3 days agoLos Angeles Clippers point guard
Russell Westbrook had another miserable outing against the Mavericks in Game 5 on Wednesday, posting six points on 2-for-11 shooting in a 123-93 loss. He missed all three shots from deep and didn't register any assists in 16 minutes of action while grabbing five rebounds. Westbrook performed well in the series opener, but he's had a horrible four-game spell since. The former MVP has been limited to 6-for-35 shooting, notching just 19 total points. His performances have been a major letdown for the Clippers, who face elimination in Game 6 on Friday.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
3 days agoArizona Diamondbacks pitching prospect
Yu-Min Lin (jaw) will miss around six weeks after being struck in the dugout by a foul ball this past Friday. Lin suffered multiple face fractures to his jaw that will require surgery. The team's No. 4 prospect is expected to make a full recovery, and the surgery is considered minor. On the season, Lin has struggled with a 7.00 ERA in four starts for Double-A Amarillo, but he does have 21 strikeouts in 18 innings with just five walks. The numbers should not be read into that much, as he is playing in a hitter-dominant Pacific Coast League. Lin, 20, has ascended at every level for the Diamondbacks, and his ability to limit damage and rack up strikeouts is a big reason why. It wouldn't be unreasonable to think that he could be in Arizona before the season is over, and he could be worth monitoring in dynasty leagues when he returns from his injury.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 days agoBaltimore Orioles pitching prospect
Cade Povich improved to 3-1 with another strong performance for Triple-A Norfolk on Wednesday. The lefty tossed six innings and allowed five hits, one run, four walks and struck out five on the evening. Povich has been dominant this
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3 days agoLos Angeles Clippers guard
James Harden finished with only seven points in Wednesday's beatdown by the Mavericks, shooting 2-for-12 from the field, including 1-for-7 from deep. The veteran star also had four rebounds and seven assists with four turnovers. Overall, Harden has played well in the series, and Game 4 was probably one of the best postseason performances of his career, but the Clippers came completely unstuck in front of their fans Wednesday night. Tyronn Lue's team now faces elimination in Game 6 on Friday. With
Kawhi Leonard (knee) on the shelf, Harden and
Paul George need to come up with something special for the Clippers to extend the series.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
3 days agoLos Angeles Clippers guard/forward
Paul George shot only 4-for-13 from the field to finish with 15 points in Wednesday's 123-93 loss to Dallas. After going off for 33 points in Game 4, George struggled to get going offensively, although he managed to save his fantasy line a bit by getting a game-high 11 rebounds and handing out four assists. The Clippers star is shooting 41 percent from downtown in the series but has been wildly inconsistent with his performances. Sitting on a scoring average of 19.8 points per game, George is on track to have his least productive playoff campaign since 2013.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
3 days agoColorado Rockies pitching prospect
Chase Dollander continued his impressive start of the season for High-A Spokane on Wednesday. The teams first-round pick, ninth overall, in 2023 tossed four innings of scoreless ball and allowed just two hits with three walks and six strikeouts to lower his ERA to 2.33 on the season through four starts. Dollander has shown the ability to rack up strikeouts with 33 in 19 1/3 innings seasons, but he does have eight walks. The former Tennessee Volunteer standout has looked the part in his first go-around in the minor leagues and his mix of a fastball that can reach 99 MPH to go along with a nice breaking ball can help ascend him through the Rockies system quickly. Still only 22, MLB.com's No. 47 prospect is an intriguing name for dynasty managers to keep an eye on as the year goes along.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: Milb.com
3 days agoDallas Mavericks forward/center
Maxi Kleber brought a flamethrower to Wednesday's Game 5 against the Clippers, finishing 5-for-7 from downtown during a 15-point effort. He had as many triples as the Clippers' starting five combined as Dallas dominated in Los Angeles and took a 3-2 series lead. Kleber bagged three rebounds and an assist as well in 19 minutes off the bench. This was by far his best performance of the 2024 playoffs, and it's unlikely Kleber will repeat it soon. However, his three-point shooting has been top-notch throughout the series. After going 0-for-3 in Game 1, Kleber has missed only three of his 12 attempts from deep.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
3 days agoDallas Mavericks guard
Kyrie Irving had a tough time from behind the arc on Wednesday against the Clippers but played an effective game to help the team grab a 3-2 series lead with a blowout win. He finished 1-for-7 with his three-pointers. However, Irving registered a game-high plus-35 rating as he notched 14 points with 6-for-14 shooting, four rebounds, six assists, and two steals. The one-two punch of Irving and
Luka Doncic has been deadly in the series, and Dallas finds itself in a great position to grab a second-round ticket on Friday in Game 6.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
3 days agoDallas Mavericks point guard
Luka Doncic eased his way to 35 points, seven rebounds, and 10 assists in Wednesday's dominant 123-93 win over the Clippers. The Mavericks star might be battling a knee issue and an illness, but he pulled out some of his best moves in the game to push his scoring average in the series to 30.2 points. Doncic has also tallied 9.2 rebounds and 8.8 assists in the first-round matchup, with the Clippers incapable of doing anything to slow him down.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
3 days agoCincinnati Reds outfield prospect
Jay Allen II has been off to a hot start for High-A Dayton. On Wednesday, Allen went 2-for-4 with five RBI, two walks, two stolen bases and a pair of homers. The homeruns were his fourth and fifth of the season and he is now hitting a pristine .386 to go along with 10 RBI and five stolen bases over his first 44 at-bats. Staying on the field has been the biggest issue for the young outfielder and his five round trippers are already a career best. Allen was a three-sport athlete coming out of high school, so his development might take a little longer than most players. The 21-year-old has been a bit aggressive at the plate, but he draws walks and the hope is that his plate aggressiveness will improve as Allen continues to develop. Allen is only a name for dynasty managers to keep on the watch-list for now.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: Milb.com
3 days agoCaio Borralho (15-1) is set to open the UFC 301 main card against Paul Craig on Saturday night. Borralho gets his first-ranked opponent in the UFC as the Brazilian is 5-0 in the promotion and coming off a win over Abus Magomedov. Borralho enters the bout as a massive favorite as DraftKings has him at a salary of $9,500. In the UFC, Borralho has only one win by stoppage. Should Borralho beat Craig, he likely will get a top-10 opponent at middleweight next time out.
--Cole SheltonSource: UFC
3 days agoVitor Petrino (11-0) is set to face former title challenger Anthony Smith on the main card of UFC 301 on Saturday. Petrino is coming off a dominant decision win over Tyson Pedro back in March and is a perfect 4-0 in the UFC. Despite this being a step-up in competition, Petrino is a massive favorite as DraftKings has him at a salary of $9,400. In the UFC, Petrino is 4-0 and has two wins by stoppage. If Petrino can beat Smith, he likely would be a win or two away from a title shot.
--Cole SheltonSource: UFC
3 days agoAnthony Smith (37-19) is set to go down to Brazil to face Brazilian Vitor Petrino on the main card of UFC 301 on Saturday. Smith is coming off a third-round knockout loss to Khalil Rountree as 'Lionheart' is 1-3 in his last four fights. Smith enters the bout as a massive underdog as DraftKings has him at a salary of $6,800. In the UFC, Smith is 12-9 and has won 10 fights by stoppage while out of the nine losses, he's been finished in five of them. If Smith can upset Petrino at UFC 301, he will get a top-10 opponent next time out.
--Cole SheltonSource: UFC
3 days agoJonathan Martinez (19-4) is set to face former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo in the co-main event of UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Saturday. Martinez enters the bout on a six-fight winning streak as he's coming off a TKO win over Adrian Yanez. Despite going into enemy territory, Martinez is the favorite as DraftKings has him at a salary of $8,300. Martinez is 10-3 in the UFC and has four wins by knockout, while he's only been finished once in his entire MMA career.
--Cole SheltonSource: UFC
3 days agoFormer UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo (31-8) is set to return to the Octagon on Saturday in the co-main event of UFC 301 against Jonathan Martinez. Aldo hasn't fought in mixed martial arts since August of 2022 and he has had three boxing fights since then. In his return to the UFC, Aldo is the underdog, as DraftKings has him at a salary of $7,900. Aldo is coming off a decision loss to Merab Dvalishvili, which snapped his three-fight winning streak. In the UFC, the Brazilian is 13-7 and has won four fights by knockout, while he's been finished in four of his seven losses.
--Cole SheltonSource: UFC
3 days agoTampa Bay Rays infield prospect
Junior Caminero smacked two more home runs on Wednesday for Triple-A Durham. It was the second time in three games that the 20-year-old accomplished the feat, bringing his season total to six. He's clearly shaken off the early season hamstring injury and there just isn't much more you can say about him.
Isaac Paredes provides plenty of pop at third base but missed Wednesday's game due to general soreness, so perhaps he moves to DH to make room for the youngster. Regardless, no matter the scenario that gets him there, we should be seeing Caminero in the big leagues sooner rather than later and he should be rostered in fantasy leagues wherever possible.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
3 days agoCleveland Guardians starting pitcher
Triston McKenzie submitted his best showing of the 2024 regular season in Wednesday's 3-2 extra-inning victory over the Houston Astros, fanning six hitters while surrendering two runs on five hits (one home run) and one walk over a season-high seven innings. It hasn't been a great start to the year for McKenzie, who missed most of last season due to injury, but he cruised through Houston's dangerous lineup in the first five innings.
Kyle Tucker tagged him for a homer in the seventh, leaving McKenzie with a no-decision. The 26-year-old right-hander improved his ERA to 4.34 with a 1.48 WHIP and a troubling 24:18 K:BB over 29 innings (six starts) to begin the campaign. Monday's home start against the division-rival Detroit Tigers offers him a great chance to build on Wednesday's display. In seven career starts (43 IP) against Detroit, McKenzie has a 1.05 ERA, 0.76 WHIP, and 50:11 K:BB.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 days agoWashington Nationals starting pitcher
Trevor Williams held the defending-champion Texas Rangers in check in Wednesday's surprising 1-0 road victory, working around five hits and a season-high four walks to launch five scoreless innings with three strikeouts. After a spotless opening inning, Williams tiptoed around plenty of trouble over his 79 pitches but was able to escape with his third win of the campaign to remain unbeaten. The soft-throwing 32-year-old right-hander now holds a steady 2.27 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and 22:12 K:BB across 31 2/3 frames (six starts) out of Washington's rotation this season. A tough test awaits Williams in Tuesday's scheduled start against the visiting Baltimore Orioles and right-hander
Corbin Burnes at Nationals Park for the first outing of a two-game Beltway Series. The O's have hit an MLB-high 45 home run in 30 games, making Williams a tough sell as a fantasy streamer.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 days agoColorado Rockies catching prospect
Drew Romo leads the Pacific Coast League in batting average after a 4-for-4 day at the plate Wednesday for Triple-A Albuquerque. The 22-year-old raised his BA to a robust .372 with the performance, which also included his first two
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3 days agoMiami Marlins starting pitcher
Roddery Munoz turned in another impressive performance in Wednesday's 4-1 victory over the visiting Colorado Rockies, striking out seven hitters while giving up only one run on three hits and two walks over six solid innings for his first career win. In the showing, Munoz joined the late
Jose Fernandez as the only pitchers in Marlins franchise history to have 13-plus strikeouts and a sub-0.75 WHIP across their first two games with the team. The 24-year-old right-hander is giving Miami's injury-riddled rotation some valuable work since joining the major-league roster in late April, attaining a 2.45 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, and 14:3 K:BB over 11 frames (two starts). Despite the strong start, Munoz lines up to take the hill in a shy-away spot for fantasy purposes on Monday against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chavez Ravine. The Dodgers have scored an MLB-high 177 runs through 33 outings.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Christina De Nicola - MLB.com
3 days agoNew York Yankees starting pitcher
Luis Gil quieted the division-rival Baltimore Orioles in Wednesday's 2-0 road victory, throwing 6 1/3 scoreless innings on two hits and one walk with five strikeouts en route to a win. Singles by
Hestonread more...
3 days agoNew York Yankees infielder
DJ LeMahieu (foot) reported to Yankee Stadium on Wednesday and told the club's training staff that he was "feeling great," according to manager Aaron Boone. LeMahieu appears to be close to resuming baseball activities, and a minor-league rehab assignment doesn't appear far off. The 35-year-old veteran contact hitter suffered a setback while recovering from a non-displaced fracture in his right foot with Double-A Somerset after one inning on April 23, but he should still be able to return sometime in mid-to-late May if he can avoid any additional hitches in the road during his progression. The switch-hitting
Oswaldo Cabrera is serving as New York's everyday third baseman for now, but he's losing steam with a .236/.259/.327 triple-slash line in his most recent 55 at-bats (15 games) and LeMahieu's return approaching.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Gary Phillips - New York Daily News
3 days agoNew York Mets relief pitcher
Adam Ottavino tossed a scoreless eighth inning during Wednesday's 1-0 loss to the visiting Chicago Cubs, continuing to throw as well as any reliever in recent weeks. Believe it or not, Ottavino has not allowed a hit to the last 34 batters he's faced, walking only two and striking out 17 over this superb stretch that dates back to April 5. The 38-year-old veteran high-leverage arm has tallied nine consecutive hitless appearances out of New York's bullpen, and he now carries a shiny 1.54 ERA, 0.51 WHIP, and 20:2 K:BB over 11 2/3 innings overall for the Mets during the 2024 regular season. With
Drew Smith (shoulder) and
Brooks Raley (elbow) on the shelf, it looks pretty clear that Ottavino would be next in line for save opportunities in Queens in the event that
Edwin Diaz ever needs to miss time for whatever reason.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 days agoBoston Red Sox catcher
Connor Wong continued his hot start to the season in Wednesday's 6-2 win over the visiting San Francisco Giants, going 3-for-4 with an RBI and two doubles. Wong most notably doubled in a run on a sharp line drive that brought around
Wilyer Abreu for an insurance score in the seventh inning. The 27-year-old backstop is tearing the cover off the ball to begin the campaign, batting .366 (26-for-71) with five home runs, three doubles, 14 RBI, and nine runs scored in 21 games as Boston's primary catcher. Wong is worth a look for fantasy managers in two-catcher leagues while he's rolling ahead of a three-game series with the Minnesota Twins starting on Friday, but the wheels will likely come off a bit at some point. In six games versus the Twins last season, Wong hit .250 (5-for-20) with three RBI, and three runs scored.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 days agoThe Arizona Diamondbacks have called up 2019 first-round draft pick
Blake Walston. The left-handed pitcher is expected to provide depth to the bullpen, which he was able to do in Wednesday's 8-0 loss to the Dodgers. The 22-year-old's debut was a mixed bag, tossing three-and-two-thirds in relief of starter
Jordan Montgomery. He walked four batters but was able to strike out five Dodgers as well, giving up three hits and two earned runs during the outing. He's off the radar for season-long fantasy, but if he were able to earn a spot start (he's worked predominantly as a starter in the minors) he could be a potential DFS option depending on the matchup.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: Arizona Diamondbacks
3 days agoThe New York Giants could look to add a veteran presence to their backfield before the 2024 NFL season, according to Dan Duggan of The Athletic. "This is a spot that could call for a cheap veteran reinforcement, even if that's just re-signing
Mattread more...
3 days agoChicago Cubs starting pitcher
Shota Imanaga continued his seamless transition to the major leagues in Wednesday's 1-0 win over the New York Mets, firing a career-high seven scoreless innings on three hits and one walk with seven strikeouts for his fifth win of the season. Imanaga was magnificent once again on Wednesday, scattering three singles and getting just enough run support via a
Pete Crow-Armstrong sacrifice fly in the fifth inning. The 30-year-old Japanese import has been nearly unstoppable over his first six starts of the campaign, toting an MLB-best 0.78 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, and 35:4 K:BB across 34 2/3 frames to begin his MLB career. All eyes will be on Imanaga when he toes the rubber in his next scheduled start on Monday during a difficult assignment against the San Diego Padres and fellow Japanese hurler
Yu Darvish at Wrigley Field. The Padres rank second in baseball with 163 runs scored through 34 games.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 days agoPittsburgh Pirates second baseman prospect
Nick Gonzales has been doing all he can for Triple-A Indianapolis to earn another promotion to the big league club. The 24-year-old is now batting .374, which is the second-highest batting average in all of Triple-A behind only 33-year-old teammate
Jake Lamb, and Gonzales leads the circuit with 12 doubles.
Jared Triolo is the Pirates' current second baseman but is batting just .216 on the season and only .152 over his last 14 games (7-for-46 including one double and zero HR). The Pirates just dropped three in a row to the Athletics after scoring three total runs in the three-game series, so if they are looking for offense then they should look no further than Gonzales. The former first-round draft pick hit just .209 during his cup of coffee with the big league club in 2023, but he's shown an improved K% in the minors this season (18.3%) which is another sign he's ready for another shot.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
3 days agoIndianapolis Colts quarterback
Anthony Richardson will be more aware of the speed and violence of the football game around him so that he can better protect himself heading into his second pro season, offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter told members of the media. Richardson was the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft but made just four starts as a rookie before he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. Richardson's physicality and athleticism helped him become a top pick and budding NFL star, but these same qualities likely made him more susceptible to injury, too. Cooter's comments should provide Colts fans and fantasy managers with some optimism that Richardson can stay healthy in 2024. At the same time, though, they also suggest that Richardson may tone down his physicality, which could lead to fewer rushing yards and touchdowns, as well as more sacks. Fantasy managers should view the Indianapolis signal-caller as a fringe QB1 heading into drafts.
--Andersen Pickard - RotoBallerSource: James Boyd
3 days agoLos Angeles Angels starting pitcher
Patrick Sandoval tallied 10 strikeouts in Wednesday's 2-1 defeat to the visiting Philadelphia Phillies, tossing five innings of two-run ball on four hits and two walks en route to a loss. It was Sandoval's first game with double-digit punchouts since 2022, but
Kyle Schwarber's two-run single in the second inning proved to be enough to saddle the hurler with a loss on a day the Phillies struck out 18 times. The 27-year-old southpaw will take an underwhelming 5.91 ERA, 1.69 WHIP, and 38:16 K:BB over 32 frames (seven starts) for the Halos into in his next scheduled appearance on Tuesday on the road against the struggling Pittsburgh Pirates, who are scoring just 2.4 runs per game over their last 21 contests.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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