record to go along with a 3.79 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and a 55/34 K/BB ratio. His lack of strikeouts prevents him from being a must-own fantasy asset, but he remains worthy of a roster spot in deeper formats. Anderson will have his work cut out for him in his next projected start against the Minnesota Twins.--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com