3 days agoToronto Maple Leafs winger Bobby McMann is processing well with his lower-body injury and the team hopes to see him back on the ice soon, according to head coach Sheldon Keefe. McMann hasn't appeared in a game since April 13 when he left a contest against the Detroit Red Wings early after getting hurt while clearing the puck shorthanded. Following a sluggish start, McMann enjoyed a nice season half to his season, tallying 13 goals over his final 33 games after recording just two goals through his first 23 contests. All told, the 27-year-old recorded 15 goals and 24 points across 56 games as part of his 11:34 of average ice time per game.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: David Alter
3 days agoPhiladelphia 76ers center
Joel Embiid (knee) is questionable for Sunday's matchup against the Knicks. The injury report is misleading, considering Embiid is nearly guaranteed to be on the court for Game 4. Not only that, he's coming off a strong performance, amassing 50 points in Thursday's win over New York. While the 30-year-old is also battling Bell's Palsy, he guaranteed the Sixers would win this series. As a result, Embiid should be aggressive on both sides of the floor on Sunday afternoon.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
3 days agoNASCAR Hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson will start 27th in Sunday's Wurth 400 at Dover Motor Speedway. Every week in NASCAR DFS, there seems to be one driver in the field that is particularly difficult to assess, a driver that you can make a strong argument for and
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3 days agoTampa Bay Rays outfielder
Josh Lowe (oblique) was expected to be activated this weekend, but reports surfaced on Saturday afternoon that he felt tightness in his right hamstring. Instead of joining the team in Chicago to play the White Sox, Lowe will fly back to Tampa instead and will undergo an MRI on Monday. Lowe has not played a game this season, as he has missed all of it while recovering from an oblique injury. Lowe was a pleasant surprise for the Rays last season, hitting .292 with 20 home runs, 83 RBI, and 32 stolen bases. More information should be available early next week after he has the MRI to determine the severity of the hamstring issue. Lowe stated he was afraid of further missed time if he tried to play through the situation.
--Mike Carter - RotoBallerSource: Marc Topkin
3 days agoWhen Carson Hocevar starts 20th in Sunday's Wurth 400 at Dover Motor Speedway, it will be just the second time the 21-year-old races on "The Monster Mile" in any of NASCAR's three major series. With no Cup or Xfinity starts, the only track history that we have to
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3 days agoNew York Knicks center
Mitchell Robinson (ankle) is questionable for Sunday's meeting with the 76ers. Robinson began the series by nearly amassing a double-double with four blocks. Unfortunately, things have gone south since then, with the 26-year-old exiting Game 3 after reinjuring his surgically repaired left ankle. There's a real possibility he won't be out there for Game 4. But even if Robinson plays, he might not see enough minutes to justify his presence in any DFS lineup.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
3 days agoNew York Islanders center Mathew Barzal scored in double overtime in Game 4 on Saturday, helping his team avoid a four-game sweep at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes. The 26-year-old tipped a Robert Bortuzzo shot to beat Frederik Andersen just 1:24 into the second overtime frame, notching his second goal of the game after tying the tilt at one apiece midway through the second period. Barzal had tallied just one assist through the first three games of the series but came up big when his team needed it the most on Saturday. Game 5 of the series goes Tuesday as the series switches back to Carolina.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
3 days agoOn Saturday afternoon, Denny Hamlin qualified sixth for Sunday's Wurth 400 at Dover Motor Speedway. After a late race incident ended his day on lap 154 last week at Talladega, Hamlin is looking to bounce back at Dover, a track he has a lot of experience on. In 33 starts at "The Monster Mile," the Joe Gibbs Racing star has one win, seven top-fives, 15 top-10s, and an average finish of 16.1, which ranks 13th among full-time drivers at this track. From a fantasy side, in the two races in the Next Gen car in The Diamond State, the 43-year-old is averaging 48.49 DraftKings points, which ranks him ninth in the Cup Series. These numbers, while decent, leave a lot to be desired. With the fourth-highest salary on DraftKings ($10,800), you will need more than just average production to justify this play. While we fully expect the 20-year Cup veteran to be competitive on the track on Sunday, do not expect him to produce the fantasy results needed to take down a DFS contest.
--Adam Erhardt - RotoBallerSource: Racing-Reference.info
3 days agoMilwaukee Brewers outfielder
Sal Frelick is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's tilt with the New York Yankees. Frelick will sit against the Yankees' left-hander,
Carlos Rodon.
Joey Wiemer will take his place in left field and hit ninth. Frelick is hitting .267 with no home runs, five RBI, three stolen bases, and 14 runs scored. Frelick is only 2-for-18 since last Saturday. Frelick has 101 plate appearances thus far in 2024, and only eight of those have come against left-handed pitching. This appears to be the case Saturday night. Look for him back in the lineup Sunday afternoon when veteran right-hander
Marcus Stroman takes the mound for the Yankees.
--Mike Carter - RotoBallerSource: Milwaukee Brewers
3 days agoChase Briscoe is set to start seventh in Sunday's Wurth 400 at Dover Motor Speedway. With four top-10 finishes, and as the 12th-ranked driver in the playoff standings, Briscoe is quietly having a strong 2024 season. Despite being one of the more consistent drivers in the Cup Series this year in actual racing, as a fantasy play, he has been underwhelming. While his average DraftKings score of 32.50 is not disastrous, it does fall below value on his average salary of $7,200. What is also concerning is that in his three Cup starts at this track, he has an average finish of just 26th, with an average place differential of -10.7. Although it is important to recognize that Briscoe does have four top 10s in five Xfinity starts at this venue, his struggles at the Cup level on "The Monster Mile" cannot be ignored, which is why we recommend limiting your exposure to a max of 5-10% of your lineup builds this weekend in DFS.
--Adam Erhardt - RotoBallerSource: Racing-Reference.info
3 days agoToronto Maple Leafs forward Nick Robertson is moving down to the fourth line for Saturday's Game 4 versus the Boston Bruins. With William Nylander returning, Robertson is moving from the third line to the fourth line while Connor Dewar will come out of the lineup. While the 22-year-old has been held off the scoresheet through three postseason games, he was a very efficient goal-scorer during the regular season. Robertson tallied 14 goals and 27 points, nice totals not only because they were in just 56 games but in only 11:23 of average ice time per game. He has skated less than 10 minutes in each of the last two games of this series.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: Mark Masters
3 days agoAfter a disappointing 38th-place finish at Talladega, Christopher Bell will look to bounce back this weekend when he starts 33rd in Sunday's Wurth 400 at Dover Motor Speedway. Despite never winning at "The Monster Mile," there are plenty of reasons to be excited about Bell heading into this
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3 days agoVegas Golden Knights center William Karlsson didn't participate in Saturday's morning skate but head coach Bruce Cassidy is anticipating that the Swede will still suit up for Game 3 against the Dallas Stars Saturday night. The nature of any ailment is unknown but Karlsson skated just 13:31 in the team's 3-1 Game 2 win on Wednesday. The 31-year-old enjoyed a productive regular season, notching 30 goals and 60 points on 175 shots across 70 games, going plus-15 in the process. It was his second-highest goal and point total of his career behind his 43-goal, 78-point campaign in the 2017-18 campaign, the first season of Vegas' existence.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: Elliotte Friedman
3 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher
Tyler Glasnow (hand) exited Saturday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays with cramping in his hand. Glasnow had a dominant start, notching nine strikeouts in six innings while giving up only one run on two hits. At 95 pitches on the day it would have been likely that he'd exit after pitching six innings anyways. Given the 30-year-old's past history with injuries this should be something to keep an eye on, but hand cramps should be easier for him to overcome and the right-hander should be considered day-to-day. If Glasnow isn't forced to miss any time, his next scheduled start is slated for next Saturday at home against the Atlanta Braves.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Fabian Ardaya
3 days agoCleveland Guardians second baseman
Andres Gimenez is back in the Guardians lineup and hitting second for Saturday night's game against the Atlanta Braves. Gimenez was out on Friday against Braves' southpaw
Chris Sale but gets a matchup today against
Charlie Morton. The lefty has never faced Morton in his career. He's hitting for a fairly average .664 OPS but has been hitting better on the road, increasing his OPS to .785 away from Progressive Field. Charlie Morton has fared much worse against lefties in 2024, putting Gimenez in a favorable matchup. Those looking for an option in DFS formats may want to entertain adding the Guardians' lefty into their lineup on Saturday night.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Cleveland Guardians
3 days agoNew York Yankees designated hitter
Giancarlo Stanton is back in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers. The slugger was given a rest day for Friday's game but still notched a go-ahead RBI double in extra-innings in the Yankees' 7-6 loss to the Brewers. Stanton has had a solid start to the season slashing .232/.284/.476 with five HR and 13 RBI. He'll get a matchup against Brewers right-hander
Joe Ross, who Stanton is 2-10 against with a HR. With Stanton hitting for an .829 OPS against righties (compared to .658 vs lefties) he should be a viable option in DFS formats.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: New York Yankees
3 days agoTampa Bay Rays first baseman
Yandy Diaz (hand) is not in the Rays lineup on Saturday night's game against the Chicago White Sox. Diaz was hit by a pitch in the 8th inning on Friday night and was subsequently removed. X-rays showed up as negative on his left hand so the veteran avoided major damage. Diaz should be available to use today if needed and may be used for a pinch hit opportunity. He should be avoided in all DFS formats for Saturday, but fantasy managers can breathe a sigh of relief that he won't be missing any time. His next potential start could come tomorrow against White Sox starter
Erick Fedde.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Marc Topkin
3 days agoHouston Astros starting pitching
Ronel Blanco looks to continue his hot start to the season when he faces the Colorado Rockies in Mexico City on Saturday. Blanco has been one of the bigger surprises of the season so far, starting off with a bang by throwing a no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays in his season debut. He's been the Astros' best starter, posting up a 1.33 ERA with 22 K in 27 innings pitched. His xwOBA of .232 ranks in the top 6% of the league, pointing to the fact that what we're seeing may be real results and Blanco hasn't been lucky. He'll face a tough test in Mexico City. Maybe not necessarily because of his bleak opponent, but because of the altitude at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helu which sits nearly 2,000 feet higher than Coors Field. If he can keep control of his pitch mix then Blanco should keep on rolling on Saturday in what would normally be a very favorable matchup.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Houston Astros
3 days agoSan Diego Padres center fielder
Jackson Merrill (groin) is back in the lineup on Saturday for a tilt against
Ranger Suarez and the Philadelphia Phillies. Merrill had been dealing with groin tightness and was scratched prior to Thursday's game against the Colorado Rockies. After missing two games the rookie appears to be in a better spot and his tightness has subsided. Merrill has had a solid start to the season, slashing .318/.378/.409 in 98 PA for the Padres. Expectations may need to be tempered in his return on Saturday, though, as Merrill has been much less effective against lefties. He should be avoided Saturday in DFS formats, but will have a string of right-handed matchups coming up over the next week that will make him a viable option in most fantasy formats.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: San Diego Padres
3 days agoThe Chicago Cubs traded first baseman
Garrett Cooper to the Boston Red Sox for cash considerations on Saturday. The Red Sox will be taking on the remainder of Cooper's $1.75 million salary for 2024. Cooper was designated for assignment by the Cubs earlier in the week. Boston has been decimated by injuries to start the season, including their starting first baseman
Triston Casas who suffered a torn cartilage in his ribs last week. That injury spurred the need for Boston to add a first baseman to the roster and Garrett Cooper appears to be their man, at least in the immediate future. Cooper slashed .270/.341/.432 in 41 PA for the Cubs, a line that easily exceeds the production the Red Sox are seeing from
Bobby Dalbec. Fantasy managers should grab Cooper off the waiver wire as he should be thrust into a starting role fairly quickly.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Craig Mish
3 days agoThe New Orleans Saints selected South Carolina quarterback
Spencer Rattler with the No. 150 pick in the fifth round on Saturday of the 2024 NFL Draft. The drought is over as a new quarterback record of 138 picks between selections of
Bo Nix (12th overall) and Rattler. The 23-year-old slipped further in drafts than anticipated and ended up in New Orleans. He had a 99.1 passing rating, averaging 7.9 yards per attempt with a 19:8 TD: INT ratio for South Carolina in 2023. Some of Rattler's strengths are that he has a solid pocket presence and excellent footwork. Rattler will compete for a chance to back up starter
Derek Carr, but the rookie QB is mainly an option in dynasty leagues heading into 2024 fantasy drafts.
--Brad Camara - RotoBallerSource: Tom Pelissero of The NFL Network
3 days agoJohn Hunter Nemechek was in a rough accident last week at Talladega. Some in the industry, including Kevin Harvick, squarely blamed him for the incident. Nemechek had that wonderful run at Bristol going from 26th to sixth despite corded tires. Again, on Saturday, the Legacy Motor Club driver had issues which caused him track position. Nemechek begins Sunday afternoon 34th. It is the second time the Toyota driver has started 30th or worse. The No. 42 car lost a good deal of speed and grip coming off Turn 4 as his lap times approached 24 seconds in practice. Warmer temperatures may allow positive place differential on Sunday.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
3 days agoDaniel Hemric showed a little extra speed in his Kaulig Racing car. Along with A.J. Allmendinger, the team fielded two cars in the Top 15. That is significant. Hemric starts from the 14th position but rebounded from a 25th place average in practice. By merely gaining several tenths of a second, Hemric, like Allmendinger, showed their Chevy can handle the turns (particularly Turn 4). The 33-year old qualifying inside the Top 20 in consecutive races shows tangible signs of progress. Hemric finished ninth last week at Talladega. Though Dover is a unique one mile track, Hemric illustrated he can drive and survive.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
3 days agoToronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews was on the ice for Saturday's morning skate ahead of Game 4 of the team's first-round playoff series against the Boston Bruins. The superstar didn't practice Friday due to maintenance but will play in a pivot Game 4 on Saturday. Matthews led the charge with a game-winning goal and two assists in a Game 2 win on Monday but has been held off the scoresheet in two of the first three games of this series. The 26-year-old enjoyed a historical regular season that included 69 goals and 107 points on 369 shots on goal across 81 games. The Maple Leafs trail the Bruins 2-1 in the series entering Saturday's action.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: David Alter
3 days agoKaz Grala did not have the best time of Saturday. His Rick Ware Racing car hit the wall pretty hard in practice. As a result, Grala will start 35th on Sunday at Dover. The driver in the No. 15 Ford has struggled to an average finish of 27th in 2024 in nine races. Turn 4 caused an issue with several drivers but Grala never had a chance to save the car. Expectations for the Ford car are pretty low as Grala has had a tough time generating much pace other than Atlanta where he finished 14th early in the season. Minimal place differential is possible but again the "Monster Mile" is a different animal.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
3 days agoNashville Predators forward Michael McCarron has been fined 2K for interference on Vancouver Canucks goaltender Casey DeSmith. The 29-year-old put a shoulder into the netminder behind the net while DeSmith was playing the puck at 12:25 of the first period on Friday. McCarron was handed a two-minute minor for interference on the play. McCarron enjoyed by far the best season of his career in the 2023-24 campaign, setting career highs across the board with 12 goals, 10 assists, 94 shots, 142 hits, and 100 penalty minutes. If he can continue to ascend while providing that type of physicality, there's a chance he could become fantasy-relevant for leagues that count hits next season.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
3 days agoTodd Gilliland showed signs of improvement the past few weeks with a 13th at Martinsville and then an eighth at Talladega. The Front Row Motorsports driver has led 91 laps in four separate races in 2024. One still wonders what might have been at Dayton and especially Atlanta. However, Gilliland remains steadfast in improving his average finish of 22.7. He has raced in the Top 15 more and more often. The No. 38 car shows place differential potential at Dover. He improved six spots in 2022 and ten in 2023. Starting 30th on Sunday might provide a nice springboard from a DFS fantasy perspective.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
3 days agoAustin Dillon starts from the 23rd position for the Wurth 400 on Sunday afternoon from Dover. The Richard Childress Racing driver can take little solace that Kyle Busch is on the pole. Dillon is struggling mightily in the No. 3 car in 2024 with an average finish of 25.2. This is the worst mark of his career since becoming a full-time driver in 2014. He has one Top 10 result and has steadily regressed on the "Monster Mile" the past few seasons. Dillon dropped from 14th to 23rd to 27th. The Next-Gen car has not been kind as his hot seat could get a little hotter.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
3 days agoWashington Capitals defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk has been ruled out for Game 4 of the team's first-round playoff series against the New York Rangers on Sunday. The blueliner took a questionable hit from Rangers tough guy Matt Rempe during the first period of Friday's 3-1 Game 3 loss and did not return to the game. Rempe was issued a two-minute minor for interference on the play. The veteran has averaged 15:53 of ice time so far in these playoff games but also played just 3:27 on Friday while skating at least 20:25 across the first two games of the series. The Capitals are also without defensemen Rasmus Sandin, Nick Jensen, and Vincent Lorio but all three haven't been ruled out for Sunday. The Capitals will need a win to avoid a four-game sweep.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
3 days agoDallas Stars forward Mavrik Bourque could make his NHL postseason debut on Saturday when the Stars travel to Vegas to take on the Golden Knights. The 22-year-old could be a replacement for either Mason Marchment or Radek Faksa who are both listed as game-time decisions on Saturday. The Stars selected Bourque with the 30th overall pick of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft but he has appeared in just one NHL game so far. His lone NHL contest came this season but Bourque notched 26 goals and 77 points across 71 games with the AHL's Texas Stars this season, pacing the league in scoring in the process.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
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