2 days agoBrad Keselowski nearly broke his winless streak at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, but came up one position short. It looked as though Brad was going to be able to maneuver around then-leader Michael McDowell on the final lap of the GEICO 500, but a block by McDowell caused a massive last-lap crash that took out most of the cars in the field. Keselowski was still able to finish second despite the pileup. After the race, Brad stated, "It's unfortunate. I thought we had a really strong day; it looked like we were going to get a Ford 1-2-3 and it didn't work out. I'm glad to get a good finish but really want the win." Keselowski added, "I don't know that anybody did anything wrong. I just still hate that Michael [McDowell] didn't get the solid day that he deserved, and we didn't get the win. But that's how it goes."
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Racer
2 days agoIt was a good day at Talladega for Anthony Alfredo and Beard Motorsports, as they were able to avoid the chaos late and walk away with a sixth-place finish in the GEICO 500. That's the best result for the organization since the 2022 season, when Noah Gragson delivered a fifth-place finish for them at Daytona. Beard Motorsports only runs a handful of races each season, so it's nice to see them finish up front when they do. For Alfredo, this was another good result for him at Talladega, as he now has three straight finishes of 12th or better at the track. After the race, the driver stated, "I hung a hard left, went through the grass, was able to hang onto it, avoid the chaos, and make it to the start-finish line sixth, so what a great day for this team." Alfredo's finish paid off nicely for bettors as well, as he was listed at 14-to-1 odds for a top-10 result at Talladega.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Anthony Alfredo's X Account
2 days agoEarlier this season at Dayton and Atlanta, Todd Gilliland showed that he could hang with the leaders and legitimately compete. This past Sunday at Talladega, he did the same thing. Although Gilliland didn't lead any laps in the GEICO 500, he still had the second-best driver rating and ranked inside the top five in both Green Flag Speed and Average Running Position. He finished eighth in the race, giving him three top-10 finishes in his last four starts there with a 12th-place result being the worst finish during that time frame. Gilliland has definitely emerged as a strong fantasy option at Talladega, although he still wasn't a great DFS pick this weekend because of his high starting position. Gilliland scored 32.8 FPTS on DraftKings, just 17th-highest on the slate.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Jayski
2 days agoMinnesota Twins infield prospect
Brooks Lee (back) has been diagnosed with a herniated disc. Lee was fighting for a roster spot with the Twins this spring, but was removed from a game with back spasms and later placed on the Triple-A injured list with lower back pain. The Twins have optimism that Lee could resume playing at some point this season, but no timeline has been established at this point. It is a shame as the Top-50 prospect was on the cusp on a big-league debut this season. For now, he can be ignored in redraft leagues and managers in dynasty leagues should keep tabs on his progress.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: Aaron Gleeman
2 days agoNew York Yankees outfield prospect
Spencer Jones had himself a game for Double-A Somerset on Sunday. The outfielder went 3-for-4 with three runs, a solo home run and two stolen bases. Jones has been off to a hot start for Somerset and over his first 21 at-bats is hitting .381 with three RBI and three stolen bases to accompany his home run on Sunday. Jones stands tall at 6'6", but offers plenty of athleticism and power to give him five-tool potential. In 2023, Jones hit a combined .267 with 16 homers, 66 RBI and 43 stolen bases between High-A and Double A (17 games). Jones has a chance to ascend quickly like fellow outfield prospect
Jasson Dominguez did in 2023, if he continues to have success in his first extended look in Double-A. He is a name for dynasty managers to seriously consider and managers in redraft leagues should file his name away for future years.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: Milb.com
2 days agoSan Diego Padres shortstop prospect
Leodalis De Vries will start his professional career for Single-A Lake Elsinore on Monday. The 17-year-old will be the youngest player in the league and it is a similar path to the team's No.1 prospect
Ethan Salas, who played for Lake Elsinore as a 17-year-old this past season. De Vries was the top international signing this past January and is out of the Dominican Republic. The Padres are enamored by the youngster's ability to make contact and identify plate recognition. His body is still growing and that could lead to more power in his future as well. De Vries ranks inside of most Top-100 prospect lists and his potential to be a five-tool asset is a big reason why. At minimum he is a few years away from the big leagues, but he is an exciting name for dynasty managers to keep tabs on.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: Milb.com
2 days agoToronto Blue Jays infield prospect
Orelvis Martinez had an incredible week for Triple-A Buffalo. Martinez, 22, went 10-for-28 with five home runs and 13 RBI. The young budding star has been on a tear this season and overall has hit an astounding .333
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2 days agoLos Angeles Angels pitching prospect
Caden Dana continues to enjoy Double-A Rocket City. On Sunday, the 20-year-old tossed a career-high seven innings. Over those seven frames, he allowed two hits, no runs, one walk and struck out eight. Dana is currently the Angels top pitching prospect and this is his first go around in Double-A. So far, he has seemed unmatched with a 1.47 ERA to go with 19 strikeouts and just three walks over three starts (18 1/3 innings). Dana has an established fastball and slider, while he has been working on his changeup to add his arsenal. He also has shown good command with his ability to stay in the strike zone. If Dana keeps this going in Double-A, he could rise quicker than expected with the Angels showing no issues with promoting their prospects when they deem ready. For now, Dana is a name for dynasty league managers.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: Milb.com
2 days agoCleveland Guardians first baseman
Kyle Manzardo has started to heat up and had a weekend to remember. Manzardo hit three homers and collected five extra-base hits. After a slow start to the season, the 23-year-old is now hitting .308 with four homers, 10 RBI and an excellent .935 OPS over 18 games for Triple-A Columbus. Manzardo has always shown elite plate discipline and has been an on-base machine that has added power to his game as he has risen through the ranks of the minor leagues. The Guardians have
Josh Naylor entrenched at first base, but the designated hitter spot in the lineup is wide open. Manzardo should be expected to make his debut sometime in 2024 and is worth a look in most formats when that happens.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: MLB Pipeline
2 days ago23XI driver Bubba Wallace finished 36th in Sunday's Geico 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. While a 36th-place finish is always disappointing, Sunday's race was particularly frustrating given that Wallace is from Mobile, Alabama. Despite running a solid race and spending 62.3% of the contest in the top 15, the eight-year Cup veteran was involved in an accident in turn three of lap 156. At a point in the race when a group of Toyotas were running single file, Erik Jones drifted low, causing Wallace to spin him into the wall. The incident, which also impacted 23XI co-owner Denny Hamlin, ended the day for the three Camrys, 32 laps short of the checkered flag. Considering that Hamlin and Jones finished in the top 10 in ownership on DraftKings, this wreck undoubtedly impacted DFS contests on Sunday afternoon. Nevertheless, the No. 23 will now turn his attention to Dover Motor Speedway, a track he finished 12th at last spring.
--Adam Erhardt - RotoBallerSource: Jayski.com
2 days agoOn Sunday afternoon, Kyle Larson finished 21st in the Geico 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Talladega weekend got off to a rocky start for the former Cup Series champion as he was not allowed to qualify, was forced to start in the back, and was made to do a
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2 days agoRicky Stenhouse Jr. survived the last-lap Big One to score a fourth-place finish at Talladega on Sunday, his best finish this season. However, he didn't run nearly as well as his finish implies, as he never ran better than fourth at any period in the race, and every single driver in the field did that at least once in a highly competitive event -- even the backmarkers. Stenhouse's average running position of 22nd was decidedly mediocre, and his driver rating ranked only 24th despite the high finish. He continues to have a knack for emerging up front at the end of drafting races, but he ran much worse than he did in many of those other races. His overall performance this weekend still reflects the sudden drop in form that has existed for him throughout the 2024 season.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
2 days agoPerhaps surprisingly, Noah Gragson had the highest driver rating in Sunday's GEICO 500 at Talladega. Although he had won there in the Xfinity Series and his predecessor, Aric Almirola, was regularly fast on drafting tracks in his entire Stewart-Haas Racing tenure, few people saw Gragson as a top contender. However, he finished third (giving SHR its first top-five finish on the season), led five laps, and made four passes for the lead in the race, including passing Chris Buescher on Lap 96 and Ross Chastain on Lap 132. Gragson tied for first in average running position, tied for second in passes, and ranked fifth in pass differential as he tried to run up front for the entire event while many of the big stars hung in the back for most of the race. Talladega also gave him above-average speed for the season, marking a drastic improvement over his miserable 2023. Gragson finished third in the GEICO 500 and delivered a massive day for DFS players.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
2 days agoIn his first NASCAR Cup Series drafting race, Shane van Gisbergen performed very admirably, although he didn't get the finish to prove it. Van Gisbergen made two passes for the lead in the race, passing Kyle Busch on lap 44 and Chris Buescher on lap 98, proving that his passing for the lead in Saturday's Xfinity Series race was no fluke and immediately proving he had the ability to compete on drafting tracks. Admittedly, his teammate, Daniel Hemric, outperformed him as van Gisbergen had an average running position of 20th, finished 28th, and ranked a mere 27th in driver rating. However, in a race where nearly the entire field intentionally slowed down for long stretches at a time, peak performance likely is a better metric than average performance, and he did lead when many veteran drivers didn't.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
3 days agoSeattle Mariners closer
Andres Munoz took the blown save and the loss in a 2-1 extra-innings defeat at the hands of the Colorado Rockies. Munoz came in with the Mariners up 1-0 in the bottom of the 10th, but allowed three hits and two runs (one earned) without recording an out. Munoz hasn't been at his best this year, pitching to a 3.68 ERA and 1.64 WHIP. That being said, this was his first blown save of the season and the first time he has given up more than one run in an appearance. He should continue to see the majority of save opportunities for the Mariners and should be rostered in all leagues where saves matter.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 days agoMiami Marlins closer
Tanner Scott picked up his second save in two days on Sunday, closing out the Chicago Cubs in a 6-3 win. Scott has gotten his season back on track in the past week, picking up three saves while allowing only two hits and two walks. Another big indicator that Scott might be returning to form is that he hasn't walked a batter in his last two appearances after walking an astronomical 12 batters in his first eight appearances. Fantasy managers should be encouraged by the results and have a little more confidence in Scott when determining lineups for next week.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 days agoMilwaukee Brewers relief pitcher
Joel Payamps locked down the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday, helping the Brewers secure a 2-0 win. Payamps didn't allow a baserunner and struck out one in his inning of work. While the Brewers bullpen situation without
Devin Williams doesn't seem to be fully solved, Payamps appears to be at the top of the list for saves at the moment. He may not get every opportunity, but he should get more than anyone else for as long as he is pitching well. He should be added in most leagues where saves matter.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 days agoBaltimore Orioles third baseman
Jordan Westburg was mashing again on Sunday, going 2-for-3 with a homer and a triple in a 5-0 win over the Kansas City Royals. Westburg added a walk, a run scored, and two RBI to round out his line. The 25-year-old seems to be breaking out this season, slashing .333/.392/.639 with 14 runs, five homers, 18 RBI, and three steals. He has five-category upside and should be rostered in all leagues at this point.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 days agoNew York Yankees infielder
DJ LeMahieu (foot) will start a rehab assignment with Double-A Somerset on Tuesday. Lemahieu hasn't played in the 2024 season yet after injuring his foot before the season started. Lemahieu has his work cut out for him to get into the Yankees lineup, as
Oswaldo Cabrera has started the season hot and the team might prefer to stick it out with him for a while. That said, Lemahieu should still get his at-bats in, whether that be as the starting third baseman or as a utility man. He is a deeper league option at this point.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: Bryan Hoch
3 days agoAtlanta Braves starting pitcher
Bryce Elder will start Monday's game against the Miami Marlins. Elder is coming up to give the rest of the Braves rotation some rest, but if he pitches well he could stick around as the fifth starter. The 24-year-old had a good season in 2023, going 12-4 with a 3.81 ERA and 1.28 WHIP over 174 ⅔ IP. He has also looked good in his three minor league starts this season, pitching to a 3.31 ERA and 1.16 WHIP with 18 strikeouts in 16 ⅓ IP. Elder's solid numbers make him a good streaming option on Monday, and if he were to stay in the majors he could stick around on fantasy teams in need of pitching help.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: David O'Brien
3 days agoTampa Bay Rays outfielder
Jose Siri is considered day-to-day after missing Sunday's game due to kidney stones. Siri was at the hospital on Sunday getting treatment, so he was unable to play in the Rays game against the New York Yankees. Siri got off to a pretty good start to the season, but he is now mired in an 0-for-15 slump during which he has struck out 10 times. Outside of stolen bases and the occasional homer, Siri doesn't provide much value to fantasy managers and can be safely left on waivers outside of deep leagues.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: Marc Topkin
3 days agoIn the GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, Michael McDowell wrecked on the last lap to place 31st. As the polesitter for this week's race, McDowell started at the front by leading a few laps early but faded toward the middle of the pack as others drove past him.
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3 days agoHendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman placed fifth during this week's GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Bowman started his day in 12th place and quietly ran between the Top 20 to as high as 10th at the end of the first stage. The driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet would score stage points in stage one as a result but fail to score any in the second stage as he remained 14th. During the final stage, Bowman would run along with the pack and the rest of his Hendrick teammates, playing into pit strategy to eventually get him favorable track position. Although he looked to coast towards a top-10 finish by the end of the final lap, Bowman avoided the big wreck and climbed all the way to fifth, scoring his second-career top-5 finish at Talladega and his fourth overall for 2024. Bowman will look to continue his strong momentum and Consistency at Dover, one of his best tracks in recent years where he currently has three consecutive top-5 finishes.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
3 days agoESPN New York's Rich Cimini writes that it sounds as if New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas is serious about adding a quarterback on Day 3 of this year's NFL draft, saying he'd love to create "a quarterback factory" like the Green Bay Packers did in the 1990s. The dream is to find a late-round gem, and the Jets hold the final pick in the draft (No. 257 overall). The Jets hosted Tulane's
Michael Pratt, Florida State's
Jordan Travis and Samford's Michael Hiers, with each QB being a potential Day 3 pick. Kentucky's
Devin Leary and Tennessee's
Joe Milton III could also be candidates. Douglas hasn't had much luck in his career drafting quarterbacks, either, so it's surely something he'd like to change.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN New York - Rich Cimini
3 days agoGeorgia tight end
Brock Bowers is the odds-on favorite to be taken by the New York Jets with the 10th overall pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night, according to ESPN draft experts. If that happens, it would be the first time in 16 seasons that quarterback
Aaron Rodgers has been gifted a first-round pick at receiver or tight end. General manager Joe Douglas referred to Bowers as a "Swiss Army knife." The Jets are also interested in offensive tackles -- Notre Dame's Joe Alt, Oregon State's Taliese Fuaga and Washington's Troy Fautanu are thought to be their top preferences -- but they could take a receiver in the unlikely event one of the top three falls to 10th overall. If the Jets do take Bowers, he could have immediate fantasy value in his rookie year as long as Rodgers stays healthy.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN New York - Rich Cimini
3 days agoESPN New York's Jordan Ranaan says there's little doubt the New York Giants want to add a quarterback in the upcoming NFL draft. The Giants have had almost all of the top QBs in this year's class in for visits and either had private workouts or the team's most important decision-makers attended their pro days. Multiple general managers think QBs will be taken with each of the top four picks. The Giants have the No. 6 pick. It would be costly for the G-Men to jump into the top five, especially since the thought in league circles is that the Vikings are eyeing a trade up. There is a strong belief by some in the league that North Carolina QB
Drake Maye is the Giants' guy. The physical talent is there with Maye, but he's also going to be more of a project than the other top QB options in this year's draft. Sitting a year behind
Daniel Jones would be ideal.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN New York - Jordan Raanan
3 days agoThe New England Patriots quietly brought in free-agent tight ends
Brycen Hopkins,
Sean McKeon and
Mitchell Wilcox in for workouts late last week, which could reflect on their desire to add another layer to the tight end depth chart of
Hunter Henry,
Austin Hooper and
La'Michael Pettway. Hopkins has only 13 receptions on 19 targets for 196 yards and no touchdowns in his four NFL seasons with the Los Angeles Rams. McKeon ended the 2023 season on Injured Reserve due to an ankle injury and has only six catches on 11 targets for 38 yards and one touchdown in his four NFL seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. Wilcox has 29 catches on 35 targets for 211 yards and one touchdowns in his three years with the Cincinnati Bengals.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN Boston - Mike Reiss
3 days agoDaniel Hemric qualified 19th for the GEICO 500 on Sunday. Few expected Hemric and his Kaulig Racing Chevy to nab a result inside the Top 10. He did continue a nice streak of place differential on superspeedway or tracks of similar type. At Daytona, he was +21, Atlanta saw Hemric move up eight spots. Talladega saw him begin in 19th and end up 9th. He even led eight laps. Strangely enough, the No. 31 car was 19th after both stages before moving up late. Before this race, Hemric had not finished better than 16th (Daytona). Nine of the ten drivers inside the Top 10 started 11th or further back.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
3 days agoNew England Patriots director of scouting Eliot Wolf said he doesn't think the team currently has a wide receiver that "can beat the backside coverage every single time." The Patriots are most likely to draft their quarterback of the future with the No. 3 overall pick, but they could pair him with a receiver with their next pick at No. 34 overall. ESPN's Field Yates believes South Carolina's
Xavier Legette, Florida State's
Keon Coleman or Florida's
Ricky Pearsall could all be good fits. Legette caught 71 passes for 1,255 yards and seven touchdowns last year and "has some of the best run-after-catch skills in the class," according to Yates. Coleman's size (6-foot-3, 213 pounds) makes him a top red-zone performer. Pearsall caught 65 passes for 965 yards and four touchdowns in 2023.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com - Field Yates
3 days agoNew England Patriots director of scouting Eliot Wolf said late last week that the team is "open for business" at pick No. 3 overall in the upcoming NFL draft and will listen to trade offers. However, Wolf and first-year head coach Jerod Mayo have previously said the only way they're moving further down in the first round is if another team offers an unprecedented. Per sources, the most likely scenario is that the Pats will stay put at No. 3 and select LSU quarterback
Jayden Daniels, North Carolina's
Drake Maye or Michigan's
J.J. McCarthy. "You can't win without a quarterback, said one Patriots source late last week. Daniels, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2023, is a dynamic dual threat at the position and has the most pure upside out of him, Maye and McCarthy. But New England may be picking from either Maye or McCarthy if Daniels goes to the Commanders at second overall.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN Boston - Mike Reiss
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